Toddler time 3.0

[tomdury]

Hey friends!!

Heading back up for a long weekend with the fam this weekend and PIB is back on the docket. We are coming up Th-Sun and the tentative plan is to do another "on the way" stop to fish with the little toddler gal. Been seeing really good perch reports and think if we got her into a big, hot and heavy action perch bite, she would LOVE it!

Seems like around Green is the way to go now based on what I am reading and that would jive with being en route to PIB for us as well. Is that a good spot to start? Any specific "side" or depth to look for? Got a fish finder but it isnt the greatest so its tough to drive around and look for marks. If Green isnt working, any other decent spots in that area to give a shot?

As always, appreciate the help a TON!! I found this forum a couple years ago and it is such a great resource with everyone helping out. Its a huge lake and people like Jules and Waterdog are super helpful to us average weekend warrior dopes!!!

Tight lines all!

-Tom

[stampman]

very easy to find. look for where most all the boats are/ perch move to where the bait is. If many boats are present they will hang around. Just don't drop anchor on someones toe.

[cheeseheadinohio]

Are the bugs still bad? Can handle them on me just don't like having to wash the entire boat every time. Thanks.

[fishfinder]

I saw a post and a guy put a fan on his boat and he had zero bug problem

[Billy Boy]

Lately the pack of boats have been about 1/4 mile south of green. I have been fishing south of rattlesnake. The perch have been marking everywhere in that general vicinity. You will be in 29-32 fow almost everywhere you go in that area. All the spots you could try are on the way to PIB. I have been using frozen minnows sometimes cut, sometimes whole. Been averaging 5 keepers per hour. Since I’m based on middle bass I only keep over 9” as I have to clean everything myself. Last trip was Sunday. Caught 16 9-11” in 3 hours. Another 8 or so shorts, and only 1 farm with no other by catch. Still a very light bite. Only 1 fish on the dead stick. Everything else on my active rod. Using crappie rig with most fish coming on the bottom hook, and no doubles yet this year.

[tomdury]

Thanks for the info Billy Boy!! We will be in that general area at some point this weekend so I will report how we do!

[tomdury]

Well today was a total bust!! 😂😂. Went out of PIB and joined the pack north of green. Had some decent marks in a spot so dropped anchor and watched a couple boats around us catch a pretty consistent bite. We on the other hand couldn’t buy a bite!! 0 perch, 1 sheephead which the little girl loved but overall a big fat skunk!!

we didn’t get out until like 10 so thought maybe we just missed the bite window or something. We were using half shiners, full shiners, crappie rigs, and spreaders in different combos. Just couldn’t get any action.

anyone else in that pack today? Do well?

[Billy Boy]

I have a friend, and his son coming up. We are going out in the morning. If I can get them going early enough we will walleye first as the perch don’t really get schooled up looking to eat until 7:00ish. Either way I’ll give you a quick report by 8:00 or so. We will be throwing everything at them until we hit the right presentation. They can be difficult this early in the season.

[Billy Boy]

Update…there is no update. It was horrible today! Went down to the big pack south of green island. I was marking no fish, but joined in anyway. Can’t believe that whole pack was on nothing. Caught 1 nice perch in an hour. Pulled up anchor, and moved up to south side of rattlesnake. Marked tons of fish. Everyone must have been having a tough go of it as I was the only boat in the area, but soon had about 8 boats surround me. The marks were great. The fishing was not. We only managed 8 keepers all morning. Gave up at 1:00 pm. All fish caught on crappie rigs. They wouldn’t touch the spreaders.

[tomdury]

Thanks Billy Boy! Sorry you had such a tough go of it, we were the same way! Marked a bunch and saw some people catching near us but just could not get a bite going in the slightest.

I guess thats why they call it fishing and not catching. Little girl was a little disappointed but probably not as much as old dad. She had fun seeing the minnow bucket and catching the one sheep we caught lol!!