Chain Pickerel and Yellow Perch in the Hooch.

[weagle]

As recently as 5 years ago I used to catch a lot of these 2 fish in the Hooch from Buford Dam to Morgan Falls. I would catch a decent sized Pickerel about every other trip and the Yellow perch were almost a nuisance. When trout fishing I'd catch 10 trout and 15 perch.

In the last couple of years I rarely catch either of these fish. I'm fishing the same areas with the same lures and I've caught 1 small Pickerel in the last 3 years and I might catch 1 or 2 perch while trout fishing.

Anyone else notice this? Any guess as to why?

 

[RamblinWreck]

Its them Republicans again, and Trump's fault. Blame it on white privilege, and global warming.



Just kidding - not sure. I had a decent fish mysteriously cut the line and steal my Rapala last spring, could have been a pickerel. This was below McGinnis ferry.

 

[lampern]

https://gadnrwrd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=a7d3db23bdaf4448be161420fc752697

Fishing forecast only mentions trout

 

[little rascal]

I was young and we fished the river and Lawyers almost every weekend except high muddy. We caught Pickerel, perch, big bream, shellcracker, crappie and even big shiners. I got older used to go by myself in a bass boat and caught lots of 4-5lb. bass on crank baits and pig and jigs. Then I didn't go for a long time. Then I went back and some of the islands were gone, it changed, it silted in, it was totally different. Sidewalks every where, parks, parking places. I did find perch, though, if you can find weed beds near deeper water whether it's in the lakes or the river you will find the perch. The Pickerel were always back in the weedy bays.
Before I moved up here WV, I would just go up river to bottom of Island ford shoals, catch my trout and go home, quit going down river. Last time I went down river, was anchored across from the cliffs in good trout hole. Stupid rower comes down river and ran all over me anchored. It's pain with all the rowers, and tubers. But back in the lakes they don't go. You just have to dodge them on the river.

 

[hopper]

Use to catch a bunch of perch between 141 and Jone Bridge 25 yrs ago.

 

[Striperfan]

Stay clear of the liberals, if you dont what ever happens is your your fault.

 

[lampern]

Could it be a lack of perch spawning habitat anymore?

 

[crackerdave]

Don't know, but if you find grass beds you will find perch.

 

[Theturtle]

I haven’t caught a jack fish in the creek or river in a while but I know a few ponds where you can tear them up on anything with a spinner or glitter in it

 

[weagle]

The river down near Bull Sluice has been allowed to silt in significantly, but up river there really hasn't been much change especially in the last 20 years. It's just strange that they seemed to have really declined in population.

 

[Old Yapper]

The river down near Bull Sluice has been allowed to silt in significantly, but up river there really hasn't been much change especially in the last 20 years. It's just strange that they seemed to have really declined in population.

The "powers that be" have made numerous mistakes in dropping the water levels on that river right in the middle of prime spawning times off and on for years.
Ruining spawns like that has significant affect on age groups and population.
I often wondered what kind of screwballs are in charge of that stuff. (democrats no doubt).

 

[Sautee Ridgerunner]

There isnt any real trout reproduction on that section anymore either. Too silted. You have to keep going further and further north to catch browns.

 

[King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah]

Both populations are alive and well. We caught a bunch of perch this past winter in January/February. Caught a handful of pickerel last year below Morgan falls on bass lures last summer. They're present, but don't know how much so compared to years past.