5 tips for catching jumbo perch throughout the open-water season

#2 TIMING

Perch are sight feeders, requiring light to hunt effectively. That means they’re typically active and feeding during daylight periods, tending to forage for food all day long throughout the open-water season. That gives anglers a couple of options for planning a day on the water—you can sleep in and hit the lake during the midday peak, or head out early in search of bigger gamefish, then switch over to perch once it gets brighter out.

As an added bonus, perch don’t seem to be affected by cold fronts the same way other fish do. Instead of slowing down and heading for deeper water, they just keep on feeding and going about their day-to-day routine. In most instances, perch can usually be found in the same locations before, during and after a cold front.