Perch Question.....

[joe_stack20]

I would like to go out and catch some perch..however i have never just targeted these fish. I know where to go and how abouts to find em...just wondering what is the best keeping size...and how many to keep to make a meal for the wife our 3 year old and Me....any help would be great.

[Gissert]

Since you are from Fergus, I suggest you go to Otter Tail lake. Now is a great time to chase the perch out there.

There is a lot of flat mud on the west end, 30-35 feet deep just off the shorline breaklines. If you have a flasher, find where the brekline bottoms to mud, and start drilling a good amount of holes. I just hole hope looking for fish on the flasher. Keep moving to stay on top of them.

On Ottertail, I'll start keeping them at about 9 inches. 10-15 fish should feed your family just fine with side dishes.

As far a lures/bait goes, my favorite is a 1/16 ounce go devil tipped with a minnow head. Tear drop jigs with waxies will work too.

[PikeBayCommanche]

Depends where you are but here is my advice. Perch fishing is getting really good right now. Right know I would start looking of the breaks in 12-30 feet of water you will just have to drill 20 holes or so along the break to find a good hole. Perch fishing is crazy like that 20 feet a way you could be hammering them and the hole 20 feet a way will be dead. I usually keep perch 9-12 inchers they are some of the best eating fish in my opinion. I would keep around 20 if you can get that many between you it should be a great meal!

[Mr.Perch]

The DNR lake finder site is a good place to start. Look for a lake with good avg. size and lots of them listed on the survey. After you chose a lake start drilling holes in 12ft and work your way our to 25 or 30 ft this late in the year. look for an area that has flat drop flat drop progression not just a steep drop. I keep perch 8" to 12" letting the fish over 12" go to keep the gene pool for big fish. Lots of time in march through spring the big fish will be on the first flat after the shore line drop. last year my bigest fish on Osakis came from less than 12 feet of water late ice and early ice 40 feet so you never know.