Orillia Perch Festival Tips?

[PainInTheBass]

So...

With the Orillia Perch Festival less than 2 weeks away, I was wondering if anyone wanted to share some tips on patterns, baits, holding structure for Perch in Simcoe and Couhciching?

I am not asking, nor am I expecting anyone to give away their prime spots or anything like that. I was just hoping that people would not mind giving me some direction as to what to try and to look for in particular.

In the past, I have had lots of success fishing for perch with simple worms and leeches. I have caught perch on perch pattern shallow shad raps as well. However, the bulk of this has been dock fishing, or incidental in the case of the perch on perch violence. So, I personally do not have much experience in the way of searching for these fish in open water, and would not personally find it all too fun if I simply relied on chance the entire time. What do others here like to use when targetting perch, and is anyone willing to share some favourite spots on Simcoe or Couchiching?

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[balapickerel]

i have never fished simcoe or couchiching but when i fish for perch at my cottage i usually a bobber and hook with some small live bait on it, as for holding structures, the best perch spots i have ever fished were old abandoned dock cribs, and i'm sure that widespaced tree roots would work well too

 

[diggyj]

Dropshot a SLAMMER, I guarentee you will have lots of success.

Dirk

 

[balapickerel]

what is a slammer?

 

[diggyj]

Made by Mark Kulik of Extreme Angler TV, under the name Strike Zone. They are hand poured and they are awsome. Used them for the first time last year and caught a tonne of Perch and Pike in Simcoe.

http://www.strikezonetournamentbaits.com/

As for a spot, just out from Crate's Marina in Cook's Bay is a great spot for Perch. On the edge of the weedbed or right in the weeds.

Dirk......

 

[balapickerel]

they look good, i might have to try some

 

[chosen 1]

The most important tool you can have when searching for the big perch is a good fish finder. I always found that the bigger fish are in 25-30ft of water the fishing might be a little slower but I have always produced bigger perch.

 

[balapickerel]

when i fish for perch and rockbass, i don't really car about size aslong as i keep pullin them out one by one

 

[chosen 1]

when i fish for perch and rockbass, i don't really car about size aslong as i keep pullin them out one by one

That is great when it's just for fun but when there is a chance you can win something just for fishing it is a mission to find the big one. After all fishing is fun even when I get skunked.

 

[balapickerel]

sure thing, cheers to fishing for fun!

 

[frozenfire]

when i fish for perch and rockbass, i don't really car about size aslong as i keep pullin them out one by one

They are trying to catch the big ones for the festival.

 

[Bigfisherman]

when i fish for perch and rockbass, i don't really car about size aslong as i keep pullin them out one by one

They are trying to catch the big ones for the festival.

Actually what sounds promising about the Orillia Derby is I was told that they tag both bigger females and smaller males. Also they have been caught all over(ie, in south/west chouchiching, west of the narrows & in north Simcoe.) For the grand prizes and prizes in general size doesn't matter as long as you show up with 1 live perchy a day/per day for as long as the derby runs. so the more days you fish the higher the chances of winning more prizes or the nice Rebel SS Lund.

 

[balapickerel]

well i would LOVE to win the boat, the one at my cottage sunk in a rain storm and the motor nolonger works

 

[Reelpro]

Hey teninchman

Perch fishing during the Orillia Perch Festival depends on a few factors. The spring we get will affect their location, sepecially the bigger females, and daily weather and winds.

The perch are moving into the Atherly Narrows to spawn, and water temps will dictate when the bigger "Jumbo" females move in. Usually later in the derby sees more big females caught, but the larger Perch will often travel in "year class schools" so it pays to move around a lot to find them.

First week or so will usually find them further out in deeper holding spots, later in the tournamnet I often search visually with the electric in the shallows. Looking for bigger keepers and tags.

For bait you can't beat small pin shiners, especially if a cold front and wind has moved in. When they are really ON, they will hit almost anything equally as well. JIgs, blades, small spoons, tipped with a piece of minnow,leach,worm, or even scented rubber.

For more info on patterns or Charters send me an email.

[email protected]
http://www.reelpro.ca

 

[Bigfisherman]

Thats some good info thanks for sharing, 1 Question tho what are small pin shiners, small minnows?

 

[disspatcher]

One thing that usually works for me is watch the size of your bait.
Dropshotting worms is fool proof, BUT if you want to keep the dinks off your line, use a bigger presentation!
Larger minnows or plastics catch larger perch.

 

[PainInTheBass]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For anyone that has fished the festival before, can you clarify something for me?

The following is listed in the official rules:

Fishing hours for the Festival are daily from 5am to registering by 7pm at the Perch Headquarter in Tudhope Park. Headquarter hours are daily 7am to 7pm and 7am to 4pm on Closing Day.

To this end I ask:

Do we have to register on each day that we fish?
If so, are we allowed to begin fishing at 5am as long as we register by 7pm? (i.e. - we do not have to register before we begin fishing)
Do they have to inspect the boat before we begin fishing?
Can we launch out of anywhere on Simcoe or Couchiching or does it have to be Tudhope park?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bigfisherman]

I can answer 1 Q for you, you can launch from anywhere that has access to either lake and parking. From what I'm told the narrows will be where most ppl will be fishing. So for example you can launch from lagoon city on the east side of simcoe if you wish but it will be a 25min+ boat ride @ 30mph to the narrows.

I'm going there as early as I can, if you see some guys in a Dark Kaki Jeep Commander, and a black smokercraft boat with a johnson on it, say Hi.

Good luck to everyone going.