In North American alone there are over 130 different species of Family Percidae, better known as perch. The most common types of perch are yellow and white perch, but black perch is popular in some places as well. Unlike yellow perch, which are native to waters in the waters of the Northern US, and from the same family of fish as walleye, sauger, and saugeye, White perch are native to the East Coast waters. In Lake Erie, white perch are considered invasive, and are not to even be released if you catch them.

One of the best things about fishing for perch is that you really need no special or fancy equipment; you don't even need a boat. For good, old fashioned fishing fun, and great eating, perch can not be beat. Perch are easy to catch no matter the time of the year. You just have to have a little bit of know how!

Yellow perch can be aggressive feeders. It is easy to catch them from the shores of ponds, streams, lakes, ponds, boat docks, around piers, and breakwaters. Look for likely places around weed beds. Especially good for perch fishing are lily pad beds. Just find a place where you can get a small hook and bait down into the weeds or lily bed, and you will most likely find perch.

Concentrate your efforts in anywhere from 6 to 15 feet of water. If you are fishing a really deep body of water, try to keep as close to the weedy shores as you can. Remember this type of fish moves in schools, and the move a lot. If you catch one yellow perch, you will most likely catch more in the same area. If you have been having luck in a certain spot, and the luck suddenly plays out...move on, because your school of perch has moved on too! The one exception to the fact that perch move in schools occurs in relatively small ponds where the fish tend to live in very close proximity to one another.

Use light weight tackle when you are fishing for perch. Consider a 5 foot ultra light rod. Rig it with an equally light open faced spinner reel. Use 2 to 4 pound test line. You can find this readily available in most fishing supply stores, and of course, online.

Sometimes perch are especially aggressive and others they are especially finicky. At these times, they can bite very, very softly. To increase the force of their bite, use small bait. Use the smallest bobbers you can get when fishing for perch as well. If you want to ensure that a slipped fish is not harmed, use bronze hooks. About a size 8, unsnelled hook will work well, and will break down in the digestive system of the fish in about a month without harming the fish, if you lose it. Another bonus to this fact is the fact that bronze hooks are much more inexpensive than nickel or gold plated hooks.