Perch

[dunn782]

8/24
Out again by myself this afternoon. Thought I would try a spot around L can where I saw quite a few boats yesterday. Idling around I found some marks and set up. Just as I got the second rod on the bottom, the first one went down. As soon as I set the hook I knew it was a sheephead. As I was bringing it up the second rod bent hard over the side of the boat, I heard a snap and watched the rod tip and last 3 inches of my favorite rod slide down the line and into the water. Obviously I was angry, but as I released the first fish I remembered a book about the native fish of Lake Erie that I had read 40 years ago. The author described how amazing it was that a few species had survived the commercial over harvesting, poisons, and pollution the lake has suffered over the last hundred years, and that the Fresh Water Drum was one of them. That memory had a calming effect on me, and I was actually smiling as I released the 24" offender. I did promptly leave the area, and moved to where I hoped the fish would be a little more considerate of my St Croix ultra lite rods.
Ended up back at the same spot north of A can that I have been fishing for a week now, and the perch were still there. 2 and a half hours to catch a limit. Very subtle nibbles, almost imperceptible on the rod tip, and most fish caught on the top hook. Still using the nice small goldies bought from A and Js, on 3 hook crappy rigs. Fish weighed 10 lbs at Shatto's

What kind of depth are you working north of A, if you don't mind sharing.

[Lucky Duck]

8/24
Out again by myself this afternoon. Thought I would try a spot around L can where I saw quite a few boats yesterday. Idling around I found some marks and set up. Just as I got the second rod on the bottom, the first one went down. As soon as I set the hook I knew it was a sheephead. As I was bringing it up the second rod bent hard over the side of the boat, I heard a snap and watched the rod tip and last 3 inches of my favorite rod slide down the line and into the water. Obviously I was angry, but as I released the first fish I remembered a book about the native fish of Lake Erie that I had read 40 years ago. The author described how amazing it was that a few species had survived the commercial over harvesting, poisons, and pollution the lake has suffered over the last hundred years, and that the Fresh Water Drum was one of them. That memory had a calming effect on me, and I was actually smiling as I released the 24" offender. I did promptly leave the area, and moved to where I hoped the fish would be a little more considerate of my St Croix ultra lite rods.
Ended up back at the same spot north of A can that I have been fishing for a week now, and the perch were still there. 2 and a half hours to catch a limit. Very subtle nibbles, almost imperceptible on the rod tip, and most fish caught on the top hook. Still using the nice small goldies bought from A and Js, on 3 hook crappy rigs. Fish weighed 10 lbs at Shatto's

I really thought those high priced rods like St Croix did not break very easily. Is that common that a big fish will snap a high quality rod?

[5285]

Your right a quality rod like a St Croix should give a lifetime of service if handled properly. However; if your lazy like me, and don,t put them in a proper rod holder, rather lay them over the gunwale (see photo) then they can break when a large fish slams your bait. It was definitely my fault not the rod or the sheephead.

[5285]

8/25
Took a neighbor out with me this afternoon, went to the same spot 1 mile north of A can. Very few boats on the lake today, passed 5 at L can and 2 at A can. Maybe the rest caught there fish early and headed in before I went out. Little chop on the water from the north wind, but not enough we needed to drop the anchor. Marked some fish and set the spotlock on the trolling motor. The bite had been light for the last few days but today was really light, just the slightest stop in the flexing of the rod tip signaled the bite, you either set the hook or lost your bait. The neighbor had a hard time with it and only caught 8 fish, it took me 2 and a half hours to catch a limit. Used 3 hook crappy rigs and goldies from A and Js. I gave him all the perch so i don't know the weight, but they were the same size We have been catching there.

[dunn782]

Thanks for the new report. Nice to let the neighbor have the fish too. I've seen a couple guys set a pole like that too, bad practice. I've seen a couple go over the side.

[5285]

8/28&30
Went to the east side of L can Friday afternoon with my nieces husband. He had never perch fished Lake Erie and wanted to give it a try. I marked some fish about 200 yards east of the can. It took us about 3 hours to catch our limit of perch, didn't have to move around they just kept coming with no more than 10 minute breaks between the bites. Again it was a pretty light bite, but he caught on really quick. Fish weighed 19 lbs at Shatto's, and were caught on crappy rigs, and goldies from A and Js.
My regular fishing buddy came up Saturday, but the waves never got below 3 feet, so he spent the night to try again Sunday. We decided to wait till the lake settled down Sunday morning and left the marina around 11 am. I was feeling confident because A and Js had a 50/50 mix of shiners and goldies. Tried west of L can first had some marks but fished a half hour for one perch. Idled around the east side and didn't see any fish, then went a quarter mile north and tried for a half hour with only 2 perch. Drove up to A can, spent 20 minutes looking for good marks, finally found some about mile north of A can close to where I was catching perch last week. Set there for about 45 minutes and only caught 4. Thought I might give the Toledo intake a try, and on the way noticed some boats anchored about half way to the intake closer to shore so I drove down to them and found they were on some pretty good marks. We caught the rest of our limits in about 2 and a half hours. The perch definitely bit better on the shiners than the goldies. All the fish were taken on crappy rigs, with all 3 hooks producing equally. Fish weighed 19 lbs at Shatto's

[captainshotgun]

5285. What was your depth when you finally got into them? Thx

[5285]

22 feet of water

[5285]

9\15
Only fished twice in the last two weeks. Friday 9/4 went 2 miles south of A can in 22 fow by myself it took 5 hours to catch a limit using crappy rig and goldies from A and Js. 8 lbs at Shatto's.
Went back to the same spot at noon today, only took 2 hours to catch my 30. Still using 3 hook crappy rig and today A and Js had emerald shiners with about a third goldies mixed in. fish weighed 9 lbs at Shatto's. Planning on heading back out tomorrow before the wind kicks up Thursday and Friday.

[badboards]

My 15 weighed 7lb at Marblehead fish cleaning, what quality of fish are you catching. Hope someone isn't putting their thumb on the scale.