Perch Bite On At Big Spirit

Perch Bite On At Big Spirit

By Steve Weisman

For four years we have waited, and waited, and waited. That is 1460 days we have waited for a year class of perch to hit that 8-10 inch size on Big Spirit. Well by golly, they are back!
Since the end of June, the perch bite has been getting better and better, and the armadas of boats are once again showing up after a four-year hiatus. We’re finally on the upswing side of the perch cycle.

What happens in the cycle
Right away the words of DNR Fisheries Biologist Mike Hawkins from this past spring went through my mind as I learned of the perch bite. “What anglers must always remember about perch is that they are a cyclic fish with a lifespan in our area of about six years. For that reason, there will be that phenomenal year of fishing followed by a decline.”

He has also reminded me several times over the years that when they are minnow size, perch are exactly that: forage for other predators. So, it is possible to have a huge year class in that first year, and they end up being part of the food chain, and the year class never becomes the blockbuster year class. In addition, perch are highly cannibalistic and will utilize small perch as part of their own forage base.

However, his most encouraging words to me this past spring were: “our data shows that there is a big year class coming.”

I’ve looked at the data collected over the past 50 years, and he’s right. The numbers don’t lie. It’s right there on paper: perch numbers cycle pretty much like clock work, spiking and plummeting.

For the average angler (which I consider myself), though, our memory is short. When perch numbers are high, we rave about how great of a perch fishery Big Spirit is. Then when the bottom drops out, we moan that the perch are gone and will never come back. Too many teeth, the fishery has fallen apart…sound familiar?
Seriously, as much as we would like to, we can’t stockpile perch. They are a short-lived fish. As much as we would like to, we can’t keep those big jumbos around every year.

The good news is we’re on the upward swing and anglers are catching a wide range of sizes, anywhere from 5-10 inches and even a few 11-12 inch fish.

Another good sign on Big Spirit is the number of 5-10 inch walleyes being caught by perch fishermen. Once again, this fits into what Hawkins told me earlier this spring. “Our data shows there are a lot of small walleyes in Big Spirit right now. Some will reach keepable size in the next year, while the smaller ones will take two years.”

Again, this has been a major concern of anglers with lots of slot fish, but no keeper size to take home for a meal. It appears that that will also be improving. Managing a diverse body of water like Big Spirit is truly a challenge. The goal is to make it the healthiest fishery possible, but there are so many variables involved. Plus, decisions are always far reaching, and there is no magic wand that makes things right. Definitely quite a task.

Back to the perch
Although I live on East Okoboji, I have fishing buddies that live on Big Spirit, so it’s pretty easy to trade off fishing trips and get on Big Spirit. Not long ago, my wife and I went fishing with longtime friends Bill and Diane Elling. They live on a sandy beach north of Anglers Bay, where the evening sunsets are incredible. Plus, it is so nice to be a short five minutes away from the fishing action. So, after a nice cookout, we checked our watches and saw it was 7 p.m., time for a quick hour of evening perch fishing.

Although there can be a weed bite, right now the bite is a main basin bite in 20-21 feet of water. Since Bill and Diane had been fishing an area out in the middle (thank goodness for gps locations), we just headed right there. We got there and the locator showed fish on the bottom. In a little over an hour we kept 19 perch in the 9-10 inch range and threw back probably another 20 or so 5-7 inchers. We also caught probably 15-20 small walleyes. By 8:15, we were back at the cabin and by 8:45 fish were cleaned. A perfect evening!

A few days later and Bill and I went back to the same spot at the same time-that last hour before dusk. We kept 38 nice perch in an hour and threw back another 20 or so. We could have stayed a while longer, but that’s enough fish to clean!
I’ll talk presentations in a little bit, but first I want to discuss finding a school, if you don’t already have one located.

Search modeIf it is my first time out, I may check fishing buddies or the baitshop to get a general idea of where the perch have been active. However, unless I know people are catching perch, I won’t spend time in a spot jammed with other boats. There are lots of schools of perch out there, and it is a matter of locating them.

So, I will target the basin with nearby structure (humps, rock piles or where the fish have been). Since these schools meander and move around, this at least gives me a starting point. Often, the schools of basin perch are feeding on bloodworms, larvae of what will become adult midges. The bloodworms feed on bacteria in the mud and make for an easy meal for schools of perch.

I will slowly motor around and use my Humminbird 999 SC to help me search for perch. I will mark waypoints as I find the schools.

Once I find them, I will use my I-Pilot (anchor lock) to sit over the top of the school. Most of the fish taken from the basin are caught within a foot of the bottom, so whatever presentation you use, target that part of the water column. I have seen on occasion where the schools are so huge that part of the school might be several feet off the bottom, and i have caught perch there.

The schools do move in and out, so it’s either wait for them to come back or move around to keep with the school or find another one.

Presentations:
Most of the time anglers will use light tackle for perch. I usually fish with four-pound Berkley XL line and an ultralight rod and reel. Common baits include silver wigglers, wax worms, meal worms, Belgium worms, small leeches and minnows. Each day can be different, so I always make sure to have a good variety of bait. However, my go-to baits are the silver wigglers and Belgium worms. Some people like to use a slip bobber with a plain hook or tiny jig just off the bottom. I prefer straight lining right over the side of the boat, so that I can actually see and feel the bite.

When straight lining, my two favorite lures are the tube jig (mini jig) and the Shuck’s Jigger Minnow (www.shuckslures.com). Both work well, but on a given day, one may be better than the other. Thus, I always start out using both until I find a pattern. However, I do think that for the most part, the Jigger Minnow is king when it comes to perch fishing at the Iowa Great Lakes. What I like about the lure is that it is heavier than a lot of lures so it gets to the bottom quickly, yet it fishes light. I will put silver wigglers, wax worms, meal worms or Belgian worms on to help attract the perch. With more than one person in the boat, we will all use different baits until the perch tell us what bait is hot. Most of the time I fish with a mini jig on one line and Jigger Minnow on the other.

One of my favorite presentations is to drop the Jigger Minnow all the way to the bottom and let it hit the bottom. Then I will bring it up just off the bottom (a few inches) and jiggle, jiggle, jiggle the lure. This provides flash while at the same time it gives the chain and hook an often-irresistible wiggle.
If I had to pick my favorite colors they would be the Red/Silver Jigger and the Green/Gold Jigger.

If nothing happens, I drop the lure on the bottom, jig up, drop it on the bottom, jig up and drop it on the bottom. What I am attempting to do is poof the sand to attract the perch. By golly, many times this will result in a bite.

Be forewarned, the Jigger Minnow will attract a variety of fish. Depending on the lake I am fishing, I have caught perch, bluegills, crappies, yellow bass, white bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and walleyes. I’ve caught them all on the Jigger Minnow.

I am hoping that this bite only gets better and better. I remember back to some of the big perch years and the fishing would just keep improving right into fall. Let’s hope that is the case this year!

Oh, and the perch population and bluegill population are excellent on West Okoboji and the yellow bass are dynamite on East Okoboji, but that’s for another story another time!