A Fishing Prayer . . .

Dear lord please let me catch a fish

A ten pound bass is my wish

My special lure just let him bite

And I will reel him with all my might

The weather is right and the water is clear

Please send some big fish over here

I know there's fish, some fit to keep

Way down in your waters deep

Lord please let me stay afloat

and guide my little fishing boat

oh just send me the big ole one

some time before this day is done!!

NOTE: While this is a BASS Fishing Prayer you might want to alter it a wee bit and start using it now because the spring fishing season is in full swing! The Perch are running early this year in the waters surrounding Drummond Island - on Easter Sunday one lucky angler brought home a mess of 40! Prime should be this weekend coming up - April 10th. Watch the Drummond Island Facebook page for daily updates as the reports come in.

Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens)

Common names - are yellow bellies, lake perch. Larger fish are called jumbo perch.

The season is open year round, with daily limits of 50 fish with a minimum length of 7 inches. They are green to golden yellow on the back with 5 to 7 dark bars from back to almost its belly and bright orange fins. Fish average 8 to 10 inches with some reaching 12 to 15 inches.

Yellow Perch are schooling fish that spend most of their time in deep water. When spring water temperatures reach 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit huge schools, migrate to shallow bays and rivers to spawn with anglers soon to follow. Still fishing near bottom with worms or minnows is the most preferred method. Perch sometimes strike lightly and floats or bobbers will aid in detecting bites.

Favorite areas are the Potagannissing River to Harbor Island as well as Whitney Bay to name a few. At this time, it is common to catch 15 to 30 fish per angler per day. Classified as pan fish perch are excellent eating. During the summer months check out deeper waters in the 30 to 70 foot range and expect early morning and dusk to be the best times to fish.