Perch Rig

[KraTToR]

I'm making some perch rigs this weekend and looking for hook recommendations.  My bait of choice will be a live minnow.

Thanks in advance!

[OhioFisherman]

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/live-bait-hooks/810732.aspx

Something like that would be my choice of a perch, crappie, panfish hook.

[AKRISONER]

depending on how you are hooking the bait, Owner Mosquito hooks are my go to for nose hooking anything.

[misfish]

2 hours ago, OhioFisherman said:

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/live-bait-hooks/810732.aspx

Something like that would be my choice of a perch, crappie, panfish hook.

Yup

KISS

 

 

[KraTToR]

Thanks, I think i'll try both options

 

 

[Sinker]

I use these in #10.....depends on the size of your minnows though, sometimes I use #12. 

 

S. 

[Old Ironmaker]

We just buy cheap Pickerel rigs from CTC or the local Variety Stores. Throw away the 2 cheap hooks and the stiff mono they supply. Tie a good sharp Mizuno or similar #6 to # 10,  #6 if the big girls are in on 10 pound limp fluorocarbon line about 6" long. That's it, done. I have spent a few bucks and time on drop shot set ups and a cheap Pic rig out fishes them all. Hook both minnows different, one by the dorsal fin, the head or tail. The one they hit hook the others the same. It differs day to day. Sometimes they want 1/2 a minnow, some days the whole thing. We use Emerald Shiner's here for Jumbo's on Erie. Nothing else works and I mean nothing else. I have yet to nab one on fake minnows like Berkley's Live Bait. Not a one, ever. Ice fishing yes but not on open water. I have no idea why.

The best way I have found to store them without making a carbuncklement is wrapping them around a Pool Noodle. The same storage as Worm Harnesses.

Edited May 11, 2018 by Old Ironmaker

[gil]

Ironmaker, I get plenty of perch on spott ails  when Shriners are unavailable! I also have luck with fin-s 2in.minnows.

[Old Ironmaker]

35 minutes ago, gil said:

Ironmaker, I get plenty of perch on spott ails  when Shriners are unavailable! I also have luck with fin-s 2in.minnows.

You sure are luckier than us gil. If we can't get Emerald Shiners we don't even bother to go out for them. Some days salted shiners is all we have and have worked on occasion. I know guys that get them on rubber minnow imitations but not I. We have trolled for the Jumbo's when I know they are in and boats aren't piled in 1 spot. I try to avoid Perch parking lots like the plague, we haven't fished on a weekend for years, an advantage of unemployment. Black Fury or Black and Silver floating Rappala with some split shot to get down to them, usually 10' or shallower. I'm not familiar with spot tails, live bait or are they a lure gil? Believe it or not I bet we did't get a dozen Perch here on Erie all year, not many others did either, no idea why not. Filled the coolers with some nice sized Yellows on Simcoe this time last year.

[OhioFisherman]

11 minutes ago, Old Ironmaker said:

You sure are luckier than us gil. If we can't get Emerald Shiners we don't even bother to go out for them. Some days salted shiners is all we have and have worked on occasion. I know guys that get them on rubber minnow imitations but not I. We have trolled for the Jumbo's when I know they are in and boats aren't piled in 1 spot. I try to avoid Perch parking lots like the plague, we haven't fished on a weekend for years, an advantage of unemployment. Black Fury or Black and Silver floating Rappala with some split shot to get down to them, usually 10' or shallower. I'm not familiar with spot tails, live bait or are they a lure gil? Believe it or not I bet we did't get a dozen Perch here on Erie all year, not many others did either, no idea why not. Filled the coolers with some nice sized Yellows on Simcoe this time last year.

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/fish/spottail-shiner

Believe it or not Old they are alleged to be the second most common minnow in Lake Erie. When the bait stores here can't get Emerald shiners the sell either fathead minnows or small golden shiners for bait, I consider fathead minnows a waste of time and money, never had any luck on them anywhere for anything.

[Old Ironmaker]

6 minutes ago, OhioFisherman said:

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/fish/spottail-shiner

Believe it or not Old they are alleged to be the second most common minnow in Lake Erie. When the bait stores here can't get Emerald shiners the sell either fathead minnows or small golden shiners for bait, I consider fathead minnows a waste of time and money, never had any luck on them anywhere for anything.

Thank you my Buckeye friend. I have trapped a few what I know now are Spot Tails. Not knowing exactly what they were I have released them. I sure don't need a nice big fine from a C.O. using a gamefish as bait, I thought they might be Rainbows. There aren't many bait sellers this way anymore, actually only 1 and he's a close pal, no discount though . In fact if someone is coming from Hamilton I ask them to pick up minnows before coming to the lake unless I call my buddy and I know he has some, that way we are guaranteed to have them. It's ironic that a bait dealer from Hamilton, about an hour away, nets his Emerald Shinner's just down the road from us, then drives them back to the city and I buy them from him. They don't charge much for them and I guarantee you the day I want to net or trap some they are nowhere to be found here. The shinner's are actually splashing on the shoreline this AM, I bet the Bass are in getting ready to spawn. When it stops pouring I should throw my trap in, I wouldn't want to get wet you know.

[Mister G]

When I can't get Emerald Shiner for perch fishing on  Erie we use Golden Shiners on the top hook and a salted Emerald Shiner on the bottom hook. We always salt and freeze our own Emerald Shiners in the spring when we dip our own minnows.

A SIMPLE crappie rig is our best perch rig.........HOWEVER, we shorten the lead  to the sinker so the bottom hook line in longer, that ensures that minnow is laying on the bottom when the sinker is touching the bottom. THIS MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.........then slowly lift the rig about 6-10" off the bottom and set it back down. When the sinker seems like it just got heavier set the hook hard because you have a HUGE Lake Erie Perch on.

A 5/8 oz sinker is all the sinker you need and Power Pro line helps a LOT when fishing deep water perch on Erie.

[AKRISONER]

On 5/11/2018 at 6:01 PM, Old Ironmaker said:

 I have spent a few bucks and time on drop shot set ups and a cheap Pic rig out fishes them all.

we need to go fishing and ill show you how to rig up a drop shot that will outfish anything...

had a morning last year i caught 24, the rest of the boat...a collective 5 using a whole pile of different rigs all displaying the same bait.

drop shotting might be the most "gear specific" fishing aside from the obvious fly fishing etc, where the rod you use, the hooks, the line and the technique all matter a ton.

Edited May 15, 2018 by AKRISONER

[KraTToR]

1 hour ago, AKRISONER said:

we need to go fishing and ill show you how to rig up a drop shot that will outfish anything...

had a morning last year i caught 24, the rest of the boat...a collective 5 using a whole pile of different rigs all displaying the same bait.

drop shotting might be the most "gear specific" fishing aside from the obvious fly fishing etc, where the rod you use, the hooks, the line and the technique all matter a ton.

PM SENT!!!

[Canuck]

For storing snelled hooks, perch rigs, and walleye spinners, I like to use short pieces of foam pipe insulation. Start with the line end and wrap tightly over itself and finish with sticking the hook back in the foam. Its smaller than pool noodles, cheap, and fits in the larger size tackle box trays.  Keeps them from turning into a tangled mess.  I use the same for salmon flies, herring holders and hoochies.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Canuck

[KraTToR]

4 hours ago, Canuck said:

For storing snelled hooks, perch rigs, and walleye spinners, I like to use short pieces of foam pipe insulation. Start with the line end and wrap tightly over itself and finish with sticking the hook back in the foam. Its smaller than pool noodles, cheap, and fits in the larger size tackle box trays.  Keeps them from turning into a tangled mess.  I use the same for salmon flies, herring holders and hoochies.

Agreed, more compact than pool noodle.  i'm using the 3 pk  lindy snell holder.