Yellow Perch

[fisherhall]

When are the best times to fish for Yellow Perch?

[beerman1981]

I've always had the best luck for perch during the morning and right about dusk, however, these fish can be caught all day, which I have personally done. A lot of people use jigs for for perch, but I prefer the old fashion night crawler. It works everytime for me.

By the way, how did you get negative 67 points??? You should have 33 points (three points per post).

Joe

[gpc]

I catch perch all day long, but just like every other fish, morning and evening will be the best.I will catch them the most in late summer and early fall. But I know they just nail them when ice fishing. I prefer to use to a jig tipped with maggot or worm. But after your first perch, keep it and chop him up for bait

[Joe Heater]

I sat on a lake all day yesterday and caught Perch from 9am to 1pm. They would go away and another school would come in. All I used was a chartruse jig 1/16 oz (to deter the little ones, don't work) and half a worm. if I tried a small chunk of worm they left it alone. If I tried just jigging they ignored it. But with that Chartruse Jig and half a worm, I just slammed them. I am from the midwest and I have been waiting for one of these Western Washington Lakes to produce like I am used to. We had a huge fish fry last night. I lost a lot of bait due to the size of the worm, but it is the best Perch fishing I have had in Washington.

I have never felt Perch fishing is any better during certain hours. When that school comes through the best thing you can do is have your pole ready. Keep the bait in the area and they will stay. You screw around for a few minutes rebaiting they will leave on you. They are hunters and they constantly search for food.

Good fishing.
Joe

[fisherhall]

What season do you guys you usually catch the most perch (Summer, Fall, etc,). How did you work the jig.

[jmay]

Summer is the best in my expirance. They like to cruize just above the milfoil

[bpm2000]

summer, and the bite seems to die at night - anyone catch perch at night?

[fisherhall]

How do you guys work the jigs?

[gpc]

bpm2000, I catch a lot of perch at night. Only at one lake and that is Potholes reservoir and I have one of those green lights you put in the water. I haven't really tried for perch at night in other places, but this last weekend I was using that light at duck lake and we didn't catch a single perch at night, but we caught a bunch all day long

fisherhall, I work my jigs a couple of different ways. One way is just how you would work any jig, just kind of pop your wrist, in a slower motion about every second. I found the best way to do this is with an ultra light rod and real with 4lb test line. I use a 1/64 oz or 1/32 oz jig with no weight or swivel just the jig. When I jig I put my index finger on the line, with the hand I hold the pole with. I do this because it helps to detect light bites. The other way that I jig is more of a casting technique. But I cast the jig out and real it in slowly and jig while reeling in. But another great way is a size 10 hook, no weight and half a worm. I just cast it out and free fall the worm, the perch go nuts

[Joe Heater]

Fisherhall,

I have always jigged perch with just a 1/16 oz jig but a 1/32 or 1/64 would probably work better. I just like to deter the little guys but generally it doesn't work. I more often that not just lose bait. I used to put on nothing more than a plain jig head and tip it with a piece of worm. Drop it straight down to the bottom and every few seconds give it a twitch. It doesn't have to be much movement and in fact if there is any kind of waves, usually the boat will do the jiggin for me. This always worked good for me in the midwest.

However, the Perch here I have found suspend far more often than there. I don't know if that is due to the location of milfoil or what. I dropped the AQUA VU the other day at stevens and I was in 12 feet of water and there were just thousands of them right at 7 feet. Milfoil was everywhere and they were all lying right above it or in it. I found that the use of a slip bobber helps you control the depth and alows you to cover more water. I don't like them due to the pain of re-setting depth, but this is what was working there:

Cast into 7 feet of water with a chartruse jig tipped with a half a mini worm. once my bober took the line and was at the 7 feet mark. I would let it sit for a few seconds and pull it back to me with one pull and let it drop it again and then real in the excess slack in case they hit it. They would usually hit it by the 3rd pull. After a while, I just dropped the jig straight down around 7 feet and left it there and they hit that too.

This spring we were catching big fat perch with a 1/32 oz. jig tipped with a crappie power nibble. Just casting out and slowly reeling in and occasionally givin your line a twitch.

Good luck. I actually plan on hitting a lake today later this evening to try for perch. Plan being the operative word there. I am shooting for fishing at 4 but that is up to work and the home boss. If you are in the Arlington/Marysville and wanna go just let let me know on the board. I bring a pretty high strung lab that is more annoying than dangerous.

Joe

[fisherhall]

Thanks

[Joe Heater]

Got off early. I am headed to Lake McMurray right now. 425-931-3000 if you wanna meet up. Dog was at beach all day so he is staying put.

Good fishing.
Joe

[Anglinarcher]

summer, and the bite seems to die at night - anyone catch perch at night?

Only out of ice shacks during the winter, in shollow water, with a brighe lantern in the shack.

I don't think perch feed at night. Hmmmmm

[Anglinarcher]

When are the best times to fish for Yellow Perch?

For whatever matters, perch spawn in the spring, and can be caught in huge numbers then. March or April seems about right in Eastern Washington, depending on the body of water.

Perch also seem to put on the feed bag in the late summer and early fall. Filling sacks of fish are common.

[Snarg]

We caught 30+ Perch yesterday out at Long Lake in Spokane County using just hooks, sinkers and a bit of worm. The technique was: Drop line to the bottom, reel in a crank or two, wait 10 seconds or so, reel in a Perch.

We have found a spot right off of a bank of water lilies that is ripe with Perch and Cropppie.

[Joe Heater]

I have caught a few perch at night but as another poster said only through the ICE. I am sure it has been done but I wouldn't want to spend an evening trying to make it work.