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IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: BlueSnow on Feb 09, 2019, 08:46 PM

Title: Soft bait color for Perch and Gills
Post by: BlueSnow on Feb 09, 2019, 08:46 PM
I've been playing around with using soft plastics a bit to start the season and have found that red seems to be the key to hooking into the gils.  What's odd to me is that I haven't found a specific color that seems to pull in the perch.

I can be fishing in the same hole dropping the red soft plastics and pull up gills over and over.  As soon as I switch to a forage minnow with spikes I start getting both gills and perch.  I don't know if I need to use a different style of soft baits or if it has just been the days I was out.  Just seems a bit weird to me.

I thought green would be a solid option but....no joy.  I've had a couple perch on Orange but nowhere near the same volume.  Anybody else see this? 
Title: Re: Soft bait color for Perch and Gills
Post by: meandcuznalfy on Feb 09, 2019, 09:57 PM
I've had good luck with green for perch this winter, most that I have caught have been on that color.
Title: Re: Soft bait color for Perch and Gills
Post by: my-marty on Feb 09, 2019, 10:06 PM
I’ve had good luck with white mustache plastics on jigs for perch this season.
Title: Re: Soft bait color for Perch and Gills
Post by: perch chacer on Feb 09, 2019, 10:46 PM
If I only use a small bottom jig, I use a 1/32 oz or 1/16 oz at the most.  They are white right angle jigs with a pink accent head tipped with either mousees or pink spikes.  I have been doing well with this set-up on perch for the last couple of years and that is how I started this year.  I fish perch in the deep water of 30' or more.  I do not fish shallow for gills.  The last two times out I added a white Maki Plastic either Jamei or a Maki to the jig and then tip the jig with one mouse to try and catch more crappies I was picking up occasionally with my plain jig set-up.  I found the perch preferred this set-up even better and have been able to sort 25-30 (8"-9") perch with a few 10" mixed in the last two times out.  Try white plastics and good luck.
Title: Re: Soft bait color for Perch and Gills
Post by: HardIce32 on Feb 09, 2019, 11:29 PM
I also have had good luck with white.
Title: Re: Soft bait color for Perch and Gills
Post by: Kevin23 on Feb 10, 2019, 12:05 AM
Perch are meat eaters, they just like a wad of worms or minnows. You can catch them on plastics for sure, but they seem to really prefer meat.
Title: Re: Soft bait color for Perch and Gills
Post by: slipperybob on Feb 10, 2019, 07:21 AM
black, purple, white, yellow,
Title: Re: Soft bait color for Perch and Gills
Post by: bdyet76 on Feb 10, 2019, 07:48 PM
I have the seen the same with the red trout mini magnets have also caught a lot of perch and Berkeley golf 1" minnows
Title: Re: Soft bait color for Perch and Gills
Post by: bdyet76 on Feb 10, 2019, 07:50 PM
I meant to say that I've had a lot of perch on the 1" gulp alive
Title: Re: Soft bait color for Perch and Gills
Post by: BlueSnow on Feb 10, 2019, 08:05 PM
If I only use a small bottom jig, I use a 1/32 oz or 1/16 oz at the most.  They are white right angle jigs with a pink accent head tipped with either mousees or pink spikes.  I have been doing well with this set-up on perch for the last couple of years and that is how I started this year.  I fish perch in the deep water of 30' or more.  I do not fish shallow for gills.  The last two times out I added a white Maki Plastic either Jamei or a Maki to the jig and then tip the jig with one mouse to try and catch more crappies I was picking up occasionally with my plain jig set-up.  I found the perch preferred this set-up even better and have been able to sort 25-30 (8"-9") perch with a few 10" mixed in the last two times out.  Try white plastics and good luck.

Chaser - how long does it take your jigs to get to the bottom for the perch?  We were out at silver today and the light rigs took a LONG time to get down. 
Title: Re: Soft bait color for Perch and Gills
Post by: perch chacer on Feb 10, 2019, 08:25 PM
Chaser - how long does it take your jigs to get to the bottom for the perch?  We were out at silver today and the light rigs took a LONG time to get down.
I hand line my perch and I assist the line back down the hole which in my opinion doesn't take anymore time then a guy letting line off his spinning reel.  By hand lining I do not have to reset each time.   I could use 1/8 oz jigs to get down faster, but I catch more fish with the lighter set-up, one 1/16 oz jig on the bottom with 2 lb test occasionally 4 lb.
Title: Re: Soft bait color for Perch and Gills
Post by: Seamonkey84 on Feb 10, 2019, 09:25 PM
My favorite color pattern is firetiger, so basically chartreuse and orange. Or maybe because it’s basically a perch pattern. However, through the ice it’s usually a spoon or minnow lure like a rippin rap. Though for open water, I catch as many different species on firetiger gulp minnows as the smelt color.