Isn't yellow perch the tastiest freshwater fish?

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I consider perch and walleye to be about equal. If I don't look at the fillet and just eat it it's impossible to tell which it is. We go to Devils Lake in North Dakota every year right after New Years. We go on guided trips in Snow Bears perch/walleye fishing. Fish through the ice are the best. I stop fishing after the 4th of July or so. Besides I usually bring enough home from North Dakota to last until the next trip out there.

I don't fish just to fish like many do around here. Catch and release is a good practice but a DNR officer told me recently that up to 30% of fish released will most likely die.

A pic from our last trip. One days catch.

View attachment 631586
Man that’s a bunch of nice looking perch. This conversation also reminds me of my Canadian fishing trip to Lac Seul. Walleye are so plentiful they consider the yellow perch a throw back fish lol.
 
That picture was for four of us. The guide, myself and a couple buddies. We had another group of four who brought in just as many. Two of my sons one of their buddies and a guide. I would not want to know the cost per pound for those fish considering the cost to go out there, hiring the guides and the Snow Bears and lodging, eating, drinking etc! Nope don't even want to bust out the calculator on that one.

It's a 4 night 3 days of fishing trip but the amount of fun we all have can't be measured. That's where the real value is. The best part of that pic? We didn't have to clean a one of them. The guides take care of that. They cleaned that pile of fish in about 30 minutes.
 
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That picture was for four of us. The guide, myself and a couple buddies. We had another group of four who brought in just as many. Two of my sons one of their buddies and a guide. I would not want to know the cost per pound for those fish considering the cost to go out there, hiring the guides and the Snow Bears and lodging, eating, drinking etc! Nope don't even want to bust out the calculator on that one.

It's a 4 night 3 days of fishing trip but the amount of fun we all have can't be measured. That's where the real value is. The best part of that pic? We didn't have to clean a one of them. The guides take care of that. They cleaned that pile of fish in about 30 minutes.
Reminds me of a fishing outting with my fam on Lake Erie (caandian side). We chartered a boat. Captain offered to clean the fish for 35 cents each. We caught about 120 perch ..took him and his wife a few hours to clean. Can't say he looked happy when we picked up the fillets.
 
I never even knew they sold the same freshwater fish that we can catch in our steams, lakes, ponds, and rivers. So I never had any of these (below)from a store.
To me Yellow Perch are just a small Walleye with a fancy paint job!
I like just about all PA Panfish about equally, except for a few favorites:
For just eating as is, without grinding into patties:
Note: If it's not on this list, I probably never caught any of them.
#1 Catfish. (Small---10" to 16" long).
#2. American Eel (18" to 38"long).
#3 Yellow Perch, Walleye, Bluegills, Sunfish, Crappies, Rock Bass, Smallmouth. Bass, Large Mouth Bass, Trout.
Eat Last Pickerel, Carp, Sucker, Fall Fish, Shad, Muskie.

Bear
 
I agree with many here. My favorite fresh water fish are walleye, yellow perch, and crappie. I also enjoy bluegill, bass, and catfish.

I lived in Minnesota for a few years and did a fair amount of walleye fishing. The locals there would not eat yellow perch -- they were disgusted by them -- because the fillets were occasionally infested with worms! If we encountered worms, we'd either toss the fillet with them or dig the worms out of the fillet and eat the meat anyway.

I live in Texas now and best fresh water fish is the crappie, but I have to add that I caught a good-sized flathead (aka yellow) catfish last week, and our guide insisted on cutting out two chunks of belly meat. I have to say that was absolutely delicious. Try it if you've never had it.
 
More perch
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Cooked some of it on a cedar plank
20220512_194155_HDR.jpg
 
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Flathead catfish is the king of freshwater fish IMO. You put a plate of fried perch or crappie or big bluegills in front of me and I will make it disappear. I used to like bass but the South Carolina bass aren't as tasty as the Arkansas and Louisiana bass. I think the crappie are better here though......
 
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I remember back when I was young you had to shuffle your feet while netting them, so you didn't crush any. They were that thick going upstream. The last time I went smelting. I caught more mud puppies then smelt. It has gotten so bad. Now there is a 25 fish day limit. Trout and salmon are ruining the population. It will never recover. NY. Among other great lake areas. Are more interested in tourism for the trout and salmon fishing.
Smelt are actually an invasive species, hence why there is little/no protection for them. My Dad used to have a smelt net in the garage when I was little and would hit the spring run near Duluth,, not that I remember...
My vote is Walley, growing up in MN I never caught a perch of keeper size, I still joke with my brother and Dad that keeper perch don’t exist ;)
 
My favorite is perch from the Mississippi River - across the street from me. Then Crappie, blue gills, Norther Pike , sauger, walleye ….. in that order. I’ll never go hungry so long as I live here.
 
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I haven't had Smelts since I was a Kid!
My Dad used to catch them through the ice, @ Fairview Lake, In the PA's Pocono Mts. He used to flour them & Pan-fry them, but he used to gut them & remove the heads first. Some people eat the whole Smelt---Head, Guts & all.
We used to either eat the bones, or pick them out while eating, because the bones were very soft, and didn't hurt you to eat them.
They were very tasty little guys----About 6" to 9" long.

Bear
 
We used to buy smelt at the grocery store while living in Minnesota. They came in plastic bags, heads off and gutted, skin and scales on and bones in while "in season". I recall the "smelt run" took place annually in feeder creeks to Lake Superior.

I'd leave the skin and scales on, dip them in a beer batter and deep fry them. When done, I ate them with my fingers, and if you did it just right, the meat would come right off the bone.

I haven't had smelt in years. The certainly aren't available here in Texas.
 
It could be they think the population is “under control” and no longer a threat to native species. Perhaps native fish and birds have also finally found them tasty and are naturally keeping them in check. Gotta figure most critters were invasive at one time.... No one ever seems to complain about all these damn invasive pheasants! ;)

Whoops, this was supposed to be a quote replying to Steve H Steve H
 
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It could be they think the population is “under control” and no longer a threat to native species. Perhaps native fish and birds have also finally found them tasty and are naturally keeping them in check. Gotta figure most critters were invasive at one time.... No one ever seems to complain about all these damn invasive pheasants! ;)

Whoops, this was supposed to be a quote replying to Steve H Steve H
Good point. The only time I complaint about pheasants is when I used to hunt them. A miss them!
 
Good point. The only time I complaint about pheasants is when I used to hunt them. A miss them!
LOL---I know what you mean. I usually used a 24" barrel, and had to shoot quick.
No problem with Rabbits, but I missed my share of Cockbirds!

Bear
 
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