Great Day! (pics)

[jrs]

Thanks for all the tips and stuff guys (bait for perch, depths etc). I did a bit of research and it paid off at Cow.
Lots of little ones put back, i got picky after about lunch and released lots of nice ones hoping for a few true jumbos, didn't get my limit but don't need it either (just wanted to as the lake will benefit from a few less perch). Definitely could have kept a few more, maybe next time (tomorrow maybe :lol: ).

The little ones.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP3457.jpg

Ended up with a good feed, 9''-12'' or so, worked hard to get the bigger ones by pulling the hook away from hundreds of 2-3'' ers.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP3468.jpg

Nice end to my most successful day afield since moving to Red Deer.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP3470.jpg

Busy lake but aside from a few guys ripping across the lake a bit fast it was pretty nice. Great to see all the kids out fishing having a great time. It would appear those pike have a large surplus of food, it reminds me of a former great perch fishery down south. Nice lake for ice fishing and great experience.

Tip wise, yellow and orange were the best colors for bigger fish, smelts and yellow marshmallows the best baits (wasted my money on maggots). And that Berkley power natural line of baits is now officially included in my ice fishing arsenal, perch can't pick them off like the real thing and they last for many many fish (5-6 per fake maggot or worm chunk). Great visual fishing with the ice shack, the big ones could get pretty picky but the marshmallows (special ones from the states, actually called fake corn with sparkles or something like that) were never refused. Got broke off twice by the next size up of perch, they just must have pulled a bit too hard and bit the line just right. Didn't see any pike or other fish.

[Sage]

Good looking fish. I love it when the bite is on with the bigger fish.:wave:

[Mish]

Wow, great haul jrs!

[TundraBuck]

Right on jrs, we will hook up sometime and I will get you into some real cow lake perch!!

[Mish]

Quick question...what is the best way to get your bait away from smaller fish? You mentioned pulling your hook away, but in an ice fishing hole, how far can you pull it? ;) Also, I'm sometimes afraid that jerky movements will scare away my target fish....don't know how picky they can be, but from talking to guys at Wholesale I get the impression they are very picky.

[jrs]

"Quick question...what is the best way to get your bait away from smaller fish? You mentioned pulling your hook away, but in an ice fishing hole, how far can you pull it? Also, I'm sometimes afraid that jerky movements will scare away my target fish....don't know how picky they can be, but from talking to guys at Wholesale I get the impression they are very picky."

With perch its very easy to move the hook away from little ones, they kind of cruise in then look at it a second before hitting it (most of the time anyway). I simply lift it up a foot or so, they get disinterested and run off. To get their attention i lifted it a foot then slowly lowered it, when they approached i jigged just enough that the maggot would move up and down. Watching with my underwater camera this has worked at all perch lakes I've tried to at least some extent. If they started swimming away allowing the bait to fall to bottom would result in a return and hit about 50% of the time. Maybe theyre used to guys illegally chumming holes or something? Not sure but it worked.
The most important difference from perch fishing and all other species i target is bait attachment, they are really good at grabbing it and getting it off the hook (threading the imitation maggots on like a tube jig worked wonders).

And tundrabuck. i'll be out there a few more times this winter. I'm always up for a chat out around some holes in the ice.

[TundraBuck]

Sure thing jrs, next time we go out or whatever we'll try and meet up. Yep, it can be tough but if you can get it away from the little guys you will get the big ones. Jrs has it bang on about letting it drop to the bottom if they lose interest. And make sure they got the whole hook in their mouth before setting. They will suck it in with 2, 3, or 4 sucks depending on how big the bait is. The second they got it all in there nail em!!

[Mish]

Now that I'm armed with all this info, I think I'll head over to Cow on Tuesday :)

[brett01]

i'm gunna go for the 14'' inchers nothing less in the next couple of days. haha thats ignorant to say!

[Mish]

i'm gunna go for the 14'' inchers nothing less in the next couple of days. haha thats ignorant to say!

I think you just jinxed yourself ;)

[TundraBuck]

Yep, never be cocky!!!

[brett01]

i know that, it was an attempt at humor is all

[Mish]

I'll cross my fingers that you get nothing but 15"ers :)

[Booyah]

that tailgate looks delicious!!! jealous here, nothing like a good feed of fresh filleted perch.