Yellow Perch
Sodus Bay is a hot spot for ice fishing for yellow perch. Yellow Perch are found in most all of New York’s lakes and rivers. Most perch are about 8 to 10 inches in length, but can range from 6 to 14 inches long. Most fishermen toss out a small piece of worm on the bottom and wait. Before long the action is fast and furious. Perch are the bread and butter for ice fisherman. New York State instituted a fifty fish limit for perch recently. This should help stop over harvesting. The state record Yellow Perch weighed 3 lb. 8oz
Suggested tackle for yellow perch are any light outfit with 2, 4, or 6 pound test line. Small jigs and spinners fished slowly off the bottom will trigger active perch to bite. A small fathead minnow fished on the bottom with a small split shot on a thin aberdeen wire hook is probably the most productive method. If the bottom is snag infested, you can try using a slip float with the bait set one to two feet off the bottom. Night Crawlers can also be used in the same way. Beware though, perch are great bait thieves. Therefore, only use one half of a night crawler at a time. Thread the bait on the hook to give it a natural presentation. If you decide to fish with worms for perch, you may also catch bass, bullheads, catfish, trout, bluegills, crappies, pike, and other types of fish as well.
