Ice Fishing for Perch

Perch – you gotta love them. They’re good looking fish with their yellow color and stripes, and more importantly, they’re great tasting too. During the warmer parts of the year, perch spread out, but they gather together in the cold winter months. That’s why it’s fun to ice fish for perch.

That’s your first clue to catching perch: they travel in schools. If you catch one that means you are getting into some good fishing. The next clue is that they feed close to the bottom or suspended slightly above that. Present your bait close to the bottom, and even bounce it off the bottom, and then move slowly upward until you have luck. Jig fishing is very effective, where you raise your rod tip a foot or so and then drop it. You can also jig the pole up and down with a much smaller motion to jig the bait.

Perch, as a guideline, are found in the shallows in the early part of the icy season and move to deeper holes as it gets colder. A depth finder and a fish finder will aid you in finding perch, and remember to drill several holes for better results.

Ice fish for perch in lakes, and be willing to move around the lake until you find them. It helps to scout a lake all through the year if you live close by, by spending time there fishing and enjoying the outdoors. If you’re there in the summer, you will know more about underwater structures, and you should fish a deep hole. It’s even better if you can find a deep spot right by a drop off. You can also use GPS and download a map of the bottom structure, or a fish finder to locate fish.

You can use a lighter pole and line for perch. The lighter line is less noticeable for the fish so it won’t scare them off. Ice fish for perch with shiny, small jigs in 1/32 once up to 1/8 once. Many anglers recommend red Genz worms to start.

About Author
Jason Pitcock has been fishing for over 30 years and ice fishing for more than 10.He enjoys passing on his
fishing tips to his young daughter while
fishing in their farm pond.
Jason is also founder of http://www.worldsfishermen.com for more information on ice fishing please check it out.