Perch Search

[Pete Collin]

Hello All,

 

One of these days I want to make a real effort to learn how to catch perch in the finger lakes.  I have a question about how you find them.  Do you rely on your sonar?  In the past I have seen big schools teeming in the relative shallows.   In the Fingers, the water is often pretty clear.  Do you drive around until you see some before you start casting?

 

Pete

 

www.pcforestry.com

[Frogger]

Pete I sent you a PM.

Sent from my iPad using Lake Ontario United

[Sk8man]

Pete you have another PM

[traveling man]

I usually start by drifting threw an area. If it is good I will drift it again. If I find a small area that is hot I will throw a bouy out and come back and anchor there. If I am in an area I do not fish often I will use my ff to look at an area. Which lake are you interested in learning.

[Sean Youngblood]

Go to Erie. 60 to 70'off the Catt.You will see them on your graph!Get plenty of Emeralds.Closer than the good Perch Finger Lakes.

[Pequod1]

Have to agree with Sean. Only 60 miles from Portageville which makes the ride doable. I drive 110 and believe me, it is worth it. We limited 5 out of 6 times we went this fall. The big problem is the wind. Got to look for an offshore wind otherwise forget it.

[Pete Collin]

Boy, that's intriguing.  But Lake Erie in a 16 footer is a bit too sporty for me!

[Prchmike]

I have a 16 foot Sylvan and fish Erie alot. Just pick your days. Off-shore winds or any winds less than 10mph are quite doable.

[Pequod1]

And I go out in my 14' Grumman. No problem with wind less than 10.

[overthelimit]

16 foot tiller for me to. Just pick your days, if you got a decent drive hold out for light and variable winds. I'll be perching until thanksgiving. 

 

Can't comment on the finger lakes but my Rochester buddies crush them there, mostly Seneca. 

[Frogger]

Hey oh, he meant Keuka, yea thats it,Keuka Lake, thats where they crush em........lol

[panfisher]

Never fished Otisco at all, but pretty good perch can be caught in all the other fingers. I also include Silver. Not officially a finger lake, but I won't be up on charges for calling it one... .. Haven't tried it for many years but Conesus used to have great jacks in it that were not tricky to catch. In softwater season, simply drifting in 6-20fow over weedy areas (north and south ends of any r good) will pick up a variety of fish which usually means some perch. Use any kind of worm or small minnows or leeches. Or jigs with grub tails or almost any other soft plastic type works. With this u will often get bass, pike or pikerel and any other "sunny" type like rockies and crappie in the mix.....and occasionally an 'eye if they r in the lake. Trying to get perch predominantly takes a little more place (lake, lake section, ff use) and timing (to better pinpoint schooling movements) precision. This of course means more time on the water. Hardwater perching is often easier for targeting and getting those perch (to me).

Edited October 23, 2014 by panfisher

[cpate1]

I fish Seneca for perch without a boat this time of year thru the spring when I want them and normally do great around the pier and docks in Seneca harbor when they get in there they are there by the thousands you will see them carpeting the bottom so thick you can not see the bottom don't know how it is doing right now but they should be at least starting to come in there now

[Silver Fox]

I fish Seneca for perch without a boat this time of year thru the spring when I want them and normally do great around the pier and docks in Seneca harbor when they get in there they are there by the thousands you will see them carpeting the bottom so thick you can not see the bottom don't know how it is doing right now but they should be at least starting to come in there now

And now their will fishermen by the thousands......

[MeatHunter737]

Wow thanks cpate1...I'll be sure to tell all my buddies and guys I work with.... no more perch carpets in seneca...!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Lake Ontario United mobile app