Yellow perch

Golden-yellow body with 6 to 8 dark vertical bars, a spiny first dorsal fin, and orange lower fins.

7–11 in.

About 15 in and 4 lb; a 12-incher is a 'jumbo.'

Minnows, shiners, smelt, young perch, leeches, crayfish and insects.

Schools along rocky reefs, weed edges and drop-offs; big glassy eyes let it feed in dim light, so it moves shallow at dawn, dusk and night.

Found from Ontario Great Lakes, Quebec, Canadian Prairies and Northern Ontario. Weedy bays, sand flats and harbors in the Great Lakes and lakes across Canada; Lake Erie, Lake Simcoe and Lake St. Clair are known for jumbos.

Weedy bays, sand flats and harbors in the Great Lakes and lakes across Canada; Lake Erie, Lake Simcoe and Lake St. Clair are known for jumbos.

5–30 ft.

5–30 ft along reefs, points and weed edges; deeper basins in midsummer.

Spring after the season opens, early summer, and fall; through the ice in winter.

Dawn, dusk and after dark; cloudy or choppy days all day.

No tide — wind blowing into a shoreline or reef ('walleye chop') turns them on.

Overcast, windy days; stable weather before a front.

Live emerald shiners or fathead minnows, worms, and perch eyes or minnow heads in winter.

Small jigs and tubes, tiny spoons, and two-hook 'perch spreaders.'

6½–7 ft medium-light spinning rod with a 2500-size reel.

1/8–3/8 oz jig heads; size 4–2 hooks on spinner and live-bait rigs.

6–10 lb mono, or 10 lb braid with a fluorocarbon leader.

6–10 lb fluorocarbon.

Anchor over a school and fish a two-hook spreader rig with minnows just off the bottom. Through the ice, jig a small spoon with a minnow head.

Perch move in big schools. If the bite stops, move 50 yards rather than waiting.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Sweet, white, flaky fillets: the famous Friday-night perch fry. Pan-fry or deep-fry in a light batter.

Sharp teeth and spiny dorsal fins — use pliers; never go on ice less than 4 inches thick.

Usually generous limits, but some lakes, such as Lake Simcoe, have lower limits — check before you go. Licenses, limits and seasons are set by each province, territory or state, and many lakes and rivers have special size limits, slot limits or closed spawning seasons — check the current regulations for the water you fish.

Keep only what you'll eat, release the rest quickly, and follow size and bag limits.