The taste of white Perch?

[stripernut]

Let me start by saying this is not about how good or bad White perch taste...

So over time I have seen many posts about how good or bad White Perch taste and it does seem to fall on where in the country they come from (the fish not the angler). The White perch I grow up catching and eating were great eating with nice chunky white fillets and sweeter than yellow perch and I love to eat Yellow Perch...  So the question is; has anyone had White perch from different parts of the country and noticed a difference in taste? This question is about comparing White Perch from different parts of the country... I know many of us have strong opinions on what is a good tasting fish and what is not, what I am looking for is, is it the anglers or the fish and where they are caught...

[FATDOG]

I find that the size of the perch makes a difference, less than 11 or 12 inches seems to be better tasting. i also think taste is considerably different (bad) in a few ponds here in Maine.

[Poutman]

I think any fish that eats crayfish or freshwater shrimp in cold water is the best tasting.

[GCD]

I take it you are referring to the Temperate Bass Morone Americana, commonly called White Perch but is not actually in the Perch family?

I have lived and fished, cooked and eaten fish from Boston Mass. to the Florida Keys. When I cook the fish there is little or no difference in the taste no matter where it comes from if it's the same species. If someone else, catches, preps, and cooks it there can be a huge difference in taste with the same species from the same body of water.

All Temperate Bass are excellent table fare if kept, cleaned, and cooked properly. Keeping them properly is not a problem if they're caught while ice fishing, just let them freeze. If you're catching them in open water they need to go on ice as soon as they're caught. When cleaning them, they need to be filleted, skinned, and the lateral line removed. Removing the lateral (blood) line is important when preparing Temperate Bass. With smaller fish you can leave the line in and most of the heavy fishy taste will cook out, but even the smaller ones will be better with the lateral line removed.. With the lateral line removed you can cook Temperate Bass in any fish recipe and the tender, white, flakey meat will be hard to distinguish from other white meat species.

I have been served Temperate Bass (fried) with the skin on and the lateral line left in and it's real hard not to spit out the first bite and not eat any more. This may just be me because I am pretty picky about my fish. I love fish when it's prepared properly in a good recipe, but I feel insulted (for the fish) if it isn't prepared and cooked properly.

[esox_xtm]

I take it you are referring to the Temperate Bass Morone Americana, commonly called White Perch but is not actually in the Perch family?

Looks like what we call yellow bass here in WI. Prep and cooking recommendations are spot on if so.

[Fly an Ice 75]

I grew up fishing for white perch in Maine, and thought they tasted great! Yellow perch where considered trash fish and discarded. Having lived a couple of other places I quickly found out this is the opposite of how much of the rest of the country feels. I asked a guide down in the Buffalo NY area about this, and he said the water temperature had a lot to do with it. He said that yellow perch will seek out colder well oxygenated  water if possible. If it is available, yellows will have great tasting meat, all year. However if they are in water that gets above a certain temp then they will develop a parasite that most people would find off putting, and thus white perch would be the better option.

My experience, is that white and yellows taste about the same, with whites being a little easier to clean, given equal size for both fish. Compared to crappy, I think the taste is about the same again, but whites are much more firm.

One thing to consider, however is that white perch fillets don't seem to have the same life time in the freezer as other pan fish. So try to use them in a month or so, or there taste does go down hill fast!

[stripernut]

Thanks Fly, so water temp...

One thing to consider, however is that white perch fillets don't seem to have the same life time in the freezer as other pan fish. So try to use them in a month or so, or there taste does go down hill fast!

Shorter freezer life suggests higher fat content...

[GCD]

Looks like what we call yellow bass here in WI. Prep and cooking recommendations are spot on if so.

The Yellow Bass is cousin to the White Perch.

Here is a good description of the Temperate Bass family:
http://outdoornebraska.gov/fishidtemperatebass/

[Somers]

I concur with the info GCD posted about prep.  I catch and eat white perch, striped bass, and yellow perch all year round.  Stripers and white perch have the redder "blood" line down the middle of the fillet which I remove. 

I think the body of water and time of year play a role in the perch.  The stripers are from brackish or salt water and the taste is not impacted by water temps in my opinion.

All the perch I catch and keep are from the NYC reservoir lakes.  Some are cooler and deeper than others.  Both whites and yellows are present in all.  The whites are typically larger with some pushing 2lbs and the fillets are chunkier than those of yellows.  Both are great eating, however, I have noticed the fish from the shallower/warmer/weedier lakes have a "grassier" flavor than the fish from the deeper cooler lakes, regardless of specie.  This pattern is more noticeable in warmer months than ice caught fish, which I think everyone agrees on.

[esox_xtm]

I've been following this with interest, well, just because. I Googled "white perch Wisconsin" and surprise, surprise, surprise.....

Turns out where I live this is considered an invasive species. Catch one? Keep one and give it to the DNR but no keeping otherwise and a perpetual pox on you if you were to transport.

"Inland waters:

DNR is interested in preventing the spread of white perch to Wisconsin's inland waters. DNR is concerned that anglers may mistake white perch for native white or yellow bass, and unknowingly release the invasive fish. If you believe you have caught a white perch on a Wisconsin water other than Lake Superior, Green Bay, Lake Michigan or a tributary stream, please contact your local DNR fisheries biologists. You may not keep more than one white perch for transport to a DNR office for identification. For help in distinguishing between these species, please see our Identification guide."

Hmmm, most interesting.

I'd say I'd litter the ice with specimens that meet the criteria but I don't live in Maine....   

[GCD]

I've been following this with interest, well, just because. I Googled "white perch Wisconsin" and surprise, surprise, surprise.....

Turns out where I live this is considered an invasive species. Catch one? Keep one and give it to the DNR but no keeping otherwise and a perpetual pox on you if you were to transport.

"Inland waters:

DNR is interested in preventing the spread of white perch to Wisconsin's inland waters. DNR is concerned that anglers may mistake white perch for native white or yellow bass, and unknowingly release the invasive fish. If you believe you have caught a white perch on a Wisconsin water other than Lake Superior, Green Bay, Lake Michigan or a tributary stream, please contact your local DNR fisheries biologists. You may not keep more than one white perch for transport to a DNR office for identification. For help in distinguishing between these species, please see our Identification guide."

Hmmm, most interesting.

I'd say I'd litter the ice with specimens that meet the criteria but I don't live in Maine....   

Seriously, this sounds all kinds of messed up!!!

In all the other states and provinces that have invasive species, they want you to keep/kill everything you catch that's an invasive species... just don't return it to the water alive.

Catch one for the DNR and take the other 49 home for supper!

Once you educate yourself, Temperate Bass identification is a breeze. There are lots of states that have bag limits on Temperate Bass, and if you can't tell one from another you can be in big trouble!

If you're catching Temperate Bass... keep your fillet knife sharp!!!

[Rebelss]

Bass, shmass......