Toledo water intake and west ( perch)

[fishfinder]

Glad you are getting your freezer filled up. I hope to get out next week if the weather allows

[Chix_wing]

Launched out of Cullen Park yesterday around noon. Docks have been taken out but we were able to launch anyway since my wife can now dump me in and park the truck. Getting out was more challenging but thanks to the keel guard on the Ranger, I was able to beach the boat on the ramp and go retrieve the truck.

We went out to the lighthouse and setup right on the edge of the channel in 21 FOW. Wasn't marking much but that's how perch fishing goes, for me anyway. We anchored and didn't move until the sun was about to set. Kept 43 very nice sized perch, much bigger than last year. Plenty are 10"+, and we threw back at least as many as we kept that were less than 7" or less. Two scoops of very lively emeralds from Fisherman's Cave only attracted one junk fish - a sheep that bit when I put a mushy chunk of minnow that was re-used from a few catches. Otherwise, perch after perch after perch. There were two other boats that were there the same time we were and seemed to be doing well. When the sun started to set around 5pm, we started packing up the boat for the ride back to shore. My wife had her last minnow and rod sitting in a rod holder to keep it in until the very last minute. She reluctantly started reeling it in to end our season and as luck would have it, a 12" yellow perch slammed it as she was reeling it up. How fortunate are we to live so close to this fabulous natural resource!

As is the case for many of us, I look a couple of times per day for posts from Juls, Pork Chop or any others to see what is working. A sincere thank you to all of the contributors in this forum who have taught me so much.