Need perch advise

Hello all I have started last year trying to perch fish in the end of summer when the walleye bit slowes down. I've never really done that great always get some flurries of fish but never get them going. What am I doing wrong? I get Goldie's because the shortage of emeralds. And I use the anchor function on my trolling motor. So my question is am I moving too much with my trolling motor? Should I anchor? Do people move around some when bite gets slower or wait them out? And last am I better off with frozen emeralds than Goldie's? Any info on perch techniques is appreciated. Also I fished yesterday south side of green and had slow bite two of us got 32 perch on crappie Riggs 10 pounds at the cleaners threw back all the 6 inchers.

Anchor your boat. Unless if your trolling motor has a lock feature. Sometimes Pepe will move around to look for more fish. I try to stay and wait for another school of fish to come in. As far as bait emrolds are best. Last year I did very well with goldies. This year I was doing very well with goldies. In the last 2 weeks or so I struggle to catch on goldies.

Thanks for the reply. Yes my motor does have spot lock just wondered how well it works and if I moved around too much.

Try running your motor some days I let it idle all day some people say it don't help but I think it does. Try spreaders it puts the bait on the bottom rather than a crappie rig the top two hooks are off the bottom also bounce the weight on the bottom. Goldies have been working fine for me I got 30 today with them. I like to anchor and stay put unless it's totally dead. For me I wish walleye were as easy to catch as perch are. Try using perch eyes for bait or pinch the minnows head to get the juice flowing. Try different things it will get easier.

I have run the motor also. Sometimes it works right away, sometimes not at all. I also have thrown in cups full of rice, same thing it starts working right away... the bite goes away..throw more rice and bam, Sometimes never no matter how much rice I throw. Are these two things the reason I can sometimes catch perch? I don't know but I try em' Desperate tactics for desperate times. LOL I'm just waiting for and up and down day of jumbos. Had one in my life and that was on my first ever perch seeking trip and that was 30 years ago. Limits were end less.

I will give those tips a try thanks

I have to laugh a bit at these posts because we all have our superstitions. The rice one is something I will have to try. I can tell you this, if you get into them a big crew helps, the more lines bringing them up - the perch ch the water and make a frenzy and that's when the "as soon as you drop line" hits come. I fished with 5 kids Saturday in the pack, got 18 in 2 hours at two spots, then tried one last spot near the head boats, bam we were on em. 70 more fish in just over an hour when we had to go. We had crappie rigs, spreaders, Goldie's and frozen emeralds, nothing worked and then everything worked. We were on em like this last year in Conny then out anchor gave way, tried to get back on em, no luck. My experience says patience until you start em, then hit em fast and furious and don't move, or they will be gone!

When I was little papa used to take a small met full of minnow put the in a mason jar with water. The seal lid had many small punters and a hole in the middle. The hole he ran his rope through with a knot, the screwed the lid down, lowered it to the bottom, then tied it to the cleat.

He said the boat moving kept the jar going up and down stirring up the mud, and the minnows kept the fish there and interested when his pole was not in the water.

He also out perched everyone in the boat.

He also used to get clam shells and bust them into fine powered and toss in. He said the color looked like scales to the perch.

We use the spot lock on our Teranova Trolling motor no problem. If we have been catching perch and it slows down we will shut trolling motor off and drift to new spot but not far. If we fish for 1/2 hour or so and not any bites we will make bigger move. Always watch your fish finder. If no bites and nothing showing go searching.

Try perch rigs and spreaders with bling. Some days one out fishes the other. For the last few weeks it's been spreaders with bling. Sometimes they like them up a couple cranks and others they like it on the bottom tight. Talk to the bait shop Hi-way, Rickards and Huron Drive Thru always seem to know where to start

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Originally Posted by Kims Paycheck

We use the spot lock on our Teranova Trolling motor no problem. If we have been catching perch and it slows down we will shut trolling motor off and drift to new spot but not far. If we fish for 1/2 hour or so and not any bites we will make bigger move. Always watch your fish finder. If no bites and nothing showing go searching.

Try perch rigs and spreaders with bling. Some days one out fishes the other. For the last few weeks it's been spreaders with bling. Sometimes they like them up a couple cranks and others they like it on the bottom tight. Talk to the bait shop Hi-way, Rickards and Huron Drive Thru always seem to know where to start

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Also, I am big believer in cutting the shiners in half. I think you get more smell in the water

Thanks for all the replies. Can't wait to get back out and try it again.

i have read several times about rice. Is this cooked rice?

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Originally Posted by 4sevens

i have read several times about rice. Is this cooked rice?

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No. Go to sams club or somewhere you can buy it in bulk and put it in some kind of tote and keep it in the boat with a red solo cup. Spread liberally in a sweeping motion. Kind of fun to watch it sink on the graft.