EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUE

Yellow perch are a delight to children because they bite readily and can be found at wharfs, jetties, and docks. They're schoolers who hit in all seasons and on most lures and bait. In spring, look for perch in their spawning grounds (if regulations permit). They'll be in shallow bay areas with lots of cover and debris. In summer, fish near weedbeds (of moderate vegetation), moss bars, or shoals in 15 to 20 feet of water. Perch, just like walleye, usually occupy all kinds of habitat in summer -- shallow, mid-depth, and deeper. You can catch perch through the ice too, sometimes as deep as 30 to 40 feet of water, near weedbeds, rocky shoals, and other structures which hold forage such as aquatic snails, plankton, and small baitfish. There are many hot spots for yellow perch and you can discover them by asking around. Yellow perch rival walleye as table fish. If the perch is large enough, the flesh is white and firm and delicious.

Tackle

As with most smaller species or subspecies of fish, tackle is rarely a problem. Any rod or reel will do but ultralight offers more challenge and excitement. Reels with two- or four pound-test line can create quite a challenge when playing these fish. Still-fishing with a bobber, casting, and ice fishing with a spreader can all prove successful.

Still-fishing with lightweight line, eight to ten pound-test and with a number four or six hook, using bait like minnows or worms or artificial flies, small spinners, and spinner and fly combinations is very popular with anglers. But as far as perch is concerned, even the old store string can be used, but lighter diameter line will result in more fish.

Ultralight equipment, for those of you who want a challenge, comes in a variety of prices. A light spinning or spincast rod could be only five to five and a half feet in length.

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