no ice perch fishing

[jackG]

I just found this site and I'm stoked.  Here is why.  I live in Western WA.  I have access to clear water lakes up to 20,000 acres and 100 to 200 feet deep.  There are weed beds from about 5' to 20'.  The bottom is silt, sand and gravel.  The lakes contain smelt, blue gill, rock bass, salmon, trout, sculpins, SM bass, and enormous perch populations.  Almost no one fishes for them.  We started going for them about 4 years ago. There is no limit and we've caught them to over 13 inches and between the two of us have filled a 5 gallon bucket overflowing in an afternoon.  Here's the kicker.

The water temperature reaches high 60s  to low 70s in August.  Fishing at about 40-50' we can catch like crazy at that time.  As soon as the temp begins to drop into the low 60s or high 50s, it really slows down.  In fact the lower the water temp goes, they seem to just dissappear.  The water never goes below about 46-48 degrees from the surface all the way to the bottom.  The oxygen content is stable to the bottom.  The lakes don't freeze and there is no thermocline.  You guys are catching them through ice in very cold water, so it stands to reason that we ought to be able to catch them in the winter time here.  Where would you start looking for them based on the little dab of information I've provided.  Thanks.  

[Pasquatch]

Your lakes are very similar to Lake George in New York, maybe you should post this on there, those guys can help you.

[Germ]

Well you also have to Try differnt technigues that are there. Like for instance what i catch perch here in the winter doesnt work for me in the summer. Anyhow just keep to the spots where you caught bucket loads in the Summer and try there with differnt techniques. Minnnows and bait depth everything like that. Also time of day in the winter is important. I find last bite and first bite to me the most abundant for me. With a afternoon hit very good as well. Stick to the spots like i said that you got bucket loads and try there. Let me know fi anything comes up? Also try smaller overing in bait and lures. A tear drop lure works well for me tipped with BErklys power maggots. Good luck.

[jackG]

Germ.  Good ideas.  I'm trying to translate what you ice fisherman do and apply it to this area, where there is no ice, the water is much warmer and the fish get virually no pressure.  

Because so few people fish for perch here and no one, that I'm aware of, does it in the winter, there is not knowledge base to work from.  

The most interesting feature is that the coldest winter water temperature here is about the temperature at which perch spawn in your neck of the woods.  That suggests to me that it isn't water temp that triggers the spawn here. The upside is that our winter temperatures are what your spring temperatures are and therefore should be more active and ought to be easier to catch.

There is one other little factoid worth noting. The wind blows here a lot.  It's hard to find a calm winter day.  The fish were in 45 to 55' of water in last August and eary September.  Presumably they're that deep or deeper now, and if so, you've got to try and hold position enough to give the fish a look at your baits.  If you're on ice, you're stationary.  In a boat however, you're drifting like crazy.  Ancoring in a small boat in 50' or more of water and heavy chop is trickky.  

I'm not sure how deal with that.  We may have to use a salmon fishing technique called, "motor mooching."  The idea is to keep bumping your motor in and out of gear so the line stays right straight up and down.  Or at least nearly vertical, so that the drift slows way down.  

The encouraging thing is the fish are there, according to the information you guys have provided, they're active and feeding, we need to find them and figure out how to present the right baits.  I'll let you know if we have any success.

[Jocko]

Jack, I lived out in Seattle for a number a years and as a midwestern transplant was often amazed that nobody fished for the "spiny rays" as they call them.  I fished in lake washington for the perch on a few occasions and used standard perch rigs to do it.  You are limited in your bait choices because minnows and wigglers are not allowed, but I would think a jigging spoon like a swedish pimple would be a good thing to try.  We would also pick up an occasional perch in banks lake while drifting walleye rigs.  If you are interested in hard water fishing head east of the mountains and try Fish Lake near leavenworth or the Potholes.  I had some excellent perch ice fishing on fish lake using small tube jigs with maggots and the best part was noone else targeted them because they all wanted the trout, which we caught a lot of as well.  Good luck.

[Germ]

ALso try a mini strike king ,strike king lure. I use them for the Perhc up in mitchels lake early srping and fall. They seem to hit it hard vut where i closer to they never hit it? Im not sure why...ALso use the Mini tubes half inch tubes in banana yellow or Green chartruse with silver flec. Put it on a small number 14 trout hook with asmall splitshot bout a foot or so above your hook. Cast out and jerk it along using differnt retrivel approaches. ITs all about how bad you want the fish...Keep trying till something works. Let me know though cause it interest me to see what actully finallly works for you:> Good luck.

[Germ]

Is there no weeds in this lake at all? Try near the weed beds someplace with cover for those perch to stay in and prey on stuff and to hide from those Trout and salmon,..Side note here some guys will say different but i tend to never fish for perch deeper then 30 feet. Beggining of the year in WInter im in 5-8 feet. Lil later (depending on ice thickness) 8-20. Then anywhere in the hardest part near 20 -25 feet then back to Shore again when the ice starts to melt. I also move around alot with perch as they do move alot. Try to get that boat fo yours to stay still..I think thats a big reason to your perch problem>? When u catch lots in the summer IS the boat moving quite so much>?

[sleddog50]

I agree with Germ about the boat movement. Have you ever tried using a slip bobber. Fish in your 40 to 50' of water with a # 2 Jigging Rap or a Swedish Pimple Under your slip bobber. Set the bobber 1 to 2' off the bottom. We do this in Southeastern Pa. and it works