# Perch Concerns



## capt Hamilton (Sep 3, 2013)

I fished the Cedar Point Sawmill area for eyes on Tuesday. I kept my eyes on the screen looking for any perch schools. To my surprise in 5 hours of eye fishing I did not mark a sizable perch school not one. Fished for perch marked lots of fish. Took only a 1/2 limit. The perch bite has been off since the 2nd week of August. Any ideas on what's going on with the Western Basin perch?


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## porter (Jan 11, 2015)

capt Hamilton said:


> I fished the Cedar Point Sawmill area for eyes on Tuesday. I kept my eyes on the screen looking for any perch schools. To my surprise in 5 hours of eye fishing I did not mark a sizable perch school not one. Fished for perch marked lots of fish. Took only a 1/2 limit. The perch bite has been off since the 2nd week of August. Any ideas on what's going on with the Western Basin perch?


I think the huge population of walleye are keeping the perch from forming big schools like the old days. The perch we have been catching off cranberry are really big. I think they aren't being chased like the smaller ones so they can group up and get in our coolers. Although the perch bite my be slower than previous years, the walleye numbers are making our perch catches bigger. Win Win if you ask me.


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## BlueMax (Dec 3, 2006)

Compared to lets say 7 years ago - compared to walleye fishing the last couple years, we are not catching very many white bass, white perch, or sheephead. What is happening with the populations of these species??? But there sure are a lot of walleye in Lake Erie..........


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## island troller (Nov 14, 2007)

I think BlueMax's last statement sums up a lot about Lake Erie's fishing situation right now.


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## floater99 (May 21, 2010)

What a dilemma perch are harder to find than walleyes it was the opposite not long ago Im sure the bait hops are feeling the effect of poor perch bite also


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## captainshotgun (Jul 8, 2009)

floater99 said:


> What a dilemma perch are harder to find than walleyes it was the opposite not long ago Im sure the bait hops are feeling the effect of poor perch bite also


I agree with Porter. This is the same reason the people trying to catch emeralds cannot catch them. The prey fish break up the schools. We have caught tons of catfish this year also.


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## Habitual Eyer (May 22, 2006)

fished Huron (sawmill) last Sat/Sun. Good walleye bite, and three straight catfish on low dipsey. Decided to stop in at P/C Monday and fish for perch as we heard the headboats had a PROLIFIC day Sunday. We sat on fish everywhere, struggled to get them to go, and only managed one limit. Point is...I think there was a good bite in SW basin last weekend (even though we were a day late...my life story)...but agree that Huron basin on East has been slow. Did see a bunch of cleaned perch in garbage at Plantation motel Sunday night. Also saw what looked like a perch pack in 17-20 ft of water in front of Cranberry that morning.


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## crestliner TS (Jun 8, 2012)

Actually, fish school for protection from predators. The tight balls they form allow a few to be picked off and the school survives. Predators breaking up schools happens when they attack or feed but the schools ball back up. Its probably more along the lines of commercial harvest, changing lake/water conditions, or population fluctuations. Nothing stays the same every year/month/day. Just like the weather is different each decade/year/month/day.


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## Osmerus (Dec 5, 2012)

We have had some big midge hatches the past week. The fish could be full of midges and not willing bite. We have also had some high winds, the fish could be scattered and not in big schools.


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## Spikes (Mar 5, 2013)

All of the above are true, but the one constant over the last five years for me is using a single hook and weight. When perch are really feeding, it doesn't seem to matter whether it is a crappie rig, spreader or single hook, but when they are picky, a single hook with zero bling seems to work better. The downside is you can only catch one at a time, but the upside is you seem to catch the bigger perch with this rig, plus at least you are catching in tough times.


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## capt Hamilton (Sep 3, 2013)

What I can't figure out is from the middle of July to the middle of August the perch were jumping in the boat. Then they just turned off just like a light switch. It could be the record number of bug hatches we had. We will have to wait and see when the bug hatches stops if the bite picks up. I'm a little worried that the same thing doesn't happen in the western basin that happened in the central basin. The perch bite is almost nonexistent there now.


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## Matt63 (Jun 1, 2016)

capt Hamilton said:


> It could be the record number of bug hatches we had. We will have to wait and see when the bug hatches stops if the bite picks up.


I've heard from several people and from postings they are filling up on spiny water fleas there are pics of them removed from perch bellies out there I'll see if I can find them.
Matt


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## Matt63 (Jun 1, 2016)

http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/exotics/spiny.html
Here is an article from another site on the invasive species
Matt


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## rnewman (Mar 25, 2013)

I agree with blue max.We have caught very few white bass and white perch this season.The white bass have been all good size.We have usually trolled with harnesses.But the spoons were outcatching over the harnesses so did not use them much this season.Early in season saw few if any bait on sonar.Last couple months seeing more bait.Have not marked many perch though.


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## LEfriend (Jun 14, 2009)

Spikes said:


> All of the above are true, but the one constant over the last five years for me is using a single hook and weight. When perch are really feeding, it doesn't seem to matter whether it is a crappie rig, spreader or single hook, but when they are picky, a single hook with zero bling seems to work better. The downside is you can only catch one at a time, but the upside is you seem to catch the bigger perch with this rig, plus at least you are catching in tough times.


I agree, hardly ever use bling. But you can fish that way with more than one hook. Just tie a hook on your line 6 inches higher than your main hook, or 6 inches above the sinker if your main hook is below the sinker. I actually tie 3 hooks this way, 2 above the sinker and one purchased snelled hanging below it off the sinker eye. That way you have a hook on the bottom, one just above and another a foot high. To tie the hook on you can tie it to stand off main line 2-3 inches (there is a simple trick to that) or tie it straight to main line. Either way works. In course of a day I will catch fish on each of the various hooks. If it is a slow bite and they are stealing bait you will often catch them when they come back for the minnow on the other hook. Or you can lay all 3 hooks on the bottom. I make these rigs ahead using 16-20 inches of 20 test mono and tie a swivel at the top to snap on my line. Store on a noodle. They are simple and cheap and all I use now.


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## PBsQuest (May 26, 2013)

We sat ran all over from Lakeside to Marblehead to east of Kelleys off the airport last Sunday and caught one perch, one tiny, and I mean tiny, walleye. That was it. No sheepshead, no cats, no white perch. It has been really off for the last month and a half. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## s.a.m (Feb 22, 2016)

Last weekend Friday, Saturday caught 2 and 4 man limit, pretty slow.

I'd post location but wouldn't feel comfortable creating a boat jam or unsafe boating conditions!


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## OPTIMIST (Sep 27, 2007)

capt Hamilton said:


> I fished the Cedar Point Sawmill area for eyes on Tuesday. I kept my eyes on the screen looking for any perch schools. To my surprise in 5 hours of eye fishing I did not mark a sizable perch school not one. Fished for perch marked lots of fish. Took only a 1/2 limit. The perch bite has been off since the 2nd week of August. Any ideas on what's going on with the Western Basin perch?


Can't blame it on the walleye, back in the hay day of over 60 million walleye their was so many perch their was no limit on how many you could take. Netters taking double their quota for 3 years in the certral basin did a lot of damage.


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

OPTIMIST said:


> Can't blame it on the walleye, back in the hay day of over 60 million walleye their was so many perch their was no limit on how many you could take. Netters taking double their quota for 3 years in the certral basin did a lot of damage.


like


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## Searay (Feb 12, 2007)

OPTIMIST said:


> Can't blame it on the walleye, back in the hay day of over 60 million walleye their was so many perch their was no limit on how many you could take. Netters taking double their quota for 3 years in the certral basin did a lot of damage.


Only change is water clarity could this be it?


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## rnewman (Mar 25, 2013)

Lake has changed also with invasive species.There were no white perch back in the heyday of big walleye population.Zebra mussels associated with water clarity.Different types algae affecting the forage fish.


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

OPTIMIST said:


> Can't blame it on the walleye, back in the hay day of over 60 million walleye their was so many perch their was no limit on how many you could take. Netters taking double their quota for 3 years in the certral basin did a lot of damage.


LIKE


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## tambora (Jun 15, 2008)

OPTIMIST said:


> Can't blame it on the walleye, back in the hay day of over 60 million walleye their was so many perch their was no limit on how many you could take. Netters taking double their quota for 3 years in the certral basin did a lot of damage.


You can thank the dnr for that! They let it go on that long while they were playing their undercover games!


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

rnewman said:


> Lake has changed also with invasive species.There were no white perch back in the heyday of big walleye population.Zebra mussels associated with water clarity.Different types algae affecting the forage fish.


money kill the perch not invasive species.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

OPTIMIST said: ↑
Can't blame it on the walleye, back in the hay day of over 60 million walleye their was so many perch their was no limit on how many you could take. Netters taking double their quota for 3 years in the certral basin did a lot of damage.

You can thank the dnr for that! They let it go on that long while they were playing their undercover games!

You have that right regarding netters and over quota. Several years ago we, sportsmen along with elected Ohio Officals were able to stop the over quota and netting in the Western Basin, the results which you now see ijn the return of decent size and quantity out West. I feel the restrictions currently being observed in the Fairport area will help but the only permanent solurion to the decline problem in the Central and Eastern basin is additional restrictions regarding permitted netting as well as total net size.


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## Tightlines (Jun 29, 2012)

The perch we have been catching while trolling for walleye were stuffed with spiny water fleas. Fleas also covered the braid dipsy lines way more this year then I ever remember.


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## bustedrod (May 13, 2015)

el liko


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## Seadoocaptain (Jul 25, 2016)

Just fished around kelleys last weekend. The two perch we caught were STUFFED with these fleas you are talking about! Our dipseys and spoons also covered with them. Caught plenty of catfish though!


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## WalleyeRunner (Jun 4, 2012)

So I've seen a lot about the spiny water fleas. What has caused so many this year or caused the perch to gorge themselves on them. Lack of bait fish or just way more sniny fleas then before? The western basin perch fishing has suffered greatly do to this also over the last month or 2. Normally easy limits this time of year but now you definitely have to search and search for active fish.


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## Whitefin (Sep 4, 2008)

Perch have been gorging on the spiny water fleas and mussels since they have been in the lake. This is nothing new. Having trouble catching perch is a recent problem.


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

I agree with Whitefin... I have always dredged up the fleas on Dipsey lines.... Doesn't sound like that's a new thing to me.


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## Ctowner (May 9, 2017)

water quality in the lake is not that good did u ever get burning hands handling fish over around davis bessie i have neuk fallout the water needs help big areas with no fish


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## bustedrod (May 13, 2015)

did you glow in the dark


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Be careful or something might fall off.


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## Wilddav (Apr 22, 2008)

Give me two or three calm days and.... emerald shiners and we will catch them.
Same time DNR stopped the emeralds from crossing lines, we stopped consistent October perch bite.51' off Conneaut is getting limits of perch. and snuggs fish's for the emeralds.


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## Eyeonthefly (Jun 3, 2011)

Wilddav said:


> Give me two or three calm days and.... emerald shiners and we will catch them.
> Same time DNR stopped the emeralds from crossing lines, we stopped consistent October perch bite.51' off Conneaut is getting limits of perch. and snuggs fish's for the emeralds.


Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the USDA stopped the shiner transportation due to VHS not the DNR.


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## 25asnyder (Dec 10, 2016)

I’m headed out for perch this weekend anybody found any good marks idc if they are in Ashtabula or by South Bass let me know me and pops will try and jig em up and I’ll report back thanks for any info


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## Matt63 (Jun 1, 2016)

Best reports I've heard are crib reef and L can


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## winjamr57 (Jun 11, 2009)

capt Hamilton said:


> I fished the Cedar Point Sawmill area for eyes on Tuesday. I kept my eyes on the screen looking for any perch schools. To my surprise in 5 hours of eye fishing I did not mark a sizable perch school not one. Fished for perch marked lots of fish. Took only a 1/2 limit. The perch bite has been off since the 2nd week of August. Any ideas on what's going on with the Western Basin perch?


I know I have seen recent reports that they are on 7 to 12 ft of water. Smae with the eyes in the WB.


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## Gradyfish (Jan 22, 2017)

Ctowner said:


> water quality in the lake is not that good did u ever get burning hands handling fish over around davis bessie i have neuk fallout the water needs help big areas with no fish


You are just kidding about nuclear fallout, right?
If not, we have just hit a new level of paranoia.


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## Matt63 (Jun 1, 2016)

No perch concerns here started west side of toledo water intake 19 fow at 930 got 15 in an hour then moved out about 2 miles and by 2 we were out of shiners with 75 nice size fish 27 lbs at cleaners spreaders no bling.


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

From the sound of the reports over the past weekend I'd say these concerns will fade away.... If the wind would just lay down.


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