Jumbo or not?

[fishingmike0770]

Someone told me that jumbo perch are different species of fish then regular fish. I had no idea because im not a big perch fisherman and have never really thought about it. If they're not different, why can only some lakes offer jumbos, but many, many lakes have regular perch?

[Matt Breuer]

A perch is a perch. They are all yellow perch, some lakes just put out larger fish than others. They sure seem like a whole seperate species though!

As perch grow in size, so does their forage. When small they primarily target plankton and insects. As they grow they move up to minnows and craws. This is why minnow heads produce larger perch in most cases, whereas maggots produce more.

One problem many lakes encounter is that the perch reproduce as such a rapid rate that the lakes become overrun with the little buggers and the food source depletes, and the fish become stunted.

I also assume that predation has something to do with it. Many fish prefer perch to almost anything else, but it seems like lakes with high concentrations of ciscoes and tulibees put out larger perch, because fish love them too!

[Ed Carlson]

I think Matt hit on it very well, forage is key to sumo sized perch.

The top fisheries that host true sumo class perch offer ample supplies of high protein forage. A top forage that is key to getting them sumo's all chubbied up is the fresh water scrimp. Devils Lake ND is a very good example of this key forage correlation.

The first perch boom in the early 80's on DL of true sumo perch was directly linked to the boom of the fresh water scrimp. The pothole booms of sumo perch in ND and SD is also greatly due to expanding watersheds and the spread of shrimp by geese to these new sloughs. Shrimp will tuck up in the down of geese and transfer to other watershed and start new populations. For this reason, you very often see important sumo perch waters on important goose flyways.

This bounty can be a double-edged sword as many are finding out on DL the past couple of winters. Too much availability of forage can make convincing fat and well fed perch to bite kinda hard to do. The shrimp are so abundant on DL that if you drill a hole about anywhere you will see the ice covered with them tasty hi-pro critters.

Often fish shift prey preferences in different stages of development. They also shift forage patterns due to seasonal availability. As the ice thins and the early thaw starts the minnow population may start to boom in the shallows and the fish that once feed largely on shrimp decide minnows would be a nice change of pace. Then the bulk of the fish start to move in and feed much shallower then they did all winter long. I believe if a "Good Bite" is yet to materialize on DL this shallow pattern will prove to be the hot deal in 2005.

Perch are not the only fish this argument of separate species and size has been associated with; walleye also get drawn into this controversy. Again with walleye, forage is the deal; hi-Pro Sumo chow will produce sumo class fish. Here on the Red River and on the Canadian Red River of the North walleye tend to grow big and get "Girthy". The size is due to forage and hi-pro forage values. On the Red River, it is Goldeye/Mooneye along with various river and Lake Shiner forage options. Goldeye are very good forage to grow sumo class walleye. Goldeye/Mooneye are directly linked to the growth rates of our sumo class Red River channel cats.

On some western reservoirs like the Colombia River and some Canadian Shield lakes trout are the hi-pro chow of choice and produce sumo class fish. Again, due to the size these fish they are often thought to be a completely separate species. Not likely, just sumo’s whom eat very well and very often.

Chubby chow is the biggest key. Genetics is another argument and a very valid one. The genetics argument is shot down a lot but it is hard to completely dismiss it. Big fish pass on big fish genes. This is nature at it's best.

I think it boils down to the "Ya never see a skinny butcher theory". The more available several food options are, the more likely it will produce girthy critters.

[Chad711]

I grew up fishing Devils Lake in the 80's. I remember those fresh water shrimp, there would be hundreds in the ice hole at times. Dad and I had some great times out there catching those 2 pounders! I have not fished DL since probly 1991, It has changed so much I wouldnt know where our old spots are!

[WAG416]

I read an article in In-Fisherman magazine Ice Fishing edition, about perch and the size classifications. I believe they said jumbos are considered 12" or more and Jalopy perch were 15" or bigger.

[PierBridge]

I am sure some of you will disagree but I think the biggest perch on average are caught out of Lake of the Woods.

It seems they are all at least a pound, and a week ago Saturday a guide from Mille Lacs I forget his name landed a 14 1/2 inch 2.25 that looked like it had just swallowed a

Jumbo it self.

[Chad711]

I caught a perch last year at LOW, during a FM event that was a pound. Nice one, I dont know if the DL ones are like they were before the flooding...

[Ely Lake Expert]

Quote:

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I read an article in In-Fisherman magazine Ice Fishing edition, about perch and the size classifications. I believe they said jumbos are considered 12" or more and Jalopy perch were 15" or bigger.

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Jalopy perch, I just want to know are you being serious or sarcastic?

[PikeTipper]

Yeah he is being serious, I read that too. Notice on In-Fisherman's Master Angler program I believe to qualify for perch it has to be 15". To me that has to be one of the most difficult marks to reach on that list.

[Dano2]

I fished a small pond this winter that holds some nice perch and theres been a couple times that when I drill a hole a pile of these little shrimp come up with the auger, no wonder there so chunky and also not the most aggressive.

[WAG416]

Ely, I was serious. But thats just what I read.

WAG