I love PERCH!
What's not to love about these taste morsels? Now only do they taste great, but they are fun to catch too! When mid February hits, typically the first ice bite that is fantastic slows to prime time only. Perch can be targeted year round, and typically are cooperating.
My last two fishing adventures to Leech Lake have had me chasing the bigger perch that Leech is famous for. We like to call them "Pig Perch".
Walker Bay is full of perch. Big ones too! We have been targeting the 8-16ft sand / weed breaks around the Walker bay area. There are perch EVERYWHERE, but finding the "Piggies" is a little more challenging. Fellow LOA owner Jeff Andersen and I have spent time the past few weeks concentrating part of our days on the water locating and dissecting this bite. I believe we have it figured out. All of our recent trips have produced enough fish in the 10-14 inch range to fill a bucket with dozens of others not quite making the grade.
A good fish finder like the Vexilar FL-22 is a must for optimizing your success on the water. We will typically drill 10-20 holes per spot. With a Vexilar, you can hop from hole to hole until you find the hot one. The vexilar will quickly show you if there are fish under you, and if they are big enough to bother with.
Once we land on the "HOT SPOT" I like to through up my 6x8 ClAM SUMMIT THERMAL pop up shelter before I settle in. They are compact, light weight and put up in seconds. With even the smallest heaters, it will maintain a comfortable temperature under the fridged temperatures. I keep my clients warm and dry in this unit, and its saved the day more than once.
The Leech Lake Perch bite is only going to get stronger, so come on up and give it a shot. Yes, we will have someone available to guide you if you would like. 855-LOA-HOOK for details.
See you on the ICE!
Toby K
