Again, the unique feature is the placement of the bait above the weight. The length of the tag end of line determines the distance from bait to weight. To make the hook rest horizontally, use a palomar knot. When tying the palomar, insert the tag end of the line through the eye from the hook point side, and form the loop on the bend side. When you tighten the knot, the hook sticks straight out and up, positioning the bait correctly for efficient hooking.
Another option is tying short dropper lines to your main line, which positions your hook or small ice flies a short distance away from your main line. Simply create a loop in the line using an overhand knot, then tie a uni-knot to the loop before tightening the loop knot.
“The main reason I like drop-shotting for winter perch is because they seem to move through at different levels,” Naig says. “Active perch are often off bottom and cautious; neutral or inactive perch tend to hunker on the bottom. In fact, sometimes it seems that small fish are on the bottom and the larger perch are suspended above them. At other times, the big perch are closer to the bottom and the smaller fish are positioned higher.
“Drop-shotting allows for using two baits on the same line, which is ideal for targeting perch moving through at different levels. I generally position one bait close to the bottom and one 2 to 3 feet above the bottom. I tie a tiny jig or ice fly (teardrop) 6 inches from bottom and a jig about 3 feet from bottom. Then I simply tip the hooks with a small minnow, grub, or Berkley Gulp! Grubs or Gulp! Maggots. Berkley’s Gulp! products designed for panfish are outstanding. In most cases, I’m so confident they work just as well if not better than livebait, that I bring only Gulp!”
Drop-shotting through the ice doesn’t require a lot of weight because you’re fishing stationary and vertically. Use at least a 1/4-ounce weight, which not only keeps the line taunt to detect bites, but also allows you to get the bait back down quickly before the school of perch moves.
Most anglers use light low-visibility monofilament lines (4- to 6-pound test) for triggering finicky fish. Naig, for instance, prefers Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon for finesse rigging in deep, clear-water lakes. “I like to use no-stretch Berkley FireLine to detect bites,” he claims. “The no-stretch properties of a superline simply make it easier to detect bites, particularly in deep water. I often tie a long leader or add a swivel to connect FireLine to the fluorocarbon. One critical variable to using any type of braided or fused line, however, is using it on warmer days or in a heated ice shelter, because the lines absorb water and freeze to your guides and spool.”
School Maintenance
Finding or attracting schools of perch is a challenge. But keeping a school of perch below you can be just as challenging. Perch may hold on specific spots, particularly when schools of baitfish, insect larva, or freshwater shrimp are abundant. But most of the time, perch roam around in schools searching for something to eat. When they find food, they stay and feed; and when the food’s gone, they leave.
