If you can find them you’ll catch them, it’s that easy when it comes to hooking up with early ice perch.
The most important key to cashing in on early season action is location. The fact is you can’t catch them where they’re not. If you’re doing everything right but in the wrong place you’ll come home empty handed every time. On the other hand if you’re doing everything wrong but in the right place youcan still catch a few.
Fortunately finding perch at first ice is a relatively easy task and is as simple as following the good ice. The first place to develop good ice is the shallows, especially in shallow bays. It’s also the very place where you should start your search, and do it as soon as you can. The action can be extremely intense but is usually short lived. The “hot action” can be expected to last a week or two at the most and may be completely over by the time you hear about it.
Although restricting your search to the shallow bays can save some time many of them may be too massive to be thoroughly checked out. You’d be better served by narrowing your search even farther and limiting your efforts to high percentage spots like the mouths of the bays where they meet up with the main lake. Those are high percentage spots that can concentrate fish and concentrations are exactly what you’re looking for. A good bay will likely have perch spread throughout and fish can be found in many different locations but it’s the concentrations that can provide the intensity as well as most of the fun.
Other key areas would include structure within the bay like breaks or drop offs, as well as bars, reefs, and especially weed lines. Weed lines are often overlooked and can hold more than their share of green and yellow gold. While the last stands of green healthy weeds are preferred, it’s not an absolute necessity.
Whether standing or laying down, the old weed line can hold big schools of perch and is worth checking out. Break lines can be easily found with an electronic depth finder shot directly through the ice, as well as any fish that might be hanging out just off the bottom. The LX-i from Marcum is a slick little handheld that is the size of a flashlight and is designed to help ice anglers find structure fast. Simply pour a little water on the ice and then push the face of the LX-i to the surface and check the digital depth. The first reading you get will be the depth with the next being anything holding off the bottom.
Once you’ve settled on a starting spot the next step is to drill a few holes. It can pay to drill a few extra up front which may save you valuable fishing time later on. Perch can turn on and off at that the drop of a hat and a move to a fresh hole may be required to keep icing fish. Instead of pulling up stakes and moving to a completely different area you may be better off jumping hole to hole and grabbing the fish that have become active.
When the perch are really going anything you drop down the hole will get hit. However when the bite is off subtle changes in presentation can make a big difference. Little changes like a softer jigging technique, or tipping with a waxie instead of a minnow, or even the color of your bait can spell the difference between success and an empty bucket.
Spoons like a 1/16 oz Northland Tackle Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon are made to be jigged but when things slow up it can pay to slow down and use a much more subdued technique. Instead of a hard snap try holding the bait perfectly still, with an occasional bump or twitch. If you’re using an electronic depth finder like the Marcum LX-5 you can see how fish react to the bait. The LX-5 has incredible target separation and will help you see fish that are holding tight to the bottom. If you’re watching the depth finder and see that the twitch chases fish away you may be better off keeping the bait motionless. Another thing to consider is that you might be looking at small fish which run for cover when you snap a spoon and it might be time to pick up and move!
When it comes to finding and catching early ice perch it pays to be mobile. Fish that where here today may be long gone tomorrow and if you’re not prepared to make a move you may be severely limiting your opportunities. Portable shelters, power augers and electronic depth finders are tools of the trade and can help make your a job a lot easier, and more comfortable.
Eskimo’s Profish 150 is a one man that is perfect for making quick moves and is light enough to be pulled around on foot but still has enough room for someone as tall as me to be comfortable. It has a solid sled that you can pile all your gear in and you can try and keep it simple but it all adds up. See you on the ice.
Ron AnlaufBy: Ron Anlauf
