By: Capt. Sean McDonald
Katch Me Charters
(231) 510-2072
www.centurycircle.com
January is perch time in the Ludington area. We should be able to venture out on the harbors that connect to Lake Michigan in search of a true delicacy. Pentwater, Pere Marquette, Manistee, and Portage Lakes will all have perch for anglers to catch. We will have to go to each lake a few times and also check reports to see which one is producing the best fishing. At the beginning of winter, Perch normally seek out the deepest water they can find. I have caught them with baby alewives and small gobies still in their mouths when I took the hook out.
Blue minnows will typically catch the biggest perch at this time of the year. By using larger minnows, it keeps your sorting of fish to a minimum. Slab Grabber or Gapen spoons will work well with just the red ball or bead and no bait at times. If there are herring in the area, a Haley jig with a waxworm or a couple of spikes will work well. Herring typically come in a school about 10 feet up from the bottom. Bring your jig above them and keep it moving. As you see them come up for it on your flasher, pull it up and away from them, and you are normally assured a strike. If you use a Haley, you are likely to catch a lot of smaller fish and have to sort more. Good luck this year in January and enjoy your time on the ice.