White perch are a very popular game fish in the Chesapeake Bay and make for an excellent meal. I frequently target white perch in many tributaries off the Patuxent River including St. Leonard Creek. This guide will provide you with all the information you need for your next fishing trip.
Adam with a white perch caught on a 1/8 oz. Bus Stop Perch Hounder
Rod and Reel
In my opinion, the best combo for catching perch with small lures is a 5'6 light action rod with a fast tip and a size 20/2000 size reel. Using this outfit will give you awesome light action with the ability to pull in a 25" rockfish if one happens to be swimming by. The Okuma Ceymar is an excellent reel for casting light lures for perch. Be sure to pair your combo with high quality 6 lb. monofilament line like Trilene XL.
Lures
Perch Hounder
Capt. Bert's Perch Hounders are my go to Perch lure. These small spinnerbaits are available in many vibrant colors. My personal favorites are white-silver, crab fat and wye'ld and crazy. I like to use the 1/8 oz lures when casting into the shoreline and the 1/4 or 3/8 oz when I need to get deeper. These lures come with a super sharp Gamakatsu hook and their presentation often attracts larger species such as rockfish and red drum. Check out the Satilla Spin Magnums and Redfish Wreckers if you are looking to target these larger fish.
Beetle Spin
Beetle Spins are the gold standard for white perch. These versatile baits are available in many colors. They are a highly productive perch lure with a low price that makes it easy to stock up your tackle box. I highly recommend inexperienced anglers throwing Beetle Spins. At less than $3, the pain is less substantial when you see your young fishing buddy cast one of these into a tree.
Spin Baby
These lures are a hybrid between the Perch Hounder and Beetle Spin. They feature a fixed jig head/hook that is much more streamlined than a regular Beetle Spin. In my experience, this setup will go through tree branches with ease in comparison. Just like the Beetle Spin, you can change out the soft plastic lure with any small 2-3" soft plastic you want.
Create Your Own
Pax Tackle stocks many different products that you can use to put together a custom spinner. Experiment with different sizes, shapes and colors to make your own custom lure. Check out the Perch Aisle to see what's in stock.
Where/How to Fish
Caroline with a white perch caught on a Pink Beetle Spin
White perch can be found in most brackish tributaries off the Chesapeake Bay from summer to late fall. Look for structure such as downed trees or rocks for the best action. The bite is usually the best in the morning and evening before sunset. If you are fishing in the middle of the day, try to find a shady shoreline to cast at. The perch are so plentiful that if they aren't biting in one spot you can usually find them somewhere else. Stay on the move until you find them.
Shorelines
When fishing shorelines, you want to make sure you have a slight drop off. Try to position your boat so you can cast at a slight angle and land close to shore. Your boat will be sitting in 5-10' of water when positioned correctly.
Use the wind to your advantage. Start upwind and let the wind drift you slowly down. A trolling motor comes in handy to make small adjustments along the way.
Cast your spinner bait towards the shoreline and retrieve your lure at a slow and steady pace. If you find that the fish are biting off the shoreline, adjust your casts to keep your lure in that zone as long as possible. When your lure is in deeper water, you can occasionally pause to allow it to sink deeper.
Drop-offs
If the water depth is shallow and flat near a shoreline, cast your lure where the water depth starts to drop off.
Rock Piles
Under water rock piles can be very productive white perch fishing spots. Rock piles become much easier to spot in the fall as the water becomes clearer. Do some scouting at this time and make sure you can find them in the summer.
Be Ready For Anything
When fishing for white perch, it is very common to catch some larger predators. These fish are a blast to catch using your light tackle. When using lighter line and smaller hooks, it's important to take your time. Make sure you always have a net ready for when the big ones show up.
Dickie with a Red Drum caught on a 1/8 oz. Halloween Perch Hounder
Caroline with a red drum caught on a Beetle Spin
White perch are a fun fish to target and on good days you can catch them cast after cast. Pax Tackle will get you geared up so you can go out and have a ball!
White perch haul
