Perch Perch

[JustFishin.....]

 

Anyone doing any good on perch? Have marked good looking scatter schools when I was out for eyes the last few times. Looking to take my kids this weekend for some perch. Princess poles and all!

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Erie United Mobile App

 

[jimski2]

No, worst season for perch ever. Bait dealers are hurting as bait sales stink. Good luck though and put some worms out as it is a good year for large sheepshead.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[mostlymuskies]

I have been marking perch in 65 to 67 ft straight out in front of Dunkirk,but the seem to be 10 ft off bottom and I have a hard time catching them when they are off the bottom.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[jimski2]

A Canadian commercial fisherman told me one time they suspend up there because the dissolved oxygen content is too
Low but they drop down occasionally during the day to feed in the mud for the critters that are there. It is better to find them where the thermocline and bottom intersect. Should find some at 60 to 65 foot so start searching there.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[jimski2]

As the temperature of the lake drops to 65 degrees the emerald shiners will return to the Niagara River where they can be had at Ferry Street and Ontario Street docks.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[mostlymuskies]

That return of emerald shiners to the Niagara River also brings the walleyes to the Fish Market and Donley's Wall for night action.Trouble is that the water temp of Buffalo in Lake Erie is still 77 degrees, may be October before we see 65 degrees with next week's 80+ degree days.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[Pequod1]

I don't know about the Cat, but the perch are in scattered small schools straight out of Dunkirk.  Try 67-72'. It is going to be a long time before the lake cools off enough for them to form nice large schools for us to get them consistently. 

[yellowpike]

We marked some nice schools of perch off evanangloa last week in 72 ft

Sent from my VS986 using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[fishmaster]

Had this on my graph a few days ago out of dunkirk. I'm not sure if it was perch or not but the weird part is that it was undulating up and down like a snake in the water.  The boat was not rocking in the waves to cause this and it went on for at least 30 yds.

[mostlymuskies]

Smelt

Sent from my SM-G930V using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[fishmaster]

And another

[fishmaster]

5 minutes ago, mostlymuskies said:

Smelt

Sent from my SM-G930V using Lake Erie United Mobile App
 

Thanks, figured it wasn't perch.

[JustFishin.....]

The kids decided they wanted to go to the beach! So we boated up that way and hung out for abit. Drifted Seneca shoal and picked up a 3lb smallie and a bunch of gobies in about an hour. Happy kiddos. Great conditions out there today.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[jimski2]

One boat had 55 out of the Catt using salted emeralds.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[mostlymuskies]

jimski2,That is good to know,Thanks!Tonight going to try some night walleye trolling outside the walls in front of Buffalo.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[Pequod1]

Another boat - me - had four out of Dunkirk!  Tried from 60-80. Did catch another dozen that were all of 6". Back to the finger lakes for me until the end of the month.

[potsie225]

Which Finger Lakes feel like the best for perch

Sent from my SM-G930V using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[Dublin Up]

Starting to mark some decent perch out of SP in 68-72 fow


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[jimski2]

The migration of Lake Erie's perch to the shallow waters of eastern lake waters begins with the falling water temperatures. The gap of nine miles between Sturgeon Point and Point Abino in Canada concentrates the perch schools from the sixty mile width mid lake distances. Further note the perch feed mainly in the mud bottom rather than the shale rock bottom area further narrow travel lane. Start looking at your graph at fifty plus feet for them. The currents in the lake increase rapidly in the area so depressions on the bottom hold perch avoiding the currents. That is why some boats are catching while others crowd them and still are unsuccessful. Your anchor position shifts with wind changes and you
Lose the fish. The lake is like a river through there as air pressure changes move a lot of water up and down the lake. good luck and remember perch filets are selling for twenty dollars a pound now. Take care of your catch using ice and those small ones are better "eaters" than the sixteen inchers you brag about


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[potsie225]

Wow what a lot of information thank you very much

Sent from my SM-G930V using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[H20chrome]

Thank you Jimski2 great info! I would like to add another step just as important as putting your perch in a cooler on ice, is to bleed them as soon as you unhook them. I keep a pair of those small spring loaded garden scissors in the boat to make it quick and easy to just snip a gill. No blood in or on the fillet makes for a night and day difference in taste. Also eliminates having to wash the fillets off with water if you keep something by you to wipe your knife off on before you cut out the rib cage and skin. Having a water and ice mix in your cooler makes it easier to clean at the end of the day, just dump it out no dried blood and spray some simple green in there and wipe dry.

[jimski2]

Picked up 16 perch today, 64 to 63 foot of water. Ferry street emeralds and lost a lot of bait, Drifting in the light wind and doubling back over a hot spot worked. 4 miles off shore from Pt Breeze. Fished out to 75 foot where lots of big fish that would not hit. Perch were in closer.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Erie United Mobile App

[Pequod1]

Thanks for looking. I went to a fingerlake instead. I was concerned about an east wind on Erie yesterday. If the weather looks good this week, I will hit the Cat.

[Pequod1]

Today started out bad. Drove the 80 miles to Ferry street only to find the emerald missing. One alien guy had a few and said there were only a few small schools that came and went. We were there before dawn. The guy at Big Catch told me the same thing. I would not count on them showing up in any catchable numbers any time soon.

Bought golden and hit the Cat. we were the only ones perching. Looked over an hour from 60 to 78 and finally found a few 7.1 miles NE heading out of the Cat in 78' Very close to where all the guys were trolling. Only got 28, but better day than I thought it would be.

[potsie225]

Hi Jim  would you like to meet for lunch sometime?  225-0598  Doug