what do you consider a keeper?

[perchman47]

i always hear guys talking about keeping fish over 10 or 11 inches. when i go out i look for the 8-10 inchers because they ae alot easier to clean with a regular fillet knife, and i think what i get off a perch that size is worth it. yes i enjoy catching big perch i have caught some over 13 inches this year and kept a few but i still think a 9 inch male perch has the best tasting fillet out of any fish out there

[GotEmHooked]

i always hear guys talking about keeping fish over 10 or 11 inches. when i go out i look for the 8-10 inchers because they ae alot easier to clean with a regular fillet knife, and i think what i get off a perch that size is worth it. yes i enjoy catching big perch i have caught some over 13 inches this year and kept a few but i still think a 9 inch male perch has the best tasting fillet out of any fish out there

              buy a leech lake fillet knife!!...i broke down and bought one it is the best knife in the u.s

[fingerlaker]

8" and over is plenty good enough for me!!

[roughice]

Anything over 8" is a keeper in this neck of the woods 

[fishermantim4]

with smaller fish the males are worth it for me to clean, the females that size get to go back in my hut

[perchman47]

i would take a plate full of smaller fillets over just a few fillets from bigger ones. and i do think the smaller ones taste better

[PerchPirate97]

9" +

[tench]

Anything over 8, but I don't fillet my perch.

[GotEmHooked]

Anything over 8, but I don't fillet my perch.

       why not?...i bet you will now....if not ur a dummy..........

[tench]

GotEmHooked- I've got my way to do it, works good when you've got buckets to do after an outing.
Zip your knife, blade up, down both sides of the fins on the back, then pull that fin up from the back foreward.
Put your thumb between the meat and skin on one side then the other, at the start of these cuts. This separates the skin from the meat.
Cut straight down at the start of your first cuts until you break the backbone.
Grab the meat where that cut meets the other two, pull the meat out of the skin.
Meat comes out clean, then all you have to do is cut off the belly bones.

[tench]

GotEmHooked- I've got my way to do it, works good when you've got buckets to do after an outing.
Zip your knife, blade up, down both sides of the fins on the back, then pull that fin up from the back foreward.
Put your thumb between the meat and skin on one side then the other, at the start of these cuts. This separates the skin from the meat.
Cut straight down at the start of your first cuts until you break the backbone.
Grab the meat where that cut meets the other two, pull the meat out of the skin.
Meat comes out clean, then all you have to do is cut off the belly bones.

Just watched that vid, thats how I've done it since I was like 8, thats not a fillet...

[slipperybob]

I usually don't start keeping perch until I've caught a nice 10-11 incher.  Then I will consider keeping some 9 inchers.  I will usually catch them again even after I release them, who knows...

[silvercliff_46]

with smaller fish the males are worth it for me to clean, the females that size get to go back in my hut

and once you get them back in your hut..., what happens then......, never mind I don't want to know.

[webster]

depends how hungry i am for a fish fry

[Tainterslayer]

If I'm planning on taking home a good catch then I will keep anything over a 7 inches.

[nove]

I put any perch under 8" back down the hole,so they can "grow-up"
nove

[howesfc]

depends how hungry i am for a fish fry

x2

[silvercliff_46]

Depends what the lake your fishing has to offer.  My near by lake has a lot of small perch, yet I try to keep only 8" and over.  If I deep hook a small one I take it home.  Fishing a lake with jumbo's in it..., why keep even 8"

[bart]

9" +

Same here...

[pooley]

8" and up.

[Grumpyoldman]

Any trout of legal size. Everything else goes back.

[surflizard]

I got a chance to fish a private pond years ago, the owner wanted it cleaned out so he could turn it into a trout pond. We certainly took our share that day !!

Those planks are 2x10, so I'd say 9" plus !

[michianafisherman]

At one time if I only caught a few fish I would give them away. Then one time I caught a big mess and it took so long to clean them I was up way to late cleaning them. I figured out that I can clean a few fish in minutes and throw them in the freezer. A few small batches makes a nice meal and I am not as tired the next day. I will keep a 7 inch perch, if needed. If I have caught enough 8's and 9's the 7's go back. I don't need allot of fish to make me happy.

[Layne]

I personally think the smaller ones are the best eating, the bigger ones arent nearly as good. In the winter im happy with 7-9 inchers but I will keep them up to 11-12, anything bigger goes back.

 

[silvercliff_46]

I'm betting with the job situation, and the cost of food sky rocketing, "Catch & Release" will be put on hold, in many cases.  Who can blame them.

I offer a lot of catches to older folks who can use them.

[littlesturgeonguy]

9+

[surflizard]

I'm betting with the job situation, and the cost of food sky rocketing, "Catch & Release" will be put on hold, in many cases.  Who can blame them.

I offer a lot of catches to older folks who can use them.

I hear ya there Silvercliff, I have an elderly couple that love the Perch and Crappie and I make sure that they get some fillets when I target the Panfish !

[bluegillhunter3694]

8"+

[Sinnian]

Any size the eagles want!  ~j/k (sort of)

On my home lake we slam the crappies, but occasionally get a school of YP coming through and we'll keep the 12"+ fish, and feed the eagles the smaller ones.

[jigginPig]

36 24 36 with vocal chords removed