The fact that yellow perch thrive in this highland reservoir borders more than a little on the unusual. Found mainly in Piedmont and Tidewater bodies of water, these perch (which count the walleye as a close relative) thrive in still, murky, brackish water -- an environment that is about as far away from the cold, clear water of Moomaw and the mountain streams that make up its watershed as is possible. What is beyond doubt is that the lake produces a great many fish that meet or exceed the state's citation requirement of 12 inches or 1 pound, 4 ounces.

When I asked Jerry Paitsel why we were going to target yellow perch, his response was simple -- and typical, he said, of those who pursue this game fish on Moomaw.

"They are one of the best tasting freshwater fish I have ever eaten," he told me.

Upon our arrival, Jerry motored us to a flat that extends out from one of the lake's many rock banks and instructed me to tie on a 1/4-ounce Silver Buddy, a well-known drop bait.

"Cast out the Buddy, let it drop to the bottom, then jig it up and down as you bring it back, all the time keeping a tight line," tutored the fisherman. "We may catch bass or trout, but mostly I hope we catch perch."

In various trips over the years, I had seen Paitsel catch plenty of largemouths and smallmouths on the Silver Buddy, and I knew the bait has quite a following on Moomaw but was unaware that it was effective for perch, too.

"The best lures for yellow perch are a Silver Buddy, a Silver Buddy, and a Silver Buddy," laughed Paitsel. "Just kidding, but it is the best. Perch are aggressive feeders and will hit grubs, small jerkbaits, small crankbaits, and I hear they like live minnows. I also like the Lucky Craft Pointer 78 in Ghost Minnow and Bill Norman Little N in violet illusion, my favorite color in clear water."

About five minutes after we arrived at the flat, Jerry landed our first perch of the day and placed the 10-incher in the livewell. Catch-and-release is generally not practiced by perch chasers. From a conservation point of view, there really is little need to release them: The fish are abundant already and reproduce in large numbers. Over the course of the morning, Paitsel landed a half dozen or so fish.

About three weeks after our trip, Dave Ralston and Paitsel caught around 15 citation yellow perch in the area we fished, all on Silver Buddies. Besides yellow perch, Moomaw offers these other panfish opportunities for fishing families.

"Crappie on Moomaw are pretty much hit or miss, if you hit it right you can load the boat, if not . . . ," Paitsel said. "This spring, Dave and I caught 26 between 1 and 2 pounds on 1/16-ounce grubs in smoke with black flecks. We went back the next weekend and caught none. There are some nice bluegills in Moomaw. When I used to guide, I would always carry night crawlers and a few ultralight rods. My clients for the most part were inexperienced fishermen and the lowly worm put smiles on many faces."

SUMMING UP
Of course, the bodies of water mentioned here are not the only ones worth you and yours visiting this summer. Impoundments such as Smith Mountain, Claytor and Buggs Island feature considerable populations of bluegills, although not necessarily large ones, and also offer the distinction of having state parks on their shores. A Virginia state park is a wonderful place for a family to use as a base while on vacation.

As for me, the catfish excursion on the James with my son and Mike Ostrander was truly the angling highpoint of my year. Consider spending fishing time with your family members this year.

Find more about Virginia fishing and hunting at: VirginiaGameandFish.com