12-12-2008, 06:24 PM
ILF,
I sent you a PM with this same information plus a couple of extra secrets.
I agree with everything said but wanted to add my two cents. They call perch the poor mans lobster for good reason. They are best filleted and you will find it a chore at first but with practice can reduce the time to about 2 minutes a fish (including washing, packaging and cleanup). I find an electric fillet knife a small advantage time wise and easier on my back. I have found no degradation of meat quality on occasions where I am too worn out to clean them right away and I stuff them whole into a coffee can and freeze them for a few months. I keep them 8" and above unless it is a slow year.
Indeed, you catch them an inch or two off of the bottom and although most anything will work, there are secrets that increase your statistics by orders of magnitude. One clarification on earlier points about using perch meat. You go to perch meat not because it works better than real bait but because of two main things: 1. You cannot afford to feed real bait to perch when they are in good numbers. 2. They will pick you clean of real bait without you knowing it and you will sit there wondering why they are no longer biting.
I don't use eyeballs because it is somewhat disgusting but more importantly is easier said than done in very cold weather. When you cut your perch meat, use a very sharp knife such as a new utility knife and cut the darker green portion near the top of the back in strips about 1/4 inch wide and (after removing longer strip) 1/2 inch long. The hide is what keeps the meat on the hook and you will find it difficult to keep the hide on the meat and then to run the hook through the hide without also running it through your glove or finger. I have caught dozens on only the hide so if they chew off the meat, don't rebait right away.
I buy Kastmasters or swedish pimples that are maybe an inch or two long and usually in green and silver or blue and silver although red works well also. I remove the trebles that come with the lure and tie on a couple inches of mono then a 1/80 ounce micro jig (the jig color can be green, red or most any other color). The best bait is a wax worm but meal worm halves work and keep much better than wax worms (cheaper too).
The lure weight helps take the whole set up down quickly to increase your catch rate. Remember to set your bait high enough off the bottom to account for your extra mono leader. Perch will make a slave out of you so remember good posture and to save your back. I use strong line because after you catch a few hundred perch your line will weaken and the lures are not cheap. You will also catch an occasional trout at some reservoirs (known as slimers to serious perch fisherman) and some of those get large enough to consume poles.
That should be enough advice to keep you busy for awhile.
FR
[signature]
I sent you a PM with this same information plus a couple of extra secrets.
I agree with everything said but wanted to add my two cents. They call perch the poor mans lobster for good reason. They are best filleted and you will find it a chore at first but with practice can reduce the time to about 2 minutes a fish (including washing, packaging and cleanup). I find an electric fillet knife a small advantage time wise and easier on my back. I have found no degradation of meat quality on occasions where I am too worn out to clean them right away and I stuff them whole into a coffee can and freeze them for a few months. I keep them 8" and above unless it is a slow year.
Indeed, you catch them an inch or two off of the bottom and although most anything will work, there are secrets that increase your statistics by orders of magnitude. One clarification on earlier points about using perch meat. You go to perch meat not because it works better than real bait but because of two main things: 1. You cannot afford to feed real bait to perch when they are in good numbers. 2. They will pick you clean of real bait without you knowing it and you will sit there wondering why they are no longer biting.
I don't use eyeballs because it is somewhat disgusting but more importantly is easier said than done in very cold weather. When you cut your perch meat, use a very sharp knife such as a new utility knife and cut the darker green portion near the top of the back in strips about 1/4 inch wide and (after removing longer strip) 1/2 inch long. The hide is what keeps the meat on the hook and you will find it difficult to keep the hide on the meat and then to run the hook through the hide without also running it through your glove or finger. I have caught dozens on only the hide so if they chew off the meat, don't rebait right away.
I buy Kastmasters or swedish pimples that are maybe an inch or two long and usually in green and silver or blue and silver although red works well also. I remove the trebles that come with the lure and tie on a couple inches of mono then a 1/80 ounce micro jig (the jig color can be green, red or most any other color). The best bait is a wax worm but meal worm halves work and keep much better than wax worms (cheaper too).
The lure weight helps take the whole set up down quickly to increase your catch rate. Remember to set your bait high enough off the bottom to account for your extra mono leader. Perch will make a slave out of you so remember good posture and to save your back. I use strong line because after you catch a few hundred perch your line will weaken and the lures are not cheap. You will also catch an occasional trout at some reservoirs (known as slimers to serious perch fisherman) and some of those get large enough to consume poles.
That should be enough advice to keep you busy for awhile.
FR
[signature]