Little brookies, and perch?

[Drew]

Went back to see if all the rain Saturday and a bit of a cold night helped with the ice at all. At least we didn't get the 25cm of snow they were calling for.
Ice wasn't much better, actually worse in places near shore.
After a soaker on one foot, I found a decent spot to get on and off the ice and carefully spudded my way around, making 4 or 5 holes and checking depths and thickness.
Stayed a few hours, through wind, whiteouts, snownadoes, and a bit of sun. Good afternoon out.
Ice is still about 2.5" - within 50ft of shore.

[Drew]

Normally, I'd let these ones go, but it's starting to look like bigger ones don't exist. Either the lake gets a lot of pressure, or the fish just don't live very long there, or both. a couple more trips, and i don't get anything more sizeable, I think that'll be it for that lake. Fun to catch fish, sure, but those are what I'd call creek specks. 10 or 11"ers

[Drew]

One fish was spitting up a bunch of these when I was trying to unhook it. Some of them still alive and flipping around. Baby perch?

[Drew]

...end

[deepjigger]

Nice ones. Well at least your catching and you caught your limit, lol. Different spots that maybe you can’t get to right now might produce bigger ones.

[Dcofish7]

Those could be perch. Not sure what else would have those vertical stripes. If that’s the case and there is a strong perch population forming in the lake it could explain what is taking away food and ultimately size from the trout.

[Dutch]

I'm just guessing but they could be baby Bluegill

[mykola]

It’s a type of sunfish found in northern lakes they have a specific name I forget what it is, they do not grow very big. Maybe the size of a chocolate chip cookie.

Guess what colour spoon id change to!? Though, it doesn’t look like you’ve had any issues lol.

[chris.brock]

Too laterally compressed to be a perch, I'd guess a sunfish too

nice to see an ice report!

[Drew]

Yeah, checking some pics online I think they're tiny bluegill like this one

[rayray89]

[Fishinbeatsworkin]

Yep, not perch, caught some whitefish last winter in a bigger norther lake that had perch in the stomach a bit bigger but they were longer and not so round. They also had a bit more yellow and not the blue tinge on the gills like your pics. But if I was just looking at first glance I would have said yep, definitely perch.

[Dbfish]

Nice Drew.Do you think those specks were just recently planted, explaining the markings?

[Drew]

Yes. I've seen small lakers, splake, and brookies all with those markings...if it's the sort of dark, vertical bars or stripes you mean. They seem to have them when they are small.

Here's one with big dreams I caught in September

[enslow]

100% bluegill or pumpkinseed young of the year....
If it's a northern lake more than likely pumpkinseed .

Can't tell them apart until there older without a microscope