Lake Erie Perch Bite Question

[sneak_e_pete]

Hi there, just looking for some advice on the Lake Erie perch bite. My son and I are really enjoying the perch fishing, but we are missing A LOT. Hoping someone can describe technique. I think we are waiting too long for them to "take it" or not feeling it at all.

[Live2fish85]

The first bump you feel set the hook. If you don't get it most likely it got your minnow.

 

I find the pickeral rigs the best.

Edited August 2, 2012 by Live2fish85

[smally21]

smaller hooks, smaller line diameter, smaller weights. harder to feel the bite with bottom weighted, or heavily wieghted rigs.

 

when the are feeding hard you can fish anything, but when they are lazy or picky you have to move on them right away..

[Billy Bob]

A crappie/perch rig with two #2 gold hooks and just enough weight to get it to the bottom.....MOST times I like a 5/8 oz sinker......

 

Now here's the trick.......a gentle drop lift about 18" and REPEAT very slowly......you will now get the feel of that sinker.....keep doing this....when the sinker seems to have gotten heavier set the hook HARD....almost all my large perch are caught this way....you never really feel a hit....just a very little bit more weight on the line...sometimes I describe it as if the sinker got stuck in the mud for just a second or two.

 

Check out this thread.....all of these were caught using the technique described above...

 

http://ontariofishingcommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=62142&st=0

 

Bob

[mike rousseau]

I know here.... Long rods help.... We switched to 10 foot noodle rods for perch years ago... You can really see the hits on the rod tip... And better hook sets with the long rods also....

 

Takes a bit of time to get used to 10 footers in a boat...but worth it...

[Pikeslayer]

A crappie/perch rig with two #2 gold hooks and just enough weight to get it to the bottom.....MOST times I like a 5/8 oz sinker......

 

Now here's the trick.......a gentle drop lift about 18" and REPEAT very slowly......you will now get the feel of that sinker.....keep doing this....when the sinker seems to have gotten heavier set the hook HARD....almost all my large perch are caught this way....you never really feel a hit....just a very little bit more weight on the line...sometimes I describe it as if the sinker got stuck in the mud for just a second or two.

 

Check out this thread.....all of these were caught using the technique described above...

 

http://ontariofishingcommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=62142&st=0

 

Bob

 

What Bob says.

[Fang]

What BB said. I tie up a 2up drop shot rig on 8lb flouro tied then to 8lb braid. One hook for each 24" above the weight and just enough weight to get it down. Been more comfortable with 3/4 oz and bigger fish are more like spongy takes that add weight to the line. Don't forget the jigging spoons when perch are a little more aggressive. Electronics are king to finding the perch schools. WP them and then go back and sit on them till they move. Minnows are best and I always go minnow on bottom and a small plastic like gulp up top

[Jen]

When I take my youngest perch fishing we catch more then ever. He lets the line down and never ever stops jigging it. Nick named him little jigger, I think the perch never get a chance with him, they come up to taste the minnow and he has them hooked. It is worth a shot, no skill involved, he just truly never stops moving his line.

[dave524]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned but imperative to deep water perch fishing on Erie is a very effective anchoring system to keep the boat as still as possible. As a minimum I would recommend 150 feet of no stretch rope, six feet of chain and good anchor.

[joesmink]

Hi there, just looking for some advice on the Lake Erie perch bite. My son and I are really enjoying the perch fishing, but we are missing A LOT. Hoping someone can describe technique. I think we are waiting too long for them to "take it" or not feeling it at all.

Have you spooled up with one of the new braided lines such as berkley fireline? I like the ten pound test! It has no stretch so it really makes a difference in deep water 60'. It seems expensive but if you try that you probably wont go back to mono. You could also try tru turn snelled hooks size 6 as they are better than the hooks that come with the pickerel rig package.

Another person told about anchoring and I'm a firm believer in that as I like to be rock steady and leave my sinker on the bottom and usually its heavier 1 - 1.25 oz I just barely put some lifting pressure on the line to keep it from slack and you will feel them sometimes its extremely light! Just keep at it there are many ways that work for different people, just my 2 cents

[sneak_e_pete]

Thanks. Got out this morning and got around 30 in a couple of hours. Setting the hook at the very first bump made a huge difference today.

 

As for anchoring, I use the spot lock on my Terrova...AWESOME feature!