Perch as Bait!

[ICE DOG 69]

I have been using perch sometimes as bait lately (not on all tip ups but on one or 2 of them) .  Basically I have scissors with me and I catch a small 5 inch perch and I  cut the tail off (so the fish can't trip the flag) and hook it behind the Dorsal.  What do you do ??

[Two Bobs]

KILL it and put on hook 18 to 24 inches off bottom


Bob

[FondoFishin]

My PB pike was on a perch with the tail and dorsal fin cut off. 18 lbs. That was open water, but I definitely like to run perch on tipups if I have them.

[deadsmelthead]

I cut a peck fin off and poke them a few time with the trebble in the tail, just to get them bleeding, Most of the double digit # Pike I have caught have come on small Perch...

[ICEMAN73]

Can you use perch as bait in NY?

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/47282.html

[northernnyice]

Sure can! But they gotta count towards your limit

[ICE DOG 69]

I cut a peck fin off and poke them a few time with the trebble in the tail, just to get them bleeding, Most of the double digit # Pike I have caught have come on small Perch...

Why a peck fin ??

[Bartman44]

For larger bait including perch I have an aligator clip (with surgical tubing on each side) affixed to the bottom of the tip-up (I use wooden ones) and I place the line in the clip.

I can use big bait this way and it doesn't trip the flag but comes off easy on a strike.  The bigger the bait the farther back in the clip it goes. Works very well. 

[deadsmelthead]

Why a peck fin ??

They swim sideways and look really wounded, they kinda just float around and wiggle a lot, Sometimes a little extra weight doesn't hurt when doing this... I learned through experimenting that they will float up to the ice, didn't realize it until I fished son some see through ice and 10 feet away from the hole there was the perch wiggling around slapping the bottom of the ice..

I haven't by any means kicked the crap out of the pike doing this but I have caught a few over 10lbs and a couple over 15... Could it be coincidence ? Probably.... But it works for me.

[PIKE FISHERMAN]

wish I could use perch, but its illegal in Maine

[mempfree]

PikeFisherman, its illegal in Maine, using a Perch for bait?  What a bunch of bull.  Where in Skowhegan, Me?  I got family in Skowhegan, Mecier, Norwedgewock, Me.

[stephensonswille]

to get them to stop floating pop the air bladder. i have a needle in the takle box that i use to fill it full of water seems to work good for me when they decide to float

[PIKE FISHERMAN]

PikeFisherman, its illegal in Maine, using a Perch for bait?  What a bunch of bull.  Where in Skowhegan, Me?  I got family in Skowhegan, Mecier, Norwedgewock, Me.

Yup its illegal, no spiny finned fish for bait. Wish we could

[PIKE FISHERMAN]

Where in Skowhegan, Me?  I got family in Skowhegan, Mecier, Norwedgewock, Me.

I live about a minute from the hospital.