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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Perch => Topic started by: Mt.Bucket on Nov 15, 2010, 10:26 PM

Title: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: Mt.Bucket on Nov 15, 2010, 10:26 PM
Was wondering how deep some of you guys go? I usually fish betwwen 3 and 70 ft. for perch. On this one particular lake but the lake goes to 200 and I've read that perch like deeep basins. I've tried deeper and catch wimpy walleye around 3-6 inches but not many perch. I'm willing to to try it all.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: Wiener on Nov 15, 2010, 10:58 PM
I would look at the structure on the lake before fishing really deep.

I usually start on the deep weed edge for perch, and then as winter progresses,  I fish the first steep break into the main basin of the lake.
Hopefully,  the main lake basin is muck, which the perch like to feed in for blood worms and mayfly larvae.

I usually end up fishing this deep break, but I have never gone deeper than 40 feet for perch.

Hope this helps,

Wiener
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: webster on Nov 16, 2010, 04:32 AM
I usally fish at the 10 to 30 foot  level.    70 feet takes a lot of sin ker
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: jopes on Nov 16, 2010, 05:55 AM
I have fished 50-60 feet alot for them, both in NewYork and Wyoming..   I beleive they like to go deep to get away from the big preditors that like to stay shallow
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: stripernut on Nov 16, 2010, 07:54 AM
In MA & NH I fish from 4 to 15ft most of the time, with most of my perch 8-10ft.
Allan
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: SDFlagChaser on Nov 16, 2010, 08:00 AM
will usually fish them from about 15-45.  our best spot, they are suspended at 30-35 ft over 90 ft.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: icejunky on Nov 16, 2010, 08:07 AM
I have not gone any deeper then 40ft for perch, that does not mean they are not down there, just something I dont do
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: Woodsman on Nov 16, 2010, 08:41 AM
Last year I found a bunch in 47 fow on Simcoe. Nice size & a hit as fast as you got your line back down. ;D
Have caught the odd perch in over 80' but they are few and far between & all have been small.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: slipperybob on Nov 16, 2010, 08:43 AM
I usually fish between the 10-30 feet zone, bottom out or suspended.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: Layne on Nov 16, 2010, 09:01 AM
Usually either 2-6 FOW or 35-45 FOW. It all depends on the time of year, the lake and how the bite is. :tipup:
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: iceman260 on Nov 16, 2010, 12:05 PM
I usually fish 28ft. but have been to 40ft. with success.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: Neptune on Nov 16, 2010, 12:21 PM
Jigger,

the deepest I've fished them has been in Canyon Ferry at 62 feet in the old river bed, lots in the 30-45ft range...If I'm really huntin Perch I use my camera and I fish where they be....suspsended or on the bottom...
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: father o millions on Nov 16, 2010, 12:32 PM
I fish oneida lake Central NY are and I go no deeper than 40 -50 ft. But the lakes I fish are only that deep. I would start from the weeds and retreat when u don't get perch to the next flat 20ft 30ft and eventually 40-50,....I have never caught yellow perch deeper than 55ft,...Let me know how the perch bite is at 70 ft.  Good Icen'
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: MT Hank on Nov 16, 2010, 12:49 PM
This may sound strange but I have never found perch suspended always on the bottom... Not that I am able to fish a lot but it is usually in 30 to 40 fow, but on the bottom. I also fish on the west side, never on the east side... Someday maybe.

Hey Neptune.... How have you been??
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: panfishman13 on Nov 16, 2010, 01:17 PM
perch usually hold close to the bottom as most of their forage is down there, when in really deep lakes i would look for structure on the bottom and start there. weed edges and rock piles tend to be best. i have the best success in my lake at about 20 fow in and along weed beds
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: slipperybob on Nov 16, 2010, 01:38 PM
90% of the perch I fish for are close to the bottom.  The other 10% or so are like swimming from one island to another island sort of to say.  They are pretty much an open water type of fish, bigger and braver than most of the schooling fish.  They also tend to be very nice looking and no parasite black spots on them.  I will often mistake the marked fish as a crappie, cisco, or pike, but then it's a perch.  I don't understand this behavior, but I will fish for them when I see that pattern of them suspending.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: nateG on Nov 16, 2010, 02:15 PM
This may sound strange but I have never found perch suspended always on the bottom...

Vexilar Entertainment System finds them suspended  ;D not always but when not on the bottom, I look to my handy dandy VES!!
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: Mt.Bucket on Nov 16, 2010, 02:25 PM
Funny thing is that I've caught perch just under the ice fishing over 60 FOW up in Kallispell, the water column will get loaded from the top to bootom with perch eating what the other perch puked up or just chasing there buddies. I'm assuming that they'tr eating whatever comes out of there buddies guts though. Some great perch fishing over in that area. As far as perch in 65 to 70 FOW I've had bucket days fishing that deep. I was just wondering about deeper because there is a guide in North Dakota claiming he catches pigs in deeper basins of 80 FOW and deeper. Personally like I mentioned, never had luck that deep and thought maybe I was missing something?
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: scmelik on Nov 16, 2010, 06:41 PM
I have fished perch at over 70 feet down but the problem you run into there is that they need to almost hammer your jig to know that they are there and when you bring them up you have to keep almost everything you catch cause their air sacks pop on the way up unless you bring them up very slowly.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: mealworm on Nov 16, 2010, 07:52 PM
i have to be honest i'm blown away by what i'm reading.i fish lake george in new york mostly when fishing perch.the lake is 200' deep in spots and is loaded with perch.i'v never heard of any one catching a perch in more than like 50-55fow, i never fish deeper than 35-40fow i didn't think perch liked it much deeper than that.i can't believe you guys are catching perch at 70fow,that just amazes me
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: jopes on Nov 30, 2010, 12:58 AM
mealworm, back in the 90s when I still lived in upstate I fished a hole out off of cherry island in 60fow for perch and did rather well.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: GDominy12 on Dec 04, 2010, 11:12 AM
The majority of the perch i catch are in less than 30 feet of water.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: wiredstone on Dec 04, 2010, 11:16 AM
30 ' works for me. ;D
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: minnowguy on Dec 04, 2010, 11:21 AM
We can catch them from 10ft to 75 ft at Boysen although there is no releasing them from that far down.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: jimski2 on Dec 09, 2010, 05:29 AM
In eastern Lake Erie, the shale extends out to 54 feet or so and the mud bottom begins. That is where we get our perch, on the mud bottom.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: fishermanna82 on Dec 14, 2010, 04:54 PM
i have tip ups 8 ft - 20 ft and jig at 12 ft
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: Trav-ice on Dec 17, 2010, 10:17 PM
30' always used to be the standard for me but we caught some dandys in 44 to 50' last year.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: jimski2 on Dec 19, 2010, 07:17 AM
Many years ago I went out of Dunkirk in early April on a fish tug. We moved through the slush and broken ice out to 90 feet of water. That is where the Captain had his perch nets set and they held a lot of perch. During the ice times, the warmest water, about 39 degrees F. is on the bottom. But tht does not mean the dissolved oxygen content is good there, just maybe the spring thaws started and the oxygen levels increased with the flow of meltwaters.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: sodussut on Dec 19, 2010, 02:42 PM
40  feet but most times between 5 20.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: Waynesburgjay on Dec 19, 2010, 07:10 PM
I mostly catch them in 18-25 ft., but caught them as deep as 40 and got some real nice jumbos in 9 ft.  one year
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: 5watchman5 on Dec 19, 2010, 09:04 PM
In my experience on Perch, fish that you catch in water deeper than 40-60 feet are dinks.  On the other hand, one of the local lakes I fish is only 10-12 feet deep and it holds nice Perch.  However, they are hard to find and keep interested. 
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: mattg on Dec 19, 2010, 11:44 PM
i catch most between 20 and 30. was marking them over 40 today, but no takers. biggest perch of the day were all in 24
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: jimski2 on Dec 21, 2010, 07:48 AM
In August, during the warmest water temperature of the year, we catch them at 78 feet between Dunkirk and Silver Creek on Lake Erie. They are stacked up like cordwood and you are shooting fish in a barrel. I guess that is where the thermocline is at that time and water temperature.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: 101HoosierPerchin on Dec 22, 2010, 10:49 PM
The answer is circumstantial.. It all depends on how big the watter is your fishing.. just the other day I was consistantly catching them in seventy feet of water, but the lake i was fishing gets over 100' deep.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: duckman on Dec 25, 2010, 08:19 PM
  I do best 30 to 50 haven't caught much pass 50.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: slobhoy on Feb 03, 2011, 09:03 AM
i owuld say it depends on water temp alot perch like cold water similar to walley but in the winter it is more so were the food is and how close they are to spawning ive cuaght them form 10ft to 70 ft all depends on the time of year water temp and food prolly how clear the water is also
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: fishforfood72 on Feb 14, 2011, 11:29 PM
man made reservoirs are a lot differant to fish then your lakes back East you don't have that natural structure,there it was 30 to 10 fow. now its seems i find them fishing in a lot deeper waters.Aways wounder about those deep flats too. they must go somewhere deeper,those little sucker seem to disappear mid day ? been looking hard for those famous deep water islands or humps !!!!
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: Swift on Feb 15, 2011, 08:49 AM
Depends on the overall size and depth of the lake. Usually don't need to go over 25' (do well @ 12'-18' on most) on the small(ish) waters where the deepest part isn't much over 50'. Larger lakes that are over 100' I've taken nice ones at 45'-50'. Much has to do with the structure, oxygen, food available and they're preferences. Give me a food rich flat in the top half of the overall water column and I'll be content
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: gooseblaster49707 on Feb 15, 2011, 06:31 PM
 it depends on where the oxygen levels are for the fish to breath.           no since fishing in 100 feet of water, 60 feet down if the oxygen level is at 40 feet.   use a flasher, camera or talk to the locals (iffn they'll acknowledge your existance).           no marks at 100feet and lots at 50, fish 50'.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: browning13 on Feb 15, 2011, 08:14 PM
It all depends on each lake and the time of year but the deepest I've fished for perch is 30-35'. I've also caught them as shallow as 1-2' of water late in the season :tipup:
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: fearless02 on Feb 28, 2011, 01:18 PM
i have seem them schooling at 5' down...
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: taxi1 on Mar 02, 2011, 09:55 PM
I mounted a laker out of Lake Michigan several years ago that was taken in 110 feet of water. It had  fresh yellow perch in it's mouth when it came up. One of the captains maintained that the perch numbers never really went down the perch just moved to deeper water.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: CravingIce on Jan 26, 2012, 10:26 AM
For me, too deep is when I'm pulling up dinks with their air bladder sticking out of their mouths.  Prefer to catch perch in less than 30 feet of water.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: 24-7 Fishing on Jan 30, 2012, 09:25 AM
Anyone know if those perch end up surviving when their air bladder is sticking out??
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: laclabiche walleye hunter on Jan 30, 2012, 10:35 AM
For me, too deep is when I'm pulling up dinks with their air bladder sticking out of their mouths.  Prefer to catch perch in less than 30 feet of water.

X2 i fish abought 30 to 35 feet of water for them at my home lake.
Title: Re: How deep is to deep for perch?
Post by: wickedwind on Jan 30, 2012, 08:15 PM
24-7 ,no perch do not survive if air bladder is out.Somewhere around 30ft seems to be the max for release,although i've had perch distend from that depth also .