Catching Early Season Perch

Follow these tips from Eskimo and Blain’s Farm & Fleet for catching early season perch.

It’s never too early to start thinking about ice fishing for perch, and who better to get ice fishing tips from than a pro? Below, you’ll find tips from ice angler Ron Anlauf, who feels that location is by far the most important factor in catching a big one. Keep reading for all of Ron’s tips, thanks to Eskimo.

5 Tips for Catching Early Season Perch

1. Location, location, location. The most important key to cashing in on early season perch action is location. The fact is, you can’t catch them where they’re not. If you’re doing everything right but in the wrong place, you’ll come home empty handed. On the other hand if you’re doing everything wrong but in the right place, you’ll still catch a few.

2. Look for shallow spots. Fortunately for us, finding perch at first ice is a relatively easy task, and is as simple as following the good ice. The first place to develop good ice is the shallows, especially the shallower bays connected to the main lake. It’s also the very place where you should start your search. The action can be extremely intense but is usually short lived.

3. Use an ice chisel. The “hot action” can be expected to last a week or two at the most and may be completely over by the time you hear about it. A small compact chisel is a great tool to use during early ice conditions. The Eskimo One – Piece Ice Chisel is perfect for this.

4. Go mobile. When it comes to finding and catching early ice perch, it pays to be mobile. Fish that were here today may be long gone tomorrow, and if you’re not prepared to make a move, you may be severely limiting your opportunities.

5. Portability and comfort are key. Portable ice shelters, power augers, and electronic depth finders are tools of the trade, and can help make your a job a lot easier, and more comfortable. If you’re comfortable, you’ll fish longer, which can increase your chances for getting in on the bite of a lifetime. The quick set-up and take-down of Eskimo portable shelters allow you to be mobile whenever you need to be. If the action is good, you will want a comfortable shelter. So ideally you want a shelter that goes up and down easy, but that also has comfortable seating and plenty of room to move.

Angling for perch used to be something to simply pass the time away while waiting for something else to bite. The times have certainly changed as more and more anglers find out just how much fun perch fishing can be. And according to Ron, he’ll “see you on the ice!”

For more ice fishing tips and guides, check out Blain’s Farm & Fleet’s Fishing & Ice Fishing blog.