Ice Fishing for Perch

[John Sheehan]

Would like to know your favorite tipping baits ,jigs and spoons and tecniques for catching  numbers of Perch through the ice . I have trouble finding big numbers of larger Perch and would welcome advice.

 The 1/4 oz. Rattlin Flyer Jig is a great multi species ice lure and works great on Yellow and White Perch as well as aggressive Gills and Crappies. .Of course Swedish Pimples,Kastmasters,Nungessers,Hildebrants,Rattlin' Flash spoons , Genz worms,Frostee Jigs  and Marmooskas are great too.

I usually tip with mealworms but when I run out I have been more sucessful lately than in the past substituting with Gulp Maggotts .I freshened up last years bottle with a splash of vegetable oil and two drops of Vanilla extract and did pretty well with it two times out .

 Last year Shiners and fatheads on tipups took Yellows and plan on using them again for Yellows and Whites .Some guys are talking getting big Perch with 3 " shiners .That's bigger than I usually use and am figuring Pickerel and Bass on bait that size but I hope to find this year that they'll catch me some Big Yellows and Whites!

   I will say a Perch eye on a Jiggin' rap or Rattlin' Flyer spoon  is a real winner for Yellow Perch . Both lures get down quickly to the bottom .I don't recall taking Perch any higher than two feet or so above bottom .As I recall Perch will come up about two feet but retreat to bottom if I have the jig higher than that .That bottom to 2 feet above zone is often the ticket . In years past ,through the ice, I've caught them around gravel/sand bottoms with very little to no weed growth.

Also ,at times a Yellow Perch will take quite a good sized shiner on a Tipup meant for Bass or Pickerel. Sometimes they don't even trip the flag .

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[John Sheehan]

Spikes tipped on Marmouskas are catching Wperch, Gills ,Crappies and Yellows as well or better than the mealworms lately .

[John Sheehan]

I found that a Nungesser spoon tipped with a small Fathead minnow is a good way to get a Perch's attention but if you dont hook them far enough ahead of the tail they can steal them on you. Knowing when to set the hook is tricky and giving them a little slack first so they dont feel too much resistance helps the hookup.

[John Sheehan]