Great kid fishery in CR

[Steelhead S2]

There is a big school of perch holding around the pier right now, in the shallows. Not sure of the species. But they are big, for perch. About the size of a saucer. Very pretty too. Silver with vibrant blue stripes. Not shiners, possibly pile perch?

At any rate, they tug pretty hard for little fish. Scrappier than a trout of the same length. My boy really enjoyed fishing for them. And the action is fast once you figure out how to get them biting.

We brought some home to eat. You get two little fish sticks off them. Haven't tried them yet though.

 

[Dogbreath]

Cool!

Thanks for posting!

 

[Steelhead S2]

Striped surfperch.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/bottomfish/identification/perch/e_lateralis.html

A little searching around tells me they are actually targeted as sport fish in Washington State.

 

[Bear]

Those little crabs you find under the rocks are great bait for Perch.

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

hey thanks for that! may take the kids there tomorrow

 

[Kildonan]

Yes, the little shore crabs are deadly for bait.

 

[eroyd]

Limpet meat works great to, or pull some tube worms off the bottom of a nearby dock. Porgies are a lot of fun for grown ups to.

 

[Percy Stipec]

Perch are a great tasting fish and yield thick fillets if you take the time to fillet them. Some people don't bother filleting perch because of their bones, the bones though can easily be removed from the fillet with a pair of pliers; there are about five bones along the fish's lateral line. It takes me about five minutes to fillet a perch and remove it's bones and they provide at least half their weight in skinless boneless fillets. They are also a blast to spearfish.

 

[Jencourt]

That is a great fun fish for the kids. I spent many an hour fishing them off the westview peer and marina in Powell River as a kid. The little crabs are awesome but if you want to really get the action going find your self some sea worms. At least thats what we called them. Little greenish broad shaped worms, almost like a centipede. We would get them from muscle clusters or in the mud on the shore. They out fished the crabs hands down but where not as easily found as I remember it.

Lots of fun and good memories doc fishing with my dad.Also kept me occupied for hours while dad worked on the boat if he had stuff that needed done. Hardly ever kept any but now and then we would take a couple and have a fish fry. (usually for breakfasts the next day.

 

[KCW]

I was told by a expert 8 year old fisherman that shrimp from Thrifty's was the best.

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

I always found the little ones chow down on the soft baits before the bigger ones move in. I resolved this problem by using small crabs as mentioned.

 

[Steelhead S2]

Took a look this morning. Nada. Maybe the tide change will wash them back this afternoon.

 

[eroyd]

They're often right in shallow in the surf on sandy beaches in the Fall. Don't know if they're spawning or feeding? They are yummie. Just headed them and worried about the bones later. Myself trying to fillet them was a lesson in frustration.

 

[Dogbreath]

They'll for Power Bait too if you're too lazy to scrape up the real stuff.

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

my daughter and I just came back from there and we brought 3 home. Fair size. fun to catch we used worms for bait and let it drift with the current under the gangway just at the beach.

 

[Peahead]

but if you want to really get the action going find your self some sea worms. At least thats what we called them. Little greenish broad shaped worms, almost like a centipede. We would get them from muscle clusters or in the mud on the shore.

Yes I know those worms well and they are what we used to use for bait to get the shiners ....and then the shiners, fished live , would get us some very nice ling. I also remember what it feels like when those worms bite you !! - I think they may be a type of rag worm but tell your kids to be careful as they have two sharp clipper like set of teeth and I learned that the hard way when I was about 5 !

 

[Jencourt]

Yes I know those worms well and they are what we used to use for bait to get the shiners ....and then the shiners, fished live , would get us some very nice ling. I also remember what it feels like when those worms bite you !! - I think they may be a type of rag worm but tell your kids to be careful as they have two sharp clipper like set of teeth and I learned that the hard way when I was about 5 !

Forgot about that. They did have a mean little mouth on them.

I too used to catch the shiners for the days ling and snapper fishing. Ya I know " Yelloweye" . Grew up calling them snapper as many others did as well. LOL.

Things where simpler back then as I remember.

 

[Deewar25]

always fished for them on Cortes when I was a kid - definitely stick with the shore crabs - most other bait I found the shiners would always steal them - crabs thou, perch were the only suckers!

 

[sammyslabber]

yep...crabs on a snell hook rock;reminds me of our derby days under the Parson's St bridge...

 

[Last Chance]

Cut my teeth fishing Perch on the Government Wharf in Cowichan Bay as a kid when old Percy was still the harbour master. They are ok table fare, about as good as it gets for shore fish. The odd one would drop live babies and they were dynamite off the end of the dock at high tide for small rockfish.

They were fun ans easy to catch untill I read in Charlie White's book "how to catch bottomfish" that they were easily spooked and all of a sudden it got harder... Lol..