My buddy, Sebastes, and I love to catch and eat perch, but we have never figured out where to catch them in the winter. From Aug. through late Oct. they are schooled up in 25-50 feet of water at the entrance to the bays. But we have searched with the sonar on winter and spring and can't find them. Anyone know where they are?

A friend of mine , an avid bass fisherman, was out on Lakke Sammamish yesterday and found some huge perch with his underwater video camera at 50'....I'll have to ask him about it and email you the big secret. He was mapping bass concentrations.

Dave,

According to the article in the December 18 Fishing and Hunting News, schools of perch can be found "off the North end of Mercer Island, north of the east span of the I-90 bridge, etc." in at least 40 feet of water. For more info, call guide Curt Welch 425-226-6327.

Or come over to my side of the mountains and ice fish for them. Brrrrrrrr.

Dan

Dave,

Wasn't really looking for it, but just found a longer article from F & H News from last month online and there's a map included.

http://www.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/s/f_map_03_WA_Lake_Wash_perch.html

Enjoy! (and will you autograph a book for me?)

Dan

Perch?.....yellow perch?.....I don't mean to be rude, but why would anyone other than young kids be interested in perch? I'm sure that I've buried enough of those things to suit me for the rest of my entire life.
Unless they have poisoned the lake.....give Lake Campbell a shot on Whidbey Is. You can catch them two at a time on bare hooks (regular old brown worm hooks) until you fill up the truck bed.
(mumbling) can't beleive someone would go out in the Winter to catch perch...........
Hey, different strokes, right?

i think they're the best eating freshwater fish out there. yes, i like them better than salmon or steelhead. plus, i don't have to worry about handling them wrong and there's rarely anybody else fishing for them

Just as long as nobody catches you flossing for them I'd say you'll be okay to get a mess of them....

Robert

AS: Thanks a ton. Send me your address and I will send you an autographed book. Next time the rivers are out I will try what F&H News says. I tend not to trust F&H news, but what the hey.

F5A: I love to fish - anything - anytime. I learned long ago that the guy that has the most fun wins. In the past year I fished in Mexico, Alaska, Panama, Costa Rica, Brazil and all over the Northwest. I caught wahoo, sailfish, dorado, peacock bass, snook, GTs, cubera snapper, all five species of U.S. salmon, lingcod, halibut, bass, walleye and yellow perch. One of my most fun days last year was fishing yellow perch on Lake Washington with an old friend. And I agree with Chum Man that they are one of the finest eating fresh water fish. But the real reason I do it is I have fun fishing them. Isn't that really what we fish for? The older I get the better I understand it’s all about having fun.

Well put Dave ! Fly Tyer

Well said, Dave! Take out an ultra-ultra light with 2lb test line and those little buggers are 30lb chinook! It's all relative and fun is fun!

Dave,

When last year was a bust for steelhead, I "concentrated" my efforts on Lake WA.

Kept making trip after trip for perch and trout and not finding them.

Finally the last trip out I spotted a familar mushroom cloud at 65' off of Yarrow Point.

Lots deeper than I would have expected them.

Didn't believe they were perch so didn't fish them. Later found out from another Lake WA fisherman that perch run lots deeper in the winter.

How do you guys rig to get these?

Curely tail grubs with scent

Worms
Strips of perch cut fron a fillet
meal worms
wax worms

do not anchor stay with the school. If you catch smaller ones from the top of the school go to the bottom of the school looking for bigger ones.

My inlaws moved here from Wis. They have fish frys every Friday back there and perch is the main stay. So I take the kids out a few times a year and catch enough to last them for a while.

You will see pics of people holding smaller perch. I would fillet the first one you catch that you think you will keep. See how much meat you get then keep fish bigger than that. If you do it right you will catch some one pounders or larger. If you do not have a fillet board put a nail through a board and push the head down on the nail just behind the eye socket.

North end of Lake Washington. 65 feet of water off the points and flats. Saw them on radar Sunday fishing for cutts.

Hey folks, keep it down! If the word gets out on the yellow perch in Lake Washington, the entire state of Wisconsin will empty out overnight. Every cheesehead between Racine and Spread Eagle will arrive on Mercer Island within days. Be prepared for GB Packer sweatshirts and six packs of Linies.

Having fished throughout much of the Midwest, including Vilas County, Wisconsin, I can tell you that chessheads will stop at nothing to get fresh yellow perch. You are forewarned......!

I soak them in milk and apple chunks overnight. Poor mans shrimp is what the old guys called it growing up. Great stuff. My luck was always better on Lake WA at night, the later the better. And who knows, with another single digit weekend comming up, you may be able to ice fish west of the Cascades.

Don't worry about anyone reading this thread. We're still in depression from yesterday's football game.

One thing that is MORE sacred than fishing is Packer football. Probably the only thing.

Sad day in Packerland

Coho,

You brought back some memories when you mentioned Vilas County. I spent some time during my youth near Boulder Junction (The Musky Capitol of the World). Got me thinking about my last Lienenkugel. Proud to be a cheesehead.

-David

I'm constantly amazed by how many fellow cheeseheads have moved out here. I suppose you all came here for the same reason I did; All the hunting and fishing without the 20 below!

what i have a hard time figuring out is why it's so difficult to catch perch in the smaller shallower lakes in the winter on the west side compared to the east side where the temps are much colder. i've been trying to figure it out for years, i'm gonna try to use the fish finder method this winter...i won't stop until i get into the perch!