Today we were in search of a few jumbo perch. The pattern on the flats has done well for weeks. Today though started off slow. I hit the spot on the spot but went a couple of hours just getting short bit. The first key element I needed to make an adjustment on was the wind. My hot spots were set up for a north wind, and a southerly was blowing. Making the adjustment and fishing the wind blown side we started hitting the perch. We were not getting jumbos, but all in all not bad.
Along with the perch we also were boating a quite a few eyes. Some smaller ones but a few eaters mixed in. With all the short hits we were getting earlier in the day, we decideed to slow down. Going with light weights and a plain hook, we wanted to see if a more finesse approach worked. It did not take long for the fish to tell us that they wanted the floater rigs and wanted them moving faster. Switching back and trolling around .7 mph the action again picked up.
Today we were working between 8 and 10 ft. Both crawlers and leeches were producing. The best thing to do is keep switching up. We tried running some cranks, but that bite has been off for awhile.
There are two key elements that have been coming into play. One is the wind. There is no doubt that the fish are going to be on the wind blown side of the flat. The other is time of day. For the past few weeks the middle of the day has by far been the most productive. There is some great fishing going on right now. Get out and get on the panfish bite and I will see you on the water.