The humble perch is often the ice fisherman’s favorite fish. Perhaps no other fish will bite all winter long like perch. The fact that they taste great only makes it better. Even the novice ice angler can do well perch fishing with basic equipment. More often than not it simply involves finding where the bite is, getting some holes in the ice, dropping a minnow or a lure down, waiting for the bite, then reeling them in until you reach your limit.

However some days perch can be more finicky than mid-winter Northern Pike. You get your bait down and not even a nibble. Not to worry, the little guys are just gonna make you work for your fish fry. Your first step is learning and understanding a little bit more about stubborn Perch. If the perch are sluggish you will just have to try something a little different. Here are some great tactics to use when you run into problem perch:

Get their Attention

Unlike other pan fish perch like to eat things that move, wiggle, and jiggle. Don’t just plop your bait down among waiting perch and hold it there, try giving it some action. If you know what depth they are at drop your presentation below the perch. Then quickly bring it up 8 to 12 inches, jiggle it right in front of them, drop it down again and repeat this dance. Sooner or later the perch will get worked up and hit your lure. Once you figure our what works keep it up, most likely what works for one will work on others.

Go Mobile

Okay, you have em marked; you are in the right spot. You quickly make half your limit, but things just suddenly went dead. If you know you are still on fish make a short move to a nearby hole, then wiggle and jiggle your presentation. Still No bites? Continue making small moves until you get bites. If you find yourself back at your first hole without a bite you might want to move to a new area for more active fish. When you head in for lunch try the original hot hole to see if the bite is back.

Stops and Starts

When trying to entice lazy perch remember to give them some time to see your presentation and an opportunity to fully consume it. Pausing the lure provides an opportunity for the predator instincts of perch to kick in, which will usually compel them to strike. It is important to vary the length of the pause until you can figure out what works best. Try starting with pause lengths of 2 or 3 seconds. Don’t be afraid to stretch it to a minute if the perch are in a sluggish mood. For successful perch keep in mind sudden movements laced with stops and starts. Move your bait, pause your bait, and if that does not work move yourself then repeat. The next time you know you are on sluggish perch try these simple tips.

Thank You for reading our Door County Fishing Tips. Stop in often for up to date tactics on landing your Door County Fish.

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