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Hello everybody,
The wife and I are thinking of heading to Jordanelle tomorrow morning. Last time we were there, about a month ago, we got into a bunch of cookie cutter rainbows and had a blast. This time I'm hoping for the same, but I'm also interested in catching more than just rainbows.
Does anyone have any pointers for catching perch, smallmouth, or some of the browns that I hear about in there? I'd really like to show her how much fun perch can be, but I've only caught them in the past when I was ice fishing.
We have a boat, but it's primarily a ski boat. Trolling motor, leaded line, no down riggers... that type of thing.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
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For perch and bass structure is the key. Look for points, bruss, rock piles. Then try using curly tail jigs. Cast toward shore and then use different retrieval methods from swimming the bait to bouncing it off the bottom. Tip the jig with a piece of worm and the perch love it. I would try both chartreuse and white jigs to start. If they don't work
Then change it up a bit. The key is also to move. If nothing biting in one area find another. Rock cliff arm is a good area and the west side from the camp grounds toward the dam is another.
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Thank you very much for that information! Last time we spent all of our time in the Rock Cliff arm and had a blast. The fish were stacked on the fish finder probably in more abundance than I have ever seen anywhere... We dropped a worm over the side and I kept getting nibbles, but never could hook anything. I came to the (very uneducated) conclusion that they may have been perch and my hooks were too big... but who knows.
How big of a jig would you recommend for the perch?
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I usually go 1/16 then go up from there.
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Ok, thanks again for the advice. I'll let you know how it works[sly]
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No problem. Looking forward to the report.
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[quote ProfessorChaos ] We dropped a worm over the side and I kept getting nibbles, but never could hook anything. I came to the (very uneducated) conclusion that they may have been perch and my hooks were too big... but who knows.
How big of a jig would you recommend for the perch?[/quote]
With perch, esp educated perch the tiniest nibble is literally all you get, and you have to learn to catch them anyway. This is what perch are best at. At certain times they can be pretty motivate, grab hard, and hook themselves, etc.... but usually you'll appreciate the ultralight pole, 4 lb test, and tiny jigs and bobbers.
If you can figure the depth on the finder, use a slip float rig, and a bobber that just BARELY won't sink, or those long pencil bobbers. When you drop the lure down, the bobber will lie on it's side and then poo upright. Any tiny jiggle, bob, tip, spin, or shake is a bite. Immediately set the hook with a little pop. If the bobber moves, and you wait for the next move, you just set the hook while the perch spit it out.
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thank you for that. That's how we've done it in the past while ice fishing with some limited success. I'll give that a try tomorrow, I've got the bobbers you're talking about. Now I just have to remember to take them... haha
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Smallies have been hanging on long shallow points hanging in about 17 feet of water. I've been catching them with a 3 inch senko and a 1/8 oz bullet weight (texas rig). Good luck.
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I was in the bay near the main boat ramp and caught oodles of perch. Any jig with bright colors near the brush and it was game on. Tipped with worm or not .
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