# Devils Lake perch



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)




----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)




----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)




----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)




----------



## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Is that from last year or are you up here now? Thinking last year unless they've got a lot more snow over that way.

Nice catch by the way.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

IHCman said:


> Is that from last year or are you up here now? Thinking last year unless they've got a lot more snow over that way.
> 
> Nice catch by the way.


This year,we fished Tuesday-Thursday this week.
they had about 6" of snow at DL.Got south of there a few miles and wasn't any.

You are west of there??


----------



## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Yep west of there about an hour and half drive on Hwy 2. Not much snow here, just enough to cover ground but has been thawing a little the last few days. Further west I think there is even less.

I've heard big perch are biting on some local lakes here but I've yet to make it out.

Have you ever been up to Lake Winnipeg to catch those big walleye up there? I gotta go up there one year. From what I hear its a heck of a trip.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

IHCman said:


> Yep west of there about an hour and half drive on Hwy 2. Not much snow here, just enough to cover ground but has been thawing a little the last few days. Further west I think there is even less.
> 
> I've heard big perch are biting on some local lakes here but I've yet to make it out.
> 
> Have you ever been up to Lake Winnipeg to catch those big walleye up there? I gotta go up there one year. From what I hear its a heck of a trip.


No I have not but it's on my bucket list.Lake Erie also.

We might go up to DL again in March.


----------



## StxPecans (Mar 3, 2018)

Now that would be some yellow cat bait. 
Do yall eat perch up there?


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

StxPecans said:


> Now that would be some yellow cat bait.
> Do yall eat perch up there?


Yes,one of the best eating fish here.Especialy out of ice cold water.

The last catfish I had I threw to the cats


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Yeah, cold water yellow perch, walleye, and crappie are my favorite....especially the walleye. I don't care for bottom feeding fish at all.

Regards, Mike


----------



## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Appaloosa Cat is good eating.....they generally just eat live bait, good fighters to boot.


----------



## StxPecans (Mar 3, 2018)

somedevildawg said:


> Appaloosa Cat is good eating.....they generally just eat live bait, good fighters to boot.


Appaloosa cat and yellow cat is the same thing. We use perch as bait, we also use mudcat aka bullhead with the fins cut. Yellow cat eat alot of bass, crapie, and carp. Infact caught some big yellows with big crapie in the stomach. We use what we call a goggle eye perch, but even big sun perch about 10-12 inches long work good but do not last long on a hook without dieing.

People say yellow cat isnt good eating but i think they are good. I eat them up to about 35lbs. I release the real big ones becuase i fish some tournaments and i want to come back and get them agian.

I am also spoiled on fish as I mostly fish offshore since i have an offshore boat. Best eating fish for me are wahoo, red snapper, golden tilefish, durado, swordfish, tuna and barrel fish.

Those perch are fatties, crazy how a fish can live in that cold of water. Do fish fight less in cold water? Seems like they would be slower due to cold water. I have never fished in cold water like less than 40 degrees, but theb agian I always catch alot of catfish in lakes when the water gets cold about mid 40s during a big cold snap.


----------



## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Ya, had never heard of the term yellow cat....them Appaloosa Cats are beasts. I'm just guessing here, but I would say the fish have to be a bit more lethargic than when in warmer water, but it seems to me that lighter line would be the game plan, but idk....if I was meat fishin' I think I'd put some braided line and winch em out.....Them's is some nice fish, just can't get over the dedication it takes to get out to them . Course with a buggy/camper like that....who cares, let's go fishing


----------



## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

If someone says they like to eat perch but not wallies, slap them. If someone says they like eating wallies but not perch, slap them too. They are from the same family, perch.

I know a lot of folks confuse white bass with perch, especially the white perch. Heck I've seen a lot of folks confuse white bass with stripers. This might contribute to some of the misconceptions about the tableware? The jumbo yellow perch is the most sought after for the table, I was always asked to bring home perch.

I love a good channel or blue cat (blues have to be on the smaller side), no muds or bullheads. Out of the bass, it's the stripers, especially out of saltwater. Love a good pan size trout, mostly rainbows and speckled. Panfish I typically ignore, too many toothpicks  There isn't hardly a saltwater fish I won't eat, each one has its own way to be prepared. I love a wahoo steak, tuna, dolphin (mahi), mackerels, drums, grouper, sea bass, you name it I'll probably eat it.

As far as hardwater fishing and fish moving they will be more suspended in the late season versus early on. Their travel isn't as fast but you do know when a school of wallies come through after perch or crappie. You can have a stretch of shacks and hear when schools are passing through because of the cussing and excitement after a slow wait. Before dark I run holes with a buddy where we punch 2 holes close together in tandem every 20-30 feet. Set a marcum in one until we find a hot hole and fish it and wait for the flashers in the next hole to light up (We use more than one flasher). When we see fish leave the flasher we move to the next set until the run dies. When it gets dark we settle into shacks for the evening, typically we do this along shelfs and channels.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Devils Lake is a pretty interesting fishery.The lake rose 35' in some wet years 90's and 00s?There is not a outlet.They built a huge dike to protect the town and have large pumps to pump the water out,not sure where or how far they pump it.It's been drier there since 2012 and with drier weather and pumping they lowered hit 8' With plans of lowering it 2 more.Pretty interesting fishing over top of old roads that are 20' under water,submerged trees,old farm places,etc.200,000 acres so it's huge.Main diet of the perch is a small freshwater shrimp and that changes the taste of the perch slightly

Some huge Northern Pike in it also.A lot of times when perch disappear a northern is cruising threw.Had a 40" on camera.Took the bait for a second but got off.Another guy got a 35" that he didn't want so I'm going to pickle it.


----------



## StxPecans (Mar 3, 2018)

So a flasher would be a depth/fish finder? I seen on a show where they were netting fish and a guy called his fiah finder a flasher and it actually drew the image on a peice of paper.

When i first saw flasher i was thinking a shiny metal object like spear fishing.
I use underwater lights when sword fishing but that is at 2000foot depth.


----------



## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Flasher is a generic term for sonar as the face lights up and flashes when fish come and go. You place a transducer in the hole and adjust your sensitivity. I like adjusting mine where I just barely have a blip for my jig. It will capture fish suspending and can watch fish swim up to inspect your jig. On finicky biters we set a lot of hooks this way by raising jig as we see a line rise to the jig line, slowly raise the jig as the lines join and set the hook.


----------



## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Pickled Pike huh......cheese grits go good with 'em?


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

somedevildawg said:


> Pickled Pike huh......cheese grits go good with 'em?


That would be cheese curds up here.
Similar to pickled herring a bit more flakey
Good on crackers


----------

