Anyone Freeze Perch Eyes?

[Jonthecook]

I was up at Pineview last night searching for Crappie. The bite was really really slow until I pulled in a perch. After relieving him of his eye and throwing it on my hook, the bite picked up rather significantly. It got me to thinking of starting to save/freeze some eyes to bring with me on my trips so I can start with those and not have to find a perch first. Anyone have success saving eyes for later use?

[joatmon]

I recently tried using eyes out of a whole perch I had frozen - no bueno, they just crumbled. Maybe they need to be prepped some way first before freezing?

[Springbuck1]

I was up at Pineview last night searching for Crappie. The bite was really really slow until I pulled in a perch. After relieving him of his eye and throwing it on my hook, the bite picked up rather significantly. It got me to thinking of starting to save/freeze some eyes to bring with me on my trips so I can start with those and not have to find a perch first. Anyone have success saving eyes for later use?

  Yeah, when I have a bunch to clean I usually toss in a bunch of eyes, some belly meat, some blood, and mashed-up eggs from a fat girls, and freeze the whole mess. Sometimes, I toss a little curing salt in, too (sugar, salt, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite). 

 Not gonna lie, they work just fine, but one or two thaw cycles taking them out and I'll be switching to fresh eyes if I can. The baggie is leaking and greasy, etc.....

[FishfulThinkin]

I was up at Pineview last night searching for Crappie. The bite was really really slow until I pulled in a perch. After relieving him of his eye and throwing it on my hook, the bite picked up rather significantly. It got me to thinking of starting to save/freeze some eyes to bring with me on my trips so I can start with those and not have to find a perch first. Anyone have success saving eyes for later use?

I've harvested some eyeballs before and they work just fine as long as they are reasonably fresh and not dried out or freezer burnt. I like doing the surgery on my filet board at home rather than on the ice with cold fingers etc. The thing I would like to know is how to thread the slimy little suckers on without running the hook in to my finger!

[Walleye4me]

I was up at Pineview last night searching for Crappie. The bite was really really slow until I pulled in a perch. After relieving him of his eye and throwing it on my hook, the bite picked up rather significantly. It got me to thinking of starting to save/freeze some eyes to bring with me on my trips so I can start with those and not have to find a perch first. Anyone have success saving eyes for later use?

I always save the eyes.  I just refrigerate them. You do have to use them up within a week or two  though or they get pretty nasty. When I freeze them they seem to turn to mush when they thaw out, but I don't prep them with salt or anything.

[DailyAngler]

Little trick: hook the eye with the lure/jig first and then cut around it with pointy filet knife. Way easier. They freeze and thaw fine

[FishfulThinkin]

Little trick: hook the eye with the lure/jig first and then cut around it with pointy filet knife. Way easier. They freeze and thaw fine

Excellent suggestion! That would definitely save the fingers if there is a perch in the box. I still have to figure out how to thread those slippery little suckers that I already have in the freezer.

[Springbuck1]

Little trick: hook the eye with the lure/jig first and then cut around it with pointy filet knife. Way easier. They freeze and thaw fine

Excellent suggestion! That would definitely save the fingers if there is a perch in the box. I still have to figure out how to thread those slippery little suckers that I already have in the freezer.

I thought that's how you were supposed to do it!  Press in firmly on the cheek plate below the eye and massage it a bit.  The eye will pop most of the way out.  Hook it through the silvery tissue, on the under part of the eye, which is the toughest part of the sclera and has their reflective layer, so they are hooked through the toughest part and stay on better and last longer.

[Jmorfish]

I was up at Pineview last night searching for Crappie. The bite was really really slow until I pulled in a perch. After relieving him of his eye and throwing it on my hook, the bite picked up rather significantly. It got me to thinking of starting to save/freeze some eyes to bring with me on my trips so I can start with those and not have to find a perch first. Anyone have success saving eyes for later use?

Okay, so I gotta ask...you said 'the bite picked up rather significantly.' with a perch eye...did you mean catching more perch or were you actually catching crappie with a perch eye?...glad you did good...

[taggmon54]

The Thundermist tackle stingnose jigs are made to use perch eyes. They rock for catching perch. The eye stays on great because of the treble hook that comes with them. Catch many on one eye. I luke the 1/8th silver ones.

[Springbuck1]

I was up at Pineview last night searching for Crappie. The bite was really really slow until I pulled in a perch. After relieving him of his eye and throwing it on my hook, the bite picked up rather significantly. It got me to thinking of starting to save/freeze some eyes to bring with me on my trips so I can start with those and not have to find a perch first. Anyone have success saving eyes for later use?

Okay, so I gotta ask...you said 'the bite picked up rather significantly.' with a perch eye...did you mean catching more perch or were you actually catching crappie with a perch eye?...glad you did good...

I can't answer for him,. but I can tell you at least in years past, both.  The crappies seem just fine eating perch eyes.  I've had nights where they wouldn't eat anything: nibbles, perch eyes, worms, waxies, spikes, or mealies, but if they were biting they took eyes.  Standard procedure for me at PV to try to catch some afternoon perch, then switch to crappies as it gets toward dusk.

[catchinon]

I always end up popping the eyes when I put them on the hook. Is it possible to avoid that? If so, how do you do it?

[Springbuck1]

I always end up popping the eyes when I put them on the hook. Is it possible to avoid that? If so, how do you do it?

Maybe not EVERY time, but............  the key is removing them without damage, then hooking them both IN TO and OUT OF, the silvery membrane on the underside of the eye.  If you press on the cheek plate, or bulge out the eye by using a finger inside the mouth, hook the eye through the silver and back out, then swipe the eye free. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCZub7G8z64

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LosT8qEp5M

[hookngrinin]

I use perch eyes quite often for perch ice fishing. I prefer them frozen. It makes it much easier to get on the hook without popping. In my experience, eyes and belly meat with skin will stay on the hook a lot better than mealworms, spikes or nightcrawler. This is very important when you want to keep your jig in the action while the school is under you and keep their attention to help hold them there. I save/freeze a half dozen or so when I fillet perch at home. There is a tool made or you could make your own out of a loop of wire to slip around the eye and pull it out. I use a large paper clip. Works great.