Yup, perch are part of the Sunfish family, so they count! But I've always found them to be a pain because IMO they are bony. Where I fished for trout and bass, Phillips Reservoir, somebody made an illegal plant of perch and a few years later you can't get a lure down to the bass w/o 6" perch grabbing it. FAIL!!!
I also used to C&R bass, because I fished for them so often and preferred not to have an outsize impact on the bass population. Never really kept the smaller ones, maybe a few, and would release the really big smallmouth and largemouth (caught and released a 5lb, an 8lb, and a 10lb largemouth out of a 12' boat during a foggy morning on Unity Reservoir one June... great trout trolling there too!!!) If I kept any bass to eat (my favorite eating) it was a medium size fish for the population, and pretty easy to fillet. Not as many bones. Don't even clean them, just cut the fillets out.
I miss fishing. Been Jonesing for it lately. Thinking about trading the 5th wheel since the wife cannot help with camping, and getting a Smokercraft or similar. But she won't go fishing either, and I can't leaver her home alone with her mental deterioration causing me to be her caregiver. IDK. Might have to stick to trying to get some shore fishing in next year.
Steelhead fishing on the Lower Grande Ronde (rafting) and the Imnaha (shore fishing) should be good right now. But I'm just not into cold weather fishing anymore. I need an "Easy" button in order to go...
I can do perch real quick. Down the side, with ribs. Flip it and cut from the skin. Over and repeat on the other side. Wifey collects the fillets and cuts the rib cage out.