# White perch ladue



## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Trolled ladue tonight from 7-10 and couldn't keep the white perch off the rods...trolled the boat launch side only with ultra light shad raps and bettle spins tipped with wax worms...did run a husky jerk the whole time with no takes.had alot of fun tonight.


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## rockytop (Mar 19, 2008)

The seagulls got a eat too!


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## PolymerStew (Feb 17, 2009)

twistedcatfish1971 said:


> Trolled ladue tonight from 7-10 and couldn't keep the white perch off the rods...trolled the boat launch side only with ultra light shad raps and bettle spins tipped with wax worms...did run a husky jerk the whole time with no takes.had alot of fun tonight.


I was out there yesterday too. I kept getting white perch on the crankbaits I was throwing looking for bass. A lot of follow backs and short strikes from the white perch, but a few got the hooks.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

I knew they were in there but had no ideal there were so many.alot of surface breaks...actually thought for a minute that they were crappie...nope ! I did keep a few for future catfish bait and if they work out i'll gladly harvest a few more.tell ya what...if someone has kids take them out on the lake they should have a blast catching them.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

Rumor had it the state was going to put some flatheads in the lake to thin out the white perch, never heard any more about that. They are thick in there.


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## PolymerStew (Feb 17, 2009)

twistedcatfish1971 said:


> I knew they were in there but had no ideal there were so many.alot of surface breaks...actually thought for a minute that they were crappie...nope ! I did keep a few for future catfish bait and if they work out i'll gladly harvest a few more.tell ya what...if someone has kids take them out on the lake they should have a blast catching them.


I kept one of the white perch I caught yesterday and used it as cut bait. I caught one channel cat that was 25" and about 5 lbs. I only stayed for 1 hr after sunset otherwise I probably would have caught more catfish. 
I personally don't like cut bait as much as whole, fresh shad for catfish bait, but that's largely because I'm allergic to fish and I don't like having to cut them up. 

I saw lots of bluegills breaking the surface out there. I had some yellow perch following my baits back, but they were small ones.


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

snag said:


> Rumor had it the state was going to put some flatheads in the lake to thin out the white perch, never heard any more about that. They are thick in there.


That would be awesome.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

Yeah I'm surprised the state isn't stocking something to thin out those white perch , even a few more pike or musky would help.


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## guppygill (May 8, 2004)

I have a boat but little too big to put on there, question, can you cast off shore at the boathouse and catch the white perch? I go there home from work sometimes and would like to just cast a line out.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Nice meeting you on the water Sunday night Twistedcatfish, all I caught that night was white perch too. I finally put a reef runner on because I was so tired of them hitting my shad raps. I went to Ladue again today and all I caught was white perch fishing from 5:30am until whenever I looked up this afternoon half way from the spillway and saw black ominous clouds brewing. I paddled like crazy to get back and just made it. I was driving home and called a friend complaining how I'm tired of not being able to cover enough water with my yak, so he sold me a 12' wards sea king v-hull aluminum boat that I'm doing a full restoration on. Cannot wait to use it for inland lakes and the kayak for rivers.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

guppygill said:


> I have a boat but little too big to put on there, question, can you cast off shore at the boathouse and catch the white perch? I go there home from work sometimes and would like to just cast a line out.


Your best option is parking on 422 and a short walk to fish under the causeway. You'll catch them there and may even hook up with a walleye.


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## Duckhunter8214 (Sep 21, 2014)

Do they taste good? And what's the limit on them?


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

Duckhunter8214 said:


> Do they taste good? And what's the limit on them?


They aren't bad eating and there is no limit. Some grocery stores sell them.


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## doegirl (Feb 24, 2005)

big seller in the northeast. I like them


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

They aren't bad table fare , when they had a w perch tourney a few years back a guy from this site took a couple coolers home full of them.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

I had fish fries and they went so fast with everyone raving about how good the fish were. I enjoyed catching them last year before I caught my walleye. Now that's what I target.


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## Ripley (May 10, 2010)

I found that cutting the gills letting them bleed in the cooler of ice immediately after catching makes for better tasting filets. As far as catfish bait, cut or live, they seem to work ok.


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## Duckhunter8214 (Sep 21, 2014)

Thanks fellas


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## MuskieManOhio (Jun 29, 2008)

They need to have another tourney for white perch again I had a blast!


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

MuskieManOhio said:


> They need to have another tourney for white perch again I had a blast!


I was thinking about that as well, but then I thought it would even be better if OGF members volunteered to get together once a year to try to catch as many as possible. It would be a great way to meet everyone that is always on here.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

I stopped by when they had one and some guys had coolers full to the top easily over 300 w perch. They had a big turnout.


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

kayak1979 said:


> I was thinking about that as well, but then I thought it would even be better if OGF members volunteered to get together once a year to try to catch as many as possible. It would be a great way to meet everyone that is always on here.


I'd be in for this sounds like a blast.


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## Jim 1359 (May 25, 2015)

monte39 said:


> I'd be in for this sounds like a blast.


Me too, somebody needs too set up a date


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## Jim 1359 (May 25, 2015)

Fly fishing for them i think would work good, when they break the surface make a roll cast and put the fly or popper where they splash. I don't have flyfishing equipment but that might work good. Has anybody ever tried that? Does it work good?


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## ignantmike (Apr 30, 2005)

some one ruined that lake with them


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

White perch can be caught with a bare hook. No need to try fly fishing for them. I would think that would actually waste time being productive in catching them as quickly as possible. Last year I would leave with 30 on a stringer in a couple hours just by trolling my kayak on the north end with pink jigs and half a crawler.


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## Jim 1359 (May 25, 2015)

There would be a lot more crappie in there if there weren't the white perch


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## marshal45 (Mar 8, 2007)

They need to drain the lake and start over. It is so infested with them that nothing will help at this point. The state of Indiana does this when white perch infest their waters from what I understand. I live 5 min away and don't even fish it because of them. It's sad as it was a Great Lake for eyes and crappies before the infestation.


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## Jim 1359 (May 25, 2015)

I remember trolling for walleye and picking up huge slab crappies years ago. Not anymore


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## guppygill (May 8, 2004)

Thanks Kayak. Fried some up from Lake Erie, not too bad, in fact, tasted like good white bass, or better.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Hey kayak79 it was cool seeing you on the water the other night to.my buddy and I went to the dam and trolled around till 10 that night...no bites but marked good fish east of the inlet in the dam. Hitting ladue thursday night from 6:30-10:30 ish again...bringing the house this time with bait.leaches (live) and gulp...nightcrawlers and minnows.plus some wax worms. Gonna run two rods with flickers and two with bait and hope for the best. Im sure i'll see again sometime.best of luck to ya in the future.

Don.


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## MuskieManOhio (Jun 29, 2008)

kayak1979 said:


> I was thinking about that as well, but then I thought it would even be better if OGF members volunteered to get together once a year to try to catch as many as possible. It would be a great way to meet everyone that is always on here.


I would be down


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## rockytop (Mar 19, 2008)

We should get together weekly,only way to thin that herd.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

It can be fun using ultralights too until one of those 12lb cats takes hold!


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

It could be a meet at boathouse ramp on certain day, no fee unless you wanted a big fish pot for biggest white perch , start at 7 am quit at 2 pm. Bragging rights for most taken. Just a idea thrown out !!


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## Jim 1359 (May 25, 2015)

snag said:


> It could be a meet at boathouse ramp on certain day, no fee unless you wanted a big fish pot for biggest white perch , start at 7 am quit at 2 pm. Bragging rights for most taken. Just a idea thrown out !!


Please be on a sunday so I can participate


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

Sunday, M T W TH Fri, are all open for me , whatever is best for the majority .


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

snag said:


> Sunday, M T W TH Fri, are all open for me , whatever is best for the majority .


I have off work Monday and Tuesdays, that being said I can still fish afternoons and be on the water by 5 if its on another day.


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## Jim 1359 (May 25, 2015)

kayak1979 said:


> I have off work Monday and Tuesdays, that being said I can still fish afternoons and be on the water by 5 if its on another day.


Sundays and Wednesdays are good for me


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Count me and my buddy to.weekends anytime and m-f anytime after 5:30 works.


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## crestliner TS (Jun 8, 2012)

I was thinking the exact same thing. I also live 5 minutes and only fish it a couple times a year but the wb will take over that lake and ruin it if it is not drained. No other way to get rid of them.


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## kapposgd (Apr 10, 2012)

Since ladue is part of akrons water supply they'll never drain it. An important part of being a sportsman is wisely harvesting fish. Keep the overpopulated and underutilized species, in this case white perch, and let the black bass go


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## Duckhunter8214 (Sep 21, 2014)

My dad and I may come up and take some tomorrow since people are saying they aren't half bad to eat. Is their any specific place to catch them or are they just all over lake at any depth?


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## crestliner TS (Jun 8, 2012)

Duckhunter8214 said:


> My dad and I may come up and take some tomorrow since people are saying they aren't half bad to eat. Is their any specific place to catch them or are they just all over lake at any depth?


 They are all over, and they are pretty good tasting.


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## Duckhunter8214 (Sep 21, 2014)

They hit twister tails or they hit worms better. Just looking for a fun day on lake since calling for 2/4 footer on erie


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Duckhunter8214 said:


> They hit twister tails or they hit worms better. Just looking for a fun day on lake since calling for 2/4 footer on erie


I have found the best way for me personally to catch the White perch is trolling or drifting with pink or chartreuse jigs with 1/4 piece of a worm threaded on the hook. I usually can catch a few from that before they destroy the worm. Get a few dozen worms if you plan on fishing for a while. When I would catch stringers of them like this I used that trolling tactic from my kayak. Constant fun! Also, the best place I have found is North of the causeway 422 in the deeper areas all the way to the spill way. I have had most success more towards the spillway part of the lake in 20 fow. They are everywhere though. Good luck and let us know how you do.


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## Duckhunter8214 (Sep 21, 2014)

Will do. Thanks a lot for the information.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Last week was getting them trolling bettle spins tipped with wax worms.but also caught them with crappie jigs and ice jigs just floating behind the boat trolling on 1-speed.they hit just about anything.


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## Duckhunter8214 (Sep 21, 2014)

Went up today just to scout it out and didn't see a dock. Seen a road that leads down into the lake but I don't think I'll be able to take my dad their. I still may give it a shot next week in my kayak


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## Frankie G (Aug 18, 2014)

I'm down. Anytime on weekends. Weekdays I could be there by 5:30 or so.


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## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

Rumor heard that Ladue is all 'fished out' and no more White Perch to be caught... only an occasional Bass, Gill, Carp, Crappie or Cat in the lake these days.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Friday night I'll be there by 5:15 for white perch. Forecast looks good.


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## Frankie G (Aug 18, 2014)

I'll be there. I'll do my best to make it by 5:15 but that depends on traffic! What ramp? By the boathouse?


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## REY298 (Apr 3, 2014)

kayak1979 said:


> I had fish fries and they went so fast with everyone raving about how good the fish were. I enjoyed catching them last year before I caught my walleye. Now that's what I target.


White Perch are excellent table fare ... Make sure you keep them cold after catching> Are they any size?


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Frankie G said:


> I'll be there. I'll do my best to make it by 5:15 but that depends on traffic! What ramp? By the boathouse?


Boathouse ramp. My dad and I will be in a tracker panfish 16



REY298 said:


> White Perch are excellent table fare ... Make sure you keep them cold after catching> Are they any size?


Usually they are around 7 to 8" occasionally catching smaller and larger. I always keep in cooler. They taste much better that way.


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## porkchop216 (Apr 17, 2013)

kayak1979 said:


> I was thinking about that as well, but then I thought it would even be better if OGF members volunteered to get together once a year to try to catch as many as possible. It would be a great way to meet everyone that is always on here.


great idea I think everyone can bring their family and have a big fish fry shore lunch


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## Frankie G (Aug 18, 2014)

No way I'll make it even before 7 or 8 with the way things are going here at the office. Good luck guys and catch ya next time!


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Fished from 5pm until just near 8pm only got about 10 white perch. It sure was slow. So far this year I only caught a 19" walleye. I had photos sent to me this spring from a guy and his buddies who caught their limits of really nice walleye along the causeway during the spawn. I'm sure between the spawn fishermen either snagging and I even heard rumor of guys netting them doesn't help, nor does the bow fishing guys who were caught with a cooler full of walleye as well.


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## jonnythfisherteen2 (Mar 5, 2011)

How are you guys getting them from shore and where?


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

The best place at la due from shore would be under and around the causeway bridge on RT 422.u can park on the east bound side of road and walk to the bridge, that area would have the deepest water .


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## Noah F. Doak (Jun 8, 2015)

I was on the Chesapeake a few weeks ago and caught about 30 of them. Rather catch a white perch than a bluegill any day.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Fished ladue today.7:30 am -12:30 caught 11 white perch 2 bluegills. Atleast 6 w.p. went to the seagulls.all caught trolling little crappie jigs with wax worms.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

I honestly think that white perch population is going down. Last year I would catch so many and now it is exactly the opposite.


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## Frankie G (Aug 18, 2014)

I was there in the kayak from around 7:30am until noon. No white perch for me. I got bored and started fishing for largemouths!


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## PolymerStew (Feb 17, 2009)

kayak1979 said:


> I honestly think that white perch population is going down. Last year I would catch so many and now it is exactly the opposite.


Maybe the bigger fish are gobbling them up. 

I was out there Friday and I got about 50 white perch and 10 bluegills. I was using the small white perch as live bait for catfish. Had a few seagulls following me because several times I flung the bait off on the cast, and they'd zip in and grab it before it could sink. 

Caught this channel cat in the middle of the day, 8.5 lbs and about 27"


I missed 4 or 5 other runs where fish had the perch and didn't get the hook. The bait would come back chewed up, missing scales, torn fins, etc. I could feel a fish there with the bait but when I set the hook I'd pull the bait away.

Then later in the day I pulled in a 14" smallmouth that had totally inhaled the perch. All I could see was the tip of the tail hanging from the fish's mouth.


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## Tekneek (Jul 23, 2009)

We headed out Saturday between 5pm-7pm looking for some fish for the pan that night. Between the two of us we boated at least 36 white perch and a handful of brute bluegills. Many missed strikes also. Kept a dozen or so of the bigger perch, tossed the rest back. Didn't really see anyone else catching anything nearby but the bite was HOT for us. All were caught drifting small jig heads tipped with small pieces of crawler.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Someone needs to tip the Skeeter strawmen off that white perch are good to eat and that Ladue is full of them. Many feed sackfulls would be leaving the lake regularly!!


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## Pan Handler (Mar 13, 2010)

What size are the White perch? I was there awhile back when Jim at the bait store had a WP tourney. Hundreds caught, most 5 to 7 inches. Not worth the effort. Did they finally grow?


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## rockytop (Mar 19, 2008)

Lot of nice walleye in the lake.the white perch have made it tough to catch the walleye.they hit everything. Mid June I got 7 eyes and two days later 10 eyes.one week later the perch drove me off the lake after two hours.


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## rockytop (Mar 19, 2008)

The eyes are fat


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## REY298 (Apr 3, 2014)

snag said:


> I stopped by when they had one and some guys had coolers full to the top easily over 300 w perch. They had a big turnout.


h
What is the size of the white perch? White perch are good eatin'


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

I haven't went after them in awhile, but I have gotten some at 8-11 inchers lot of small ones, depends on the school your on.


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## REY298 (Apr 3, 2014)

Can i run my 16 ft. Tracker if I remove the prop from 50 hp?


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## Jose' (Aug 31, 2013)

You can leave the motor on and in its raised position..don't use it and have no gas cans in the boat. And you're good to go!


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Might be a little tricky launching that, ramps aren't very deep.


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## Jose' (Aug 31, 2013)

He's right ramps are not deep..if you've got a truck..no problem. .if towing with a car I'd think twice. Especially if you know you've got to get pretty deep to float the boat off the trailer.


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## Jim Smith (Jun 28, 2015)

I was there on Thursday from about 5AM to 2:30. I hit a few LM Bass but mainly ALOT of white bass. I was shore fishing at the 422 bridge. Not a bad day...no keepers, but I'm getting ALOT of sun.


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## gph19 (Apr 27, 2014)

Neat idea, it'd be pretty fun too


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## wayout440 (Apr 20, 2008)

This morning 8 white perch and one dink yellow perch. Catches were on crawlers, nothing touched the minnows.


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## gph19 (Apr 27, 2014)

I got to go a few times last week. One night I left with 16 whites no yellow. Another day we caught 6 yellow perch (way to small to keep) and took another 7 white perch. All were on night crawler as well. Couldn't get any bass to grab hold, caught a nice farmers tan though


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## guppygill (May 8, 2004)

Jim, you meant white perch, correct?


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## Jim Smith (Jun 28, 2015)

guppygill said:


> Jim, you meant white perch, correct?


Yes I meant Perch not Bass. Smithtimers kicking in sorry.


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## REY298 (Apr 3, 2014)

Jose' said:


> You can leave the motor on and in its raised position..don't use it and have no gas cans in the boat. And you're good to go!


THANKS Jose.


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