Substitue Perch bait question.

[Bareback Jack]

I have a little question.I fish a Resvoir that is full of perch it's not huge about 46 acers.Depth range from shallow mud flats 5-8 fow to a creeck channel that flows through it and the contour ranges from 10-28 fow.Fresh water comes in on a the creek and gose out the out the over flow on the north end.

This res is no live bait(minnows) but can use worms,maggots,wax worms.
The problem is not catching perch it's catching bigger perch.I have seen lots of 1 lb to 1.5 lbs perch caught but I have never caught one over .8 lbs.
I was wondering if there subsitue for live minnows that would work just as well.I usaly dead stick one rod and jig with 2.
Is there something else I could try?I have tried the alive minnows with not good results.
Is ther a better place to look for jumbo perch?
I try to set-up fishing in a V pattern going from 20 Fow to shallower 8-10 fow.There are big weed flats on the north end but the water is not that deep maybe 6fow.
Any sugestions?
Thanks
BBJ

[dkfry]

Try using some larger lures tipped with a minnow head or perch eye. The smallest jigging rap or a spoon wipped with fish parts should make some of the smaller ones shy away and attract the big ones.

[fingerlaker]

Look up Gulp Alive Minnows...never used them but heard good things about them

[chimo]

I fish a lake that sounds similar to that and I consistently find the best perch in and around that shallow weed bed.  Little depressions with in the weeds and the edges of the bed to deeper water both seem to attract the jumbos while the only perch I have caught in the rest of the lake have been tiny.  Good fishin

Chimo

[jig-jig THUMP]

You might try some perch belly strips on a spoon (maybe 3/8" wide by 1-1/2" long). I've done well with this and rarely if ever use minnows even though they are legal, except when I fished in MT and the perch belly worked well there.  This requires some jigging though.  I don't do much deadsticking but have on occasion I guess in a hole next to where I was jigging- most of the time the active rod caught the majority of the fish.

I get the perch belly strips from fish caught on the previous trip.  While cleaning them I will sometimes just scale the bottom-belly area then cut that area away, in kind of a elongated triangle piece. Can get maybe 3-5 baits out of this.  That pearl colored interior belly lining is killer so don't cut that away.

jjT

[snapozz]

think i would go with the gulp minnows have had good luck on the gulp line anyway

[fiesty]

try inch and a half tubes with a big ol perch eye....let the jig bounce the bottom for a few seconds, then lift and drop slowly...

[slipperybob]

How about trying all out metal hardware...I've had decent success for the bigger perch with spoon baits.  Try a Bro bloodworm jig.  They work well for aggressive fish as well.

[Jigmup]

Yeah I say spoons. Swedish pimples and Hawgers....tip with a minnow head or load the crap out of it with spikes. Jig it like you want it the heck off of your line just above em and when they come slowly raise it.

[Townie]

Little Atom micro noodle; perch like 'em

[wally-eye]

PERCH EYES.....