When it comes to fishing, there are many types of fish out there to keep the angler happy and busy. One favorite of avid anglers is the perch. They are most sought after for their delicious flavor but they also pose a challenge to catch so many sport fishermen love them for this reason. Perch fishing is a great way for families to spend time together because they are easy even for children to catch. Due to their smaller size most children can reel them in easy by themselves.

Before you can set out fishing for perch of your own, it helps to know as much as possible about the type of perch, the conditions they enjoy and what the best methods of catching them are. Here's some information to get you started.

Different Types of Perch

There are many different types of perch. Some of them include:

Yellow perch

Ringed perch

Sun perch

Black perch

Perch are only about 7-9 inches in length and are typically only caught for the purpose of eating because of their delicious taste. Some of the best places in the United States to fish for perch are the Great Lakes, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and even Kansas, Utah, Iowa and Indiana. Perch are also found in bodies of water in Canada.

Some of the best places within these bodies of water to find perch are harbors, boat docks, breakwaters and also inland lakes. You will have the best luck when fishing for perch near the bottom of the water because this is where they tend to stay the most. However, occasionally they can be found in any depth depending on where you are fishing. Perch travel in groups or schools and do move around a lot even though they will usually stay close to their home area.

How to Catch Perch

If you want to know how to catch perch, you need to treat it just like any other type of fish. It's important to know where the fish are, what bait to use and what types of other equipment to use.

So when it comes to using bait to catch your perch, what should you go for? Some of the best baits to use to catch perch include small minnows, insects and worms. Minnows and insects normally work the best when you are trolling for perch or drift-fishing. It really doesn't matter which bait you use because perch will strike at just about anything so, it's up to the individual fisherman and what they prefer to use. You can also use artificial bait as long as it is presented correctly but many anglers say they usually have better luck with live bait.

The perch is a heavy striker especially when they are really hungry so most any type of bait will attract them. However, you will find that when fishing for perch with artificial lures, the three-ways, leadheads, jigheads and spinner- rigs are the most popular tackle to use because they seem to get best results.