What are you waiting for?

[The Bait Shop Guy]

I really don't know what folks are waiting for - the perch bite is on, and it is good! I haven't been out for the last week due to "trailer issues," so that's my excuse. Granted, the weather hasn't been the most cooperative lately, either.

Anyway, my dad and I headed up to the Day's River area in his rig this evening. There were only two other rigs in the parking lot, so there was plenty of elbow room. Despite all the cold north wind we had this last week, the water in the bay is about 5 degrees warmer than it was a week ago, (48 to 50 degrees.) We motored around until we started marking fish. Found the best numbers well off the first break in 22 to 24 FOW. Wigglers were the ticket again tonight. We probably landed between 70 and 80 fish in a little over two hours of fishing, keeping 29. For the most part, they were all spawned out. I did catch two big jumbos that were still full of spawn. We had plenty of keepers tonight, so I threw them back to let them drop their eggs.

Get out and enjoy it if you can!

[The Bait Shop Guy]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that we also caught and released several walleyes that would have been keepers if the season was open. Won't be long, now!

[captjimtc]

Nice catch Chris! Alot of good eats there!!!

[jerkbait]

Hey chris hows the perch bite in the morning and are they hitting on jigs or perch rigs or just split shot n hook style... Id like to get out there one morning.

[The Bait Shop Guy]

It's pretty much an all day bite. Talked with a guy today that lives near the mouth of the river, who said he saw several boats out there this morning. Personally, I only fish afternoons and evenings. Seems like the bite is better for me after the wind kicks up.

The fish don't seem to mind what kind of hook you use - as long as there's a wiggler on it. Thread them on the hook like a worm. It doesn't matter if they're dead, and you'll lose less of them to the little bait robbers. I was using perch rigs I tied up with both plain hooks and tear drops. The tear drop rigs did produce a little better. For a while you could catch a fish as fast as you could get a line in the water, and my dad finally went to just one rod with a plain hook under a slip bobber. He didn't catch as many that way, but they seemed to be better quality fish. He also caught all but one of the walleyes on that rig.

[jerkbait]

Thanks Chris!!! Good stuff...