07-29-2003, 02:18 PM
[cool]The thread on Bear Lake Perch was gettin' kinda long, and FlyFishingMoose asked for info on best methods for fishing for perch, in consideration of the upcoming festivities. So, all you perch pros out there, let's download what we know, to give the rookies a fighting chance at the enjoys and the dining delights of these little rascals.
First of all, Jordanelle is right now where Deer Creek was many years ago... overrun by hordes of small perch, with a few good sized ones to keep your hopes up. In the "olden days", there were no limits on perch anywhere. I have "obscene" pictures of baskets full of jumbo perch harvested from Deer Creek and Yuba, which were gathered to feed large crowds in fish frys. Here is a pic of a more modest harvest from Yuba, including a small northern...and some decent sized perch.
![[Image: SCOU1712CustomImage0736348.jpg]](http://web.ecomplanet.com/SCOU1712/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/SCOU1712CustomImage0736348.jpg)
In spite of having caught just about every species of fresh water game fish in the country, and most of the salt water species available within a day's run by boat, I still have a great fondness for perchin'. They are simple to catch (usually) and they are great on the table.
Before I got sonar on my float tubes, I prospected for perch with a "high-low" rig...of two mini tube jigs on 1/16 oz. heads, drifting and jigging...shallow to deep and back again...until I found fish. Then I would toss over a marker and work the school over...vertical jigging. In Jordanelle, that tactic would be very costly, as you decorated all of the brush on the bottom with your little jigs. Better to use sonar to find the larger fish and then drop your jigs down to a depth slightly shallower. They will come up to get the jigs, and you don't snag as much.
Fishing from the shore, you can use almost any bait or lure. Small spinners work well...with or without a bit of sweetener (worm or perch meat). Also, almost any small jigs...plastic or feather...will catch perch too. At times, one size, shape or color will work better than another. When the larger fish go deep and get finicky, they can sometimes be as tough to catch as their larger cousins, the walleyes.
During much of the summer and into the early fall, there are lots of small perchlets near shore...feeding on small organisms and trying to stay out of the crosshairs of smallmouths, larger perch and other predators. They are always hungry and will hit anything you toss at them. If you want larger fish, you generally have to fish outside the holding area for the smallfry. That's where tubes, toons, yaks and small boats are superior. If you can fish straight down, in 12 to 15 feet of water, in the area where the larger fish are waiting for the opportunity to rush in for perchlette hors d'oevres, you can usually find some larger perch. Again, sonar makes this location process so much easier and less ecpensive.
The aforementioned mini tube jigs always work. I have had great success with red & white, yellow and white, brown and white, root beer, motor oil, all white, all chartreuse, pearl, pearl chartreuse and many others. Of special note is "custom coloring". I was doing this before many of our modern colors were available. I bought lots of clear sparkle and smoke sparkle. The clear sparkle I would color the front part with purple, blue or red. The smoke sparkle I would put a black line down the back, and two or three short vertical bars...or even spots...along the sides. These did a good job of representing the perch fry. I got lots of porky perch on them...as well as some nice walleyes and big browns in Deer Creek.
Twisters and other plastics in sizes from 1" to 3" work well at times. One of the best all around lures for both perch and smallmouth is a 2" = 3" plain white twister, on a light head...vertical jigged or casted and slowly retrieved just above the tops of the brush. The greens and browns will also take both smallies and perch.
When the perch are are the feed, you don't need to sweeten the jigs with any bait. But, a small piece of crawler or fish flesh will sometimes seal the deal when you aren't getting bit fast enough.
Sometimes the larger perch are shallow enough that you can get them by hanging bait...or a baited jig...a few feet below a bobber. This is a fun way to fish, especially for kids with a short attention span. If you can, rig an adjustable slip bobber rig, to allow you to cast out farther, and let the lure or bait down deeper, until you find the area and the depth the fish are holding.
Now, the good part. Perch eat flies like there is no tomorrow. Make up some little "fry flies", with silver or gold tinsel bodies, grizzly hackle wings and front hackle, and then add a small orange quill tail or throat. Fish it on a light rod, with a sink tip line, and work it about four or five feet deep, if fishing off shore. If you are out in a tube, use a full sink line and drift/troll, giving the flies a few twitches as you drag them ten to fifteen feet deep. Best length on flies is just smaller than the largest fry available near shore. If you don't know, a two inch fly or smaller will almost always get fish.
Later in the fall, when the fish move to deeper water, you will have to move out into water twenty to thirty feet deep to find fish. That is when you can do some spooning, and will usually catch some of the largest perch of the year.
I know there are a lot of other perchaholics in this crowd. I just ran out of time and out of gas, so I will step down off the stage.
[signature]
First of all, Jordanelle is right now where Deer Creek was many years ago... overrun by hordes of small perch, with a few good sized ones to keep your hopes up. In the "olden days", there were no limits on perch anywhere. I have "obscene" pictures of baskets full of jumbo perch harvested from Deer Creek and Yuba, which were gathered to feed large crowds in fish frys. Here is a pic of a more modest harvest from Yuba, including a small northern...and some decent sized perch.
In spite of having caught just about every species of fresh water game fish in the country, and most of the salt water species available within a day's run by boat, I still have a great fondness for perchin'. They are simple to catch (usually) and they are great on the table.
Before I got sonar on my float tubes, I prospected for perch with a "high-low" rig...of two mini tube jigs on 1/16 oz. heads, drifting and jigging...shallow to deep and back again...until I found fish. Then I would toss over a marker and work the school over...vertical jigging. In Jordanelle, that tactic would be very costly, as you decorated all of the brush on the bottom with your little jigs. Better to use sonar to find the larger fish and then drop your jigs down to a depth slightly shallower. They will come up to get the jigs, and you don't snag as much.
Fishing from the shore, you can use almost any bait or lure. Small spinners work well...with or without a bit of sweetener (worm or perch meat). Also, almost any small jigs...plastic or feather...will catch perch too. At times, one size, shape or color will work better than another. When the larger fish go deep and get finicky, they can sometimes be as tough to catch as their larger cousins, the walleyes.
During much of the summer and into the early fall, there are lots of small perchlets near shore...feeding on small organisms and trying to stay out of the crosshairs of smallmouths, larger perch and other predators. They are always hungry and will hit anything you toss at them. If you want larger fish, you generally have to fish outside the holding area for the smallfry. That's where tubes, toons, yaks and small boats are superior. If you can fish straight down, in 12 to 15 feet of water, in the area where the larger fish are waiting for the opportunity to rush in for perchlette hors d'oevres, you can usually find some larger perch. Again, sonar makes this location process so much easier and less ecpensive.
The aforementioned mini tube jigs always work. I have had great success with red & white, yellow and white, brown and white, root beer, motor oil, all white, all chartreuse, pearl, pearl chartreuse and many others. Of special note is "custom coloring". I was doing this before many of our modern colors were available. I bought lots of clear sparkle and smoke sparkle. The clear sparkle I would color the front part with purple, blue or red. The smoke sparkle I would put a black line down the back, and two or three short vertical bars...or even spots...along the sides. These did a good job of representing the perch fry. I got lots of porky perch on them...as well as some nice walleyes and big browns in Deer Creek.
Twisters and other plastics in sizes from 1" to 3" work well at times. One of the best all around lures for both perch and smallmouth is a 2" = 3" plain white twister, on a light head...vertical jigged or casted and slowly retrieved just above the tops of the brush. The greens and browns will also take both smallies and perch.
When the perch are are the feed, you don't need to sweeten the jigs with any bait. But, a small piece of crawler or fish flesh will sometimes seal the deal when you aren't getting bit fast enough.
Sometimes the larger perch are shallow enough that you can get them by hanging bait...or a baited jig...a few feet below a bobber. This is a fun way to fish, especially for kids with a short attention span. If you can, rig an adjustable slip bobber rig, to allow you to cast out farther, and let the lure or bait down deeper, until you find the area and the depth the fish are holding.
Now, the good part. Perch eat flies like there is no tomorrow. Make up some little "fry flies", with silver or gold tinsel bodies, grizzly hackle wings and front hackle, and then add a small orange quill tail or throat. Fish it on a light rod, with a sink tip line, and work it about four or five feet deep, if fishing off shore. If you are out in a tube, use a full sink line and drift/troll, giving the flies a few twitches as you drag them ten to fifteen feet deep. Best length on flies is just smaller than the largest fry available near shore. If you don't know, a two inch fly or smaller will almost always get fish.
Later in the fall, when the fish move to deeper water, you will have to move out into water twenty to thirty feet deep to find fish. That is when you can do some spooning, and will usually catch some of the largest perch of the year.
I know there are a lot of other perchaholics in this crowd. I just ran out of time and out of gas, so I will step down off the stage.
[signature]
on my kisser, while a whole lot of other folks in the area glared at me, because they had not caught any fish. 
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