Perch: A Fairytale Story
by Jerry Carlson

I was making the rounds between a series of open fishing holes when I came across a dead perch lying on the ice. As it happened, there were fish showing on the electronics in a hole next to the perch so I sat down and worked the fish.

It was during the process of trying to coax a bite out of the stubborn panfish that I got to thinking about the perch. Times have really changed for this species.

It was not that many years ago that the lowly perch was considered a trash fish. Anglers that would be frustrated with their tenacious appetite and nonstop pecking would often throw them on the ice instead of back down the hole.

Somewhere along the line, the word got out that these fish were beneficial. If they were big enough, they were excellent table fare. As for the small ones, they were a critical part of the food chain in our lakes.

Over time, perch fishing became a very popular event. Anglers would travel hundreds of miles to get in on good perch bite. Resorts and guides quickly learned the value of big perch and began catering to the perch customer. 

Eventually, over harvest of perch became a concern and limits needed to be adjusted to accommodate the fishing pressure. In recent years, we have learned that perch populations can fluctuate all on their own regardless of fishing pressure. A bad spawning year, a large number of predator fish, or too many cormorants can make a difference.

Most anglers find perch to be a very entertaining fish. They will bite a variety of presentations and are scrappy fighters for their size.

One of the best methods for taking perch is to use a standard number six or eight ice jig that is loaded with maggots or wax worms. This presentation is simple and will usually produce results.

Sometimes, a scaled down walleye jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head will out fish the larva presentation.  A 1/16 ounce Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon is hard to beat.

Perch can be real bottom huggers and need to be fished accordingly. Pulling them off of the bottom may be a necessary part of the strategy as they don’t always show up your electronics. I have also found perch to be very curious. Even though nothing is showing up on the screen, once a jig is bouncing around, they come in to take a look.

One other strategy that works well for perch is to poof the bottom. By dropping your jig onto the bottom, you will stir up a small amount of sediment that will attract perch. Sometimes I have found that they like to suck in bait that is laying motionless right on the bottom.

As for perch destinations, there are plenty. Lake of the Woods has some huge perch that are often mixed in with the walleye. Leech Lake, Cass Lake and Winnie are also noted perch hotspots.

Mille Lacs perch have been down for a few years but have come back substantially. Lots of jumbos are starting to show up on this fishery. Devils Lake is another well known perch factory as is the glacial lakes area of South Dakota.

Finding a place to go perching is not that hard. The internet is a great source of information. A few phone calls to resorts on big lakes will tell you where the bite is taking place.

The lowly perch is not that lowly anymore. It has gained a lot of respect as a fish that is entertaining to catch and excellent to eat.

Perch are truly a rags to riches fairytale story.