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how to catch white perch

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16K views 13 replies 11 participants last post by  Anythinggoes 
#1 ·
i am wondering how to catch white perch in a lake. what type of bait lures or rigs work i will be fishing at kerr lake
thanks
 
#3 ·
White Perch
Lake Waccamaw​
Lake Waccamaw is the place to be for fast action with white perch. In June, the fish come to the surface.



Anglers use silver spoons to catch white perch. They cruise the lake watching activity. If the fish don't show, find a concentration of baitfish and begin jigging or trolling with a spoon or dropping live minnows
 
#4 ·
The real question is how not to! Or maybe how to only catch the big ones.
Minnows certainly work but they are master bait stealers and not really neccessary. Cut shad is good and they also love cut perch!
When on top they will hit just about anything including baits bigger than themselves. Small kastmasters are great. Sometimes just ripped on top, sometimes they like to hit it on the fall. If you find a school you can catch them with only about 6 ft of line out , juiiging right beside you and can watch them swiping at it.
MOst little fishie type weighted minnows and crappie type jigs work well too. They like crappie nibbles, worms--well I`ll just quit before I name every bait at BPS.
SMALL, SHINY , FAST are best or bait.
Only problem is finding them. Once found you can catch more than you want to clean, no prob.
 
#9 ·
Small minnows on a size 4 hook, inline spinner, piece of nightcrawler on a size 4 hook, marabou jig, etc. They do alot of their feeding at the bottom. They do this becuase they root in the mud for mayflie larvae and other insect larvae.
 
#10 ·
I target them in Gaston and it's a blast. I catch so many big ones that I throw back any under 10". In the summer, find main lake humps(preferably) or ledges. Take about four to five feet of heavy mono or fluorocarbon and tie it off on one side of a three way swivel. Tie a drop sinker line about 2ft long with a lighter mono. At the end of the heavy mono, I tie a #2 leadered circle hook with a spinner. I bait the hook with just enough nighcrawler to run up the hook. I slow troll with an electric motor at a slow speed and use just enough weight to keep it on the bottom. This tactic has been deadly on perch during the day. You can catch them as it's getting dark towards the surface by lightening the weight, but a beetle spin is more fun to cast. Fish on either side and on top of the hump. In Gaston, I usually find them on humps between 15 and 10ft deep. When I find them, it's usually non stop action with fish up to 12 1/2".

Mike
 
#12 ·
I like in-line spinners similar to a Rooster Tail & I try to stay around 1/16 to 1/8 of an oz. (but that's my preference) I like silver and black for my colors but anything shinny works. To be honest, if they are schooling on top they would probably hit the kitchen sink if they thought they could get their mouth around it.
 
#14 ·
Good to here. Another advantage to slow trolling with light action rods and the spinner hooks trimmed with worm is you never know what else will hit it. Took my two sons out tonight after dinner which is the worst time to bounce the bottom as many of the perch work their way towards the top to feed. Coming up the channel edge in 13ft, both rods slammed down within two seconds of each other, nearly ripping them out of my sons hands. They reeled in 2 1/2 and 5 1/2 pound blue cats. It made their vacation! I've caught many cats like this, up to 12lbs.
 
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