Perch on smaller lakes

[motley man]

I catch perch on the lake I'm fishing and a few are keepers. Where would I find bigger ones on same lake.

[Crm7290]

Probably move around more? I can't find any perch around me no matter where I look.

[amateurfishing]

Very good question, last week i caught 8 inch perch & 14 inch bass, other than that all perch & only in 4-6 inch range, beginning to wonder if there arnt any bigger fish in my lake. I do have marcuum stroller and understand how to read/find fish but how does one start to find the bigger fish? Cant seem to locate those or maybe lake just does not have any?

[My_Key]

Search the soft bottom areas, closer to deeper water. Not sure what size your looking for, but expecting 10" plus fish in any given lake might be asking too much. Sometimes those 8" fish is the best the lake has to offer.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Check this out.

Flatland perch

This time of year, around my neck of the prairie, they're in the middle of the lake where it's muddy.

[amateurfishing]

i did check that out, he mentioned minnow heads, is this a prepackaged bought product or live minnows with heads removed and stored somehow?

[My_Key]

I'm sure he's just referring to taking a minnow, and pinching off the head, right there on the ice.

Berkley Gulp makes a minnow head plastic, but I can't say how well they work, as I have not used them. I've found sometimes the head isn't enough and hooking a tail section on will instigate a bite when heads aren't working

[amateurfishing]

He said he was using minnow heads and i did not seee a bucket of live minnows by him so i was iquiring further if there is a minnow head product that i am not aware of, i have been using live minnows with very good results and wondering if minnow head only would work just as well without carrying live minnows around and freezing up in bucket on me. Did not know if he was referring to an easier method as to carrying live minnows around.

[My_Key]

Bait puck with minnow heads in it? Or the Gulp minnow heads. I didn't watch the video, just read the article.

[TruthWalleyes]

So Eric could move quickly, He pinched the heads off of some minnows and put them in a small container...

Nice video Eric!

[amateurfishing]

K, cool, thx, is that just as effective as whole live minnows?

[TruthWalleyes]

When hole hopping from one spot to the next...It's not easy carrying around a bucket of live minnows.

Tipping a jig with a minnow head can be just as effective and probably more effective while hole hopping! Since these fish aren't staying in one place for a long time, a bobber and minnow isn't the best choice...Keep mov'n.

[amateurfishing]

gotcha, what do u replace the bobber wtih?

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I never use a bobber in the winter. I always use a rod with a very soft tip on the last 5" or 6" of the rod. Just watch the tip for the bite!

Much better then having a bobber frozen in the ice all of the time on colder days. I like the 28" Jason Mitchel Meat stick in the medium action.

Many times a minnow head on a jig will out fish a live minnow if you are on active fish.

Cliff

[Eric Wettschreck]

Yup.

I pinch the heads off of some minnows and put them in the Grub Getter with a bunch of maggots. You never really know what they're in the mood for so I carry them both, in the same container.

Like Cliff, I'm a fan of the Meatstick. Has plenty of backbone and a nice sensitive tip to let you know when you have a soft bite.

Honestly, this article was about targeting mid season perch in the prairie potholes I fish in. I'm not sure what they act like "Up Nort." Down here, right now, they're in the middle of nowhere in the mud flats. Takes some work to find them but when you do it's game on.

[TruthWalleyes]

Whats the max depth out there on Lime?

[PoorWordUsage] as a kid fishing for carp and nords...well more like snagging carp, catching bullheads, and the occasional nord on opener

[TruthWalleyes]

How is "I've fished it many many times"... Poor word usage??? No swearing?

[Eric Wettschreck]

Depth really depends on the time of year. Spring time, 8 feet. In August, depending on how the summer went, it can be as shallow as 5 feet.

Right now it's high.

[FBMH]

If you want to find bigger fish, search the main basin in your lake, especially if it is a soft bottom area (sand, mud, etc...) Most fish now are starting to begin late ice routines, however, it differs from place to place. Also, many fish now are in deeper water (10+) and may not be present like they are at first ice or during the summer. Check out our video (pool 8 perch) on here and it will show you our baits and also jigs along with water depth. That is here on the mississippi but i very well could be close to the same on your lake.