For the last couple of seasons I’ve spent more and more time fishing the rivers and canals of Lake Simcoe in hopes of learning more about the jumbo sized perch that call the watershed home.
This year I learned more than any other previous year, and it resulted in some of my largest and most unique catches ever.
Previous years saw me breaking out the ultralight and fishing what were usually micro sized baits. While I managed a few larger fish each year, I really wanted to focus on catching fish that were at least 10” long and hopefully a few over 12” as well.
As a result of this decision, I opted to use a 7’6” ML spinning outfit paired with a sized 2500 reel (I use Daiwa, but really, there are many companies that make similar products so use whatever you feel most comfortable using). The difference this year, though, was that I stayed away from braid and opted to spool up with 6lbs Stren monofilament. I found that not only did the mono handle well when casting into various types of structure, which included around docks and fallen timber, but that the larger fish weren’t line shy at all, even in the clear water. The best part about using mono? A spool only cost me $10.00! The key to using the lighter line was the longer rod, which really helped remove any strain on the line itself.
The other major change that I made was the use of a fixed float as opposed to a slip float. There were a couple of reasons for this change. The first being that the water was still quite cold and as a result the thread that I usually have as part of my slip float setup actually had trouble sliding down the line. The second reason was a far simpler one…it helped me to maintain the depth I wanted to fish without having to worry about moving the slip knot back to an exact location thanks to the knot travelling up and down the line. Also, the use of a longer rod enabled me cast this setup great distances very easily, often allowing me to cast from one side of the many rivers to the other side to explore new water.
As far as which float I opted to use, I went with the Blackbird Nite Float. Given that you have to thread the line through not only the float portion of the float but also through a small hole at the bottom of the stem of the float, I had no worries at all that the presentation would stay in the appropriate depth where the perch were hiding. These floats also come with a glow stick which I plan on using while walleye fishing. The float had no problem remaining upright while I was fishing a 1/16th oz sized presentation beneath it, and both larger and smaller sized perch had no problem pulling the float under at all. The float and nite sticks can be purchased together at most retailers for under $10.00.
My favourite bait to thrown for spring perch is the venerable marabou jig. In cold or warm water, marabou has the ability to remain supple and really provides a lot of action in any water condition you throw it in. Available in a wide range of weights, I found the 1/16th oz size to be the best for the conditions I found myself fishing. The Johnson Beatle Bou w/ a pink head and white marabou was the top pattern in the areas I fished. They can be purchased in packs of 10 for $2.50 at Gagnon Sports in Oshawa.
Note – these jigs have a tendency to unravel after multiple fish, so I took it upon myself to learn how to tie the same pattern on my own. It was fun to learn something new, and I’m looking forward to tying more jigs in the future.
Retrieve types varied each day according to the mood of the fish. There were times when no retrieve was needed at all, and fish would inhale the jig as it floated down the river with the current present. Two other retrieves that worked well included a very, very, very slow retrieval of the jig which mimicked a slow moving minnow. The final retrieve may sound odd, but it worked wonders when the water started to warm. After the jig landed, I would give it a large jerk as if I was fishing a jerkbait, then let it sit for a few seconds before doing the same. In the warmer water the larger fish were very attracted to this retrieve.
I caught quite a few larger fish this year, both on mile high sky sunny days and cold, rainy weather days. The perch were always there, one just had to experiment with the retrieve to figure out what they wanted. It was great to just fish with one setup, and one bait, and not have to worry about carrying more gear than what is needed on one’s person.
I hope this info helps those who read it catch a few more fish next spring.
Johnson Beetle Bou Pink White 1/16oz JigsBlackbird Nite Float 
Spring Perch Fishing, Shore Fishing w/ Marabou
