Ice Fishing Trip

[perchpeter]

Hey fellow Ice Iowegians! A group of us from Glenwood IA and Omaha NE are thinking about heading to the Iowa great lakes for an Ice Fishing trip this January. We are specifically wanting to target Yellow Perch and Walleyes. Out of East, West, and Spirit Lake which would be best? It looks like the fishing reports are showing Big Spirit lake to be producing some decent yellow perch/walleye numbers and size. Will this hold true come January? Also could anyone give us some spots to help pin point where the fish might be on those lakes? Any information would be welcome as we are new to those lakes.


Thanks!

[Mr.Seaguar]

Have you done any searches on IS for info yet? Some of what you seek is already on here. Tough to tell if the perch will still be biting on Spirit but probably. Which lake is best is a matter of opinion. I would rank the three lakes West, East Spirit. Bait shops, IS, and following the crowd are good places to start. Okoboji can be a difficult place to catch fish buy perch are usually a pretty safe bet. Good Luck

[perchpeter]

Thanks so much for the reply. First place we hit up are bars and baitshops for the local intel when we get to our destination. We are just in the planning phase of our trip and are trying to figure out time frame/lodging. we don't want to stay too far away from where we will actually be fishing. I know perch move like crazy so getting a "here's where they will be" is not really possible. But knowledge is power! thanks again!

[Mr.Seaguar]

I drive up and back every day. Some guys love Kabele's for lodging. They also have bait and tackle. I rarely fish Spirit as a first option except my first trip of the year. So I don't go to Kabele's much. Kabele's is close to Spirit and East Okoboji. I go to  Stan's and Oh Shuck's. Everyone calls it Shuck's as that was the previous owners name. One nice thing about this area is that you can have your fish cleaned for you. That is awesome at the end of a long day. If you pay for a parking pass at the Lutheran Church camp then you can use their heated fish cleaning house. They also have cabins you can use, some guys like that option. If you stay there you can walk down and fish Little Emerson Bay on West Okoboji.

[brittlab]

The yellow bass fishing has been very good one west this summer and my friends slayed them on East last winter. I'm going to start on east and then west if needed.

Camp Okoboji is a great place to stay. Nice, clean cabins, easy access  to west O and short drives to other lakes.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Hey fellow Ice Iowegians! A group of us from Glenwood IA and Omaha NE are thinking about heading to the Iowa great lakes for an Ice Fishing trip this January. We are specifically wanting to target Yellow Perch and Walleyes. Out of East, West, and Spirit Lake which would be best? It looks like the fishing reports are showing Big Spirit lake to be producing some decent yellow perch/walleye numbers and size. Will this hold true come January? Also could anyone give us some spots to help pin point where the fish might be on those lakes? Any information would be welcome as we are new to those lakes.


Thanks!

Here is a clip from the SDGF on the bitter lake perch.

Yellow perch in Bitter Lake display fast growth and typically approach or surpass quality-length (20 cm; 8 in) by age 2 (Table 8). Since 2009, weighted mean TL at capture values for age-2 yellow perch have ranged from 195 to 257 mm (7.7 to 10.1 in); while the weighted mean TL at capture for age-3 fish has ranged from 239 to 292 mm (9.4 to 11.5 in; Table 8). In 2014, the weighted mean TL at capture for age-2 and age- 3 yellow perch was 195 and 239 mm (7.7 and 9.4 in), respectively (Table 8). As with most populations, males tend to be smaller at a given age than females, particularly at older ages (Table 8). Condition of gill net captured yellow perch was high with mean Wr values > 100 for all length categories (e.g., stock to quality) sampled.


Not trying to deter you, but I live anout 45min from the IGL. The perch fishing is way over rated. The perch cycle on spirt is just starting to put out a few decent 8in perch. Nothing great. Walleyes are nice, hard to catch and mostly in the slot. The blue gills on west are good sized though. If your looking for really nice sized perch and lots of them with some good walleyes mixed in. Do yourself and your group a favor.....keep going north instead of turning east. Hit bitter lake in NE SD. The shrimp fed perch in that lake are like catching walleye. They grow fast and are fat and are there in very good numbers.  Not only that, but you catch piles of them. Last winter I had 12 perch that were 11.5 -13 inches long all caught before noon. Limits are very common at those sizes. My relatives actually live 20min east of the IGL. They pull a wheel house past the IGL and fish all weekend on Bitter. leave the wheel house at bitter lake lodge durring week the head back up the next weekend. it's really kinda funny. The bait shops make a huge deal of a 12in perch at the Iowa Great lakes....which tells you how common they are.

Has for finding spots on bitter, simply buy the water proof map at the bait shop/gas station at waubay. It will give you access points, and gps coords to road beds, ditches, and areas to fish. I always wanted to fish next to the barn which is half submerged in the water.

[matzilla]

Have you considered heading to the Mississippi River for the eyes and perch?

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Have you considered heading to the Mississippi River for the eyes and perch?

I'd love to do that, just a bit far for me. Someone posted some huge huge perch picks from the Mississippi. It was impressive

[bgriffis17]

I'd love to do that, just a bit far for me. Someone posted some huge huge perch picks from the Mississippi. It was impressive

  yes it is , about 7 hour trip for me and hope to make it a few times this year, by the way how do you like your Bricker, I have been in the shop and talked with Adam and I can say he has a fine bug.  B. Griffis Tippecanoe Ind.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

  yes it is , about 7 hour trip for me and hope to make it a few times this year, by the way how do you like your Bricker, I have been in the shop and talked with Adam and I can say he has a fine bug.  B. Griffis Tippecanoe Ind.

He makes the best product on the market. Plus he is a class act guy. Nobody comes close

[Mr.Seaguar]

Bump