Rockport Report

[Cowboypirate]

Finally got back to Rockport.

Went in the evening off the west shore, just before sunset. Still a lot of power boats playing. This was to be our second test with the Pugly Perch Bugs and with hanger shots (per Pats instructions) rigged dropshot style with bigger perch and smallmouth as the plan.

I left all the hanger shots on the table - so we went to an area that I knew had some less rocky base out past the rocks and used split shot as the drop shot weight. Lures were strictly Pugly Perch bugs tied to be about 4-9 inches off the bottom and tipped with a small piece of crawler. 

Cookie had the best success with a yellow body bug that had some sparkly bling as legs. I fished a beetle, black shell with cream body and yellow or black legs. We both caught well over 30 perch before sunset. Cookie caught two honest 12 inchers and we both caught some 11 and 10 inch perch - it was sure nice to see some real size for a change. Of course the ,majority were in the 6-9 inch range. It was a great evening. I actually kept perch and ate them. I love eating them but hate the knife work to get enough fillets. 

depth was 9 ft to 32 ft - I did not write down the temp

We caught them just letting the bug sit and a bit of wave action to create movement, but Cookies best fish, and mine, were caught doing a very slow reel in dragging and bouncing the bugs. Hits were very aggressive. No light biting perch today.


No smallies showed up. Wave action was pretty high with power boats running hard but the perch did not seem to mind. 

Here is the video.

https://youtu.be/gIde9ed_5IM




upload image online

Great Job you guys, Rockport has great perch! I was there yesterday and last thursday for a couple hours before the sun went down and i got my fair share to fillet. I do use a different method i love jigging for them with a 2.5''-3'' white pearl tube jig with an 1/8 oz jig head!!!

Them white jigs will catch just about anything, my problem is I often catch perch that are 2.5-3" - seems hardly sporting to drag them in on a bait bigger than they are - maybe I need to change my method to 6" jigs and up my game a bit  - maybe we will see each other around and can swap stories. I plan on hitting Rockport again next week (mostly cause my bride wants to up her PB on a smallmouth)

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Nice job on the perch! I used to hate the knife work until I got an electric.  Now I can buzz through a batch of panfish pretty quick.  They fillet easier than most other varieties and you know the tasty results.

Looks like ice fishing is going to have some big perch to pursue at a few different lakes this year.

Do you (or anyone) have a favorite type of electric buzz saw for fillet work? I was pursuing online and the offerings are numerous, but I think  its time I join the modern era.

I have been a solid fan of the American Angler knives...110 volt and 12 volt portables...for quite a few years.  I got a Bubba Blade electric the first of this year and in my experienced opinion there is no finer.  A bit spendy but in terms of strength, efficiency, multiple blades, comfort and ergonomics it is superior in every way.  I got the 110 volt but know some serious anglers who got the rechargeable battery models and they love theirs too.

I once worked both in commercial fishing and on party boats in California.  I learned to swing a "regular" fillet knife pretty well and can still go through a stack of fish in short order.  But once I got used to letting the electric knife do most of the heavy lifting it was faster and more efficient.  Less effort and better end results.

Maybe we can do a meetup on Willard or some other water with a fish cleaning station sometime.  I will be happy to demo three different models of knives I use.  Anybody who likes perch or other panfish will giggle when they see how fast and efficient it is to zip off those small fillets with an electric.  Ditto for strong boned fish like catfish.  You can get a hernia (hisnia) from trying to hack through the tough ribs of a kitty with a regular blade.  But the electric just glides through them like nothing.

Cookie just bought me the Bubba Blade rechargeable set - got to love a wife that loves to play fishy as much as I do - look forward to catching up for a skill session