Where will I find the perch?

[mskyfshntchr]

Starting to fish a new lake. It is small, deep and clear.

It is under 500 acres and over 50' deep. There does not seem to be a lot of structure to it-it is pretty much a bowl. The lake has few weeds, even in the summer time. The bottom looks to be mostly sand from what I have seen on the aqua vu. There is one inlet that I know of. I don't know of an outlet. There are some real nice perch in there.

Where am I going to find them this time of year? Where will I find them later on-March or early April?

I'm guessing a small jigging spoon or lure will be the best way to get them- tipped with minnows or waxies.

Thanks for the help!

[Kyle Sandberg]

As we sit right now, your best bet for targeting the big perch would be to go out and punch a bunch of holes and move around to get on top of them. During mid-winter, the fish are gonna be really spread out searching for forage and such. I'd start my search in 20 fow and keep working out deeper until you find them. Once March and April roll around, start looking shallower againg as they will start to school up in preperation for the spawn come ice out. That time of the year would be a good time to target the inlet but still staying safe on good ice.

Good luck out there.

[Team Otter]

K-Dawg has you headed in the right direction.

[PerchJerker]

You said the lake is mostly sand but I would try to find some soft bottom areas and fish the transition, even if it's 35-40 fow.

[Team Otter]

There may also be opportunities for you to find water that is less clear (stained) than a majority of the lake. These areas will attract more bait fish and forage. Also, when fishing the clearer water, look for these areas to produce during bright days because of the light penetration and don't be surprised to find the fish suspended.

[TroyMcClure]

I would start by punching a bunch of holes and finding the "spot on the spot". Any transitions in depth or changes from weeds to sand.

Other than that, Perch love the Reel Weeds - Structure on a String. If you find a decent spot, then drop down the weeds. It will keep that school around your house all day. This will allow to you to target the larger jumbos by switching up baits without losing the attention of the school.