What is your favorite size color hooks for tipups for perch?

[jakescott171]

I am getting my gear prepped and was wondering what is your favorite size hook you use on your tipups for perch. Normal shank long shank big curved ones. Does color matter?  Thanks

[Idahogator]

First off, Welcome to Iceshanty Jake.        Where've you been for the last 5 years?     

My best results have been with a red wide gap #2 with a piece of perch belly on a "Tip-Down".

I've never used a tipup, cause a perch may drop the bait if they sense any resistance.       

A #12 treble with a perch eye is another sure fire setup.      YMMV

[rdhammah]

size 4 black eagle claw crappie hook for perch and crappie

[jakescott171]

Thanks for the replies.  Due to work I had to tranfer south.  I am back now and am looking to hit the hard water again.  I love ice fishing so much.  Before I didn't put much thought into it but I do read the posts on here from time to time and get lots of ideas.  I think this year if we get some ice I want to just target perch.  Lots of action but it doesn't matter as long as I get back on the ice.  Thanks again I will grab some of each hooks and try them out. 

[Ironeagle]

#6 eagle claw octopus.  Laser sharp

[OldSailor]

Welcome back!! Please update your profile with your location. Tight lines!!!!

[P Meyette]

never used tip ups only for pike might have to try this year

[1MOFISH]

I am getting my gear prepped and was wondering what is your favorite size hook you use on your tipups for perch. Normal shank long shank big curved ones. Does color matter?  Thanks

how big do the perch get in your lake? i use size 6 or 8 red treble hooks for everything from perch to muskies,we get the perch  in all sizes even littler mostly on fat headz but im gonna try maggots they produce all kinds of action 
GOD BLESS
mo

[Chris338378]

The biggest I would use on my tip-ups is size six and the smallest is size ten and I mostly use size eights.  As for the color I use either the bronze or black Eagle Claws. 

[Fontona19]

Size 14 or 16 treble is what I use. I would advice you against using eagle claw trebles this small, as the wire is so fine it snaps. Mustad makes some great small trebles though.

[conesuscrab]

4 lb test flouro leader and a # 8 Octopus hook has performed well for us.

[Limbow]

I've never heard of using tip-ups for Perch.  Have you caught many this way?  It seems like they would trip the flag & spit out the bait.  Where I live it's possible to catch a bunch of jumbo's in an hour.  I can't imagine using tip-ups but I'd like to hear more about it.

[32footsteps]

I carry a bunch of tip ups specifically for perch.  In my mind the key is to use ones that free spool the easiest because perch will grab a bait and if there is any resistance they'll drop it. 

I arm them with all sorts of different hooks from jigging spoons to a basic long shank gold hook to trebles and on and on.  Since I don't want to waste time tying and retying it means that I'll carry in the neighborhood of 20-25 tip-ups specifically for perch. 

Tip-ups are great for finding schools and tracking their movements.  With that in mind I'll spread them out quite far from each other and move them frequently until flags start flying.  Once they do then my spread is tightened up.  The beauty of tip ups for perch is that when a school moves through your spread you can tell which way they are going and can get ahead of them with a jig pole.  I also drill a hole close to my tip ups because if a flag flies you can usually get a few jigging in that extra hole.  If the flag pops and 6-8 inches of line is taken out it's a perch.  Jig pole goes down immediately if it was a drop. 

I'll run the basic 20 or 30 pound line with a 12-18 inch 4# leader.  Hooks/jigs are tied directly to the mono.  Sometimes they want a basic minnow, sometimes a minnow on a jig, sometimes a minnow on a spoon.  You have to experiment and keep moving. 

[wyogator]

Red octopus #2 for perch and walleye.  They work for northern also.

[Chute82]

I use owner treble hooks, super  sharp and strong.  Just use a blk hook with a live minnow hooked on.  My buddy and I set the tip ups to locate the perch and if one area is hot we will also jig that area. 

[MFallon]

I use octopus #6 or #8 for perch and #6 for crappie. I like the Gamu pink octopus hooks but haven't noticed a big difference in catch rates.

[Forest]

When I fish tip-ups its always a crap shoot as to whats on the end of the line. I'd say most of my catches are 60% perch, 20% pickerel, 10% bass, and 10% crappie. I rarely get drops, unless its a school of smaller perch just messing with my bait. Most of the areas I fish I already know well, so there isn't much guess work as to what tip-ups to set where. But I usually go with a line from deeper to shallower water. One thing I learned about tip-ups and perch is you have to move them if you want to maximize catches. Moving your tip-ups can turn a slow day into a good one. I use heritage lakers that have the adjustable drag, no issue with perch feeling the line and dropping. An advantage to using tip-ups is I usually only catch the larger perch. With a jig rod, you'll catch every size.

There is alway the circle hook debate. I tried them for a whole season and hated it. Gut hooks, lost fish...

Anyway, you can't go wrong with your regular old baitholder hooks, wide gap, the octopus work good too. Size depends on what size bait your using. I can get away with the medium shiners on my lake. It filters out all the smaller ones. Lakes with smaller perch might be better off with fatheads or small shiners. And smaller hooks. I always hook through the back.

The only time I set up the tip-down, is when I have a hole nearby that has constant perch action. You can watch the line move (because of the minnow trying to dart away), and know when the fish takes it instantly. Or if I know there is a lot of light bitters, especially crappie.

[panfishman13]

i like #6 circle hooks when i'm fishing for perch on tipups. color doesn't matter so much, but be sure to use tiny bits of bait. perch love to peck, so the first step is making sure that if they peck, they get the hook in their mouth.

if you're noticing fish are dropping immediately after a flag goes up, you might switch to a small treble hook. i don't like using trebles much around here cuz i get waaaaaaay too many fish that swallow the bait right away, and i don't have the time to cut tiny treble hooks out of 5 inch perch, thus the circle hooks.

[Salmonquest]

A few years ago I was rigging slip bobbers for spring bluegill. I alsways thought that colors weren't that important. I was tying on #8 eagle octopus hooks in a variety of colors. I had red, my son had orange and my daughter had pinks.

She out fished us two to one. I switched to pink on ours and our action picked up. Go figure. I am tyint those on my perch tip ups this year.