Big perch, shallow lakes?

[Carp-fisher]

How do you target big perch in shallow lakes? I know a few shallow lakes that are panfish only lakes. They are full of mostly small sunfish mixed in with large perch; very weedy with max depth 10 feet. How do I target just the big perch? My thought is to go in the daytime when the sunfish tend to be less active and use jigging spoons with minnow heads and/or a minnow under a bobber. Any thoughts on this?

[Kyle Sandberg]

That sounds like a good combo. If the perch don't react to the spoon tie on a dropper line and go from there. Good luck on your quest.

[Team Otter]

"The little things" (i.e. transition areas, weed lines, basins, forage) will go a long ways in a situation like this. What else can you offer up for information about the body of water you are referring to?

[Carp-fisher]

Well lets see. Its about 100 acres with 90% being 5 feet or less for depth. Its choked full of curly leaf pondweed, but the water is very clear. Its a classic winterkill boom and bust type of water. There is one hole about 30 yards in diameter that drops to about 11 feet, and I don't think there are weeds on the bottom in 10 to 11 feet. This body of water is jam packed full of 3 to 6" sunfish, 6 to 8" crappies (an occasional slab), no bass or pike, and evidently some large perch. I think its all softbottomed, but I would like to get a camera down there to make sure.

[Team Otter]

I would focus on fishing within pockets of the weeds, very close to transition areas (there has to be some), and getting close to the forage in the lake. Be mobile and fish aggressively. You should be rewarded for your efforts eventually.

[Carp-fisher]

Good tips TO; I'll give it a go this weekend and report back. Unfortunately I don't think this lake and others like it will make it through this winter due to the early ice/heavy snow cover. I'd like to get some of these fish before the oxygen depletion shuts them down and out.