Common courtesy when coming up on a pack of boats is really appreciated. Never anchor too close or off someone’s bow. Anchoring behind someone or off to the side about 50 yards or so is proper etiquette. You have to be patient for perch. On Noah’s Ark Charters we anchor and wait. On most trips you start out with a few white perch, then a few small yellow perch then the occasional sheep-head. If they are around the bigger perch will come in and take over the bite. We usually never move unless we hear a better report from a fellow fisherman.
Perch really like a light to moderate chop and are then really aggressive. When the wind dies down the bite is really tough. Start your blower and it will attract the perch back to biting. Perch love noise. The big perch can be tricky to hook especially when they are biting light. Using perch spreaders or perch rigs with live or frozen emerald shiners are the best bait. If you happen to be using frozen minnows because live ones are hard to find, keep them frozen in a small cooler and just bring them out as you use them. A half minnow will catch just as big a perch as a whole minnow and they are harder for the jumbos to steal. Many of the bait stores have them. Erie-outfitters always keeps a good supply. Once they get soft you can let them dry out in the sun. They get leathery and are just as productive as when frozen. When the bite is really tough and light and you’re getting cleaned we nickname you “Empty Hooks”. To avoid this let your line down and let some slack in it. Count to 10 and then slowly lift up. When you feel the extra weight set the hook with a quick lift. Don’t jerk too hard or you will pull the hook right out of their mouths. Perch can be also caught from the break-walls and piers in the fall. Best times are early in the morning and towards evening. The limit is 30 per person on Lake Erie.
We’re cranking out walleye right now, but the perch fishing will be excellent in the fall until the water ices over.
Good fishing to all!
Captain Moses