Northwest Reel Life January - February 2024 Volume 3 Issue 4 - Flipbook - Page 5
fishing
fish and jig lightly until you
feel the bite.
Winter Perch Tips by
Hannah Pennebaker
Now that the holiday
craziness is over with, you
might find yourself with
the fishing itch. Maybe you
got a new fishing rod for
Christmas that you're dying
to try out! Winter steelhead
are a worthy pursuit, but
kids might not have the
patience to withstand
casting all day. Winter
perch are the perfect
solution! Though they are
small, they taste great
when fried up and most
lakes have an abundant
population of them. They
are eager biters, especially
in the winter months, and
you don't need much tackle
other than a light action rod
and some worms. Let's dive
into it and talk about how
to have a successful day at
the lake fishing for perch.
Though shore fishermen
can certainly be successful
when fishing for winter
perch, boaters have an
8 | NWFISHING.net
advantage. The trickiest
part of perch fishing in the
winter is locating the fish.
They move throughout
the lake in large schools
searching for food.
These fish often hide in
deep water, below the
thermocline, where the
water is warmer. Boaters
can search the lake until
they locate the schools of
fish.
Fish finders can show you
where the schools are, so
you can drop your bait
right in the middle of them.
Check near drop-offs and
underwater shelves first.
Perch will tightly school up,
so if you catch one, you're
bound to catch more. Drop
anchor or activate your
spot lock and get a bucket
ready! As with most fish in
the winter, they don't like
chasing down the meals.
Keep your bait right in the
middle of their school. If
you aren't getting bites,
move on. Perch schools
will look like little clouds on
your fish finder. Pay close
attention and follow the
fish.
If you're shorebound,
remember to use bottom
rigs so you can fish the
bottom of the water
column. This is a great
situation to use your twopole endorsement if you
have one. The more rods in
the water, the better your
chances of finding the fish.
Winter perch can be soft
biters, so pay close attention
and be ready to set the
hook. Once you've caught
one perch, you can cut it
into small strips of meat and
catch more. Perch cutbait
is one of the best ways to
catch more perch! One word
of advice, use small hooks. I
use size 8 or 10 hooks most
of the time. I also use an
ultralight crappie rod and
reel for maximum sensitivity.
Be careful when dropping
the fish into the bucket or
holding them for pictures,
they have several spines in
their fins that can prick you.
Though most lakes have
yellow perch to some
degree, you might be
wondering where to
start. I've had success at
Lake Washington, Lake
Sammamish, and Clear
Lake. Lake Washington is
my go-to for winter perch.
If you launch on the
southern end, try
anchoring near the
bridge. These are just
suggestions- check your
regulations and try a lake
near you that's open yearround. Remember that
perch tend to hug the
bottom during the winter
and study a map to find
those deep pockets on
Try to find a lake with a
pier so that you can more
easily reach the deep
water. Reservoirs are harder
for shore fishermen to
effectively fish in the winter,
since they're usually drawn
down past the piers.
Another great thing about
winter perch is that they're
willing to hit a variety of
lures and baits. I often start
with worms or crappie jigs.
Lower your offering to the
JAN - FEB 2024 | 9
