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12-08-2019, 10:20 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 63
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Why are my perch so deep?
I’ve been fishing the same small lake in Woodlands County very often over about a five year period and the perch have always been found in the same shallow, gravelly bottomed, reedy areas. I’ve seen them moderately deeper later in the winter, though.
This winter, I went right to the usual haunts and found no perch at all. After a couple trips only catching Jackfish, I steeled my resolve for a hundred hole day and eventually found a healthy school of perch in the deepest hole in the lake; literally the last place I looked for them! What are my perch doing so deep, so early in the season?
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12-08-2019, 10:23 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: BC/Alberta
Posts: 2,028
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Burbot Sherbet
I’ve been fishing the same small lake in Woodlands County very often over about a five year period and the perch have always been found in the same shallow, gravelly bottomed, reedy areas. I’ve seen them moderately deeper later in the winter, though.
This winter, I went right to the usual haunts and found no perch at all. After a couple trips only catching Jackfish, I steeled my resolve for a hundred hole day and eventually found a healthy school of perch in the deepest hole in the lake; literally the last place I looked for them! What are my perch doing so deep, so early in the season?
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Gorging on blood worms and mayfly larvae likely. Maybe your shallow spots had a poor shrimp recruitment year. Fish go where the food is.
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12-08-2019, 10:54 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Calgary Perchdance
Posts: 18,862
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandonkop
Gorging on blood worms and mayfly larvae likely. Maybe your shallow spots had a poor shrimp recruitment year. Fish go where the food is.
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Yup.
Factors affecting distribution can include:
Available food. More food will attract more fish
Structure. Gravel bottom is not typically high quality perch habitat
Predation. Pike could drive them away
Oxygen. Simply they go where oxygen is highest
Population numbers. Over population they spread out more. Under populated stay in prime spots
Temperature. Depending more on time of year
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It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Charles Darwin
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12-08-2019, 11:47 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 63
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Fascinating! Next time I’m out, I’ll drop a camera and see if I can see what they’re eating and maybe adjust my presentation to mimic it. It’s funny, I think about these things in the summer, but on the ice I tend to use the same tungsten jig and minnow heads no matter what.
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12-08-2019, 01:37 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Rocky View County AB.
Posts: 3,557
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You can also open one up and then you know exactly what they are eating.
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12-08-2019, 11:38 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: central Alberta
Posts: 12,628
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During first ice the lake water is turning over which might influence fish movements too.
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This country was started by voyagers whose young lives were swept away by the currents of the rivers for ten cents a day... just for the vanity of the European's beaver hats. ~ Red Bullets
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It is when you walk alone in nature that you discover your strengths and weaknesses. ~ Red Bullets
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12-09-2019, 10:30 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: BC/Alberta
Posts: 2,028
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bullets
During first ice the lake water is turning over which might influence fish movements too.
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Sorry I know people don't like when i try to correct, but I dont like misconceptions being given. Turnover happens in the fall when lake temperatures hit 4 degrees celsius and the water gets all turbid and junk floating. Once the ice is on it means the surface temp is 0 degrees celsius and there is no more turnover occuring. This is why the water is usually jin clear on a lot of lakes that you cannot see through a few weeks earlier. The water is super oxygenated first ice so oxygen is not really a factor for their choice location and the fish will be spread out wherever they want. Also may be super active and sometimes feeding heavily because of oxygen rich environment. Especially cold water species like trout.
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12-09-2019, 11:45 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: central Alberta
Posts: 12,628
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandonkop
Sorry I know people don't like when i try to correct, but I dont like misconceptions being given. Turnover happens in the fall when lake temperatures hit 4 degrees celsius and the water gets all turbid and junk floating. Once the ice is on it means the surface temp is 0 degrees celsius and there is no more turnover occuring. This is why the water is usually jin clear on a lot of lakes that you cannot see through a few weeks earlier. The water is super oxygenated first ice so oxygen is not really a factor for their choice location and the fish will be spread out wherever they want. Also may be super active and sometimes feeding heavily because of oxygen rich environment. Especially cold water species like trout.
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I don't mind being corrected. Thanks. I realize the mistake I made.
__________________
___________________________________________
This country was started by voyagers whose young lives were swept away by the currents of the rivers for ten cents a day... just for the vanity of the European's beaver hats. ~ Red Bullets
___________________________________________
It is when you walk alone in nature that you discover your strengths and weaknesses. ~ Red Bullets
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12-09-2019, 11:46 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,072
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Interesting topic. Yesterday we were out at Badger and found a 22ft hole (looking for walleye) but only saw schools of perch. Dozens and dozens of them. I was very surprised to see them that deep. One 5lb Pike at that depth but otherwise only perch.
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12-09-2019, 07:21 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: pigeon lake
Posts: 1,578
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in the winter I almost always find perch in the deepest water , unless they are eating whitefish eggs.
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12-09-2019, 07:43 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: McBride/Prince George
Posts: 14,555
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Yup. Fish deep. Last year at laclanonne, the perch were in 30-40 fow. Which sucks because ever one is now a keeper. Luckily they were of nice size.
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12-09-2019, 10:26 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 63
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So if you’re fishing deep, at what depth does the barotrauma necessitate all perch becoming keepers? I’ve got a depth release rig I was using for rockfish on the west coast this summer but I feel like dink perch would be to small to effectively release that way.
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12-09-2019, 10:44 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: McBride/Prince George
Posts: 14,555
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Burbot Sherbet
So if you’re fishing deep, at what depth does the barotrauma necessitate all perch becoming keepers? I’ve got a depth release rig I was using for rockfish on the west coast this summer but I feel like dink perch would be to small to effectively release that way.
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Seems like around the 30 foot mark and up, sometimes 35 feet, their bladders will be protruding out their mouths or eyes bulging out or both.
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12-10-2019, 07:44 AM
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 3,112
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I was thinking about converting a little wire waste basket into a deep release device. A rope on the bottom and weights on the top lip, I figure you could give the fish an elevator ride down to 20-25 feet and then they should be able to swim out
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12-10-2019, 08:55 AM
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Edmonton Alberta
Posts: 1,879
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aulrich
I was thinking about converting a little wire waste basket into a deep release device. A rope on the bottom and weights on the top lip, I figure you could give the fish an elevator ride down to 20-25 feet and then they should be able to swim out
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this would actually be cool to see. strap a gopro into the basket lol
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12-10-2019, 01:18 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,615
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So you stuff their airbladder and eyeballs back in with your fingers, then you put the dead perch in your little wire basket with a camera in it and watch the dead perch float back to the surface? Cool is right!
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12-10-2019, 01:59 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 3,112
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No the water pressure does it for you.
Apparently deep release devices are standard equipment for west coast rockfish even mandatory in some places .
The theory is that once you get them down far enough and the pressure returns to normal, they just swim away.
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm...shconservation
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12-10-2019, 02:47 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 7,491
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I do find these devices interesting but wish the was more footage of the fish after the release to truly judge it. I know it doesn’t fix blown eyeballs so that issue still exists
Still better then the old throw them back and cross your fingers
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12-10-2019, 03:13 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,072
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the short answer here is "don't target a fish deeper than 25fow unless you're absolutely intent on keeping it".......also, don't ever target a trophy at that depth. Trophies need to go back.
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12-10-2019, 03:26 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,327
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ever had
Perch freeze solid on the lake and start swimming around in the sink when you get home?
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12-10-2019, 05:29 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Southern Alberta
Posts: 7,350
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Talking moose
Yup. Fish deep. Last year at laclanonne, the perch were in 30-40 fow. Which sucks because every one is now a keeper. Luckily they were of nice size.
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Best way
Quote:
Originally Posted by pikeman06
So you stuff their airbladder and eyeballs back in with your fingers, then you put the dead perch in your little wire basket with a camera in it and watch the dead perch float back to the surface? Cool is right!
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Agree. Once bladder and eyes are out, damage is done they will very likely die.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poppa
the short answer here is "don't target a fish deeper than 25 fow unless you're absolutely intent on keeping it".......also, don't ever target a trophy at that depth. Trophies need to go back.
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Agree, right way 25' or less. Or use a camera so you can at least be selective on which fish gets a ride to the surface.
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