Thread: Best Practices for Perch

I'm sure everyone has a best way of catchin' 'em so figured it would be interesting to see what other people have to say.

Here's mine
The best catch I've ever had came in late spring (post spawn?). We were anchored up with some simple split shot and gold hook rigs with nightcrawlers on the bottom.

It's not usually what I do but the wife was with me and we felt like doing the lazy thing. It sure worked! Caught several dozen nice fish in only a couple of hours.

Usually drift or troll with small minnows close to the bottom. I've caught a few this way but never large numbers.

We usually anchor the boat down and fish slip bobbers. Usually close to the bottom and depending on where we are the depth will be anywhere from 40 feet to as shallow as 4 feet deep! Usually we will double rig with a small spoon on the bottom and a smaller spoon on the top. We'll tip these with anything from a minnow to a perch eye. In NYS you are only allowed to have two poles per person.

REDBOAT

Redboat do you ever use spoons for crappie? I been thinking about giving them a try? What type of spoons do you use for the perch?

Hey FishCrazy, I've used 2 inch Acme Kastmaster spoons (color silver) and caught nice Crappie. Used trolling behind the boat on slowest trolling motor speed and by casting out with slow steady do-nothing retrieve, and vertical jigging above brushpiles (if you go down in the brush, the trebles on the Kastmaster will hang you up). Once the crappie hit the Kastmaster, you are pretty much assured a good hookset with the small trebles. Good luck with those Slabs!!!!!

What IceWarriorGill said!

I like the gold or silver. I will get the smallest ones available. I usually change out the treble hook though simply becaue sometimes they can be a pain to unhook the fish..

These are great for the Yellow Perch too! Infact this is what I would have on the bottom when I use two spoons. Perch are canables(sp) tip the Kast master with a perch eye, guts, piece of perch meat, whatever! My Dad likes to cut the neck off and use that.

cool, i will try that Friday. I am going out perch fishing and have been catching several small ones. I guess they are bait now. Funny, my fish are in 3-6' of water but they wont touch the Kastmaster 1/12oz. I don't think it is getting down far enough. I never thought of putting it on a bobber. How do you do it Redboat, do you just let it hang there?

I have done well with 1/16 oz. crappie jigs fished just above bottom. I have done best with size by letting a silver 1/8 oz rattle trap hit bottom then popping it up and very slowly retrieving it steadily. they HAMMER it.

Originally Posted by PondBoy

cool, i will try that Friday. I am going out perch fishing and have been catching several small ones. I guess they are bait now. Funny, my fish are in 3-6' of water but they wont touch the Kastmaster 1/12oz. I don't think it is getting down far enough. I never thought of putting it on a bobber. How do you do it Redboat, do you just let it hang there?

I have done well with 1/16 oz. crappie jigs fished just above bottom. I have done best with size by letting a silver 1/8 oz rattle trap hit bottom then popping it up and very slowly retrieving it steadily. they HAMMER it.

It really depends.. usually if there is a ripple on the water, that would be enough movement. If it is flat calm, sometimes you need a twitch or a very slow retreive.

I use cut bait and fish on bottom. Catch a bucket full when we go out. The biggest has only been around a foot long. Here in Idaho thats a big Perch.