Some of the original dropper designs have a hook suspended on a thin piece of chain below the attractor lure. Perch don’t mind the chain, in fact it appears to help the bait’s attraction in many situations; and Simpson finds that baits dangle more freely on a chain than on a mono dropper. Nils Master offers several versions of the Hali, a flash lure dropper rig with a hook suspended on a small chain. They also offer replacement chain hooks and dropper chains of different lengths.
On the Ropes
With a few modifications, the drop-shot rig—a hot presentation for bass—can be productive for perch. The rig consists of a weight at the end of the mainline, with a hook positioned on the line a set distance above bottom. Vary the hook position from a few inches to a foot or two off bottom where winter perch are likely feeding.
A drop-shot weight or standard bell sinker of at least 1/4 ounce keeps line taught to detect bites and helps get the rig down quickly. A jig at the end of the tag line rather than a weight serves the purpose of the weight, but also acts as an attractor lure that bottom-hugging perch might find appealing.
Tie the hook to the mainline with a Palomar knot. The hook shank should be perpendicular to the mainline with the hook point up. The longer shank on Aberdeen-style hooks allows baits to be presented a further distance from the mainline, making it easier for the taking. Pack the hook with maggots or tip with a live shiner. Again, try tacking on a bright Crappie Nibble near the hook eye for added color, scent, and flavor.
Drop-shot rigging through an ice hole is primarily a dead-sticking technique, but slightly quivering the rig now and again can entice perch into biting. A slight lift-and-drop—not too often—allows the weight to bump bottom and stir sediments, which can attract curious perch and trigger strikes.
Single or multiple (where legal) baited hooks on light mono leaders, rather than tied directly to the mainline, is another effective method to present baits at set distances off bottom. Multiple-hook rigs of this sort function like Sabiki rigs, which are popular to catch schooling saltwater baitfish.
Attach snelled Aberdeen dropper hooks to the mainline at about 1-foot increments from the bottom weight, and bait hooks with maggots or small shiners. Small jigs and ice flies also work well on these bottom rigs, or present combinations of bait types to give perch a selection of potential meals. One popular setup is to use a heavier jig on the bottom leader with one or two ice flies or baited hooks presented above the jig.
Left Hook, Right Hook
Spreaders are popular winter perch rigs on larger fisheries like the Great Lakes, and should be good in other waters where multiple-hook rigs are legal. Spreaders are designed to fish two hooks simultaneously while also minimizing tangles. They commonly consist of a curved wire ring with loops on each end to attach lines.
Crooked-Eye Walleye Lures makes perch spreaders, with their narrower 7-inch-wide Ice Spreader designed to fit through an ice-fishing hole. The 3/4-ounce Ice Spreader has a swiveling center weight and a #2 Colorado spinner at the end of each arm. Anglers also can make their own custom spreaders or pick up various models sold in bait stores.
To each end of the spreader, attach hooks like Eagle Claw Aberdeen Snells. Tip hooks with shiners (emerald shiners are an Erie favorite). Again, for added color and scent attraction, slide on one or two Eagle Claw Nitro Gems or Berkley Crappie Nibbles in chartreuse, red, or orange.
Doug Stange suggests adding a tiny spinner directly above each hook for added visual attraction. Slide a glow bead and a tiny clevis above the knot to allow it to spin freely, or slide the line through the blade for a slight wobbling effect. Eagle Claw and HT Enterprises offer these types of panfish rigs.
The next time you go a few rounds with perch, pull no punches with these effective presentations. After all, the gloves are on in winter; so float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
