After two seasons in a row with no safe ice we finally have enough ice to run ma- chines around the whole lake. The perch fishing has been a little hit or miss, but when they hit we are getting real nice ones averaging around 9 inches with a few 13 inch jumbos mixed in every day. One day you can go out and pound a 50 fish limit in an hour, then the next day you can fish the same exact holes and not get a bite.
The key to getting a good number of fish seems to be having the ability to be mobile. These fish wander the lake in small schools so if you set up and are not getting a bite, you’ll want to move. In most cases it’s not just a little move but a big move of a mile or so. This is where a snowmobile or ATV is a must!
We tend to target the bottom of edges that the fish will travel. The best areas have been edges with steep breaks from about eight feet of water (FOW) dropping to 30+ FOW. The baits that have been producing include Demon Glow Tear Drops, Easy Prey Jigs, and Marmooska Jigs. All of which we tip with a wiggler or a few spikes.
One rig that has been getting a lot of the bigger fish is a set-up that we tie with two teardrops on fluorocarbon line then instead of a bell sinker on the bottom, we have been adding a Buck- Shot Rattle spoon tipped with a minnow head. This rig has been deadly on many days and I think the reason is the rattle in the spoon calling in those bigger fish. Another bonus for using this rig is an occasional walleye that slams the spoon.
Over all it has been a pretty good season on the ice so far and with the amount of ice we have now and the bitter cold temperatures that are heading our way the next few weeks, I think we will have good ice well into March this year. Get out there and try your hand at these great eating fish this season.
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