Last week I wrote about catching post spawn Northern Pike and Walleye and this week’s topic is catching those great tasting panfish. Water temperature, cover and a food source is the key to finding perch at different times of the year, but locating POST SPAWN PERCH is easy once you know their spawning cycle.

Pre-spawn perch will start transitioning from slightly deeper water to shallow flats or shorelines where aquatic vegetation is starting to grow. As I wrote last week, yellow perch spawning follows behind Walleye and like all fish species, water temperature is the primary signal to do so and for perch it’s between 45 to 55 degrees.

During this pre-spawn migration, perch will travel in schools and not only are they easily caught, but this is a great time to land some nice size perch too. I would suggest using small jigs tipped with a piece of crawler can be a good tactic.

Not being a species that makes a nest or protects the eggs, once perch spawn both male and female will leave the site, but won’t travel far. Locating post-spawn perch can be predictable because food will be their primary interest as well as cover from predators.

At this time perch will start to form schools again and will still be near the spawning area (weeds) but just slightly deeper. Once again, a small piece of crawler or if wigglers are available can be effective.

Next week I’ll cover post spawn MUSKIES

PLEASE RELEASE WALLEYES OVER 24 INCHES. THESE BIG GIRLS PRODUCE MORE EGGS AND LARGER WALLEYES IN THE FUTURE.