Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2017 - 8

The

Ups and

Downs

of LAKE

ERIE

Yellow Perch
by Mike Bleech
8

photos by the author

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * July/August 2017	

A few miles north-northeast from the Walnut Creek Access
Area, Erie County, we began seeing numerous small boats.
Close enough to see what was going on, I slid the outboard
motor into neutral. The majority of boats were anchored.
A few larger boats trolled for Walleyes outside the pack of
perch fishing boats. Some perch were being caught, though
not many.
Not being inclined to join a group of boats, we pulled
to the side, sized up the angle of our drift, dropped a sea
anchor behind the boat and lowered our lines.
The most important part of this story has not yet been
mentioned. While approaching the boats, marks on the
sonar screen appeared, increasing in number as we neared.
These marks were scattered at depths from 15 feet to just
off a 51-foot bottom. Our six lines, two apiece, were set at
various depths.
Within a couple of minutes, we started catching perch,
and it was steady for the next 3 hours when we decided
that we had enough perch for filleting. All were at least 10
inches, with a couple longer than 13 inches.
For many years, summertime perch fishing at Lake Erie
could be characterized as bottom fishing. Probably more
boats were seen drift fishing before 1980 than during
more recent years. At that time, the typical weight rig was
a chugging iron. A long rod below the weight made the rig
bounce off most snags.
Most current bottom bouncing weights are
improvements in that they have less mass. However, since
many have the lead at the bottom of the wire, they are not
as effective in avoiding snags.
While fishing at anchor, drifting or trolling, watch the
sonar screen to see what depths the perch are inhabiting
and position baits at the same depths.
Do not be fooled by
confusing depth marks
on a sonar screen.
Typical sport fishing
sonars do not accurately
show how deep marked
fish are located unless
the marks are from
fish directly under the
transducer. As fish
are farther away from
the transducer, marks
on the screen become
increasingly inaccurate.
If you see a band of
marks on the sonar
screen, fish are probably
close to the shallowest
readings on the screen.
The deeper the fish, the
wider the band.
A good change up from a
During my best days of standard perch rig is a jigging
Lake Erie perch fishing,
spoon tipped with a shiner.
www.gonefishingpa.com


http://www.gonefishingpa.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2017

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20240102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20231112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20230910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20230708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20230506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20230304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20230102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20221112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20220910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20220708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20220506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20220304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20220102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20211112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20210910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20210708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20210506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20210304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20210102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20200708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/201780102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20170708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20170506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20161112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20130708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20130506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20130304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20130102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafishboat/20121112
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com