Where do the Perch go to during the day?

[mnhunter2]

I have made many trips to SD to chase perch and for the last 2 months the bite has been mainly a late afternoon bite with a few biting in the early morning and then they are gone can't see them anywhere and have tried the deep flats and the break lines and different parts of the lake but it seems like they disappear intill the bewitching hour and then bite like mad. They have to be somewhere any ideas?

[Perchpapa]

That is a good question. A coulple of weeks ago I was out on a really small local lake and couldn't find a fish any place. This is a small lake that doesn't get much pressure at all. I talked to a guy who had a camera and he checked all over the lake and didn't see a fish. So one day I head back to the lake and I thought I would fish until past dark. That night, right about sunset I a caught a couple of perch that were pigs. They hit pretty hard and just about as fast as I marked them on the Vex. I don't know where they hide.

[Chad711]

Most perch go deeper, for instance in Lake Bemidji this winter...They would go out to say 34'-44', then around dark and morning they would go shallow, and they are moving and hungry at those morning and night times...

[fishin789]

The lake I went out to today they were in 20 feet.never thought they would be that big in the lake I went to.they were all 10" and real fat.

[PERCHJR]

I have fished at least 15 times this winter in NE South Dakota, and have experienced the same thing as you but I have found them ever time!!! A guy has to drill alot of holes and search like crazy, but you can find them, it is alot of work but when you do find them it is worth it!!! They usually were in 20'-25' of water, at least later in the season, but earlier in the season you can find them shallower!

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD FISHING!!!

[fishin789]

Well these big swings in the weather do not seem to be helping the bite. I went out to the same lake same holes and caught only one small perch. I drilled holes from 7 to 25 feet. only maked fish in the 18 to 20 foot range.I drilled at least 40 holes all over the lake. found some lookers but no takers.

[cisco kid]

789...I was in the identical twilite zone as you here in no.cen. wi. the perch are still there but in a major funk. in one week it has gone from nutsville feeding frenzy to softer bite but still getting some to today ,looking ..no takers.

[Matt Breuer]

When perch fishing, no matter the time of day, I always start in 30' of water. If nothing takes in 4 or 5 holes in 30' I move out to 32-34' of water. Still nothing, then I start to move shallower.

I was perch jerking on Thurs. and found perch in 30' but they were running small, and were a bit finicky. Moved out to 32' and pounded the big boys. They were in this depth from 6:30 am to 1:00 pm.

If you're in a hole and encoutering sniffers, and no takers, move move move!! You have to find the active school, don't wait for them to come to you!

[Captain B.R.K]

Perch are tough to find....that was the case this weekend out on Waubay Lake, South Dakota. Took a hint that the fish were in the deeper water 20ft plus (lake doesn't get much deeper than that). Must have punched 30+ holes and never marked a fish. Was on the lake around 1:00pm and fished that area for a good 1.5hr.

My buddy tries a spot right where there was a transition from the main lake to a side bay (20ft to shallower water). Fish were hanging out there (around 3:00pm)and we got a number of em' to bite. Some active...some not so active.

Wonder where those fish went during the day because we were out on a big flat on that part of the lake and couldn't quite figure em' out???