Any Perch around the Cans??

[wakina]

You can get a good debate started on here about minnows for perch. The conventional thinking is that nothing beats Lake Shinners and that inland minnows like fatheads don't work very well. Sometimes the bait shops get golden shinners when the Lake Shiners aren't available...some fishermen swear by goldens and some at them. If I couldn't get live shinners, I would take frozen emeralds next over anything else, then goldens third. Spotfin shinners are real good, but hard to find.

As for size, I want a 1 1/2 inch thick minnow to hold the hook easily. For bigger minnows lots of times we cut them in two...sometimes all you need is a quarter inch chunk on the hook. Avoid pinheads...they are too skinny to keep on the hook and you get robbed blind.

Good luck

I agree, 1 1/2 to 2 inches is the best size! When pinheads are all that are available I switch to a number 8 hook as the wire is finer and does not destroy the minnow as easily as the commonly used number 4 hook. The perch don't seem to mind the size and readily bite the pinheads. The bad thing with a number 8 hook is that a higher % of the smaller throw back perch are to deeply hooked to be released in a condition that would facilitate survival.

[Fishin'Lectrician]

Wakina thanks for the heads up on bring minnows. I don't want any trouble with the DNR, we will just get what we can when we get there.

[wakina]

Wakina thanks for the heads up on bring minnows. I don't want any trouble with the DNR, we will just get what we can when we get there.

If you launch from Turtle Creek or any where around Davis Bessie there will be or should be frozen shiners available at several locations! That is if there are no fresh live shiners available. Happy Hooker, Deans Drive Thru, Maybe AnJ baits as well as some further west! Good luck. I will post as soon as I can if there are shiners available or not.

[wakina]

I just made 4 calls and no one has any shiners and they said they would have to get real lucky to have any for tomorrow! Looks like a tuff weekend fishing with Fatheads that A-n-J said they have in stock or frozen ones that could be in short Supply also with all of the fishermen hitting the water this weekend!

A-n-J does not have frozen shiner! I just got off the phone with their shop.

[cblewis]

Wakina - If I strike out on the minnows tomorrow I will just switch to walleye. Any reports around the cans where they might / could be?

[wakina]

Happy Hooker and Deans Drive Thru say they have frozen shiners. Deans is located just before the Toussaint River bridge headed East on Rt. 2. It is the BP station.

[wakina]

Wakina - If I strike out on the minnows tomorrow I will just switch to walleye. Any reports around the cans where they might / could be?

From the reports that I have gotten there are still some in the triangle that would be formed from Niagara to N Bass to Green and back to Niagara. Big area I know but that is as close as I can tell you. That is where the head boats and some charters are getting them. They gave no spesifics just general area of where they are catching eyes.

[fishinnotcatchin]

wakina just wanted to say,its very nice of you to provide info about things like that (minnow shortage). People that travel a distance to come fish or just to get out and enjoy the lake,may be unaware of of such things.You save them alot of time lookin for bait when they could be out on the water.THANKS!!!

[wakina]

wakina just wanted to say,its very nice of you to provide info about things like that (minnow shortage). People that travel a distance to come fish or just to get out and enjoy the lake,may be unaware of of such things.You save them alot of time lookin for bait when they could be out on the water.THANKS!!!

To me that is what this site is all about. It would be a waste of everyone's time if those who know would not share information that is helpful. The phone calls that I made were for information about shiner availability and it would not be right to not pass that info along to the other members. I have 2 other bait stores to check but they are small operations and are not always in their store to take phone calls. So I will post if I find shiners in the morning and where at.

Thank you for the compliment, it is greatly appreciated.

[wakina]

Fisherman's Wharf has a few shiners. I just got some this morning. they said they didn't have a whole lot though so if you need them get them now