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Another great day on the water. Perch quality is incredible. Limit out north of intake again 24 ft of water . 9s and 10s . 3hrs. Just under 11lbs at Butch and Dennys, for my 30. Going again tomorrow. Heard that bigger ones are in 8 to 12 ft in am might start there. Will post my results for this area, please join in on your results water intake and west to the and toledo shipping channel. Thx to all.
Perch are biting all over the western basin picked up nice quality fish in 25-26 ft of water B can area too
Perch fished on Saturday about mile east of intake. Got a late start my buddy didn't get off work until 8:30. Which worked out better anyway cause we missed the morning rain. First stop was about a mile east of intake in 23 FOW. Caught few nice ones moved about 500 yards southwest nice marks picked a few more and a bonus 19" walleye. Moved in closer to shore to about 19-20 Fow. The wind really started to blow and the sky looked like crap, then the Perch turned on. We caught about thirty in about half hour and another walleye. Ended up with 42 nice Perch. Probably could say there and finished our limit but I didn't trust the look of the sky and we came in
No go for fishing this weekend for me. My lower unit reservoir was filled with water. Talked to a mercruiser technician, said I more than likely had a seal go out. Said that's why mercruiser put reservoir on so you would see when you would have issues. Older than 2000 models you wouldn't know until you have issues or drained unit in fall. Just a FYI. I check out every other outing my fluids and motor belts and hoses. So pulling out and rebuilding lower unit, checking gumball bearing and bellows. Keep on perchin
Got a 2 man yesterday evening near Bouy 9 on the shipping channel. Didn’t hit the water until 4. 26 fow. Spreaders w/ no bling. Let the rig sit on bottom then a slow lift off the bottom would trigger the bite. Huge emeralds from Bite Me, was pinching them in half. Only 2 farm animals. Not another boat in sight. Beautiful sunset ride in.
Fished in pack of boats south west of intake 17 ft of water. No bite for a half hour, picked up and went to intake south side of it , caught a dozen nice 10 inchers, handful of throwbacks, and farm animals. Fished for 3hrs. Lots of fish marked, just not fast bite.
Wow what a day. Went to shipping channel not a bite first half hour. Left headed east. Heard they were catching them 2miles east of intake in 22ft of water. Wow 2 10s at same time 5mins into stopping there. Ran out of bait, but had frozen shiners in cooler. Got my limit by 11am. Only 2 junk fish, lots of 10s, last fish was 12inch and took a huge shiner.lol
Slow today went to pack of boats southwest of intake 17ft of water. Started 8am had 20 by 930 and shut off, pack of boats dispersed, went out to 22ft straight out, great marks on screen, but only caught 5 more to 11. Today was alot warmer then yesterday.
Just curious as to what kind of rigs you're using, spreaders, single hook off sinker, tangle free rigs? Also, are you fishing right on the bottom?Quote:
Originally Posted by wkndwarrior63
Sounds like you've got the magic touch. Thanks in advance for any info provided.
Spreaders, no bling, 2cranks off bottom, key is bait. Shiners rule..... Have been getting about half shiners to chubs at bait shop. Sat was last one to get minnows at B and Ds, she gave me alot of dead ones, but they were shiners. And caught fish, actually I got my limit on sat with them forgot to post it. I freeze my extra shiners from July when their abundant, freezer bag no water, put in ice with fish till I need them. Which I did on sat, ran out of bait with 5 to go. Was cutting them in 3s, frozen larger shiners. Last fish caught I said what the hell put 2 large ones on and caught a12incher to make my limit.
Good to know i can freeze my shiners! Thanks for the tip!Quote:
Originally Posted by wkndwarrior63
Frozen only good for one bite, usually lose bait faster than fresh. Throw away after thaw, they get mushy. I use sandwich bags or quart bags if alot. Frozen doesn't seem to bother fish though.
What a day, went east 22ft of water off wards canal. Nonstop action from first line in water . Biggest fish was 11inches, handful of farm animals, 60 perch in 3 1/2 hours. Son and I both lost a jumbo at boat side..... why,why, oh well. Great shiners today from B and Ds, no chubs all emeralds. Good fishing guys
For what it's worth, I soak my unused emeralds in cheap vodka overnight then drain and freeze them in ziplock sandwich bags. I used a bag of them yesterday. The perch love them and they don't get mushy at all, even after being thawed out.Quote:
Originally Posted by wkndwarrior63
Mine when I use are still semi frozen, (keep in cooler with ice for fish till I need them) ,if their bitting good more like a shiner popsicle, cools them down in that warm water. Yesterday the perch were very warm too. Your idea sounds like it would be good for those perch looking to have a good time and get rowdy. Lol
Vodka doesn't freeze so wouldn't that defeat the purpose of putting them in the freezer. Just a thought 🤔
Correct, they don't freeze solid and that's the reason they don't get mushy. If you freeze them in water they will freeze solid, and the expanding ice crystals ruin the flesh (ice expands - that's why ice floats). The vodka preserves them and yet keeps them from freezing solid. They maintain their texture and stay on the hook just fine.
The key is to soak them in the vodka overnight. The vodka displaces most of the water from the minnow. Drain them well before you bag and freeze them. Putting them in the freezer keeps them from rotting until the next perch season.
I'll keep a container with vodka in it and as they die I'll toss them in. I'll give it a try. Thanks.
My frozen shiners are alive when I put in bag, no water. Fully thawed I'll throw away. Have 3 bags in freezer now, sat had almost 2scoops leftover and alive. When I go out by myself I'll get one scoop, and take a bag with me. With the price of shiners it's worth it to me. When it's my son and me , we get 3dzn and if we run out we're done. But we also cut are shiners.
That's a good idea. At least you won't run out of Emeralds doing that. I'll give it a try.
Reply:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted33
1 Way to keep left over Shiners:
Freeze them in a plastic bag, no Water. Sprinkle in some salt....enough to coat them. Put in the freezer. In a few days they'll sort of "mummify". These stay on the hook a lot longer because the fish is almost leather like. I'll catch 3 or 4 fish before I have to re-hook.
First time back on water, in a while honey due list was done , while on vacation. Went tonight after work, started to the west of intake in close 16ft of water, with pack of boats. Not even a nibble after 15 mins. Went east 18ft of water in front of Cooley canal and fishing pier. Non stop action for a hour and 15 min. Ended up with 25 perch, no junk fish. Only a handful of throwbacks. FYI got shiners at butch and Dennys, one word being nice, baby size, half inch, really. Bite was so fast said to hell with those and got my frozen shiners out, and worked great. Perch wanted something cold tonight. Shiner Popsicles...
Tonight fish were tight lipped. Marked large schools of fish . 2 1/2 hours, 14 fish, 8 to 10s, 5lbs. 1 mile West of intake 18ft of water. Had goldies for live bait, frozen shiners didn't change anything either. Alot more small fish today throwbacks, but even they stopped biting.
2 man limit yesterday (Friday) morning. We were between the intake and a pack further west and south, all alone. Worked off an old way point on my GPS, 20 ft of water. Sat down and never moved. Had emeralds from Butch and Denny's. Mix of sizes but a lot of really small ones. Oddly seemed like they preferred the tiny ones. Was never up and down but steady. Took about 3 hours, 22 lbs at the cleaner. We were wondering how the pack did. Didn't seem like a lot of boats moving but also didn't see many head in before us. We started about 8 finished about 11.
We were in the pack just before the lighthouse in 16 FOW. Slow going. Moved 2 bouy past lighthouse to 24 FOW with no luck. 3 poles in the water and didn't even fill 1 ticket. Lots of smalls.
Well today was a bust for me. 3 moves fish at every spot , screen showed good marks. Caught 2 throwbacks. Has to be 200 boats south west of intake. Just as many east of intake down by crane creek. Had goldies maybe that was issue. No frozen shiners left in freezer to try.
Started out in the same huge pack weekend warrior mentioned out by the intake and was really slow. Moved to the lighthouse and still slow. Decided to ditch the deeper water and moved shallower in 11-12ft of water by Turtle Island and limited out within 2 hrs there.
Went out 10/10 at noon after rain, to intake only 10 boats, little windy with 1 to 3s. 3 man limit in 4 hours. Definitely shiners made the difference from Saturday had goldies and out for 12 hours only 54 . 1.5 miles east and just a little bit north of intake perch are in the mud just get weight out of mud with 15 inch leaders on spreaders, the fish where on before got to bottom 8 to 11 inch great times.
What a beautiful day on the lake yesterday. But just like Saturday it started very slow. Started at 12ft pack of boats to the southwest of intake, then out from there 18ft, then went west to lighthouse moved twice out there. All that 2 keepers. Decided to head east of intake, started coming back and seen a couple of boats out north. Said what the hell, pulled up slow and went by them. My lowerance screen went crazy with schools of fish. Dropped anchor 21ft of water, fish were in feeding frenzy. Limit in a hour, could only fish one pole. Great shiners today from Butch and Dennys. Think I was very close to what they call the gravel pit? Half way between intake and lighthouse.
Anybody been out this week, been a week since I've been out. Neighbor of mine has been out last 3 days, so they must be catching them. Whatttt I know, I throw text and calls to him but nothing put my way, don't understand.
Went out yesterday and got a 3 man limit in just over 2 hours out in front of Crane Creek, 18 FOW. Had shiners from Butch and Denny’s. Fish were hugging the bottom.
Late start 1130 to 2. Seven perch. 18ft south of intake. Huge schools of fish , just not biting. Fish caught were also tight to bottom. Actually was slack lining pole to get them to bite. Traditionally just off bottom. Try again tomorrow. Nice shiners at bite me bait on rt 2