IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Indiana => Ice Fishing Indiana => Topic started by: Hog Daddy on Jan 19, 2013, 11:50 AM
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Getting back to fishing, lol. It's 47 degrees , and I am currently taking a break from splitting firewood, so going to throw this out to you guys that are experts. If I want to get into some perch thru the ice, where do I start? Best baits for Indiana. Type of rod setup. Best live baits. Most common depths. Techniques. Biggest problems.
There you go.... perch fishing 101 Indiana style. Thanks in advance.
HHD
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Jigmup is the resident perch expert here by far. But here is my novice take on the few quality Perch I have caught. They have came on inside turns in 8' to 32' of water on Northland spoons with a minnow head. I have only caught a small number of good perch and have not topped the 12" mark so take my advise lightly, as I am not an expert and don't typically target perch.
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One thing I haven't quite understood is why in this south central area of Indiana, I've never really caught any jumbo porkers. There are small populations in several of the lakes around here, but only get maybe 10 inches and narrow girth. Not sure why the further north you go , the bigger they grow it seems. I remember reading in a farm magazine sometime back, an article about people who raised commercial yellow perch in ponds somewhere in northeastern Indiana I believe. From the pictures, seemed like a good place to buy a few to impress the wife if you pretty much sucked at catching them.
HHD
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One thing I haven't quite understood is why in this south central area of Indiana, I've never really caught any jumbo porkers. There are small populations in several of the lakes around here, but only get maybe 10 inches and narrow girth. Not sure why the further north you go , the bigger they grow it seems. I remember reading in a farm magazine sometime back, an article about people who raised commercial yellow perch in ponds somewhere in northeastern Indiana I believe. From the pictures, seemed like a good place to buy a few to impress the wife if you pretty much sucked at catching them.
HHD
It's all about habitat, perch prefer mesotrophic stage lakes, and most of southern Indiana is eutrophic, which is not conducive to their preferred forage base either... If you have deep, clear, natural lakes... You'll likely have jumbos!
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HT, I'm going to have to get out my dictionary. I noticed you are not out on the boat catching crappie right now...unless of course you are using your smart phone , lol. I noticed Jigmup has a fettish for wigglers...which I had to look up to see exactly what they were... eg brown drake mayfly nymph? I'm assuming that was a prefered perch bait?
HHD
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HT, I'm going to have to get out my dictionary. I noticed you are not out on the boat catching crappie right now...unless of course you are using your smart phone , lol. I noticed Jigmup has a fettish for wigglers...which I had to look up to see exactly what they were... eg brown drake mayfly nymph? I'm assuming that was a prefered perch bait?
HHD
I'm on baby duty... Other daughter has gymnastics meet. Wigglers are the equivalent to meth to an addicted. Wigglers/mayflies don't make it down to your neck of the woods or at least reproduce. The bad thing with wigglers, they're difficult to keep alive (which is why most bait shops don't carry, and pricey! However, if you're fishing a deep natural lake in the mesotrophic phase (middle aged, natural, moderately fertile, cool water environment stage) they're worth every penny!! ;)
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hog daddy, toss up a contour map of one of your lakes, and let the perch guys pick it apart. best learning tool there is. imo
the very few nice ones i have caught have either been up on a flat or at the base of the drop, or close to it.
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Jigmup and HT know a heckuva lot more about them than I do. I have lived amongst perch water all my life and I aint got them figured out. Seems like when I catch the big ones I am actually fishing for something else....walleye or crappie. So I normally have that kind of rig on. A pimple, buckshot spoon, or a rap works best for me, tipped with a full minnow, minnow head, or even a few spikes or a waxie.
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I Love chasing perch. Walleye and Perch are my fishing passions! When Ice goes on, I tend to fish for these two species exclusively. I can say that in the northern tier of Indiana the big, deep and clear bodies of water make up a large portion of the "Jumbo Perch fisheries" but there are definitely exceptions. I tend to lean towards different optimal habitat vs. the next for holding jumbo's because after all we don't really have a Devils Lake, Winnebegosh, Leach or Winnebago to compare to.
While the trophic state of a lake can play a major part in the factors that determine Perch success, I don't and never will decide on a lake to fish because of a classification system. I can name Oligotrophic lakes, Mesotrophic lakes, Eurthrophic and even hypereutrophic lakes that produce giant perch. I'm not saying that it isn't a factor, it is. I'm not trying to discount anyones observations either. HT knows his stuff but what I can tell you is what I know from experience.
My opinion is that the success of the perch fishery is determined by the predator/prey relationship. Yes, water quality is a factor....no doubt, but you can stock the cleanest, deepest, clearest lake in the world with perch but if you cant feed them enough and you can't keep their numbers in check, You won't grow Jumbo's. A long time ago, the Linder clan tied Jumbo perch success to water body size. Basically they said that the bigger the lake the better the chance of growing hawgs. This holds true with the mega perch factories and oddly enough a lot of them do not share the same trophic classification. What they do share is forage abundance. Take Devils Lake for example, While the Walleye and Pike have young of the year perch, Bluegills, Crappie and white bass to key in on, the perch get a forage base all to themselves.....Freshwa ter shrimp!
On Wawasee the primary forage base is Crawfish for the perch and this gives them a source of food that is only shared with a few species. A lot of big Impoundments have giant shad blooms and there are numerous reservoirs that grow giant perch. There are ponds that produce big big perch. there are river systems that grow beasts.
With this said, there are just as many bodies of water that grow perch but the size is down. The DNR guages perch success by growth rates based on a state average. There are bodies of water right next to each other that at one time (maybe 25,000 years ago) were the same body of water. I've seen them this close together be worlds apart in their production. I've also seen lakes within a region produce very similar and mind boggling perch.
While I put credence in everything documented or studied about Perch, I still believe that there is a whole lot about them that we are just figuring out.
I will say that at this time of year, on northern Indiana deep natural lakes, the place to search for big perch is on main lake humps, bars and flats, especially transition areas leading to the deepest main lake basin. I wouldn't discount shallow areas as well but my experience tells me not to start there.
I could go on and on and most likely bore the snot out of everyone here so I won't. I will try to answer any specific question you have and I'm sure others will chime in. I am certainly not the lone authority on Perch fishing and I can tell you I will never stop learning when it comes to fishing for them but I can tell you with certainty that I cannot find another freshwater fish besides Walleye that rivals them in the skillet! ;D
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And there you have it. I told ya he was the Guru. ;)
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I can tell you with certainty that I cannot find another freshwater fish besides Walleye that rivals them in the skillet! ;D
You need to get you a mess of them silvers and cut the red meat out. yummy!
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soak em in buttermilk Ryan?
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No, I use battery acid. It takes the bite out of the "fishiness".
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Maxinkuckee has the biggest perch I've ever caught or seen caught. #2 jigging rapala, Swedish pimple tip with a perch eye. Caught the biggest to date bouncing a nightcrawler off the bottom. I'll try to loading a pic. Over a pound almost made 17 inches.
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(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd463/Iceon12/2012-08-17_13-44-49_254.jpg)
Well trying this again. If it doesn't work just pretend you saw it LOL.
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Didn't work...
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(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo59/bgriffis17/83108009-1.jpg)
some maxi perch
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Holy cow. That could give you an adrenalin rush. I don't think there is any following for perch fishing down in this part of the state, only because the ones we catch here are hardly worth the effort to fillet. I had never caught any big perch until I accidentally snagged one while soft water fishing with HT. Those get your blood pumping.
RS...looking at a map down here a moot point really I think...but would be interesting to take a lake like maxi and talk about what kind of structure to look for.
Thanks ....Jigmup....don't stop...keep going. Interesting stuff. I've heard you guys talk about having fast sinking baits...so sounds like you are fishing mostly deep water then and need to get bait down fast....as schools travel pretty fast? Seems like I also have the impression that late ice is one of the best time to catch them as they are , I guess heading into more shallow spawning grounds?
So , since you are mostly fishing deep water....I am assuming daytime fishing is just as good at night, or what is the catch ratio of night to day?
I know that once you catch a big one, you are hooked. Eating is a whole other story.... for me it certainly is in the trifecta perch, walleye, and bluegill. I'll have to put crappie 4th.
HHD
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Hog Daddy,
I wouldn't say that Northern Indiana is the only game in the state. Take a look at Dogwood Lake. Northern Indiana just gets ice faster and its usually better. I go North because there is an abundance of Perch lakes up that way so I have options. There are some "Known" perch producers and some that I've heard grapevine discussions about, south of SR 18 so I'll call that Central to South Indiana. Ya know, a bunch of Lakes that we fish for jumbo's have no reports or survey data, we just got the word from someone we know, some dude at at a bar or maybe an over zealous bait shop owner. What I'm getting at is I'm sure that there is a handfull of lakes or reservoirs that have good populations of sizeable perch that fall in the Central to Southern Indiana category. A few I know of but there is certainly more!
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We have such few opportunities down here to fish large water during ice season...which is generally pretty short. I just watched an ice fishing perch video linked to this site by a canadian using a gopro camera. He just turned the camera on and lowered it down to the bottom. It caught my eye , as my daughter just got one of those cameras and has a waterproof case for it. Anyway, it was pretty interesting watching the perch. Every once in awhile, he would pound the bottom, stir up some sediment and weeds...which seemed to be a pretty good technique.
HHD
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You know at one time Wax and I could catch Perch pretty well.Hey Wax why dont you try to pull some of our pictures of some Perch hauls. :tipup: ;D :o
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When I was a wee lad, in the early days of Monroe, I caught perch in the large basin southwest of the boy scout camp along a secondary channel while drift fishing for gills...split shot , number 6 hook, cricket, lol . I believe walleye can be had in that area today, but haven't fished it for years. Not sure if there are any left in that screwed up lake.
HHD
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There is some fine walleye fishing in that lake these days. (Monroe)
-Jeff
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I meant to say that I still fish monroe ....but not that spot and not targeting perch...so don't know if they are still in there or worth catching. Walleye....whole other story.
HHD
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I wanna be Jigmup when I grow up!!!! :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
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trust me, no you don't!
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When my uncles first got me cutting my teeth ice fishing, I was 9 years old! We would go out to some pretty darn good fisheries and at that time there were no electronics, well, there were no electronics on ice. However, Dink and Don (uncles) were very versed in structure fishing from their spoon plug days and so they transferred that knowledge to the ice. In fact, my father, who hated ice fishing but loved soft water fishing, made me read "spoonplugging" when I was around that age and would quiz me nightly over the chapters that he assigned me to read. It was fun to come to him with things like...."hey what is no-bo line"? Anyway, yeah Dink and Don would have most of the body of water that we were going to fish eliminated before we would even set foot on the ice. They were among the founders of structure fishing! I don't mean that they had anything to do with developing structure fishing but they were guys who took the new philosophy and ran with it!
Luckily for me, they had a passion for Walleye and Perch fishing and the Local reservoir was coming on strong in '77 and really hit its stride in the mid 80's before the cycle caught up with it and things reversed or lessened to a degree. It didn't matter because those days with them would sometimes put 15 to 20 walleye's on the ice as well as 40 to 50 perch. I know it sounds far fetched but it happened, not every time but a lot! That lake, at that time, only had a hand full of fisherman that would venture out and cut a hole over no mans land or at least that had to be what people thought! Any way I grew up next to three of the greatest fisherman I think I will ever know and they are the reason I fish for perch and walleye.
When I got old enough to go by myself, things started to change. My uncles, although phenominal ice fisherman, would be using their home made solder jigs, schooly rods and ice boxes. They still caught fish, tons, but something clicked and I decided that I had to pour my time into getting better. I only had two species so I figured I could get better.
I rigged the old school eagle locator to my ice box where the lantern lid was, gutted the lantern compartment and stored the battery and transducer (fasioned to hacksaw blade to lay across the hole) in the compartment and bought good gloves! This proved effective as I would mark schools and then wait for the bites. My screen would load up and my bobbers would go down....game on! I'd walk backwards and drop back down until I had enough or the fingers were frozen, which would happen often double poling with schooly's!
Something had to give though because there were obviously more fish down there than I was catching and I could only manage a couple every time they came through. Thats when it happened....thats when I put down the solder jigs. You can finesse a perch all day long, heck sometimes (this weekend) its the only thing that will work but I had to be able to rip lips on the school beneath me. I bought my first kastmaster in like 1987 and from there on out I go to search lures first and finesse lures last. So, all the spoons and swimming lures and bigger jigs made their way to my tackle box and so did lots of fish but if weren't for my Dad, Dink and Don and Buck Perry, I probably would have lost interest somewhere at the age that girls started looking good! ;D
Sorry for the long winded post.....I just dig the heck out of this sport!
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Oh and yeah, obviously the schooly's became a thing of the past and I started using openfaces and homemade graphite ice rods.
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Thanxs jigmup,I remember in 79' Long Lake used to have some decent perch and pike. We would pull the wood box sleds across 2-3ft of snow and using that dull spoon auger,it would take two guys about 5-7 mins to get one hole.I still use my schoolys.Good times!
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Ok, so when we get safe ice on main lakes I'll tell ya where I'll be. First main lake flat after steepest break prior to basin. I would try and position myself on the base on the flat thats closest to where shallow water weeds would grow or where they may be matted down at the least. Exceptions would be deep bars with deeper water off the end, sides or both. Humps or the bases of. This is for this time of year!
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Hey Beets.....which Long lake?
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jigmup,
Just wanted to say thanks for the info. Fairly new to hardwater, and really dont get out near as much as i like. Ive had a few very good days on gills and crappie, but i really want to figure perch out. Any way, thanks for the insight, much appreciated.
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You don't have to thank me! I'm not a "guru" nor king or final authority on the subject of perch fishing. I know what I know from years of drowning minnows but will never learn all there is but I absolutely love to fish for them and discuss fishing for them!
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I to have a strong desire to search for the perch drilled a thousand + holes walked as many miles, I know that perch generally don't stay in one spot for long and only bite some of the time that they are there, but it seams to me they go through cycles were they peek (jumbos) every few years any were from 3 to 7 and never the same cycle this may just be me ? what do you think jigmup I think high tide and I talked about this a few years back
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I'd have to say that's true about the perch cycling and if you could graph the size on a body of water, I bet it would resemble a bell curve over a 9 year period. Not all lakes though......there are some lakes that constantly churn out big ones but the quantity fluctuates. I guess spawning habitat and conditions as well as angling pressure dictate that just like other species. Afterall, once word gets out about a monster perch bite, anglers hit it hard and if that is combined with a couple unsuccessful spawning years, I'm sure bad things happen.
About the finicky perch, I find that the suspended fish are the eaters. I reccommend that when you pick one up on the flasher while hole hopping and its high, you slow your decent a good ways above the fish! Everyone I fish with has experienced suspended slobbo perch moving on a bait way before the bait gets in front of them. I've seen them move up 10 to 12 feet from say 45 ft of water as the spoon is dropping!
That's not to say that the ones on the bottom won't feed, they do but the suspended ones are the ones that I have the most confidence will bite. That and pairs....when they are paired up or more....one of them is gonna bite. The competition must be too much for them.
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Some good reading material!! Thanks guys!! I love learning new things especially since i want to start targeting perch more often, i catch em here n there on a few lakes around me but gonna start hitting em hard and strictly fishing for perch!
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I'd have to say that's true about the perch cycling and if you could graph the size on a body of water, I bet it would resemble a bell curve over a 9 year period. Not all lakes though......there are some lakes that constantly churn out big ones but the quantity fluctuates. I guess spawning habitat and conditions as well as angling pressure dictate that just like other species. Afterall, once word gets out about a monster perch bite, anglers hit it hard and if that is combined with a couple unsuccessful spawning years, I'm sure bad things happen.
About the finicky perch, I find that the suspended fish are the eaters. I reccommend that when you pick one up on the flasher while hole hopping and its high, you slow your decent a good ways above the fish! Everyone I fish with has experienced suspended slobbo perch moving on a bait way before the bait gets in front of them. I've seen them move up 10 to 12 feet from say 45 ft of water as the spoon is dropping!
That's not to say that the ones on the bottom won't feed, they do but the suspended ones are the ones that I have the most confidence will bite. That and pairs....when they are paired up or more....one of them is gonna bite. The competition must be too much for them.
Jigmup I have seen this also . If they come high and you are fishing down on the bottom you need to get your bait in its strike zone as fast as possible . 9 times out of 10 they will hit it and if you miss him on the first hit more time than not they will hit it again. And if I have more than one come I always take the highest one first if you take one off the bottom of the pack it seames like it spooks them and they don't stick around as long .
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Yep, I always take the highest first too. In fact if I'm working a fish close to or just off bottom and a high one shows up, I reel up to the high one and more times than not the low one will come up and sometimes hot! Again competition. When getting down though I try to slow it up a ways above them so that I don't pull a goof ball and shoot past them and to give them some time to respond. If they are already suspended and they start humpin' when I'm 10ft away from them, I stop and let them come!
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oh and they will come,,ya just hope that one on the bottom is a biggun,cause its gonna get there first
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Jigmup I do that also . I have also seen a bait on the drop spook them off if you don't slow it down. I will also use the pound the bottom trick to bring them in if they don't seam to come in to the bait and you know they are down there or just off to the side . I will do this with small jigs or raps .
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Yeah, pounding the bottom when you're not marking them......fo sho! Good point!
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I think it's very important to note, there are jumbos, and there are hog jumbos... If you're a sit and wait guy, I would recommend targeting other species. If you're an angler looking for consistent catches day-in, day out, Indiana jumbo perch may not be your thing. If you don't research your target fish extensively, hog jumbos will only be caught on your luckiest day. If you don't read creel surveys, and topo maps before each trip, go to church before you head out on Sundays, because you're gonna need him!
If you're not catching my drift, Jigmup spends more time and money than anybody I know not chasing perch, but chasing hog jumbos, and a good day for him is 10 in this state. If he lived in South Dakota, he'd be averaging 50+ every trip! In short, Indiana jumbos will humble the most avid anglers, and you better do your homework and have patiences, and leave your pride at the bluegill channel. That is the best advance I can give on perch.
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I think it's very important to note, there are jumbos, and there are hog jumbos... If you're a sit and wait guy, I would recommend targeting other species. If you're an angler looking for consistent catches day-in, day out, Indiana jumbo perch may not be your thing. If you don't research your target fish extensively, hog jumbos will only be caught on your luckiest day. If you don't read creel surveys, and topo maps before each trip, go to church before you head out on Sundays, because you're gonna need him!
If you're not catching my drift, Jigmup spends more time and money than anybody I know not chasing perch, but chasing hog jumbos, and a good day for him is 10 in this state. If he lived in South Dakota, he'd be averaging 50+ every trip! In short, Indiana jumbos will humble the most avid anglers, and you better do your homework and have patiences, and leave your pride at the bluegill channel. That is the best advance I can give on perch.
This is very true I have a lot of days looking and miles walked across the ice to come back blank or with only one or two .
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This is very true I have a lot of days looking and miles walked across the ice to come back blank or with only one or two .
Me too! More than I'd care to admit! :'(
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x3
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I've also seen you walk off the lake with a great big smile on your face too, Doug
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Me too! More than I'd care to admit! :'(
yep I was there that day to thousand holes drilled that day and run the wheels of the atv
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I've also seen you walk off the lake with a great big smile on your face too, Doug
Yeah, I'm luckier than most because I have this friend who eat, sleeps, and breaths jumbos... And even has a place to sleep! So when I get the call... I make time to chase jumbos! ;D
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yep I was there that day to thousand holes drilled that day and run the wheels of the atv
Save a seat for me on that ATV!!
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and wigglers ;D
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HELLGRAMITE's
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I hate the days you mark them left and right and they don't commit and the only opportunity you had to stick one was when your rod just loaded when you were lifting and you forgot to cross his eyes! Yeah, all morning slobs, I'm talking huge bright marks down 36 ft and they move on it but don't give you any love!
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Ah the wigglers . I do use them from time to time and they do work . But I hate using them . Just because if you get a hit and miss him you have to pull up and put a new one on most of the time . When you can get them I like the fresh water shrimp they are smaller and don't stick off the hook as much.
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HELLGRAMITE's
tell me more kemosabe
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Yeah wigglers are tender and I would much rather be pegging them on minnow heads or eyes. I wonder if its the stink because they are ripe!
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they start humpin' when I'm 10ft away from them, I stop and let them come!
Wow....that just sounds wrong in so many ways!!!!!! :roflmao: :nono:
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Wow....that just sounds wrong in so many ways!!!!!! :roflmao: :nono:
I was gonna say something... But didn't want the thread to be locked!!! :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:
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uh.. ??? did I say that?
seriously funny! ;D
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HELLGRAMITE's
Dragonfly larvae I believe. we used to seine them from the river. I would think it would be a summer bait...?
I remember fish hitting them aggressively!!!
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I've used them for smallies in the river, great bait but I've never heard of ice fishing with them.
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HELLGRAMITE's
well thats what dad called them straw bugs/ we would get them in small streams with grassy sides and gravel bottom a small larva 3/4" to 1 1/4" long they would build a tube made of stiks or fine gravel but I havent been abel to find them for the last few years now modern ag practice's ?
"""
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wait...these right?
(http://www.troutnut.com/im_regspec/picture_3659_small.jpg)
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I've not run across as many perch chasers as I have walleye chasers .... but having only been exposed to this in the past few years, I often ask myself how these guys can go out day after day, work so hard, and sometimes catch nothing , or maybe one fish or 2 on these inland Indiana lakes. Like HT said, this ain't North Dakota. It's almost shamefully too easy for me to catch a mess of gills or crappie. I think it takes a special perserverence to spend the time and energy on Indiana perch or walleye. As a spectator, it's always fun to see someone so passionate about their craft.
HHD
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I loved all 8 trips to ND for Jumbo's.....I will get back!
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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The video won't work for me but I did google the Caddisfly larvae and it is different than a Hellgrammite and I can see how they would work through the ice. Now, where do I get them?
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The helgramite was the 1 i showed u that was mixed with all them, like a lg green wax worm
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well thats what dad called them straw bugs/ we would get them in small streams with grassy sides and gravel bottom a small larva 3/4" to 1 1/4" long they would build a tube made of stiks or fine gravel but I havent been abel to find them for the last few years now modern ag practice's ?
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I believe what you are describing is cress bugs. They are a bug that you find in watercress. Great bait.
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Getting away from perch discussion a little here, but I have a little story about insects. The whole life cycle of these insects that hatch from the watery depths is pretty amazing. A friend of mine used to call mayflies God's gift to fish. Coming to the surface and hatching , only to live a day and then to fall back to the water for some bloated fish to gobble up. One of the stangest hatches I ever came upon occurred one year on Sept 29th...a day I will never forget. I was bluegill fishing with jigs and beemoth and not doing real well. About 10 AM that day, the wind died completely and the water was as smooth as glass. I started hearing these little noises and turning my attention toward them, started seeing little circle waves out toward the middle of the small lake I was on. By instinct, I moved closer, tossed a jig in, and immediately yanked in a big gill. After closer inspection, I could see that there were these tiny insects coming up from the bottom and hatching. Looked almost the size of a small ant with wings. The amazing part was, that I looked down the lake and litterally saw hundreds of little circle waves where bluegill were hitting the surface. Needless to say, I had a ball that day. At the end of the day , there were tons of little wings floating in the water. I took my bluegill haul home and couldn't wait to hit the lake the next day. I was amazed to only see just a few circles, and caught very few fish. The one day wonder was over. We have several insect books and I never was able to identify what the insect was. The nymph stage of these would be way too small to thread on a hook, lol.
Makes me wonder how they harvest the wigglers ?
HHD
HHD
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This brings another question to mind....Would you be more likely to find the perch on a mud bottom....versus gravel bottom?
HHD
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depends on the primary forage base.
Mud bottoms are notorious for blood worms which perch key in on especially in the winter. Perch are oportunistic so if there is greater food source as well as easier one they will be there. I've caught them on hard bottom humps during feeding periods while jigging for walleye so there was obviously a food source there, probably fry or crawfish.
It can be argued but my observation is that breaks are not the place to be fishing for perch. Perch will either be up on the structure feeding or at the base feeding. So, for example if you are fishing a flat and cannot make contact with perch, the next step is to move to the next depth transition deeper. This is to say, where does the flat drop the quickest to the next shelf, flat or basin. Same with bars, if they are not on the bar where is the next area adjacent to it that would hold fish?
I visualize it (especially with a topo map) like this; you got a big platform for fish to be on with a steep staircase on one side and gradual one to the other side. The steep one ends and another platform develops where the gradual one leads to shallow water. The next platform has another steep set of stairs that leads to a deep hole. The Perch may be feeding on any of the platforms and even in the hole but not on the staircases.
Seems childish to put it this way but its easier to visualize a lake map (for perch angling) when thinking like this.
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Jigmup or others.... If you were a guy just starting out and had limited funds and wanted to start a small tackle chest for fishing perch...what baits would you recommend. What should you spend your money on....or I guess if you could only have one bait in your arsenal...what would it be? (OK, I know it is impossible for us to only have one bait, lol)...but suppose
HHD
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Knowing what I know now, mostly spoons.
I'll let some others chime in as I'm leaving for work but I'll be back on after bit to add to their lists but I'm sure they will cover the bases!
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Pretty much the same lures you would walleye fish for but just scaled down versions. Sometimes full size versions!!
Spoons (includes droppers)
Swimming lures
jigs
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Go to: Pretty much all spoons
Pimples 1/10th
Hawgers 1/10th
Homemaders 1/8th and 1/16th
Hali's and other droppers(when the previous won't work)
For active fish:
Raps, puppets and first strike's No.2's and 3's(get down super fast and they annihilate them when they are in a positive feeding mode)
flyer spoons and airplane jigs (same premise as the raps)
Chubby darters and Lindy darters
For negative to neutral fish:
Marmooska's (my favorite of the ice jigs)
rockers and teardrops (forget about fishing them past 20)
jig heads but especially mini-mites
plain hook and minnow or the "deadly cross" but its got to be really tough! I'll elaborate if I must! ;)
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Hey Beets.....which Long lake?
Valpo, Ive fished this area my whole life and it can be quite tuff at times.
The best perch fishing is Lake Michigan hands down...
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I don't know anything about that Long lake but if it was a consistent producer of Jumbo's over the years and the forage base is still present, than it still produces jumbo's today. The numbers may be down due to predation or fishing pressure or maybe they just switched up migrations or feeding grounds due to food location.
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Dragonfly larvae I believe. we used to seine them from the river. I would think it would be a summer bait...?
I remember fish hitting them aggressively!!!
They are Dobsonfly Larvae
(http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y537/Wall-E-eyed/dobson_zps9d09234b.jpg)
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I use a lot of fiskas jigs and small jigging raps most of the time .
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Jigump I do ok at keeping myself on perch . But I can tell that there is still I got to learn . My biggest down fall right now is reading the maps . I have had to do this the hard way by finding a spot that looks go to me and going out and drilling it . a few times I have been right and others I was a learning experience because I did not find anything at all . I for one would like to thank you for sharing all the info that you have in this post .
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Heck yeah, anytime! Like I said before, I am far from "the authority" on perch fishing but I Love to chase them so much that you learn to avoid the things that didn't produce and try and replicate the things that do. However, a lot of times the fish will break your confidence just when you think you got 'em figured out.
I will tell you this, its like anything else...practice makes perfect. I am probably one of the worst bluegill fisherman through the ice that there is and I can put some crappie on the ice only because of what I'm using to chase perch! The guys on here that put hawg gills on the ice are just like the guys that put hawg perch on the ice. They do it because that's their game. Same goes for giant crappies or walleye or anything else for that matter. Its their passion and they get really good at it through trial, error and education.
Sounds like you already have a leg up in the game tightliner so now the fun begins!
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Ok, now i have a question:
It has been said by many perch anglers and some of them experts on the subject that perch seldom suspend. I want to know how many of you out there find the opposite to be true? I'm not talking about a time or two, I'm referring to multiple times or a significant percentage.
There are bodies of water that it seems like every time I fish it, the Perch are suspended.
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I don't know if I have a leg up or not . I still have a lot to learn . But I do love to chase the perch. For me gills just don't get it anymore don't get me wrong I still like fishing for them but most of the time you can go out and get all you want . I like perch fishing because it is a thrill you go out and get away from the crowd and catch fish that most people have no idea how to go about it . And its kinda like a thrill of the hunt thing .
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Ok, now i have a question:
It has been said by many perch anglers and some of them experts on the subject that perch seldom suspend. I want to know how many of you out there find the opposite to be true? I'm not talking about a time or two, I'm referring to multiple times or a significant percentage.
There are bodies of water that it seems like every time I fish it, the Perch are suspended.
I have run into this a few times . But its not all of them . But I have had a schools come in several feet off the bottom and trun the vex. into a Christmas tree. You got to love it when the come in like this . :icefish:
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Ok, now i have a question:
It has been said by many perch anglers and some of them experts on the subject that perch seldom suspend. I want to know how many of you out there find the opposite to be true? I'm not talking about a time or two, I'm referring to multiple times or a significant percentage.
There are bodies of water that it seems like every time I fish it, the Perch are suspended.
I caught suspended perch on 2 different occasions a couple years ago. Both time were at the same lake in Laporte, fishing 23 feet of water and the perch came through at about 10 feet down. the minute they showed up on the LX-5, I reeled up to them and it was fast action. One thing I did notice was that when this happens, these fish seemed to be on a mission. They would bite but you couldn't keep them around. Just my observations.
Joe
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@ tightliner......I do love it, yes sir! ;)
same here Joe!
There is one body of water that we seem to find that they suspend a bunch and other lakes that we have encountered it on occasion. Makes you wonder what they are chasin. Funny thing is, the lakes that I almost never see them suspended have giant shad pops. The lake where suspending perch is common, I have never seen a shad, I guess that doesn't mean that they aren't there but I'm guessing they are keying in on zooplankton or whatever is feeding on that.
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Another possibility is that they are suspending to conserve energy when moving from a feeding ground to a nuetral position. Instead of following a break back down, maybe they are suspending so that they don't have to burn a lot of energy to get back on the spot once they are going to feed again. That could make sense as my next spot on the "suspending lake" is a small hump that sits on top of a bar. The bar is around 30 ft deep with the hump topping out at 22 ft. deep. The bar is surrounded by two very deep holes on each side and the tip breaks to slightly deeper water but slower. Are they suspending because they want to get back on food fast and then after the evening run they will return to their deep water sanctuaries? I don't know but it kind of makes sense!
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i believe you are on the right track as far as the aggressive pattern of their feeding i have found the exact thing to be true and what I believe is that they spend too much time getting their air bladders to adjust going from deep to shallow and then back deep again that they will just suspend horizontally with their feeding at least with that and the traveling to the next feeding area in some cases.. hope to see some of you out on maxi this weekend it should be on for sure ,,I checked it everyday last week and it was looking good till the sun came out and tore it away from shore..
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Maxi is that away with Perch if you can find them, use to come thru fast and furios, big schools - big fish. I do believe what they said about the numbers and I think the spawning of the Perch are different every year. Iceon, bgriffs 17, and old foot doc where ever he is can all testify to them jumbos that come around every so many years. they have off spawning years that drive there numbers down from time to time but were due guys and I'm ready ;)
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Another possibility is that they are suspending to conserve energy when moving from a feeding ground to a nuetral position. Instead of following a break back down, maybe they are suspending so that they don't have to burn a lot of energy to get back on the spot once they are going to feed again. That could make sense as my next spot on the "suspending lake" is a small hump that sits on top of a bar. The bar is around 30 ft deep with the hump topping out at 22 ft. deep. The bar is surrounded by two very deep holes on each side and the tip breaks to slightly deeper water but slower. Are they suspending because they want to get back on food fast and then after the evening run they will return to their deep water sanctuaries? I don't know but it kind of makes sense!
You got me thinking on this one . I have never seen where all the fish were doing this every time I have seen it I think it was a school on the hunt . Because they seam to be bigger fish and are fast biters they don't stop and look at the bait they are ready to eat as soon as you get it in front of them .
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I agree with the air bladder not adjusting very well and it is definitely apart of the equation. Zooplankton is definitely a factor, as most fry depend almost solely on Copepods and Daphnia types attracting the hungery perch. These zooplankton rise as the sunlight fades and return to the bottom each morning. The next factor is oxygen, which is effected differently giving depth, weeds, type of BOW, etc. Then the next factor is bottom transitions... sand to sand marl to rock... each hold prey that perch love at different times of the year! Then you have predators... and where perch fall into the chain. Then spawning habitat, followed by weather conditions, as well as water clarity These are only some of the factors to consider when chasing jumbos, and when you can come up with the proper theory on a given day its game on... I never liked story problems in school, but have grown to love them as I get older!! ;D
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I' m gonna save some of you guys a lot of grief and frustration. GO to the perch farm just outside of Muncie and buy your perch fillets. lol 16$ a pound will seem cheap after you go jumbo fishing a couple of times...jk
paul
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I' m gonna save some of you guys a lot of grief and frustration. GO to the perch farm just outside of Muncie and buy your perch fillets. lol 16$ a pound will seem cheap after you go jumbo fishing a couple of times...jk
paul
Lol it might be cheaper but I think that for most of the guys that chase them on a regular basis it the hunt and the reward of finding good fish . Its kinda like the monster buck hunters that sit out in a tree sometimes all season and pass all the smaller ones that most people would shoot . To wait for the right one the big one .
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I' m gonna save some of you guys a lot of grief and frustration. GO to the perch farm just outside of Muncie and buy your perch fillets. lol 16$ a pound will seem cheap after you go jumbo fishing a couple of times...jk
paul
I already sit at home more than I should. It's all in the hunt. They always taste better when you know that you caught them.
Joe
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I can catch perch all day long on Pine and stone the only thing is they're small and it sucks I don't know why didn't get back out there
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Suspended perch- jumbos!
Fishing on Cisco Lake in the UP. Was using a friend's spearing shack, "Dark House" Sun was out about 9:00am, wind about 25 mph 2 ft of snow blowing a white out and 30" of ice- mid January. Had caught a few fish but bite very slow. Was in 18' of water. Kept changing depths and came up to about 8'. Could see jig and saw a fish slide in about 4' down. BIG perch. 12". Brought bait up and she ate it. Was using Moxy jig and bee moth. Put on crappie minnow and Game On! Called my buddy in his shack and proceded to limit out. Next day wind died down to calm. Fished outside. They wanted the minnow. Would start jig down and they'd hit it 4'- 6' down. Did this for 4 days.
Have read several articles about perch and radio telemetry. Said most perch are roamers. They will travel 1/2 mile to a mile a day??? Walleyes too. These are in lakes.
I'm no expert by any means. Just my experience to share.
Teach
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TeacherPreacher
if there was a Happy dancing Italian emoticon, I'd use it right now!
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Then the next factor is bottom transitions... sand to sand marl to rock... each hold prey that perch love at different types of the ear
For sure and if you really get to know your locator you can see this.
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For years I used to chase nothing but perch on wawasee. Jigmup has pretty much covered everything I know from my experience chasing them. One thing to add is when they are up off the bottom they are feeding and will usually hit anything you put down there. Like Jigmup said, when I find them off the bottom I will fish them until the school is gone and if I can't find them again I will look for a flat nearby with water at that depth they are suspended. Most of the time if there is flat at that depth nearby and you go drill it out, you will find active pods eating there. I stopped chasing the yellow gold as my parking at wawasee got less and less. That lake is just too big to walk. I switched over to gills and crappie mostly now, but I will find time to fish for perch a couple times a year still. This is great thread and should be tacked at the top!!!
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Wax,
I know that the big shallow flat to the south west of Ogden Island was a huge draw but did you ever fish on top of the bar that ran south off Ogden?
The most consistent spot for "hawg jumbo's" (as explained by HT) that I have seen.
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One of the questions I asked earlier...and I am not sure I saw anyone answer it yet...but it pertained to the time of day for the bite... ie do they bite well at night similar to walleye or is this mostly a dawn/day/dusk type of bite?
Also to Jigmup... regarding wawasee.... you mentioned crawfish / crawdads as primary forage. Have you ever used crawfish there thru the ice?
HHD
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One of the questions I asked earlier...and I am not sure I saw anyone answer it yet...but it pertained to the time of day for the bite... ie do they bite well at night similar to walleye or is this mostly a dawn/day/dusk type of bite?
I have always done best in the morning and evening . everything that I have read and seen out on the ice is perch can not see as good at night as the walleye . I have noticed that about the time I can't see the spring bobber they seam to stop biting anyway . I have also heard that they will sit real tight to the bottom sometimes with their bellies touching the bottom to try to hide from walleyes or other fish that can eat them .
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Wax,
I know that the big shallow flat to the south west of Ogden Island was a huge draw but did you ever fish on top of the bar that ran south off Ogden?
The most consistent spot for "hawg jumbo's" (as explained by HT) that I have seen.
Fished it all the time.....had parking right on odgen point and would walk right out there. That is a great place to start as you have deeper water off both sides and the end. When we used to get good ice that would last into March, we would just slam the jumbo's out there. Probably still could do that if the lake would ever freeze!! There are some slob perch in that lake if you can find them. The shallows over by Morrison Island churned out some huge perch too. Sand point, the sphinx, the humps and deep water off the south shore.....lots of good memories of those fishing days and lots of days going home with only a few.
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Perch dig daylight. Usually peak times are from dawn to about 10 or 11 and then again from around 2 to dusk. You still get them in the middle but usually thats sandwich and bs time!
I've never used them through the ice but if you could get them small enough, I wouldn't see why they wouldn't.
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I have always done best in the morning and evening . everything that I have read and seen out on the ice is perch can not see as good at night as the walleye . I have noticed that about the time I can't see the spring bobber they seam to stop biting anyway . I have also heard that they will sit real tight to the bottom sometimes with their bellies touching the bottom to try to hide from walleyes or other fish that can eat them .
We usually did well in the morning. If you ever shine a perch lake at night you will see them doing exactly what you said. Laying belly to the bottom almost like they are in trance. We did that on a smaller lake and were amazed by the number of perch we could see in 8 ft or less....we even tried to catch them and you could bounce your lure off them and they would not move or bite. It was odd to say the least.
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Yeah, those dudes were sleeping...zzzz!
I've done well on Wawa in the summer as well off the same bar. Just make sure you have one heck of a bilge pump 'cause that thing gets turned into a froth quick on a Sat. morning!
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One of the questions I asked earlier...and I am not sure I saw anyone answer it yet...but it pertained to the time of day for the bite... ie do they bite well at night similar to walleye or is this mostly a dawn/day/dusk type of bite?
Also to Jigmup... regarding wawasee.... you mentioned crawfish / crawdads as primary forage. Have you ever used crawfish there thru the ice?
HHD
If you see perch with crawdads in them they are getting them out of the perch grass which usually means they are 15 ft or shallower when feeding. I have seen times when they are just loaded with crawfish. I have seen them even more when they are loaded with baby bluegills. A big perch will have a dozen or more YOY gills in its stomach. Wigglers, and bloodworms are also found often in perch bellies from wawasee.
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So next time on Wawasee, I should include some home maders with purple, blue and a tinge of gold, right?
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I have also seen them spit up baby bluegills when they do this I always take the ones that they spit up a use them for bait .
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So next time on Wawasee, I should include some home maders with purple, blue and a tinge of gold, right?
Yes you should...or a similar sized jigging rap in that color scheme....Not sure what size rap it is..but the gills are usally about 1- 1.5 inches long.
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Ok guys here is my question . Most of the lakes that I fish for perch in are not what most would call big lakes . I have not made it over to Maxi. yet and only fished Wawasee once a few years ago . But the problem I'm having is braking the 13" I have been told by some loose lipped anglers that a few of the lakes that I fish have a lot bigger ones in them . That being said I know how some people measure their fish . But I still think I should be able to find one here or there . or do I need to get to the bigger lakes .
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My biggest perch through the ice (15 inches) came from a lake just over 200 acres.
The bigger lakes tend to grow larger numbers of big ones but I fish some really small lakes that produce 13's.
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My biggest perch through the ice (15 inches) came from a lake just over 200 acres.
The bigger lakes tend to grow larger numbers of big ones but I fish some really small lakes that produce 13's.
Ok I guess it has just not been my time to get a real big one .
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Here is my P B so far . 12 3/4
(http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y410/tightliner812/60FC7112-6FB9-4D83-985F-713A2FA622C4-2473-0000046CCA674729_zps07433177-1_zps0d40a61e.jpg)
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I was just thinking that here we have all these hard core perch afficianados, and no real fishable deep water ice, all this pent up demand, and then this thread just throws gasoline on the fire. It's like man christmas .... opening day of deer season...lol
HHD
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I was just thinking that here we have all these hard core perch afficianados, and no real fishable deep water ice, all this pent up demand, and then this thread just throws gasoline on the fire. It's like man christmas .... opening day of deer season...lol
HHD
I am hopping to be able to get to one or 2 of my spots by Saturday .
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Tightliner just keep on keeping on, I say basd on your, (posts) experience, you'll break the 13" mark this yr. (http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj627/3310wickey/IMG_20110801_184611.jpg) unfortunately these didn't come thru the ice
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Thats a large 12.75
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walleyepac I hope you are right . I will always be keeping on.
Jigmup yes she was a fatty one for sure I got her In the last few days of the ice season a few years ago . I think she was almost ready to pop.
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Joe that a nice creel for sure! Big fish and already spawned out....great time to harvest!
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Tightliner just keep on keeping on, I say basd on your, (posts) experience, you'll break the 13" mark this yr. (http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj627/3310wickey/IMG_20110801_184611.jpg) unfortunately these didn't come thru the ice
Those look like Lake michgan or Erie perch...and nice ones at that!
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Ok guys here is my question . Most of the lakes that I fish for perch in are not what most would call big lakes . I have not made it over to Maxi. yet and only fished Wawasee once a few years ago . But the problem I'm having is braking the 13" I have been told by some loose lipped anglers that a few of the lakes that I fish have a lot bigger ones in them . That being said I know how some people measure their fish . But I still think I should be able to find one here or there . or do I need to get to the bigger lakes .
My biggest 14.5 was from a lake under 200 acres. If the lake has the food they will grow big no matter the size of the water.
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Mich.
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Drilling them tight! What is that? Well its what I thought we did a pretty good job of until I saw 3 guys proceed to put it on IceDogg and I. we were a good 100 ft. (give or take)away and had holes punched about every 8-10 feet in a area about 40 ft sq so we had around 20 holes. We weren't doing to bad, we probably had 5 to 8 between us but the guys in front of us were putting on a clinic.
Let me say that if you are the type that wants to "one up" your fishing buddy, choose a different species to fish for!
These guys had holes drilled on top of each other. Three holes here, three over there....all over the place! Their system was an eye opener! When one of them hooked up, the other two converged on the untaken adjacent holes and more times than not, at least one other fish was taken in the flurry.
A lot of times one of us has stuck a fish and while were getting that fish up we yell at another to get over and drop down the same hole because there is another fish down there. Thats taking advantage of a situation because by the time a guy plays the fish out, lands it, takes it off, rebaits and gets back down, the fish is gone! There are times when we play "musical vexilars" to take advantage of the fish beneath us. So, instead of letting the greed factor kick in, if you work as a team, catch rates soar!
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some great reading everyone,thanks!!!!!!!
we know perch are roamers and can be very illusive. my question is could a guy hold them or even draw them to you, with chum or maybe light? could a guy drop some frozen weighted chum blocks threw the ice on a good spot and hold a school that passes by?
in summer, i get perch and bullheads off my light after dark at the cottage. i toss it out on bottom at dark and fish slip sinker rigs on bottom around it, while sitting by the fire. its pretty dark under snow and ice. could the light attract anything in the daytime? could you draw plankton into the light(and then fish) in deep water in the daytime? if you could wouldnt it hold the fish under you?
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im new here and learing hoe to use site . but this is the best fish ever to eat i think love to find them in indiana with out going up to winabego on minnesolta to find good ones . ive had some luck on barbe and i hear that pike lake has gooooood perch
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Let me say that if you are the type that wants to "one up" your fishing buddy, choose a different species to fish for!
So, instead of letting the greed factor kick in, if you work as a team, catch rates soar!
This goes against every instinct I have, LOL.....
HHD
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i dont know how legal it is in indiana but a peice of perch belly just a long strip on a jig head is deadly and in wont come off
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wow i need to review before i post sorry for the mis spelled words im an old fart and dont type worth a darn sorry guys
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river_scum....I've often thought about using frozen chum blocks ;)
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I'm guessing you would draw in catfish with the chum...and just from my experience ....when I am onto bluegill and a bunch of catfish move in...my bluegill seem to move out.
HHD
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your probably rite about the cats. i do catch the perch with the bullheads when i chum in summer though. channel cats would probably be a different story, like you say.
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i dont know how legal it is in indiana but a peice of perch belly just a long strip on a jig head is deadly and in wont come off
YP...one thing I have tried during soft water fishing for crappie is to cut a real thin strip of shrimp and put on my jig. Stays on a long time, and the fish seem to go for it. Not sure if this would work in the ice, but why not?
HHD
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your probably rite about the cats. i do catch the perch with the bullheads when i chum in summer though. channel cats would probably be a different story, like you say.
RS...down here in these small state lakes, I've seen dnr trucks back up to the ramp and dump a bunch of 10-12 inch channel cats. I have been on a good gill bite , then all of a sudden those channels move in.... all heck breaks loose.... lines getting twisted up, line getting slimed, baits broken off, and gills move out. Unless I want catfish.... I've learned to pick up and move.
HHD
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HD, sounds like heaven to me. i only wish they didnt swallow the dang hooks! lol
i dont see why those strips wouldnt work in winter. i use chunks of fresh shad on my jigs in summer. i sure wish i could net shad in winter for my tip-ups!
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I've heard that strips of belly meat work YP! I have used pieces of shrimp in the summer and I know that they work well in Lakes that the forage base is mostly crawfish.
Perch eyes are a hot one too if you can master the art of popping them out without busting the membrane (hard to do with a cold thumb)! Then you just nick 'em through the very outer portion. Somethimes you can score 3 to 4 fish before it gets all stringy and glazed.
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I have caught perch on perch belly strips, often seems when they will hit that they will hit anything though.
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I have caught perch on perch belly strips, often seems when they will hit that they will hit anything though.
Have also caught them using perch belly strips. White on one side and the 'silver skin' belly lining on the other is deadly when they are are on baby gill or shiner bite. They also don't come off so you can get right back down and maximize the catch without worrying about having to waste time putting bait on.
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Perch eyes are a hot one too if you can master the art of popping them out without busting the membrane (hard to do with a cold thumb)! Then you just nick 'em through the very outer portion. Somethimes you can score 3 to 4 fish before it gets all stringy and glazed.
I haven't tried yet, but I read on another thread awhile back that a paperclip works well to pull the eye to be cut out and used for bait.
Joe
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Drilling them tight! What is that? Well its what I thought we did a pretty good job of until I saw 3 guys proceed to put it on IceDogg and I. we were a good 100 ft. (give or take)away and had holes punched about every 8-10 feet in a area about 40 ft sq so we had around 20 holes. We weren't doing to bad, we probably had 5 to 8 between us but the guys in front of us were putting on a clinic.
Let me say that if you are the type that wants to "one up" your fishing buddy, choose a different species to fish for!
These guys had holes drilled on top of each other. Three holes here, three over there....all over the place! There system was an eye opener! When one of them hooked up, the other two converged on the untaken adjacent holes and more times than not, at least one other fish was taken in the flurry.
A lot of times one of us has stuck a fish and while were getting that fish up we yell at another to get over and drop down the same hole because there is another fish down there. Thats taking advantage of a situation because by the time a guy plays the fish out, lands it, takes it off, rebaits and gets back down, the fish is gone! There are times when we play "musical vexilars" to take advantage of the fish beneath us. So, instead of letting the greed factor kick in, if you work as a team, catch rates soar!
Don't want to highjack your comments but you are correct about increasing your catch ratio using team strategy. I also was shown many years ago that if you hook that first fish that many times if you raise that fish off the bottom a couple of feet and leave it there that many times that fish will hold that school there. Just drop that second lure and pick off a few. Have done it in the pass with some sucess.
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Don't want to highjack your comments but you are correct about increasing your catch ratio using team strategy. I also was shown many years ago that if you hook that first fish that many times if you raise that fish off the bottom a couple of feet and leave it there that many times that fish will hold that school there. Just drop that second lure and pick off a few. Have done it in the pass with some sucess.
never thought of that before phil...thx for the tip!
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Yeah thanks and your not hijacking anyones comments. I didn't start this thread and I appreciate everyone's input. Its here for me to learn too and I have and just did! ;D
Great idea! Wonder if a guy could sink an enclosed fish bowl with a couple of live ones down the hole? On a string of course!
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Don't want to highjack your comments but you are correct about increasing your catch ratio using team strategy. I also was shown many years ago that if you hook that first fish that many times if you raise that fish off the bottom a couple of feet and leave it there that many times that fish will hold that school there. Just drop that second lure and pick off a few. Have done it in the pass with some sucess.
Along those same lines don't ever throw back a small perch down the hole if you have others down there. Often when you throw one back it rockets back down and keeps on trucking like there is a predator in the area pulling the school with it. This seems especially true in water around 20ft deep. Deeper or shallower the releasing of a fish does not seem to bother the school, but in the 20ft range I have seen it happen enough to believe it to be true. Put a bit of water in a bucket and toss the little ones in there until the school leaves then put them back.
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Your friend must be on to something Phil!
Run and Gun Perch Tactics at Late Ice - Jason Mitchell
" If the fish start to drift off or loose some of their intensity, a phenomenal tactic is to hook and hold a fish above the school. This struggling fish will often pull more perch up off the bottom in an aggressive state of mind. "
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Interesting article! The guy that told me that tidbit has been dead for close to 20 years. Wonder if he ever knew that a renowned fisherman would use his tactics. Also found it interesting on "banging the perch head on the ice". Going to have to work on that move. ??? Would like to see HT tie that in with his other patented moves. LMAO
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One thing I try is dropping a maggot down the center of the hole and watch to see if it drifts one way or another as it falls, it tells me what direction the water might be flowing and direction in which to follow the fish. ;)
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Beets,
Thats interesting! Would you travel with or against the current when trying to stay on top of them?
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Would like to see HT tie that in with his other patented moves. LMAO
I think it would be a challenge for him but he would prevail! It would be difficult to whip the perch on to the ice without busting the 3/4 lb test line he uses. However, I can see him ramping up his approach, helicopter style, to ensure that he achieves impact with out breakage!
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One thing I try is dropping a maggot down the center of the hole and watch to see if it drifts one way or another as it falls, it tells me what direction the water might be flowing and direction in which to follow the fish. ;)
This is a new one on me I might have to try this . What I have always done is to watch the line when pulling one up . My thought on this is that fish wants to break lose and get back to the pod the it came from . So if he is pulling right I drill to the right . This has worked for me in the past but not every time .
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Don't think, for one minute, that I won't get serious on their derriere!
(http://www.kimstrickerproductions.com/Email/July2012/023738_360imaging_300x250.jpg)
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Don't think, for one minute, that I won't get serious on their derriere!
(http://www.kimstrickerproductions.com/Email/July2012/023738_360imaging_300x250.jpg)
That will bring the dollars per pound down after it pays for its self . ;) They would have to go underground to hide from that thing .
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They better start building their bunkers now then!
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They better start building their bunkers now then!
I may be wrong, but I think the side scan and 360 imaging require some movement of the boat (or whatever they are mounted to) to create the 'best' detailed image. It may work for ice fishing, but I would be sure to read all the info about one before dropping that kind of cash. For the unit + the 360 imaging upgrade you will have about 4-5K wrapped up in it! Thats alot of cash to chase some perch and eyes!
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Hmm...thanks for raining on my parade there Waxie! :'(
LOL
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Weed whacking!
Don't know how many here have had the experience of getting on a pod of Jumbos in less than 15 feet of water at late ice but the fish bite super hard! Usually at this time all you can find is matted down dying weeds, that's enough. The shallow water with these remnants of vegetation is enough for them to successfully spawn! They will stage off these during mid-day hours and feed heavily on them in the twilight periods, with a little time on both sides of them.
Some lakes in this state have giant shallow bars and flats that are littered with pods of weeds. I generaly like to pick a spot up on the structure that has the fastest access to deep water and start there. The sharp break gives them something to corral bait against if they prove not to be up in the shallows. Its just another option without having to move long distances.
When I'm going to fish on top of it, its not uncommon to see me on my belly staring down holes until I locate pods of vegetation and can get on the sides of them. If nothing else these will serve as reference points for the fish as they navigate the bar or flat. Checkpoints so to speak.
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that is interesting to say the least leaving one hoked up to keep the school that is. I do that on soft water with crappie and it is extremely effective. Hey jigmup we will have to hook up on maxi this year again if possible I talked to you at the maxi derby two years ago with your fancy home made shanty lol I had the black HT or was that three yrs ago..I do the same thing laying on my belly looking for those pods of weeds and I know two yrs ago i got on something where for a week straight right at 5:00pm I could bank on 9-12 jumbos in about 45 min. and that was it same hole every time and they were 12-16 inchers ,, I was fishing one day and my pull over started to open and i had about 6 iced i wondered why it was opening cuz it wasn't windy ...it was the CO asked if I was doing any good till he looked down and he started laughing and said dont let these other guys see that and I said well then close it lol
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Beets,
Thats interesting! Would you travel with or against the current when trying to stay on top of them?
usually up stream.
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Interesting on the weed whacking...but when does it start..... is the peak of perch spawning in March?
HHD
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mid 40* is spawn temp for them, just after ice out.
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That last week on the ice is usually gold!
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I think it would be a challenge for him but he would prevail! It would be difficult to whip the perch on to the ice without busting the 3/4 lb test line he uses. However, I can see him ramping up his approach, helicopter style, to ensure that he achieves impact with out breakage!
Nothing beats the perch tango!!
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20-25 years ago I fished a lake just east of 69 with my brother, well before the electronics boom. Anyhow, we were fishing in a bay with a big group of people in 10-15 feet of water catching nothing but small gills. We saw an older gentleman walk out toward the middle of the lake by himself and my brother said to me "keep an eye on that guy". He was 1/2 mile or so out by himself obviously fishing some deeper water. An hour or so later we decided to take a walk and see how he was doing. Turns out he was hammering BIG jumbo's! He invited us to drill right by him and said be ready because before our jigs would hit the bottom we would have one on. Sure enough we finished with 20 or so that were 12-16" and FAT! After we got back home we took a map of the lake out to see about how deep we were fishing. The basin was every bit of 40ft deep.
That was years ago and I haven't caught jumbo's like that except on lake Erie in the summer.
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Regarding spoons...Do you guys switch out trebles for the single hook much? Or I should ask what you prefer. Dropper lines?
HHD
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When I have used a small spoon/treble with a minnow head and the perch reluctant to bite...I will switch to the spoon/dropper/single hook with a couple of spikes. It might be the smaller size of offering or more of a bug bite...? It works!
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Best bite I everhad on big perch I was using a large gold genz worm with a stinger hook on it. Had a minnow head on the genz wormand about a dozen spikes on the stinger treble. They were hammering it. Fish were up about 5-6 ft and super aggressive. I remember that day like it was yesterday. Jp and I each had 25 hogs and only went back and forth between two holes. Have caught more in an outing but not that big.
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(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee434/miamimiller/2012-06-07_14-41-28_917-1.jpg)I usually fish to the bottom then bounce,rest bounce.Red bloodworm.Hope my pics work.
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were those caught in open water?
Nice mess regardless! :o
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(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee434/miamimiller/2012-06-07_14-41-28_917-1.jpg)I usually fish to the bottom then bounce,rest bounce.Red bloodworm.Hope my pics work.
That's what were talking about . Nice haul .
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Weed whacking!
Don't know how many here have had the experience of getting on a pod of Jumbos in less than 15 feet of water at late ice but the fish bite super hard! Usually at this time all you can find is matted down dying weeds, that's enough. The shallow water with these remnants of vegetation is enough for them to successfully spawn! They will stage off these during mid-day hours and feed heavily on them in the twilight periods, with a little time on both sides of them.
Some lakes in this state have giant shallow bars and flats that are littered with pods of weeds. I generaly like to pick a spot up on the structure that has the fastest access to deep water and start there. The sharp break gives them something to corral bait against if they prove not to be up in the shallows. Its just another option without having to move long distances.
When I'm going to fish on top of it, its not uncommon to see me on my belly staring down holes until I locate pods of vegetation and can get on the sides of them. If nothing else these will serve as reference points for the fish as they navigate the bar or flat. Checkpoints so to speak.
Thanks for the tip. I have always wanted to find them in the shallow water and never could . After reading this I can think of 3 or 4 places to try this year .
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Hey Bret, text me sometime saying who u r, Superseal,. Lost all ,my contacts on the phone
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Hey Bret, text me sometime saying who u r, Superseal,. Lost all ,my contacts on the phone
will do!
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I just want to say thanks to everybody who contributed on this thread. I'm just trying to be a sponge and soak up everything here that I can and hope I can remember half of it when I hit the ice! This thread is the reason I finally joined shanty, mainly to say thanks.
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I just want to say thanks to everybody who contributed on this thread. I'm just trying to be a sponge and soak up everything here that I can and hope I can remember half of it when I hit the ice! This thread is the reason I finally joined shanty, mainly to say thanks.
Welcome to the shanty . There is a lot of info on this board and a lot of great guys that know how to put fish on the ice .
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When I started this thread last Saturday, there was a lot of "grousing" going on...people at each other's throats, etc going on....which is typical when you have lots of demand and no ice. My intent was to get people back to the subject of ice fishing, and to learn something about a fish that I don't target thru the ice. The results have been most interesting and I also much appreciate the knowledge base out there that has been shared. We've picked a lot of jigmup's brain, and others out there who have told us some really good stuff, and interesting experiences. All I can say is... thanks for sharing with all of the rest of us...you didn't have to, but you did. I always enjoy being around people who are passionate about their sport or craft. There's this certain energy that you get just associating with these people. Are you tired of seeing this thread? We are getting some ice now...but I hope those leading the pack get out on some good deep water and send us back some perch eye candy. Don't need to know the lake, just your experince and technique and things you learned. Let's keep this board respectable, eliminate the personal attacks, and by all means get out there and ice some hogs.
HHD
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When I started this thread last Saturday, there was a lot of "grousing" going on...people at each other's throats, etc going on....which is typical when you have lots of demand and no ice. My intent was to get people back to the subject of ice fishing, and to learn something about a fish that I don't target thru the ice. The results have been most interesting and I also much appreciate the knowledge base out there that has been shared. We've picked a lot of jigmup's brain, and others out there who have told us some really good stuff, and interesting experiences. All I can say is... thanks for sharing with all of the rest of us...you didn't have to, but you did. I always enjoy being around people who are passionate about their sport or craft. There's this certain energy that you get just associating with these people. Are you tired of seeing this thread? We are getting some ice now...but I hope those leading the pack get out on some good deep water and send us back some perch eye candy. Don't need to know the lake, just your experince and technique and things you learned. Let's keep this board respectable, eliminate the personal attacks, and by all means get out there and ice some hogs.
HHD
Very well said :thumbsup: :clap: :thumbsup:
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I'm taking a trip up to Wisconsin in February to my lake house and was wondering what you guy's think about this screen shot I took this summer. The area is a big sand flat with no real depth changes and no weeds in sight. The spot with the logs is bigger than what is shown on the screen shot but other than that its a desert. It's a haul to get to this spot with One snowmobile and 3 to 4 guy's. Now I know that isolated cover can produce but what if its really isolated. I know if I don't try it I will never know but thought maybe you guy's could give me a little insight. I posted it on the Wisconsin board that is why the GPS coordinates are blacked out ( I didn't want anyone up there getting Butt hurt if I gave away their spot). I didn't get much of a response. What do you think about perch hanging out in an area like this. If you look in the water column on the right you can see a bait ball.
(http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y428/macheffect/stuff/Icefishing1_zps56c6d0d2.jpg)
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Nice screen shot. I see it is 14 ft and you describe it as a sand flat. Is there any steep drops nearby? Is the lake void of weeds altogether or just in this area? I assume you know there are good numbers of perch in the lake? Is this just a slow tapering flat from the show out to 14ft or deeper before a steep break?
I would say if you find them there it would be a random occurence. With no weeds and a sand bottom you have nothing for the things perch eat (crawfish, YOY gills and crappie, bloodworms and wigglers) to hide in execpt that timber. I would also expect there to be big Smallies in that lake if it is in Wisc, and those smallies may use that timber as a 'truck stop' as they cruise that flat for food. Perch won't hang around long when there are big smallies nearby to eat them. That said a school of perch could do the same and stop on that wood for a period while roaming that sand flat. I would say you would know right away if they are there, and if no bites in 10 minutes move on.
As a side note, if there are smallies in that lake, that spot should be dynamite pre and post spawn as they will use it to stage before bedding shallower on that sandy flat.
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Thanks for the Reply wax-worm. There are weeds in the lake but not close and no significant drops offs close either. This is why I am questioning the spot and like I said it's not easy to get to. I might head out by myself just to scout it out to releave the curiosity. That side imaging is amazing piece of equipment.
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Thanks for all the hot tips here guys. I use the 3/4oz. Kastmaster in gold, with a 3” long 14# test stiff drop treble size 12, and 4# test main line, it works great. Tip it with spike, minnow head, or fish eyes. The perch seem to like the big eyes the best.
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The perch farm is a mile and a half from my house but they dont fight very much! lol
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going harvesting tomorrow!
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going harvesting tomorrow!
Good luck Marc, just dont clean them in the house ;D
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maybe I'll see you that way Grunt.
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good luck :thumbsup:
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Rented a hut for the day tomorrow. Taking the wife and our daughter for a day of perching. It's Family Day Weekend in Ontario so the govt allows adults to fish without a licence so good chance to try and get the wife into it.
We have been having a great year so far with good numbers and decent size fish.
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Quite a road trip for perch,Mark,bret and tony..afraid he has ya beat...lol