Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    ma
    Posts
    718

    Bass fishing on perch lakes

    Hi all,

    200 acre pond that gets to 70 ft. Clear with algal blooms in the summer. Interested in hearing how you would tackle a lake with largemouth and smallmouth that doesn't have any baitfish other than schooled yellow perch. Its typically hard to bottom fish because of a green slime on the bottom due to algal blooms. So crawfish imitators are challenging as well. I have some standard approaches that are hit or miss, was just wondering if there is something I may not be thinking of.

  2. Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Naples, FL
    Posts
    320
    #2
    A lot of times a chatterbait will shed weeds and even algae. I like the bluegill patterns with yellow trailers to imitate perch in our northern lakes.

  3. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Kelseyville Ca
    Posts
    5,426
    #3
    Im headed to a lake in a couple weeks that has Yellow Perch also.Went thru some boxes and filled one plano box with hard baits all in Perch colors.Didnt know I had that many as its not a color I throw much.Zman Bug z on a drop shot above the slime will get it done.

  4. #4
    Find the summer thermocline and fish above that, for starters.

  5. Member DrewFlu33's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Twin Cities, MN
    Posts
    8,048
    #5
    Drop shot keeps your bait above the slime. But finding clean bottom is even better, and I'd be really surprised if there's none in there. Finding those small areas with clean, hard bottom will probably find you the motherlode. The harder those places are to find, the more stacked up they are usually.
    2011 Skeeter ZX225
    225 Yamaha HPDI Series 2
    Minn Kota Ultrex 112 52"
    Console: HDS 16 Carbon
    Bow: HDS 12 Carbon, Solix 12 G2, Mega 360

  6. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Mohawk, New York
    Posts
    9,500
    #6
    Anything green pumpkin, watermelon red, or watermelon color works well in those type of lakes. Every lake i fish has perch, and those are basically what i use most. If it’s tea colored water in the mountains then it’s black or some variation of black to match leeches.

    mad far as keeping it out of the slime, DrewFlu33 won’t steer you wrong. Find the areas with clean bottom and you’ll get bit. The fish really don’t like that algae on the bottom
    1995 Ranger 481v
    1995 Johnson Fast Strike 175hp

  7. Member dwtaylor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Oshkosh, Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,120
    #7
    Perch colored jerkbaits and swimbaits should do you good for moving baits to keep up out of the algae on the bottom.

    Other than that, I would try a dropshot with as light of a sinker you can get away with. Josh Douglas (a pro from Minnesota) uses some clear tubing to over the swivel and the knot on a dropshot to protect against rocks but it also does well against algae too. This essentially streamlines the sinker so there are no edges for the sinker to catch the snot on if that makes sense.

  8. Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    229
    #8
    Soft plastics/ light jigheads.

  9. Member basscat21's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Falmouth, Ma
    Posts
    43,611
    #9
    Perch spybait, swimbaits.