French Creek White Perch

I just came across this and am sort of freaking out. If you scroll down there is a picture of a white perch caught in French Creek. Could it be a white bass instead? Does anyone have anymore info on this? If it really is a white perch then they could cause some harm to this great fishery.

http://fishpittsburgh.com/tag/lake-erie/

I caught a couple of what I swear were white perch at the crooked creek outflow last spring. I know what a crappie and white bass look like. This was basically a white bass w,only 1 stripe . Just like that pic. Do u recognize the spot in the pic as French creek? Could it just be a misplaced photo?

Aparently, they made their way in there, and its not a good thing...


http://www.fish.state.pa.us/pafish/perch_white/00whperch_overview.htm



http://www.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com/page/content.detail/id/500429/NW-Pennsylvania-Weekly-Fishing-Report---June-14--2011.html?nav=5013



"French Creek (Erie, Crawford and Venango Counties)

Dustin Shay (Meadville) reports that smallmouth bass fry have hatched so adult smallmouths are off beds and smacking spinnerbaits on the flats. He caught smallmouth up to 3.5 pounds this past week, along with some small walleyes. He also caught a small fish from French Creek which he believes is a white perch (not a white bass). If it is a white perch – an Atlantic drainage species – it would unusual to find it in French Creek; it would be the first time I’ve heard of one in that stream. When both species are so small, it is difficult to tell them apart – I cannot ID it from the picture alone."

The ones I caught were pushing 12" so they must have been here a while. I didn't know what they were or I woulda kept em.

Looks like a whitey, but thats pretty big. I've only caught some small ones out of Erie on the Ohio side.

White perch apparently got into the Allegheny some years ago from Chautauqua Lake through Conewango Creek. I first cought them at Lock 9 maybe 10 years ago, and remembered that I had caught them before in Chautauqua. I talked to the fish commission biologist at the time. He said it was news to him, but he talked to his counterparts in New York and confirmed that Chautauqua was full of white perch. I don't think NY knows how they got there. I still catch a few in the upper Allegheny. I think most folks just figure they're little white bass.

If the picture works, it shows some fish from Lock 9 last year. I think the top one is a white bass and the other 2 are perch. Note that the ruler is 18" not 12".

is there White Perch in Conneaut ?