Rockport Perch

[Jmorfish]

Still catching some really nice perch here, fish still showing up after moving away for awhile...Here's my pondering though....the bite is slowing way down, especially from a month ago, when my first time ice fishing granddaughter did as good as me on the catching...now, schools come through, screen is 'lit up', but mostly they disregard the offerings...often they will race up to look at lure/bait, then just go back down...I know it's not just me, I've talked to other guys, even just heard others on the ice lamenting about seeing them, but not getting the bite....I'm wondering if those egg-filled females get more lazy as it gets closer to depositing eggs? or do they lose appetite the closer it gets? .... any thoughts from the Piscators out there??

[MWScott72]

I think it's a combination of several factors. As the ice season gets past the midpoint, oxygen levels may be suffering, so the fish get lethargic and their metabolisms slow down. Biggest factor IMO is the fish get sick of hearing the masses above them making a racket and get wise to it just like any other animal out there. Put those two items together, and the fishing starts to get tough.

Good thing is that once the edges really start to get iffy and soft, the masses will thin, and they'll start biting again. Just have to be more careful getting on and off the main ice.

[Springbuck1]

I hadn't head many good reports from Rockport, wonder how I missed that.

I have learned on this site that a LOT of factors determine what fish do as far as bites. You probably know many of these, but.....

First thought is that sometimes every perch I catch is a female heavy with eggs, and as their eggs mature, they take up most of the poor fishes' body cavities, and they can barely eat. TD always says switch to tiny, tempting offerings.

I completely buy that human activity eventually pus them down, BUT..... I've also been up to, say, Mantua, after two dry trips in a row, and after the crowds have abandoned the swiss-cheesed landscape, and suddenly been yanking the bigger bluegills that had dodged me all winter up through the ice wholesale.

Third, is that sometimes the fishing turns out to be great, just not where I was, and not unless I do something different. Couple years ago when Hyrum was just on fire, I had two great trips, two "meh" trips in about the same spot and depth (about 26 feet along the NE shore between boat launch and swim-beach). EACH of those trips, I started out in deeper water, like 45' and worked my way in, when no fish showed up. My last trip I had the DARNDEST time talking myself into going back out into deeper water until I was desperate, but guess what?

Finally, I'm starting to believe more in stuff like moon phases, and whatever other basically magic or un-quantifiable factors exist in the universe. We, as fishermen seem especially prone to recency-effect, impact effect, and various memory flaws.

[Jmorfish]

Last week was listed as generally 'fair' or 'poor' in the two solunar charts I looked at...and this week supposed to be generally 'good' most of the week...so, ice conditions depending, I hope to check out the perch activity at R.P. again, and see if maybe moon phase has a general effect on the bite...I still feel it has more to do with the heavy females just not being in eating mode, 'til they deposit the eggs...Any fish biologists agree/disagree or have other thoughts also?...I think I will try my smallest green/white Demon for awhile,see if that helps....
For over a month now, the perch fishing/sometimes catching has been very good for me and those I have taken; or at least they've gotten the bites....and I have been in the same general area....Starting out, the bite was good 'til about 1230, then next time 1130, then 1000, then 0930, then 0900.....Then I recalled one guy on this site either last year, or year before, saying they did good later in the day...so now my last 2 times out I have started about 1530 or 1600, and have eventually gotten into the schools again, but as stated before, they are mostly not in an active feeding mode, and will hardly ever bite a dead stick presentation...but I'm still catching some nice fish....so you may consider changing your tactics a little, or at least trying what has been working for me the last few times out...obviously you have to 'see' fish in your spot, so you need a fish finder...from the dead stick, 'tease' one or two up slowly, jig just slightly, then up some more, etc. etc. up to even 4 feet off the bottom...just watch your screen enough to see if one is still following, but always stop along the way up to wait for that tiny tap, and be constantly ready to anticipate it...this is where a Spring Bobber is very helpful, and a steady hand, as you are raising and holding, raising and holding...
If you go during the week, either early or later, I think you'll see 2 main areas where the perch fishers are at, and that's where the perch have been....it's still 'Fishing' so there are no guarantees....Guluk

[Springbuck1]

Last week was listed as generally 'fair' or 'poor' in the two solunar charts I looked at...and this week supposed to be generally 'good' most of the week...so, ice conditions depending, I hope to check out the perch activity at R.P. again, and see if maybe moon phase has a general effect on the bite...I still feel it has more to do with the heavy females just not being in eating mode, 'til they deposit the eggs...Any fish biologists agree/disagree or have other thoughts also?...I think I will try my smallest green/white Demon for awhile,see if that helps....
For over a month now, the perch fishing/sometimes catching has been very good for me and those I have taken; or at least they've gotten the bites....and I have been in the same general area....Starting out, the bite was good 'til about 1230, then next time 1130, then 1000, then 0930, then 0900.....Then I recalled one guy on this site either last year, or year before, saying they did good later in the day...so now my last 2 times out I have started about 1530 or 1600, and have eventually gotten into the schools again, but as stated before, they are mostly not in an active feeding mode, and will hardly ever bite a dead stick presentation...but I'm still catching some nice fish....so you may consider changing your tactics a little, or at least trying what has been working for me the last few times out...obviously you have to 'see' fish in your spot, so you need a fish finder...from the dead stick, 'tease' one or two up slowly, jig just slightly, then up some more, etc. etc. up to even 4 feet off the bottom...just watch your screen enough to see if one is still following, but always stop along the way up to wait for that tiny tap, and be constantly ready to anticipate it...this is where a Spring Bobber is very helpful, and a steady hand, as you are raising and holding, raising and holding...
If you go during the week, either early or later, I think you'll see 2 main areas where the perch fishers are at, and that's where the perch have been....it's still 'Fishing' so there are no guarantees....Guluk

  I'd like to know if it works out, with the moon phases. 

I do a lot of jig, jig, jig, jig, pause, because I have a heck of a time feeling or seeing bites when I'm moving much.  I need to develop the knack.

[Jmorfish]

SpringBuck -- I did go back out there yesterday (Wed), started fishing about 0800...big schools showed up right away, so we tried right then, before setting up tents...same problem though, very tight lipped as to our offerings..No problem though, as 'IN-FISHERMAN' solunar charts said this day would be a 'best' day, and best times were to be 1000 to 1200...we did catch a few before setting up shelters, then the wind started, then the 'corn snow' fun started, and that seemed to scatter any bigger schools...SO...the nasty weather was probably a stronger factor than any positives from anyone's solunar charts, at least for this day...snow and wind mostly stopped around 1200, and I was able to 'tease up' and connect on about 10 more before we called it quits...I do look at those charts once in awhile, but like we've discussed many times on this site, the best time to go is just when you Can, when you Want to, or when you Need to...edges were getting softer coming off; we brought a plank and used it...next few days cold may harden it up again..ice still a good 15" thick...more males are now being caught, at least for me..Guluk...

[wiperhunter2]

SpringBuck -- I did go back out there yesterday (Wed), started fishing about 0800...big schools showed up right away, so we tried right then, before setting up tents...same problem though, very tight lipped as to our offerings..No problem though, as 'IN-FISHERMAN' solunar charts said this day would be a 'best' day, and best times were to be 1000 to 1200...we did catch a few before setting up shelters, then the wind started, then the 'corn snow' fun started, and that seemed to scatter any bigger schools...SO...the nasty weather was probably a stronger factor than any positives from anyone's solunar charts, at least for this day...snow and wind mostly stopped around 1200, and I was able to 'tease up' and connect on about 10 more before we called it quits...I do look at those charts once in awhile, but like we've discussed many times on this site, the best time to go is just when you Can, when you Want to, or when you Need to...edges were getting softer coming off; we brought a plank and used it...next few days cold may harden it up again..ice still a good 15" thick...more males are now being caught, at least for me..Guluk...

Thanks for the report Joe, are you finding them a little more shallow now? Seems like the closer they get to spawning, they tend to move into more shallow water. We have caught them as shallow as 18 FOW, there at RP this time of the year, in years past.

[Jmorfish]

Hey Curtis -- We're still in the 30 to 34' range...I haven't looked for much shallower yet...

[wiperhunter2]

Hey Curtis -- We're still in the 30 to 34' range...I haven't looked for much shallower yet...

I heard some bad reports from those that got out yesterday, very poor catching and the edges had gone bad, hopefully you are right and they are better today because we are planning on giving it a try. Thanks for the info.