One of the most exciting fishing trips we offer is our yellow perch charter. Most importantly, these trips can be great to start kids off fishing! Nothing is more challenging than catching doubles of yellow perch on a lightweight rod using spreaders and crappie rigs tipped with a minnow. Because they feel like monsters!!
You can expect good perch fishing in the western basin in 2023 as perch from the extensive good hatches the past five years are approaching sizes from 10 to 13 inches. Hatches from 2015 through 2017 will also provide a good number of 7- 9 inch perch.
Western basin yellow perch hatch in 2022
The western basin yellow perch hatch this year was equally impressive. The survey index was 572 young-of-year yellow perch per hectare, above the average of 461 and the seventh highest on record.
Tasty, Tasty, and Tastier
Perch are typically schooling fish that move from place to place looking for food. When found, they like to thrive on the bottom portion of the lake. Perch may not be the largest fish in the lake, but they are certainly one of the best tastings because of their mild but firm meat. The jumbo perch (over 12 inches) are fighters as well, but most importantly, they taste good too!! Perch are active daytime feeders but tend to feed in short spurts, so you may catch them steady, and then they stop biting. Be patient because they will come back to bite again.
Perch Are Fighters
You can put just about anything on a hook when perch are in a feeding frenzy. Therefore, it is not uncommon to pull one in after the other. The jumbo perch on Lake Erie are fun to catch because hooking two at a time can feel like a monster walleye!!
Perch Fishing Tips: Once you hook a perch and start reeling it to the surface, it will spit out the bait and chum the water. It’s essential to quickly bait your hook again and return it to the bottom of the lake to keep the perch under the boat actively feeding.
Another old-timer trick is to add a colored plastic flag to the anchor rope. The current will wave the flag to attract a school of perch.
What Do They Bite On? 
If you like to use live bait to attract fish, our bait of choice is small minnows. Perch also go for cut bait like crayfish meat, perch bellies, and perch eyes after you get them in a feeding frenzy with minnows. Perch are naturally curious and are attracted by color and flash. Add a small colored bead on the mainline just above the bait. The bead acts as a beacon to find the natural bait. This will increase your catch rates significantly, especially in stained water.
The action is nonstop once they begin to bite; therefore, this perch charter is great fun as a family outing or with the guys or gals. Your whole group will enjoy catching perch with Captain John. Seeing doubles on crappie rigs tipped with shiners is a blast. When you get home, you have the added benefit of a tasty perch dinner, but most importantly, you will have memories to last a lifetime!!
Step 1 – Check our Booking Calendar/ Charters to see if your date(s) are available. All dates are subject to prior booking. Therefore, highlighted dates have a charter booked that day.
Note: On the payment page, you must put the charter date(s) in the Comment section.
Step 2 – Click the button for full payment or deposit for this charter.
Lake Erie Perch Charters
The price is $660.00 + $5 per angler for bait
Six anglers or less
Lake Erie Perch Charters bag limits are 30 per person daily.
Six people can catch 180 perch.
Fish cleaning is available by the marina is extra.
- We supply the boat, experienced captain, bait, lures, ice, tackle, rods, and reels.
- 7-hour charter or limit starting in July, August, and October: 7 am to 2 pm (Ohio Time)
- A $100.00 deposit per charter date is required.
