WILD CHESAPEAKE
The Simple Joys of Little Fish Panfish on the line means Spring is coming
MARYLAND FISHERIES SERVICE DNR
by Capt. Chris D. Dollar
F
ull bodied and robust, a gorgeous yellow perch, better than 10 inches, burst from the ice-cold water. Solid black bars and green-gold hues dominated the fish’s dorsal flanks, giving way to a magically soft yellow body. At this length—if you believe A.J. McClane’s Guide to Freshwater Fishes in North America, and I do, every word—the fish could be in its fourth or fifth season. Best of all, this small, little creek that gave up such a beauty was not far
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March 2022
Angler Roger Schwarb caught a 15.75inch crappie at Triadelphia Reservoir
at all from my kayak shop at the headwaters of the Corsica River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Yellow perch fishing in the Chesapeake’s upper tidal reaches where they spawn heralds the arrival of spring. Experts say the sweet spot in terms of water temps for the yellow perch’s spawning run is 48–54 degrees, and I’ve heard of some keen
anglers carrying a thermometer in their fishing vest, but I mostly just go to alleviate boredom. In years when the waters are slow to warm, the fish will spawn primarily based on photoperiod, or the duration or cycle of sunlight. But you needn’t wait that long to enjoy panfishing. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll lump yellow perch (also called neds or ring perch), bluegills, and crappies together as Chesapeake panfish, which often serve as a gateway gamefish for
