Ice fishing the perch triad

Pulling a truly jumbo yellow perch topside is an experience not to be missed. While many Ontario waters offer the right ingredients for perch to grow to trophy proportions, there’s something to be said about focusing on big systems to increase the odds of having your rod bent regularly. Here are three southern destinations offering a range of ice-fishing experiences from staying in heated ice huts or overnight bungalows to unstructured, do-it-yourself trips.

Lake Simcoe

A big-fish factory, massive Lake Simcoe is an excellent place to catch your personal best yellow perch. Many ice-fishing operators offer comfortable, heated ice hut rental packages, including comfortable on-ice transportation, some live bait to get you started, and other perks.

From scuds to gobies, forage abounds in Simcoe. This reality, along with clear water and heavy angling pressure due to its proximity to the GTA, can make fishing tough at times. This doesn’t stop OOD friend and hardcore angler, Dave Chong, from icing plenty of big perch each winter. For anglers wanting to do their own exploring, Cook’s Bay, Beaverton, Snake Island, and Willow Beach Conservation Area are a few reliable big-perch grounds, says Chong.

As far as hot, local lures, Slab Grabber and other beaded spoons are top choices for Chong as well as JP Bushey, OOD contributor and Simcoe fishing guide. Chong also regularly has rods rigged and ready with gliding jigs, like the Clam Tikka Minnow, and a finesse drop-shot rig sporting a micro plastic of some sort.

These days, Bushey relies more on single-hook presentations. He suggests going big with presentations to attract and trigger Simcoe’s jumbos.

“[Try] popular fractional-size tubes. That means 2.75, 2.25, and even full-size 3.5-inch smallmouth tubes,” Bushey said. “Treble hook lures…are [becoming] tougher and tougher to fish with the shells and rock-snot algae.”

Bushey no longer offers perch ice fishing trips but does guide for other species on Simcoe. He’s worth a call if you’re seeking a multi-day, multi-species adventure.

Simcoe ice hut operators & tackle shops:

Floyd Hales Fish Huts, Beaverton
floydhalesfishhuts.com
(705) 426-7415

Tim Hales Fish Huts, Beaverton
timhalesfishhuts.com
(705) 426-9669

Lake Simcoe Outfitters/Lucky’s Sons Ice Huts, Cook’s Bay
simcoeicefishing.com
(705) 456-9039

JP Bushey
www.busheyangleguidedfishing.com
(705) 717-3159

Trombly’s Tackle Box, Orillia
tromblystacklebox.com
(705) 327-3474

Canadian Tire, Keswick
canadiantire.ca

The Sugar Addict, Belle Ewart
thesugaraddict.ca

Simcoe Angler Bait Shop, Oro Station
(705) 487-3474

Lake Nipissing

This expansive waterbody has all the right ingredients to produce portly perch. Anglers will find hard water experiences for all skill levels offered by Nipissing’s ice fishing operators, fishing guides, and cottage resorts.

Getting on Nipissing in winter is painless. Many public access sites are found along the northern waterfront, including Amelia Park, Sunset Park, and Champlain Park, as well as within Callander Bay, says Gord Young, communications officer with the City of North Bay.

“The northern shoreline of the lake has schools of large perch anywhere from eight to 20 feet,” said Cameron Boake, a Nipissing expert. “If you can find an area with some grass or rock structure, it increases your chance at having a steady bite.”

Boake locks into jumbos all season, but says March is best. He dupes Nipissing’s king-sized perch using various tactics. A Berkley Warpig rattle bait tipped with a minnow head is his top search bait and is reliable for triggering big, aggressive fish. Other picks include a small Johnson Johnny Darter vertical jig or Johnson Splinter Spoon with a dropper chain — both tipped with a minnow head. On a tip-up, try a small dace or shiner on a drop-shot rig.

Nipissing ice hut operators & tackle shops:

Bam’s Tours
bamstours.ca
(705) 840-3435

Rob’s Five Star Fishing
lakenipissingicebungalows.com
(705) 471-1703

North Bay Outfitters, North Bay
www.northbayoutfitters.com
(705) 840-0273

Billy Bob’s Bait & Tackle, North Bay
(705) 474-2248

Trapper Joe’s Live Bait, North Bay
(705) 495-4227

Lake Erie

Erie is legendary for gargantuan perch and Long Point Bay’s clear, shallow water offers an exciting sight-fishing experience. Top local lure picks for the bay’s four- to 12-foot depths include Northland Buck-Shots and Little Cleos, beaded spoons, and perch rigs or jigs tipped with minnows.

Also pack a silver Williams Whitefish C90, says Jim Carrol, proprietor of Jimmy Riggin’ Fishing Charters, which offers comprehensive ice hut rental packages. Jigging the upsized Whitefish attracts perch from afar, but is also useful for catching pike.

Another great service is the Collins Harbour Marina Resort’s Ice Taxi. The Argo-powered service includes transport of anglers and their shelters, sleds, and other cargo out to about a kilometre off Long Point’s north shore. The service costs $10 per person, and includes daytime parking at the marina, coffee, washroom access, and unlimited shuttle trips between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. Carrol and Collins sell live bait and tackle. Their social pages are good sources of info for updates on Erie’s ever-changing ice conditions.