How to get bigger perch?

[gb1234]

My first perch trip ever yesterday was enjoyable and we limited out quickly. However, our biggest perch was only 10". Most were 8" and we threw back many smaller than that. They're tasty but it's a lot of work cleaning those things for two bites per fish. And I'd prefer not to use up my bait on those little ones.
How do you target bigger perch?

[dansdad]

Pay the fish cleaner to clean them! As we move into mid September thru October the fish usually start running bigger and more plentiful.

[ttinman23]

My first perch trip ever yesterday was enjoyable and we limited out quickly. However, our biggest perch was only 10". Most were 8" and we threw back many smaller than that. They're tasty but it's a lot of work cleaning those things for two bites per fish. And I'd prefer not to use up my bait on those little ones.
How do you target bigger perch?

Make perch tacos.

[airshot]

Ha....we all wish we coukd target bigger perch and walleye also!! Because I clean my own and usually fish by myself, I only keep perch that are well over 8" and up. Makes cleaning more worthwhile. Still have to sort thru them, sometimes, if only catching smaller ones I will move and keep moving in hopes of finding bigger ones...sometimes yes, sometimes no it doesn't work....

[dunn782]

Fish off Conneaut

[Water Dog]

Pay the fish cleaner to clean them! As we move into mid September thru October the fish usually start running bigger and more plentiful.

So true, they get bigger as we move forward to fall.
~Water Dog

[airshot]

Pay the fish cleaner to clean them! As we move into mid September thru October the fish usually start running bigger and more plentiful.

I did have mine cleaned for a couple years, but the family prefers no skins and was not overly impressed with the overall cleaning for the cost.
I don't fish for the count, so I can afford to be picky and also retired so I can get out often, so I fish for size and quality. Would rather have 20 over 9" than 30 of them 7" long !! But that is me, others will have different opinions.

[GlennD]

Our bigger perch always come when laying the rig on the bottom. We’ll lay it on bottom for a 5-10 count and slowly pick it up. We starting doing this when a lot of our perch were spitting up little gobies. If we can fish a 2nd rod then that one will target up off bottom. 👍👍

[stampman]

One way to get larger perch is to stop putting every perch in your bucket that has an eye ball and an a-hole. I fish a lake for crappie that put size and # limit. The size was 1 inch longer than the rest of the state. DNR told me that the extra length gave them 1 yr longer for spawning which increase the population. It was that simple.

[rickerd]

Yes I use a size 4 hook to start. many of the smaller perch won't get hooked. We throw back any unharmed fish under 8 inches.

I have found the "lay it on bottom" to work for better size before. But sometimes it means way less fish.

I was told by an old salt out of Whiskey Island years ago, he and his buddy would drift through the schools with a small floating rapala minnow 18 inches off a bottom bouncer. He showed us his bucket one day with a number of 14 and 15 inch fish. This was late September or early October. We had caught a few up to 13 inches that day. I've never had the guts to try it though, or shell out the money for the lures.

Rickerd