# Perch limit ?



## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

I do very little icefishing. I go because my wife likes it.If it wern't for cooking sausage and people watching I wouldn't go. Its just too slow for me. A couple of weeks ago my wife,son and his girlfriend got into a decent perch bite. I believe that we kept about 42 perch. That was a lot of fish to clean. After cleaning the four of us ate fish until we were stuffed. I sent two big meals home with my son and froze a meal for meal for my wife and myself. This represents 10.5 fish per person. That was more than enough for me. At what point does it go beyond fishing for fun and turn into filling your freezer? 
My question is What is a reasonable perch limit?


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

Let me pose a question to you. 
Suppose you had gone fishing alone. Lets say you have a wife and three kids at home that like to eat fish. What is a reasonable limit now?


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

Sasha and Abby Are you saying that the limits on game should be set high enough that one person should be able to feed his whole family on a single limit? Maybe the wife and kids should go fishing and get their own limit.


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## HUNTNFISHND (Mar 16, 2004)

Doesn't matter what the limit is, you don't have to keep more then you can eat. I think people focus too much on limits. Just keep what you want to eat and release the rest.

Personally I love perch and can eat about 10 by myself. However the last few years I have not had much luck in catching them.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Perch....the best eating fish there is.

Gotta have enough in the freezer for 6 Fridays in Lent.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Most waters in ND are not capable of sustained high harvest of perch. I could fill a lot of space on this site with the names of fish outed lakes. Perch go on the bite and the lake turns to a mini city.

OH puts forth a great point in asking what is enough. Responsible sportsmen do not take more than they will use. However with perch the attitude seems to be different. I think a lot of it has to do with culture and experience and age. Back when I was a youngster we did not have the perch lakes we do today nor the quality. We seldom saw a perch over 6" and many fisherman would leave piles of these small fish laying on the ice. They believed that the fish where stunted. Some of that thought came from the G&F at the time. Perch where put into lakes that did not have enough food source to allow growth and few predator fish to reduce populations.

With the rise in water levels many new lakes where created and adequate food source was available the perch grew at normal rates. But the old mindset was still in place and over harvest of above average size perch began. Flood and Diamond, Miller, Alkali all where fished out in a short time span. I saw people take 4-5 buckets of nice perch home day after day. Most of the fish where simply wasted.

Some believe that limits increase harvest because when the fish are on the bite fishermen will fish until a limit is reached even when it exceeds what they want for eating. My opinion is that until the catch and release idea takes hold on pan fish low limits need to be put in place. Back in the 80's we would think nothing of harvesting and keeping a limit of 6lb walleye out of Sack. but today we only keep those size fish if they are mortally hooked. Education is the key.

I look at the Res in Jamestown and Pipestem, both great crappie lakes for ND, but it was not that long ago that no limits where in place on the lakes for these fish. Who needs 50-80 crappie? While not limited to out of state fisherman, it was not uncommon to have people come from WI and farther to take unlimited amounts of perch and crappie. Many did so for profit.

White bass in DL is another example.

Our state is moving in the right direction on this issue, but in a lot of shallow lakes in ND, it remains a balance of letting the fish be harvested or die from winter kill. They do not know what snow fall or summer rains will be. I saw a great body of water with large northern pike and big perch lose most of its fish last spring. To bad they where not harvested instead. So take only what you can eat, and leave the rest for another day!


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## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

I agree with Ron and others on this thread. I remember 4 or 5 winters back when Alkali was hot and there wasn't a perch limit. I remember the folks that drove hundreds of miles to hammer the perch on that lake. I was talking to a fisheries person at US FWS who knew of a 3-person group that allegedly pulled (and kept) 1200 perch out of alkali on a 3-day weekend. That is irresponsible and foolish. Luckily, establishing a perch limit has discouraged the people from driving that far to go home with buckets full of perch.

While we are on the subject of limits, I also remember talking to some guys from Moorhead who were crappie fishing on Pipestem a couple of winters back when the crappie bite was on. After seeing several MN groups there, I asked the guy why he would drive 100 miles west to Pipestem when some of the premier crappie lakes in the country (Lida, Crystal, Lizzie) were only a 45-mile drive to the southeast. His answer: they could keep 35 crappies apiece instead of the 10-fish limit that MN has.

The limits that G&F has set in ND may have been fine years ago, but I don't think that they suffice in these days of increased fishing pressure. This is especially true in the days of email and the internet when word of fish bites gets out quickly. People think nothing of driving long distances to catch fish, some (maybe most) will stay until they get a limit.

I wish G&F would set lake-specific limits based on the quality of an individual fishery and the pressure that the water body receives. For instance, Sweet Brian receives a huge amount of pressure, and the crappie limit probably should be 5 or 10. Devils Lake may be able to handle a little more pressure, some lakes less. MN learned this years ago... many of their lakes are highly-productive fisheries, but the pressure simply doesn't allow people harvesting 35 crappies.


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## Bert (Sep 11, 2003)

Interesting topic this.

I am a huge proponant of doing what is right regarding limits etc...
In the case of Devil's Lake, you will find the same attitude associated with Mn resort owners. On Winnie here in Mn. you cant swing a 5 gallon pail on the ice in March without hitting a Wisconsin Bar owner who is on a 2 fold mission. 1. Drink and fish and have a good time. 2. Haul a ton of those good eating perch back to the bar and sell them on Friday nights.
Resort owners around Winnie did back flips when the DNR wanted to decrease the limit. It happened anyway and the people still come.

Another thing to consider is that many of the "new" lakes in Nodak will not exist when things dry out which, more likely than not, they will. That being said, perhaps limits on those waters do not need to be so stingey.

I can equate this whole thing with the hunting in NoDak. Certain areas are pounded and this affects the quality for some. Other areas go virtually untouched. Restrictions designed to relieve the pressure in the "high pressure" areas blanket the whole state.

Here is an example of what I am talking about. Growing up in SW Mn. The lakes were shallow and during many winters would freeze out. The forage was so good though that fishing would get good on this lake or that from year to year. One year, we were slamming nice crappies and having a good old time. Not taking more than a limit but plenty to eat. The DNR got worried and dumped two truckloads of minnows in the lake and shut the bite down like flipping a switch. The next year, the lake froze out and all the fish died. Go figure.
Another lake, nothing more than a 5 foot deep duck swamp, started producing 14 inch perch. Word got out (as it always seems to) and soon, it was wall to wall people taking buckets of fish. Wrong? Sad? I dunno. That swamp froze out soon after and now has nothing more in it than mud minnows.

At certian times on lakes with low O2 content due to deep snow (freezing out) the DNR opens them to permiscuous fishing. That means you can fish by any means short of dynamite and poison. We would often cut a hole and wait for the fish to come and suck air and scoop them out with a net. Barbaric and unsportsmanlike, we filled the freezer with critters that would have otherwise done more harm to the lake by dying there enmasse.

You need to look at different limits for different lakes. Take into account the production capabilities and pressure as well as the life expectancy of the body of water. They do slots from lake to lake so it isnt such a stretch. The dirty end of the stick is how to convince the resort owners to look down the road a few years.


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

I agree with what a lot of people are saying on this thread. I only keep what I want to eat and put the rest back. I drive every year to Lake of the Woods and ice fish. I never have taken any fish home. I keep a couple of fish for a meal there at the lake and then just catch and release. But people today still have the mentality of if I don't get my limit why should I go....or the other one (that I hate) if they don't get a limit it was a bad day afeild. I know of guys who pheasant hunt and if they don't shoot there limit that day it was a bad day. :eyeroll: People just need to be out there and enjoy what they are doing no matter what the success is. Any day in the feild is a success to me.


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## Bert (Sep 11, 2003)

Im with ya Chuck. We travelled 18 hours into Canada last year from the Lake Country of Mn. Guys who can catch walleyes out their back doors wanted to take fish home to eat as though Canadian walleyes are different than our own. I never understood that. To me, it is not worth the hassle of cleaning, icing, transporting and getting em through checkpoint charlie.
Too many sportsmen equate a full freezer with success. I guess I would like to know how much of what those guys put up ultimatly goes to waste.


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## Maverick (Mar 4, 2002)

Mmmm......We are having some of those perch tonight.....


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

With my luck I never have to worry about catching a limit anyway. I usually will only keep walleyes under 26 inches. Usually the 18-22 range for this guy, They make perfect fillets for me and the women. When it comes to perch and crappie, I will keep enough to make a meal and one more after that for me and my girl friend. I guess its pretty much use your own judgement, but I don't usually leave the lake with any more then 10 fish, And thats if I had good luck for the day. I usually leave with around 6 and call it quits. I don't see the point of catching 50 fish when only me and my girlfriend will eat them anyway. Don't get me wrong I dont' see a problem with a family going out and catching their limits, I just don't need a limit of fish because if I did that, I wouldn't have any reason to go back out on the lake for quite some time. I enjoy ice fishing too much, and plus, I can always have an excuse to get back out on the ice to catch dinner, lol. Ya see ya gots to think about it that way, the less you catch the more you get to go fishing, haha. Just my :2cents:


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## fishunt (Jan 24, 2004)

I love eat winter yellow perch and I used to eat winteryellow perch eggs and taste soo good like candy


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

For perch I have found that I never needed more than 10 for my folks, my brother and I. That's 5 fillets a piece, and that's a pretty good amount of meat, if you are keeping 8-12 inchers. I like to eat what I catch ASAP, but there's nothing wrong with saving some in the freezer.

So for me...10.

Hard to believe that 20 years ago there were no limits!!!


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## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

> Hard to believe that 20 years ago there were no limits!!!


Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that the ND perch limit has only been around for 5 years or so.


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## Bert (Sep 11, 2003)

Hard to believe Big Daddy but it was only about 20 years ago that ice fishing became such a big event. Prior to that, there were people who did it but with the advent of all the toys that go along with it nowadays, it attracts more people not to mention is harder on the fish.
When most of the guys on the ice were row crop farmers on hiatus sitting on 5 gallon pails with their 5 buckle overshoes, it didnt have much appeal to the metro masses. 
Now that you can only seem to fish if you have flashers and high tech rods and underwater cameras, everybody wants to do it.

If you want perch populations to increase, all you would have to do is outlaw electronics and you wouldnt need a limit any more.


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## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

Bert,

I am 36 years old and was raised ice fishing in MN. At that time, we used an ice spud for making holes, a bucket to sit on, and our "rods" were cut off broom handles with a nail in the end and a few feet of braided black line. A few adventerous types made ice houses on wooden runners that we would haul onto the ice in the beginning of the season and work all day to chip off towards the end. Not a whold lot of mobility, there.

Now we have modern electronics and graphite rods to make it easier to catch fish. The advent of the internet makes it almost impossible to keep success secret. More reliable automobiles, better roads, and more disposable income make it less daunting to travel hundreds of miles to catch fish. Portable fish houses, Zachmeiers, and portable heaters make it more comfortable.

All of these things put more pressure on the resource. In the same light, there are similar factors why there is more pressure on other forms of wildlife like ducks and pheasants.

Growing up, my father would not fathom driving more than a 1/2 to catch fish or shoot birds. Now, I drive from Bismarck to Devils Lake without batting an eye.

Most sportsmen partake in ice fishing for the experience, not to catch a limit. However, although there are many casual fishermen that would drive 100 miles to catch 35 perch or crappies, they would balk at driving that far for 10.

Should we outlaw electronics? I don't know. However, if the goal is to reduce pressure, how can we outlaw electronics without looking at all the other factors that contribute to pressure? Maybe we should reduce the legal number of lines from 4 to 2. Maybe we should outlaw shelters or propane heaters to discourage the "fair weather" fishermen.

I don't know what the answer is, although I can offer my observations since NDGF enacted the perch limit. I used to see lots of people from WI, MN, are the far reaches of ND that would drive long distances to the hot lakes each winter to catch buckets and buckets of fish. However, when they were told that they could only keep 35, those sort of activities decreased.


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## Goosepride (Sep 29, 2003)

Bert - then you would outlaw electronics for summer too, right?


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## Jiffy (Apr 22, 2005)

If you guys want to outlaw something. Outlaw the internet!! I'd be willing to bet the internet is directly responsible for the demise of several sloughs in ND. If not directly responsible, I bet it had something to do with it. :-?

Lower daily limits MAY help....but what is going to stop the "droves" of people that tend to POUND these small lakes. Day in and day out. I know we have all seen it...I dont see a solution!! I wish somebody would though.


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## dosch (May 20, 2003)

Sad but true.


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## Bert (Sep 11, 2003)

Im not leading a charge to outlaw electronics. I use them myself. I also possess a fair amount of self control. Not everybody can say that.
My point is that the sporting industry, in an effort to make more money has stumbled upon the fact that the more high tech crap you come up with, the more people are attracted to it. It is the way of our society.

I remember chopping holes in the ice with an axe. Come a long way baby.

Just like anything else, what you grow up with is normal. 
There is a whole generation right now that believes that you cannot fish without a flasher...hunt deer without a 4 wheeler...find your way without a GPS.

Business is business. I dont think that outlawing tech is in the cards and limits may be the only answer.

I was simply pointing out that lowering limits is a band aid fix as 4 guys catching and keeping 500 fish each is no different than 100 guys catching and keeping 5 fish each.


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## Goosepride (Sep 29, 2003)

I know what you were saying Bert and I agree with you. Can you imagine what the electronics industry would do if states starting banning the use of their products?


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## rflyr98 (Jan 25, 2006)

Ill have to agree they are the best eatin, bar none


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## Fossilman (Mar 12, 2006)

Eight years ago they set to 100 perch per person,now its 35 perch per person,thats fair I think....................


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## holmsvc (Nov 26, 2003)

Fossilman,

35 is still way too many! I don't think it should be more than 15.


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## boondocks (Jan 27, 2006)

I'd have to say ten is plenty for perch.In my opinion I think white bass also need a smaller limit.I have to say ten for them also.


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## Fossilman (Mar 12, 2006)

My family can eat 50 perch(total) in one setting...............Filleted of course....


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## atec (Jan 29, 2006)

I had to smile a bit reading my way down thru . If someone totally ignorant of and those who new absolutely nothing about fishing , would possibly think you guys only fish ONE day every year . :lol: :stirpot:


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