[Thenewguy76]

ok let's see if this is too super secret sensitive or if anyone wants to share....
I'd like to try some perch. in the past I've lucked into them with rapalas or kasty when looking for other stuff. they have all been too small to keep.

if I try my own luck at finding a lake with still open water at this time of year and try my own luck at finding perch in those lakes so nobody has to give a spot away, what bait or lures might you think were most worth trying to specifically target perch now?

 

[Dakota]

Slip bobbers are your best friend when specifically targeting perch. Another really good technique is a 1/16 jig or smaller with a small chuck of worm drug across the bottom.

 

[walleye seeker]

I have caught perch this time of year from pueblo, but it is hard to find some without a boat. I know of only one spot from the north shore where you might be able to get some that's about all I can tell about it as it isn't my hole.

 

[dallasdb]

When you catch one, pop out its eyeball and use that to tip your jig

 

[mrwigglestheworm]

....Is hard to do without a boat.

I'd do like Dallas recommended in another post, and wait for ice for the perchies.

This is actually a really good time to fish for walleyes from shore. They'll be in close feeding at twilight, and a bit into the darkness.

Jerkbaits are your friend.

Good luck!

 

[dallasdb]

Ice will be a lot easier to catch numbers that is for sure.

From shore you can usually get a few but not like the numbers you can from ice or a boat.

From what I understand about perch behavior, they school together and the schools usually have fish of similar size. So small fish school together and vice versa and the bigger fish tend to stay a little deeper.

 

[Dakota]

Ice will be a lot easier to catch numbers that is for sure.

From shore you can usually get a few but not like the numbers you can from ice or a boat.

From what I understand about perch behavior, they school together and the schools usually have fish of similar size. So small fish school together and vice versa and the bigger fish tend to stay a little deeper.

This is an exact description of my perch fishing experience. If you want to find big perch, find big mud flats (depths can vary). In the winter perch predominantly feed on mysis shrimp, midges, scuds, and other little bugs hiding the mud. Perch cruise the flats looking for invertebrates that have somehow found themselves on top of the muddy bottom.

An exaggerated example would be wigglers. If I remember correctly, a wiggler is some sort of mayfly larva. These larva lay in the mud and will literally "wiggle" their way around. If you have an under water camera and have ever turned the light on during the night, you will see hundreds of them. These wigglers are a perch's main winter food source in several lakes across the US.

In the glacial lakes region of SD (and Reudi here in CO) the comparative is the mysis shrimp. Perch scour the mud looking for the little things. That's how in some areas of the US the perch grow into huge delicious "swimming" tacos.

 

[Thenewguy76]

Very cool info, thanks guys. I was going to ask about slip bobber rig and how far off the bottom, but this looks like on the bottom is the way to be with the bait, no?

 

[dallasdb]

1/4 of a nightcrawler on a small baithook with a small splitshot has worked well for me.

If you get a bite and miss it, most likely they robbed your bait and you have a bare hook left behind.

Mouths are pretty small so use a small hook.

From my experience, they steal the crawler more often when I've used a bobber than drowning the worm on the bottom.

And check your pm.

 

[Ninja]

what bait or lures might you think were most worth trying to specifically target perch now?

Think small plastics just like ice fishing. Blade baits also work if you have the patience.

 

[Thenewguy76]

blade baits are on the list for santa and the list for "learn how to use"

 

[Thenewguy76]

question - this dude makes little mud balls of chopped up worms, shrimp and attractant and chucks em into his target zones - is this considered chumming??

 

[DoctorDooom]

Yes it is. Was that a serious question or were you trolling?