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Iowa => Ice Fishing Iowa => Topic started by: cdt80 on Jan 03, 2009, 01:03 PM

Title: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: cdt80 on Jan 03, 2009, 01:03 PM
Fished Anglers Bay on Friday for perch and had a steady bite all day.  Most were in the 8 to 9" range but did end up with half dozen in the 10" range.  We ended up keeping enough 9 inch perch to make a good meal for the 4 of us and the half dozen 10" went home for the wife and kids.  The perch bit on pretty much anything in the water with a spike on it.  Later we moved out to Stoney in about 20 feet of water for the walleye bite and caught a couple small eyes which we didn't keep.  Ice was 15+ in most places we checked.  Didn't bring my camera for pics but a very good day of fishing in our group.  Maybe the only drawback was that we had to lower our standards a bit to get enough perch meat for a good meal.  But that's perch fishing. 
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: Icedog5001 on Jan 04, 2009, 11:06 AM
Was at the same place yesterday.  Hit the ice at 8 am. The bite was not as heavy but we caught about 30 between the four of us in the 8-10 range.  Nice day on the lake.  Most everyone was driving on the ice.  Would have stayed longer but the freezing rain was back at home and we had to leave about noon.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: Wally Lindner on Jan 04, 2009, 08:26 PM
 Wax worm and a pilky the last two days in 20 FOW had good results, lots of perch.  Red or orange seemed to work the best.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: esox_magnum on Jan 04, 2009, 08:55 PM
Anyone getting into any decent ones ( 10" + ) I love a mess of perch but not fighting the hordes to catch short fish all day when I can limit on 9" gills on West.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: jmvsmv on Jan 04, 2009, 11:50 PM
We found that today the pilkie was the way to go,  we actually found blue and silver worked well,   when they came on our camera screens i could drop the pilkie onto the bottom and 3-4 would dive into the muck to get it, it was actually quite entertaining.  By about noon there were a lot of shacks, vehicles driving, and holes being drilled, and the fish vanished,  From around noon til around 2:30 we had maybe 10 fish swim through but a couple did stop and bite.   We left then to, for whatever reason, go home and watch the game.   We did see a half dozen or so walleye cruising around and a couple pike.  As for size we caught 0  at 10 plus and a couple 8-9 inchers.  We were set up and fishing by nine and was steady but not hot bite til about noon.  Starting to fall to the pressure maybe?  I did see that the line of shack was starting to spread further south towards big stoney.  We had set up mid to north end of the line.  Has anyone heard anything from around marble or buffalo run?
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: barneyinswia on Jan 05, 2009, 03:11 PM
the gang from swia is still coming to the igls on thursday

stop by and say hy
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: Tomhusker on Jan 05, 2009, 07:09 PM
the gang from swia is still coming to the igls on thursday

stop by and say hy

I can't wait to head that way now that we have decided to go!!
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i100/tomhusker/GIF%20Files/PartyTime.gif)
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: great white on Jan 05, 2009, 08:27 PM
Give em hell Barney!





--Whitey
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: NW Iowa Fisher on Jan 06, 2009, 12:34 AM
Im going to let yall know whats really up!!  was there in the anglers bay area more towards stoney point and did very well! and i mean VERY well.  I fished for a day and probably caught about 100 perch with most between 9-12 inches fish on the camera all day!! only time there wasn't is when pike or walleye were strolling through.  Managed to catch my first muskie there too!!  A 30 incher on a tipup which was my first tip up fish too i tell ya what get a good map of the lake and find the 20 foot break line and find it and fish it.  I was there for two days and all together caught about 175 perch 4 pike and a muskie used a perch hali jig the whole time tipped with a minnow head DYNAMITE!!!

Bent Rods and tight lines!! :tipup:

(http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee211/killtastrophe/untitled-1.jpg)
there she is :D
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: barneyinswia on Jan 06, 2009, 06:51 AM
thanks alot fishermanfromnwia !

i am two days from arriving and allready goin half nutz and you pull this on me

thanks man you rock
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: cdt80 on Jan 06, 2009, 07:58 AM
Thanks for the update NWIOWA.  I am also planning on being there again hopefully on Thursday and throughout the weekend.  Good to know the bite is still on.  Thanks again.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: Tomhusker on Jan 06, 2009, 08:15 AM
Giggity!
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: cdt80 on Jan 06, 2009, 08:28 AM
Barney, I can tell you are feeling the hurt from not being there but if it makes you feel better, I just found out a couple of buddies are over there right now and I am here working getting the play by play on the lake.  Now that's painful! 
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: BojiHawk on Jan 06, 2009, 08:44 AM
Im going to let yall know whats really up!!  was there in the anglers bay area more towards stoney point and did very well! and i mean VERY well.  I fished for a day and probably caught about 100 perch with most between 9-12 inches fish on the camera all day!! only time there wasn't is when pike or walleye were strolling through.  Managed to catch my first muskie there too!!  A 30 incher on a tipup which was my first tip up fish too i tell ya what get a good map of the lake and find the 20 foot break line and find it and fish it.  I was there for two days and all together caught about 175 perch 4 pike and a muskie used a perch hali jig the whole time tipped with a minnow head DYNAMITE!!!

Bent Rods and tight lines!! :tipup:

(http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee211/killtastrophe/untitled-1.jpg)
there she is :D

Anyone in particular turn you onto this spot NW Fisher???  ;-)
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: Icedog5001 on Jan 06, 2009, 09:48 AM
Are the Hali jigs available at the Lakes?
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: barneyinswia on Jan 06, 2009, 10:08 AM
cant reply on the halis but the locals call these pillkiis and they are almost the same if not better


http://shuckslures.com/jiggerminnow.html
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: Agronomist_at_IA on Jan 06, 2009, 03:00 PM
Are the Hali jigs available at the Lakes?

Not sure but there is a similar jig called the shuck's jigger....aka the pillki.....
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: Bigairjer on Jan 06, 2009, 03:13 PM
Now lets be quiet about the Pillki jig and just keep it to ourselves.  JUST KIDDING they work awesome on the perch.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: BojiHawk on Jan 06, 2009, 03:53 PM
      __________
---(__________o)---------o____)

I'm not going to give out the location of the Lost Ark of the Pilkis...but tilt your head to the left and squint....this is the first of several clues....
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: esox_magnum on Jan 06, 2009, 06:17 PM
Halis are aslo avalible at Stans or Shucks as are the Shucks Jiggers. Go Devils are another good bait to use.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: jacobh73 on Jan 06, 2009, 07:19 PM
I have had alot of luck for perch with a small buck shot spoon. Just take the trebble hook off and put on a halli drop chain, and load with spikes.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: NW Iowa Fisher on Jan 06, 2009, 10:41 PM
ALL OF MY SUCCESS IS GIVEN TO BOJI HAWK!!!  IF IT WASN'T FOR HIM I WOULD PROBABLY NEVER HAVE HAD THE AMAZING DAY I HAD!!!  sorry i forgot the first post was just really excited to let everyone know  ;)
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: BojiHawk on Jan 07, 2009, 09:58 AM
Thanks E....

I can appreciate your excitement.  I knew you guys would slaughter them.  I'm actually bored with yanking perch through that spot...and I'm glad I have people to help eat those critters...congrats on the musky boss!  NOT something I put you on...I have no musky hot spots! LOL....

I'm going to be in drill mode this weekend..my mission?  To seek out strange new fish on distant piles, reefs, breaks, drops...to boldy go where no man..has gone this week...LOL.

For the record:  Small appreciation of information will help you to get repeat reports.  I love to put people on fish...love to!  But...that is a 2-way street.  I'm very interested to hear how these spots are paying out...I might even go fish them myself again..but I get bored easily with same spots / same fish / etc.  I even got on a wiper obsession out here in NE...caught 3 in about 20 minutes and now I'm hooked..been back there twice and can't catch them again...but I will...tenacious is the word.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: Heinrix_54 on Jan 07, 2009, 12:34 PM
Ahhhhhh yes...........the wonderful Pilkie  ;D
(http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/47/l_2caa695c7f84443f8c23f3f3000c9ae0.jpg)
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: Bigairjer on Jan 09, 2009, 07:18 AM
So whats the story, is there anything biting in the lake or did the fish get glue mouth?
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: fowlfoolr1979 on Jan 11, 2009, 11:01 AM
Just returned from there this morning.... let's just say you cannot keep the perch off the hook anywhere you go on that lake right now.  :)  Tons of sorting required.... Between 2 of us for two days fishing we caught close to 200 perch and had 1 fish that was 11", 4 that were 10", 5 that were 9" and the rest were almost all carbon copies of each other from 6-8".  The guys who are saying that they are hammering limits or getting a ton of nice fish must not be measuring their fish but saying "They look like 10" perch.)  Even had the DNR stop us yesterday and check licenses and fish and said wow you guys have some nicer perch than most guys I have checked.  :)  Tons of perch but most are small or at least small in my book of perch.  Hopefully in a few years once that size class gets bigger there will be some nice perch fishing as there was a few years back.


Layne
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: BojiHawk on Jan 13, 2009, 08:32 AM
You need to get away from shanty town.  I posted a while ago that the 10" perch thing was an eyeball - not a tape measurement.  I measured my big one...12.25"  The smallest was 9.75".  You need to keep drilling holes until you get out of the baby perch cloud.  Hang just outside of them...slower - but better fish.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: harrylee on Jan 13, 2009, 03:43 PM
little help here?
i fish a small lake in southern iowa that has perch,and i find them to be elusive,i seem to catch a few durring the ice season,but i know theres lots more to be had.i would like a little more info on the lure you guys are using,more on the order of how are you using them,or if nothing else come down and show me???
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: jacobh73 on Jan 13, 2009, 05:58 PM
Use some of the jigs you see in the picture above. I like to put two or three spikes on. and jig it just off the bottum and every ounce in a while bounce it off the bottum.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: SHANTYTOWN on Feb 02, 2009, 02:23 AM
How is the bite??? thinking of pulling the trailer up and seeing how any pearch we can pick up. waxys or minnow?
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: BojiHawk on Feb 02, 2009, 09:49 AM
Anecdotally....I can say the bite is good.  A friend of a friend sorted to a 3-man limit.  Nothing smaller than 9" kept and they had their fish in less than 2 hours. No idea where other than big spirit.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: esox_magnum on Feb 02, 2009, 10:47 AM
Fished Spirit Saturday and theres no shortage of perch. Minnows or waxies on a spoon worked for us as well as a hook and splitshot. I set up a little shallower than my buddies did, they got into more and bigger ones but we had the bonus of a few eyes.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: jmvsmv on Feb 02, 2009, 06:22 PM
any where in general out in the basin?   Or set up in a partricular spot?  thanks
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: esox_magnum on Feb 02, 2009, 07:16 PM
Yep in the basin.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: jmvsmv on Feb 02, 2009, 08:08 PM
The last two times out we have tried out around templars, buffalo run, anglers, and the footbridge, by the crowds, away from the crowds, in shallower, out in the basin, and have had terrible results,  cant even hardly see any on the camera.  What should i be looking for?  I don't have to work tomorrow, so we are gonna head back out there as much a pride thing as anything else, I am gonna find them if i have to drill holes all over the lake ;D   Any pointers to narrow that searching down???  Thanks
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: SHANTYTOWN on Feb 02, 2009, 10:42 PM
Thanks for the info! What time of the day is the best bite? i am am guessing sunrise and sunset is the best? Are the eyes any good size? hopefully we can get into the perch ;D
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: magnusthebigbrownlab on Feb 02, 2009, 11:08 PM
Was up there in early december, and we got into a few.  Thinking about heading back up that way soon.  What kind of ice depth do ya'll have up there?  I'm sure it's plenty safe for walking or quads, but I've never had the truck out on the ice before, and I can't help but start to stain my shorts thinking about driving it on less than 15 or 16 inches.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: jmvsmv on Feb 02, 2009, 11:19 PM
Last week there had to be close to 24 inches of ice out in the middle of the lake.  I have a 3/4 ton pickup with a Cummins in it that i have been driving out for a few weeks now and have no worries about it, and i was/am a worry wort about driving out there.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: esox_magnum on Feb 03, 2009, 10:33 AM
Try out in the middle between Stoney and Marble for perch, they move around alot but they were in that area Saturday. For eyes go on the points with rock/gravel and use jigging baits.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: Icedog5001 on Feb 03, 2009, 03:03 PM
Judging by what I saw last Saturday, the only way you could have had more trucks on Spirit was to have a sign offering "Free Beer".  Tons of ice up there.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: Agronomist_at_IA on Feb 03, 2009, 03:30 PM
Are the perch still being caught? I heard the last few weeks were awsome but couldn't make it up  :-[ Thinking about this Sat., but knowing my luck the bite will be dead.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: jmvsmv on Feb 03, 2009, 08:53 PM
We found them this morning in the middle between the points and buffalo run.  We drilled a few holes and got on top of them, by the time we set up, and got fishing we caught a few fast and furious.  After that we spent most of the day with them coming and going, but when they did come in they hit about anything that we had down there.  It was to cold to spend much more than a half hour at a time wandering around trying to stay on top of them, so we didnt wander to far from the first set up.  Lots of sorting, and the numbers were way down for us compared to what we found earlier in the season out between the points.  Hoping this weekend is warmer and we can wander around more and stay on top of them.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: esox_magnum on Feb 03, 2009, 08:58 PM
I measured 25" of ice Saturday, still was alot of snow on the ice so 4x4 is a must. They keep saying 40's by the weekend we'll see. It's -3 right now.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: nick858 on Feb 03, 2009, 09:07 PM
Just remember if you are driving on the ice, roll down your window.  It may be cold outside, but theres a better chance of "getting out" if you have your window down!
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: jacobh73 on Feb 03, 2009, 11:20 PM
when its -20 ill take my chances

Just remember if you are driving on the ice, roll down your window.  It may be cold outside, but theres a better chance of "getting out" if you have your window down!
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: IA_Eskimo on Feb 04, 2009, 08:39 AM
Heading out this morning to spend the day looking for perch. Thanks for the tips on where to go and I will ladvise how we do.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: IA_Eskimo on Feb 04, 2009, 08:52 PM
Went out between the points in the basin and got on perch right away. Lots of little fish but I kept 10 between 9"-12". No problem getting around if you have a 4x4. Also it looks like I may need to put my extension on my auger, There is plenty of ice!
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: esox_magnum on Feb 04, 2009, 08:55 PM
My auger comes stock at 48"   ;D  Congrats on the catch.
Title: Re: Spirit Lake Perch
Post by: J_Edwards on Feb 05, 2009, 09:04 PM
I caught at least 150 today, bucketed 25... My cousin got 75 or so and 15 in the bucket, we only kept them over 8 inches but managed 7 or 8 on or over 10.  Came in on Marble Beach and drove north east, mostly east clear out in the middle in 21 FOW.  Got mostly on pilkis and halis with maggots but a few on minnows.  We started at noon and fished till dark, can't wait to do it again tomorrow.