Author Topic: Perch fishing (Read 2686 times)

Shrades · « **on:** Nov 02, 2011, 09:33 AM »

I have never tried perch thru the ice. What good ice fishing destination in Iowa would be a good place to go?

doonan · « **Reply #1 on:** Nov 02, 2011, 10:17 AM »

Iowa Great Lakes with Spirit Lake getting the most love for Perch

bassrat · « **Reply #2 on:** Nov 02, 2011, 04:16 PM »

shrades...since you're from eastern iowa; i'd probably recommend pools 9 and 10 on the river....numbers aren't as high as the IGLs but size on average is about an inch better with plenty of fish to be had..... if you want to make a long weekend of it though spirit is definitely a fun time!!!

Shrades · « **Reply #3 on:** Nov 02, 2011, 07:18 PM »

I have never fished the big river have no idea where to even start there.
I have always wanted to fish Bussy lake. Now I'm going to have to try it.

MitchMeyers92 · « **Reply #4 on:** Nov 04, 2011, 01:26 AM »

Shrades, as i know i stated in our PM conversation, i used to fish bussy almost every weekend. There are perch there, but you might catch one or two every three or four times you fish there. The fishing there can be pretty good, but I'm not sure i would travel any real distance to fish it. I'm not trying to discourage you from trying, I just don't want you to be disappointed.

Shrades · « **Reply #5 on:** Nov 04, 2011, 09:40 AM »

No problem. Catching fish is a bonus, trying new water is the fun of it. When your with a couple good buddys, it's always fun!

MitchMeyers92 · « **Reply #6 on:** Nov 04, 2011, 01:59 PM »

I cant argue with that logic

Kevin23 · « **Reply #7 on:** Nov 04, 2011, 02:04 PM »

I've never really done any perch fishing, but we are starting to catch more and more every year down here on the river. Problem is, every 6-7"er gets kept so its rare to get a good sized one. 9.5" is my biggest, was a female full of eggs (looked like she swallowed a golf ball) I threw her back and the guy next to me couldnt believe I threw that good eating fish back.... Same guy had 3 on the ice, none bigger than 7".

MitchMeyers92 · « **Reply #8 on:** Nov 04, 2011, 02:10 PM »

Sounds about right. Those are the people that think the 25 fish limit means you keep the first 25 bluegills that you catch and end up with 23 five inchers and one or two that are actual keepers, then feel good about themselves because they are doing their part to make fishing better.

Shrades · « **Reply #9 on:** Nov 06, 2011, 09:16 AM »

I agree with that. Don't get me wrong I love to eat what I catch, but most of it is just being out there and having fun. I always make sure at least some of the ones survive to make sure we continue to have the fun that I like.

MitchMeyers92 · « **Reply #10 on:** Nov 06, 2011, 07:20 PM »

exactly, i love eating fish too. there is nothing wrong with keeping KEEPERS but some people are filleting 5 inch 'gills

Shrades · « **Reply #11 on:** Nov 06, 2011, 09:12 PM »

Yea, i see that same thing around here. I don't get it.

MitchMeyers92 · « **Reply #12 on:** Nov 07, 2011, 04:28 PM »

granted its a well known ice fishing fact that borderline sized fish look bigger when they come up the hole than on the filleting table, some people do amaze me. Have you ever filleted a small 'gill...its a pain in the @$$ and you don't get jack for a fillet off of it LOL

Shrades · « **Reply #13 on:** Nov 07, 2011, 07:01 PM »

Oh I know, it isn't worth the maybe two bites you get out of it. Let alone trying to hold on to it in the process of cleaning it.

codewordcs1 · « **Reply #14 on:** Nov 07, 2011, 07:12 PM »

A 5" fish would be tough to filet but I'd rather see people keeping those then the 10's and 11's. Takes a long time for a gill to get that big in this state. Do you guys ever eat your fish on the bone?

Shrades · « **Reply #15 on:** Nov 07, 2011, 08:42 PM »

I like the fillet's better then with bones in them.

MitchMeyers92 · « **Reply #16 on:** Nov 07, 2011, 09:32 PM »

fillets are the only way for me..not a fan of the bones

Kevin23 · « **Reply #17 on:** Nov 07, 2011, 11:53 PM »

only fish I eat on the bone is brook and brown trout.

Oldbear · « **Reply #18 on:** Nov 10, 2011, 06:40 AM »

I would rather put back the big ones and keep every little one especially if that size seems to be the norm. Small ones are a pain to clean but in most cases if the dinks are the only ones in there then its over populated and the fish are stunted and need to be harvested. IMO.

CrappieBuster · « **Reply #19 on:** Nov 10, 2011, 11:51 AM »

Thats the way I do it also Oldbear. Bigger the fish the more eggs they can hold and that equals more fish for everyone. Also the younger the fish the less time its had to absorb mercury and pcbs. Only fish I do not practice selective harvest on is them yellow bass. Been known to put quite a hurt on them. I think in 10 days fishing last winter iced over 700 of them lil buggers.

slammin slabs · « **Reply #20 on:** Nov 10, 2011, 06:57 PM »

I would like to get into some of that yellow action send me a pm when you go next time

Kevin23 · « **Reply #21 on:** Nov 10, 2011, 07:56 PM »

I follow the same thing, 7.5" to 8" gills and 10-12" crappies are what I keep.. anything bigger and under goes back. Selective harvest is the key, keep the mediums and let the big and little go.

Ranger_bound · « **Reply #22 on:** Nov 10, 2011, 08:03 PM »

Quote from: Shrades on Nov 02, 2011, 09:33 AM

I have never tried perch thru the ice. What good ice fishing destination in Iowa would be a good place to go?

To catch perch try fishing for some other species. Every time I go for walleyes I catch perch lol.

iwantone2.4 · « **Reply #23 on:** Nov 10, 2011, 08:04 PM »

I only keep perch 9" and over, i like the bigger fish.

slammin slabs · « **Reply #24 on:** Nov 10, 2011, 11:33 PM »

I normally start keeping gills at 8 to 10 crappie and perch are about 9 to 12 but there are some lakes that I deviate from that where they are so over populated that I will keep the smaller ones so that the lake can try to grow bigger fish

Buckshots · « **Reply #25 on:** Nov 11, 2011, 07:21 AM »

I was told by a dnr officer last year that keeping 11-12 inch perch was a good thing because they are at the end of their life span anyway.

IAEYE · « **Reply #26 on:** Nov 11, 2011, 07:36 AM »

On Spirit Lake. Yes. 12"+ Perch are about done. 11" Perch have a year or two left in them. There is so many different ways to look at selective harvest its crazy. Each lake has it's own grow cycle. I like to keep more males then females. I think that's a good all around practice.

Shrades · « **Reply #27 on:** Nov 11, 2011, 10:19 AM »

I want to take a trip to Spirit Lake and try the perch. Is it possible to catch some if never been there before? If anybody has any spots to try, maybe pm me?

CrappieBuster · « **Reply #28 on:** Nov 11, 2011, 11:29 AM »

I think I might try and make it over to Big Spirit early December for at least a weekend. Never ice fished it before.

IAEYE · « **Reply #29 on:** Nov 11, 2011, 12:00 PM »

Its a great time plus if the perch are slow on spirit there is always West!!!

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Author Topic: Perch fishing (Read 2686 times)