It is time to get your perch fishing game on. The place to be is the New York waters of Lake Erie. Perch are fun to catch and, as table fare, they are tough to beat.
Yellow perch fanatics should be excited because action started early due to the mild winter. To gauge the popularity of these fish, one needed only to attend the perch seminars at the Greater Niagara Fishing Expo in February to see that most instructional seminars were near or at capacity. Two of those instructors were Capt. Daryl Wiese of Stress Reelief Sportfishing (716-481-8873; www.stressreeliefsportfishing.com) and Steve Brzuszkiewicz of Marilla, both detail-oriented students of all things perch. They even tag-teamed on a perch clinic during the Expo.
Another gauge of perch popularity is the Open Lake Sport Fishing Survey conducted by the Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit out of Dunkirk. At one time, the survey was conducted from May through October. However, the earlier pursuit of perch by fishermen has forced research to expand the survey into April.
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“In 2023, April accounted for 42% of the entire 2023 yellow perch harvest,” reported Dr. Jason Robinson, Lake Erie Unit leader. “This year, it appears things began even earlier with reports of some successful perch trips beginning in February. Measuring that early season harvest accurately is important because New York data plays an important part in the lake-wide stock assessment. For the past three years, DEC has started an angler survey in April instead of May to accommodate the early start and implemented staffing changes to make that April portion of the survey permanent.”
Based on the earlier start, the yellow perch catch rate (2.79 perch/hour) was fourth best in the 36-year survey last year.
Robinson insists that fishing quality in 2024 should remain above the long-term average. There is no question that it is certainly starting out that way. The 2019–2021 year classes (8–12 inches) look to be at or above average and likely will dominate the catch in 2024. Anglers may catch some of the strong 2016 year class (12-plus inches), but the frequency of encountering these jumbo perch is expected to dwindle as the 2016 class ages out of the population.
“The average size for a New York harvested yellow perch was 11 inches, which remains the highest in the lake,” Robinson said.
Wiese enjoys educating anglers, both on and off the water. Just under half of his charters are beginners seeking perch and walleye, so it is important to help identify the different ways perch will take bait.
“Sometimes, perch are aggressive. Sometimes, they are more subtle,” Wiese said. “It may be difficult to tell if it’s a bite, or just dragging bottom. How to bait a hook is also part of a charter.” Small details can make a huge difference.
Identifying where to start on the lake is dependent upon a few factors. Wiese will look at waypoints from previous years to see where he found them before. He also will talk to his fellow anglers – a network of fishermen that he can count on and share information with – to help him figure out a plan of attack. However, his most important tool is his electronics, looking for fish between 45 and 60 feet of water, to start.
“Using and understanding your sonar is key when looking for active fish,” Wiese said. “Make sure it’s installed and set up properly, including the color palette, frequency and sensitivity. This is dependent on the specific manufacturer.”
Once you find the fish, it is important to stay on them.
“Spot lock on your trolling motor is the most efficient and accurate way to hold your boat over fish,” Wiese said. “Make sure your batteries are in good condition, including the remote. Also have the app on your phone, in case the remote malfunctions. If you are using an anchor, make sure you have enough line for the depth of water you are fishing, since water can be over 50 feet deep. You’ll need more line than the depth of water. Sometimes double or triple that amount.
“For beginners, it’s important to learn your electronics. Don’t assume you need to fish close to the pack of boats that may be out there. Vary your bait off the bottom, and you can also try jigging or dead stick tactics to give action (or lack of) to the bait.”
Brzuszkiewicz loves perch fishing and loves sharing the information he uncovers with his fellow anglers. Paying attention to detail is his specialty, and last weekend was a perfect example.
He launched solo out of Cattaraugus Creek and started looking for perch in 50-plus feet of water. He stopped at 54 feet and dropped a line. He caught a fish, but it took a few minutes. He let his boat drift 15 feet in the wind and put the spot lock back on his trolling motor. Bam. Double-header. An hour and a half later, following 19 more double-headers, he had his limit of 50 fish. He was all by himself, and he called a couple of buddies who were on the water. They came over and reached their limit, as well, but it was a very small area that was producing.
“Electronics are key for me, and I recommend multiple units so they can be kept on as separate GPS and Sonar units to eliminate constant pushing of buttons,” Brzuszkiewicz said. “This allows me to focus better on catching fish. Finding the perch is the key to catching them. Closely watching your sonar for activity at the bottom while you troll slowly is a must. I set my sonar to the lowest transducer frequency, so it covers the largest area.”
Preparation is a must when getting ready for perch fishing. You need a game plan of where to search, and having live bait for perch is very important. When vertical fishing does not produce, Brzuszkiewicz will cast and drag back to the boat. At times, he slowly will troll or drift. He is looking for a school of perch. When he finds them, he figures out what they want.
“I am a convert to 10-pound braid line and fluorocarbon leaders, using a short lightweight spinning rod outfit that is 5 1/2 foot long,” he said.
The shorter rod makes it easier to swing a fish into the boat. Spinning outfits are easier for casting when he wants to cast and drag back to the boat.
His favorite perch setup is a 4-foot fluorocarbon leader with two No. 4 size gold Aberdeen hooks, snelled with 14-pound fluorocarbon line. His only hardware is a snap swivel for using a 1-ounce pencil lead sinker.
Those are the basics. If you want to hire a charter, a good list of available skippers can be found for the Eastern Lake Erie Charter Boat Association at https://www.easternlakeeriecharters.com.
Get out and take advantage of Lake Erie’s own gold rush.