Shoal lakes perfect for catching perch

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/11/2015 (3669 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As cold air starts flowing across the Prairies, it’s time to prepare for ice-fishing season.

A great fall allowed anglers an extended season, but last Sunday, I finally stored my boat for winter. One thing I made sure to do on my last day fishing with the boat was put fuel stabilizer in the tank, along with some octane additive. I then added a bit of premium gas to make sure the fuel remains stable over the winter.

It’s always comforting to know your boat will be ready to go in the spring. This is also a great time to clean up all your tackle and put everything in a proper place as we wait for the ice.

 

— AMAZING PERCH OF THE SHOAL LAKES: It’s been six years since I first heard about the fantastic fishing for jumbo perch on the series of shallow prairie lakes in the Interlake region.

My first trip, in March 2012, is one I won’t soon forget, because the first perch I caught on East Shoal Lake measured 38.10 centimetres. What an introduction! I had not seen a perch that big before, never mind landed one. I knew right away this was a special lake.

Since that time, the fishing has gone down a bit as more and more anglers make the trip. The important part in all of this is to remember to release those trophy fish. A perch that size is old, probably about 10. In the Manitoba Master Angler record book, the top seven perch come from West Shoal Lake and East Shoal Lake.

Yellow perch spawn once a year in spring, using shallow areas of a lake or low-current tributary streams. They do not build a redd (nest). Spawning typically takes place at night or in the early morning, as large pods of fish lay eggs over weed clumps and other submerged vegetation. Females have the potential to spawn up to eight times in their lifespan. While East Shoal Lake is relatively shallow, flooding during the last 10 years has allowed the perch and pike to thrive, and has prevented winter kill because of the improved water levels.

North Shoal Lake and West Shoal Lake also have perch, pike and some stocked walleye. All of these lakes can be fished in the summer, but access is not easy. A small boat is recommended.

In some bodies of water, spoons and minnow parts work best for perch. On other bodies of water, especially prairie lakes, very small jigs tipped with bloodworms, maggots and shrimp work best. This is a forage preference. Perch in our prairie lakes fatten up on scuds or freshwater shrimp.

On past trips, I have been targeted fish eating shrimp. Most have been in water less than 2.7 metres, so the use of my small tungsten 1/16 G-Whopper jig from Bentley fishing has been a perfect fit. It’s moulded in the shape of an ice cube and has a Swarovski crystal on the top of its head. The crystal provides a unique flash as it drops weight forward to the bottom. The square shape also allows the jig to rest on the bottom with the hook up. Tipped with a small orange power maggot from Berkley, it proved to be deadly in getting big fish to bite.

— SCATTERED: When fish are scattered, calling them in from a distance can be the key. For that reason, I like to use the Lindy Rattl’n Flyer jig. It has a sideways glide action, and when dropped will disturb sediment on the bottom. This cloud will attract perch that think other perch are feeding on the bottom. I would jig aggressively with five or six drops, then hold the jig just off the bottom about 30 cm. Once I marked a fish, I would twitch the bait and lift it to see the reaction of the fish on the Humminbird Ice 55 Flasher. On this day, there was no hesitation — jumbo perch would come up and inhale the bait.

— ANGLER’S NOTES: At this time of year, I like to reflect on my open-water season and figure out what I might like to fish for next spring, summer and fall. One species I would like to target more is smallmouth and largemouth bass. In the past few seasons, I have spent less time fishing for them than early in my career. While I probably only fished for them for four days total this past year, I caught my largest largemouth ever, plus some really nice smallmouth. Crappie fishing in the Whiteshell remains another great option.

dlamont@mymts.net