Perch at night

[Bassmaster16]

I've started fishing at night this year for the first few times. I do well all day long on the lake i fish in 25 to 30 fow at the bottom of a break that i fish. Once the sun goes down i stop catching perch on tip ups and jigging. stop marking them all together on my bird. I was wondering if perch move shallow at night. there's a weed bed at the top of the ledge in about 8 fow and was wondering if they might be pulling up in there or if they are just locating elsewhere along the ledge. any tips for nighttime perch would be great.
thank you

[Idahogator]

I've heard several people used lights and glow jigs but, you need be on the perch for success.

I've noticed, with a camera, lethargy and holding one position on the bottom to be most common.

More research would help us all.

Good luck, Bassmaster16.     

[tench]

I don't catch many perch at night but I do always get a few when I'm fishing for walleyes after dark and they tend to run big. I do have a couple spots that produces a solid night bite on early ice that only my brother and I know about.  We swore secrecy to the spots in high school, and never fish them with a light so nobody sees us. There are spots out there in every lake that will produce night bites. Our night spots slow down once the whole area is iced over because baitfish aren't being pushed in as heavily. The things to focus on are plankton activity, current to push baitfish, and access to deep water. Early ice and late ice are the best times to get perch at night.

[panfishman13]

perch can be caught at night, but you almost have to drop it right on top of them to do so. i'd imagine having a submersible light would help, but i've never managed to catch them at night with any real consistency, usually if i get them after dark they're a random bycatch.

the reality is, perch are very sight-oriented predators, but their night vision is not good. it's very common to see perch completely shut down as soon as it gets too dark. they don't really go anywhere except maybe to find cover or shelter for the night.

if you're wanting to target them at night, set up shop well before dark. perch are curious by nature, and tend to school up pretty quickly. set up a light as you fish so the perch are already congregated around it thanks to your fishing, this should help them see fairly well after dark, which will keep them in the area and feeding. if possible, i'd choose a body of water where the perch have as few predators as possible. a perch that feels safe will feed easier than a perch that feels like it's being hunted.

[HardH20Fishin]

Great tips...thanks.

[FishinDJ]

In Vt we are permitted to use a submersible light and I use a Hydro Glow. We were targeting smelt at night early in the season but kept getting into a mess of larger perch. The bite was very light and shut off by 11 pm but they were consistent for a few nights...curious to see if it happens again this season.

[Snitch#8]

Perch and walleye both have a tendency to migrate toward shallower waters at night.  However, I have not had much luck catching perch after dark.

[taxi1]

All the scientific literature out there says perch become inactive after dark and just sulk on the bottom. Of course that doesn't mean can't be caught if you are right on top of them are illuminate the water around them, which I have done.

If you think about it it makes sense as they are at a distinct disadvantage compared to walleye and other night feeders that like to prey on them. The walleye for example has evolved to see better at night with the reflective layer of pigment known as tapetum lucidum.

[Splinter]

Walleyes maybe, but perch are not worth staying up at night!

[HardIce32]

I enjoyed the read guys, thanks!

[Tjtroutslayer89]

A lot of good responses here and I think all of them are right to an extent.  It it definitely is harder to get the perch to bite after dark. I’ve done good for the first hour after the sun goes down then they usually shut off.

[aquarium234]

we fished for walleye on champain two years ago at night, and caught perch all night long, it was odd, It does happen but not as well as a day bite. Running to the tip ups and pulling perch after perch was very odd...we use a hydro light, it allow enough light for cameras to work effectively at night.

[ice dawg]

They seem to shut down here around sundown. I think they go dormant, but don't know for sure. I was on top of Perch and suddenly they were gone. A little later a Northern Pike came into the area, stayed for about 20 minutes and swam off. After a few minutes Perch came rising up from the silt on the bottom. That was the first time I witnessed this and I was really glad I had my camera near the bottom. I had heard that Perch would hide from danger in the silt, but wasn't sure until I actually watched it happen.

[HardIce32]

That’s cool, I have never experienced that, good to know, thank you.

[ice dawg]

That’s cool, I have never experienced that, good to know, thank you.

Happened on Waubay Lake on the mud flats.

[HardIce32]

Good to know,  I have at least 40 hours of camera time under the ice and have never even seen a pike on Waubay so now I’m gonna put out some tip-ups and see what happens!💪

[Snitch#8]

Yes, they do move into the shallows toward evening.  However, good luck catching them.  I have Never caught a perch after dark and I've been fishing, the Saginaw Bay, some of the best perch and walleye water in the country, for over sixty years!

[bootstrap]

let the perch sleep.

[Unclegillhunter]

If the perch go to sleep right before the walleye bight I would think that a great thing. Sadly I don’t live in a perch rich environment.
Keep it safe! JDL