Looking for help

[5285]

I just bought a place at Green Cove and am looking forward to a season full of fishing. The walleye fishing sounds great, and I can't wait to get the boat in the water to try for them. What I could use some help with is perch fishing. I read all these posts with fantastic advise for spring walleye, but I haven't seen a word since November about perch fishing. Do the schools move out, or is just nobody reporting on it? Any information would be appreciated, and I am excited to meet a lot of my new neighbors in the next few weeks.

[cycleguy]

I'll enjoy seeing any answers on this as well. I only get here once maybe twice in spring for walleye - but would love to "just know" more about perch fishing. Nothing else, but to just hear about it…. I can't get enough. I'm a panfishing guy at home - and could chase a few perch just as easy as walleye and be happy.

[LEfriend]

I just bought a place at Green Cove and am looking forward to a season full of fishing. The walleye fishing sounds great, and I can't wait to get the boat in the water to try for them. What I could use some help with is perch fishing. I read all these posts with fantastic advise for spring walleye, but I haven't seen a word since November about perch fishing. Do the schools move out, or is just nobody reporting on it? Any information would be appreciated, and I am excited to meet a lot of my new neighbors in the next few weeks.

Not many fishing perch now, though they would have been if there had been ice. You can get perch around A can during the spawn. But not a lot fish for them then - they will spray all over your boat and cooler and make a huge mess! Not sure but think they spawn a little later than walleye. I know a guy that fishes them A can area in May. But most people go for the walleye then because they are hot and heavy! With all the eaters this year it should be a walleye bonanza then so why fish perch.

Perch starts to pick up in mid July and just gets better and better. I have fished them in July and early August. B and C can. Done good sometimes, but some days then it is hot, still and buggy and not much fun sitting there trying to get small perch. it gets better and better into August and September as things cool. Bite gets better and fish get larger...so late summer and fall is the gravy season!

Welcome and good luck. Pm me any time for questions.

[captain tacky]

We do very well on Spring Perch Fishing using anchor set with shiners and spreaders around A can and near the Light House in Maumee Bay. Honestly I am a local and fish often and prefer fill the freezer and eat Perch. But catching the walleye are fun we mostly catch and Release them. sometimes we are the only boat anchored for Perch

[3labs]

I'm from oak harbor and fish walleye hard in the spring. By mid may I switch to perch for the rest of the year. After mid may I will occasionally go for walleye but most times it's perch. Every year I have done great on perch. Send me a pm and can give you some areas to look.

[branhamautomotive]

I know they net for perch in the spring right out in front the moose area in port clinton. With all th walleye on the reefs in the spring there will not be want perch in that area. But the perch do spawn right after the walleye move out, and normally in much of the same areas. But seeing they are food, where alot of walleye are perch will not be.

[Fishing Addiction]

Oh there out there you just have to find them. Several years ago we were killing them less than a mile off shore from reno beach in late April and they were full of eggs. Take the egg sacks roll them in breading and deep fry them mmmmmmmmmm delicious

[cycleguy]

When you guys fish perch here… is there a typical size range you are catching and keeping? What is a good keeper size perch?

[Bggeary]

I try not to keep anything smaller then 8 inches, but sometimes it can't be helped, swallow the hook or just the size of the school your on, but I try to limit those days to 7.

[papajoe]

Welcome to the "cove" 5285. The posts here were very informative. I have a perch story that I tell when I can find someone to listen. It was late in the year and cold. I had taken my boat out for the winter but I don't remember what month it was. We were fishing the bridge where the creek runs into the marina at Maumee Bay State Park. Shiners were under the bridge and they were in there thick. We netted them and put them on a single hook that we sent to just off the bottom. We caught all the perch we wanted but since the park ranger told us that the creek was heavily polluted and all the perch were about seven inches we threw them back as we caught them. But I enjoy catching different species in spots that are often overlooked or where fish aren't expected to be there.