Ice Fishing Perch Bait Perch feed on insects, freshwater shrimp, and smaller baitfish Start with an ice jig and soft plastic tipped with a waxie to mimic insects and shrimp.
How do you find perch when ice fishing?
Finding a good perch hotspot early, and even all the way throughout the ice season means finding transition areas Areas where schools of perch will constantly be filtering in and out of, looking to spawn and looking to eat. Look for areas just outside of the deep-water basin.
How deep should you ice fish for perch?
Ice anglers typically target perch on flats in 20 to 35 feet of water during most of the
winter season
. Although, early season perch can be caught in 12 to 15 feet before the aquatic plants start to die off.
What colors do perch like ice fishing?
In dark water (or when perch are scattered in clear water) flash lures work well. The bigger the lure, the more flash and vibration. Most flash lures for perch weigh 1/8 to 1/4 ounce. Phosphorescent or metallic lures, like gold-silver, green, and orange attract perch.
How deep do perch go in the winter?
The typical depths are 19 to 36 feet Shallower mudflats in 8 to 12 feet are used primarily when the vegetation is still green. If plants are dead, perch move to deeper flats.
What time of day do perch bite best?
Perch fishing is usually best in the
early morning
or
evening hours
during
late spring
and
early summer
and late afternoon or evening in late summer In autumn, both morning and late afternoon-evening provide excellent fishing. In the natural lakes, the best fishing is usually from late summer until late fall.
What is the best time to fish for perch?
Because perch live a life of danger, they favor day over night for feeding, and are most active just after sunrise and in the late afternoon, just before sundown The only time you’ll find perch active after dark is during the spawn, when the spring water temps rise to between 44 and 55 degrees.
What is the best hook for perch?
Bait hooks ranging from size 4 to 8 are ideal for most of the baits used for perch fishing. Some prefer hooks on the larger side because they are easier to remove and less likely to be swallowed.
How do you target perch?
Another method for finding perch is to troll a small worm tipped spinner rig with a bottom bouncer until you catch some After you locate them, it’s time to anchor up and do a little vertical fishing. Small jigs and jigging spoons tipped with leeches, chunks of night crawlers or minnows seem to work best.
How do you attract perch?
Perch are also very attracted by color and flash If using a slip bobber setup (or dead sticking), add a small colored bead just above the bait on the main line. The bead acts as a beacon to find the natural bait. This will increase catch rates greatly, especially in stained water.
Can perch see colors?
Like humans, a fish’s eyes move in unison when looking around. And finally, the big question facing anglers and lure manufacturers the world over: Do fish see color? Yes they do!.
What time of day is best for ice fishing?
The best time of day to ice fish is during the first couple of hours after sunrise, and for about 2 hours both before and after sunset These are the times when most fish are heading to their feeding grounds, and when most species are active.
What size perch is a keeper?
Keepers start at 8″ , Smaller ones have been in the pail before. I prefer them in the 8 – 10 inch range for eating, but will gladly keep some of the slabs.
How deep do you ice fish?
In my experience, I’ve found that most of the best ice-fishing action comes in water from 3-to-20 feet deep I like to set up my traps so that they cover a variety of depths. Areas with rock piles, weed beds, or dramatic contours are all good spots.
How do you catch big perch in the winter?
Big perch thrive on neglect, so it pays to search every part of the river you may be targeting, watercraft is key. Look for deep, slow-moving parts of the river, snaggy overhangs, bridges, locks. Keep an eye on the river too, look for shoals of bait fish, if you can pinpoint them, predators won’t be far away.
Sources
https://www.northernontario.travel/algoma-country/ice-fishing-perch-tips-to-target-and-techniques-to-catch-these-tasty-fish
https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/ice-fishing-perch/155222
https://1source.basspro.com/news-tips/ice-fishing/7600/perch-ice-fishing-tips-and-strategies