Willard Perch Search 11-5-20

[TubeDude]

Had a couple of reliable reports at the end of last week that the perch were starting to show up at the north marina.  I figured that a nice day like today...the warm before the storm...would have me smacking those perch.  Well...I did find one...but only one. 

Air temp at 6:45 launch was 38 and water temp 50.  Almost too warm for perch but still in the comfort zone for other species...like cats.  Fished from shallow to deep (18') for the first hour...outside the marina.  Saw lots of fishy marks on the sonar...shad mixed in with a few "groupies" (not groupers).  But, as has been the norm lately, fish hanging around the food supply are usually well fed and not too keen on munching anglers' offerings.  Didn't get so much as a sniff for over an hour.


There was also the usual squadron of terns flying around over the water and dive bombing the little shadlets that were either hitting the surface themselves or that had died during the night and were floating.


Then, just after 8 I worked my way into shallower water off Eagle Beach.  Was seeing "evidence" on the sonar screen but was still surprised when my rod tip started wiggling.  A "perchy" type wiggle.  Set the hook and brung in a nice footlong "tiger fish".  I thunk to myself "Aha...gonna kill it now."  I thunk wrong.  Only perch bite of the whole morning.


As I worked my way into my "Kitty Condo" area I got some cat-love.  Got two healthy twenty-something kitties within a few minutes of each other.  But didn't find any more willing cats for the next couple of hours before departure.  They also both came from water just under 10 feet deep.  Last week I was catching them almost twice as deep.


I'm optimistic that the incoming weather system will help drop the water temps a bit and get the perch more active.  I have always caught more after the temps dropped to 40 or lower...right up to ice-up.

As I was loading my gear back into my vehicle I got to meet fellow fligaholic "ThatcherGreg" ??  He was just launching and was heading to his own fave catfish zone...hoping to load up some prime eatin' for the freezer.  Hope he made it.

Fishing was slow, but it was still a good day...better than almost anything to be doing at home.  No skeeters, no skiers and only one other vehicle in the parking lot as I came in at 11ish.