# Living on a lake now and want some advice



## Zkovach1175 (Mar 29, 2017)

So I’m mostly a trout guy but am curious of what your guys favorite setups for crappie and perch. The lake is weedy in section and I’m guessing this will be a slip bobber setup. But do you guys use jigs? Plain hooks(what size)? Anything else I’m missing?
So far I know there’s some monster gills, crappie and perch in the lake.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Zkovach1175 said:


> So I’m mostly a trout guy but am curious of what your guys favorite setups for crappie and perch. The lake is weedy in section and I’m guessing this will be a slip bobber setup. But do you guys use jigs? Plain hooks(what size)? Anything else I’m missing?
> So far I know there’s some monster gills, crappie and perch in the lake.


Note the tail hook. It matters with panfish.
https://www.knifecountryusa.com/sto...MI0_yHyc6-6QIVC9bACh07tQdIEAQYASABEgJbFvD_BwE
You can rig a small live nightcrawler the same way with two hooks. Just tie one hook with a couple inches of line onto the eye of the hook tied on your mainline.

Pick up some small/tiny bettle spin lures in varied body colors. Grub shaped. Split tail shaped. Twister tail shaped. Most will work. The spinner blade is a big part of the attraction. https://www.cabelas.com/product/BER...VRr7ACh3kHwY6EAQYASABEgIaNvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Tiny rubber crawdads work too on the spinner frames , but get beat up fast.

Add a splitshot two to three feet above the lure. That will get it down deeper. One large shot is better than many , but if using many taper size with smallest nearest your lure.
Troll the drop off slowly around 12-13 feet deep in warm weather. Some drops are exposed to sun. Some offer shade. You'll find which the fish want. Water clarity factors too.
If no fish in that depth range , find them shallower or deeper.

There is often a depth that tall weeds struggle to grow at. (if enough depth exists).
Trolling above the weeds on bottom just outside taller weeds on the shallower side of drop can pay off well. IF the contour drops enough. Depends on the lake.
Still fishing that edge after fish are located can reduce trolling.

If you catch a crappie , mark the spot and either still fish it or troll through it again.
Vary speed and turns if trolling is not working.

Perch can get fussy and be the last minutes of daylight or in shade as shadows grow .
Some leave deep water for shallows near end of day too.
You'll nab one trolling for panfish now and then.

Your slip float will help still fishing after fish are located. 
To cheat if perch are hard up , use canned kernel corn. Hook an individual piece on a plain hook so it does not guard the hook when you set it though...
Minnows will work too. Sometimes moving the hook towards the tail vs under dorsal fin makes a difference in perch getting nabbed. 

Big (big!) gills can be trolled for with two hook crawler harnesses in deep water. That means more weight to get your offering down.
They can seem very different from shallower younger gills.


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

Gills and perch-4 or 6's w/ minnow for perch-worm for gills and some artificials for gills.


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## Zkovach1175 (Mar 29, 2017)

Waif said:


> Note the tail hook. It matters with panfish.
> https://www.knifecountryusa.com/sto...MI0_yHyc6-6QIVC9bACh07tQdIEAQYASABEgJbFvD_BwE
> You can rig a small live nightcrawler the same way with two hooks. Just tie one hook with a couple inches of line onto the eye of the hook tied on your mainline.
> 
> ...


seems everything you mentioned(k&e worms/ beetle spins) was what I used when I was a kid. I guess tackle hasn’t changed much. Caught a lot of bass on KE, and the beetle spins seem to produce everything from what I remember.


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## rd2690 (Mar 25, 2011)

Zkovach1175 said:


> So I’m mostly a trout guy but am curious of what your guys favorite setups for crappie and perch. The lake is weedy in section and I’m guessing this will be a slip bobber setup. But do you guys use jigs? Plain hooks(what size)? Anything else I’m missing?
> So far I know there’s some monster gills, crappie and perch in the lake.


I would fish a 8 hook on a slip bobber with minnows. Perch are typically in the deep holes in inland lakes. Wigglers also work awesome if you can find them. Crappie same thing maybe a bigger hook or small jig under the slip bobber. Fish around cover, weeds, drops, downed trees. Bluegill same thing but use a panfish worm. Keep it simple.


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## TrailMarker (Dec 8, 2012)

When I really don't know where they're at, I like to troll breaklines, and shallow water or drift to find fish and then stop in a pocket. There have been days where I just troll the whole time, big gills, crappies, perch.


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

On calm summer nights, watch the surface out in the middle at dusk for signs of fish feeding on the surface. If you see this, trolling small crankbaits like number 5 or 7 shad raps or flicker shads can work very well at night.


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## TrailMarker (Dec 8, 2012)

Saw the surface boiling one day at Saginaw River, started casting and retrieving close to the surface, it was a 30 minute feeding frenzy of white bass.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

What Waif said and I would add see if you can get some soft shell crabs the real little ones if they can still be used. Go up the line 2 to 3 foot and add a single split shot the size of a number 6 shot in a shot gun shell. This will get them all but the perch go crazy for them. Depending on the size of the lake get a depth chart for it and learn a 1/4 of it at a time. This will take a while but pays off big time later


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## Zkovach1175 (Mar 29, 2017)

Scout 2 said:


> What Waif said and I would add see if you can get some soft shell crabs the real little ones if they can still be used. Go up the line 2 to 3 foot and add a single split shot the size of a number 6 shot in a shot gun shell. This will get them all but the perch go crazy for them. Depending on the size of the lake get a depth chart for it and learn a 1/4 of it at a time. This will take a while but pays off big time later


soft shell crabs?? As in live or plastic? I ate a deep fried one at a hibachi place once. Only time I’ve ever seen one.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

Zkovach1175 said:


> soft shell crabs?? As in live or plastic? I ate a deep fried one at a hibachi place once. Only time I’ve ever seen one.


These are the little baby ones. I use to get them anywhere a stream ran into a lake and they were under the grass hanging down in the water. They are about 3/4 of and inch to 1 inch long and are soft no shell on them yet. We use to tear up the jumbo perch in Lake Mich on them and in the rivers small mouth loved them


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## Zkovach1175 (Mar 29, 2017)

Scout 2 said:


> These are the little baby ones. I use to get them anywhere a stream ran into a lake and they were under the grass hanging down in the water. They are about 3/4 of and inch to 1 inch long and are soft no shell on them yet. We use to tear up the jumbo perch in Lake Mich on them and in the rivers small mouth loved them


jogged my memory: I do remember those being in the creek I grew up on. Guess I haven’t noticed or seen them since. Thanks for the tip!


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

1/64 ice jig under a slip float with a small split shot. Tipped with a minnow, waxie, or power bait.


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

So far I know there’s some monster gills, crappie and perch in the lake.
Copied from OP--

Bad news -probably not, sorry


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## 6Speed (Mar 8, 2013)

Tailed hooked minnows is a seriously good tip...


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## Zkovach1175 (Mar 29, 2017)

6Speed said:


> Tailed hooked minnows is a seriously good tip...


I’ve never tried that. Will do


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## Zkovach1175 (Mar 29, 2017)

6Speed said:


> Tailed hooked minnows is a seriously good tip...


do that on a small jig or plain hook?


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## 6Speed (Mar 8, 2013)

Zkovach1175 said:


> do that on a small jig or plain hook?


Both, depends on the depth on where the fish are located and how finicky they are. Its definitely a good strategy for picky eaters.


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## UPEsox (Feb 2, 2018)

Since most of the live bait presentations have been mentioned I'll spill my favorite artificial tricks for crappie. Jointed rapalas trolled seem to have a magic touch for paper mouths. Also another killer presentation is a Trout Magnet fished under a float. Just give the float little pops here and there to make that Magnet dance.


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## Zkovach1175 (Mar 29, 2017)

UPEsox said:


> Since most of the live bait presentations have been mentioned I'll spill my favorite artificial tricks for crappie. Jointed rapalas trolled seem to have a magic touch for paper mouths. Also another killer presentation is a Trout Magnet fished under a float. Just give the float little pops here and there to make that Magnet dance.


im a big trolling fan and have some trout magnets however I’ve haven’t had the chance to use them yet


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