Do you love big bluegill?

Ice Out Perch Too!

Would like to learn more about catching these tastie little fellows this time of year as well as gills. Do perch perfer moving water for spawning when it's available? Would I look for them bumping up to the dams this time of year? Live bait of artificals or both.

I catch most of my perch drifting in the summer but never really target them. What are the their perferred water type?

THanks Guys

Was walleye fishing last night below a dam and saw a tangled perch rig laying on the bank. Someone fishing panfish. Water temp was 35°. Book says they spawn at about 45° to 52°. If so it will be a while still. Still have snow cover around here!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jim Gronaw on March 2, 2011 at 3:14pm

Hey Charlie...my friend Ron and I fished the North East River in Maryland yesterday and struggled for a dozen fish, seven keepers, by drifting minnows near the bottom on 1 oz. drop-shot rigs in 10 to 13 feet of water. The fish had been staging just outside of creek mouths and dredged out marina docking areas until Mondays colder weather put them back into deeper water. Ron was getting as many as 50 fish a day, but the cold, muddy water put them off for us. Water temps ran 40 to 44 degrees F throughout the day. We caught or fish right on the bottom in 10 to 13 feet looking for slightly deeper depressions in the river bottom. Had to have a moving tide to kick-start the bite.

Permalink Reply by charlie flanders on March 4, 2011 at 2:26pm

SO WHAT TEMP DO YOU FIGURE THEY SPAWN AT? Can you catch any on artificals at this time of year or is bait the way to go?

Man those are some dandy looking perch! Thanks for the reply and keep me posted please.

Charlie

Permalink Reply by Jim Gronaw on March 13, 2011 at 2:21pm

Sorry so late in getting back...I am told that they spawn between 43 and 47 degrees, and that cold fronts or cold, muddy rain can push that back and make fishing sporadic, even impossible with cold, muddy water.

All my waters back east are high and muddy and not fit at the time to do much of anything.

Most folks fish for them with a lure...spoon, jig, shad dart...tipped with some kind of bait...worm, minnow, grass shrimp...during the spawning progression into late post-spawn conditions.

Permalink Reply by John Sheehan on March 4, 2011 at 1:43pm

Yup Jim is proving to be the PERCH MAN again!

Permalink Reply by John Sheehan on March 13, 2011 at 9:05am

Perch fishing is on in New Jersey !!Many yellows caught from shore yesterday near a pipe inlet at NW corner of small Cupsaw lake . Ice was still on other areas of the lake. Didn't take a temp but more than 30 fish were caught .Mostly Yellow Perch many Blue Gills, 4 PSeeds and 1 thick 10" White Perch.All fish caught using 4#test.
Mealworms on a #10 dry fly hook ,slip floated at 4-5 '.Mealworm on 32nd oz feather jig(Mister twister ,Lightning Bug ) ,slip floated at 4-5'.32nd oz. MT L- bug with yellow twister tail and 64th oz. jig with orange tail.Johnson spoon/ Twister Shad combo. caught the biggest YP (10" and fat) ALL FISH RELEASED.

Permalink Reply by John Sheehan on March 14, 2011 at 9:20am

The next day the spot was vacant. They'll be back though.

Permalink Reply by John Sheehan on March 17, 2011 at 1:35pm

Only about 4 YP and 10 or so pseeds today .

Permalink Reply by John Sheehan on April 4, 2011 at 2:14pm

Great looking YPerch Jim.

The Yellows and Gills were hitting jigs in 8th,16th and 64th oz. (Marabous and Bucktails) today from shore. Tipped witth mealies and a few untipped.

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