Not sure but you are correct the perch fishing the last couple years has been terrible. I run out of Cleveland and all my fellow dock holders are wondering the same thing. I may just sell my Erie boat and buy a smaller Lund and a camper and start spending my fishing time on the inland lakes.

 

It's the bug hatches. They've been crazy the past couple years and the perch are up off the bottom chasing the bugs. We've been picking them up off the boards while trolling for walleye

 

If this is true, why wouldn't it affect the walleye bite the same way. There must be another reason.

 

It absolutely affects the walleye bite. When you fish for perch you're pounding the bottom, correct? Well if the fish are suspended chasing bug hatches it explains why you can't catch them on the bottom. There's tons of yellow perch in the lake and the spring and fall have been stellar for them but they seem to disappear in the summer time around Lorain anymore. When there's a hatch going on and you do catch a perch more times than not they'll be spewing bug larvae all over

 

I agree fished between east harbor and mouse Saturday and Sunday for walleye and the perch we caught were no more then a 4 count down. Lots of midge flys in the water and the schools we marked of perch were well off the bottom.

 

Caught over 40 Friday off Marblehead and all were spitting mayflies.

 

The bug thing does make a lot of sense. We are so used to marking them on the bottom, that when we don't see them down there, we just say there are no perch around. But the bugs are plentiful these past few years.
I have wondered the same exact thing as the OP. We used to catch great size and numbers of perch in May and June. And it was pretty easy. Now we have to really look for them. Just to get a chance to put the anchor in the water....

 

You can thank the netters and DNR for letting them net. They take around 40% of Ohio TAC and that does NOT include their by-product ( the fish undersize they kill). The DNR has screwed the fisherman for allowing and promoting this. Money talks.

The total yellow perch quota for Ohio’s Lake Erie trap net fishermen is listed below.
Total: 1.577 million pounds which is broken down into two management units, see below. 2015

Management Unit 2 (Huron to Fairport Harbor): 1.311 million pounds

Management Unit 3 (Fairport Harbor to Conneaut): 0.266 million pounds

Ohio TAC 3.876 million pounds 2016

 

Optimist you are dead on correct. This is the biggest problem the perch face. Are great friends up north don't help much either.

 

Blame the netters... Easy way out. They are out there go find them... I've seen lots of limits come in while everyone is chasing walleye and according to your lovely dnr I've been told 2018 will be the best perch and walleye fishing the lake has seen in some time. They are not catching them all... So far this year the netters are down more than last year which was a less than stellar year. Go look at the price of fresh yellow perch.

 

You can't convince me that the netters don't have the biggest effect on the Perch population after the weather. It seemed like the netters were camped out by Fairport Harbor last year. I expect that area has been decimated for years to come. Wish there was a regulation on how many days/tons of fish the netters could take from a given area (not a basin) in one year. Better yet I would love to have a Lake Erie stamp to buy the netters out. That is what saved the Walleye Capital of the World. A lot more money pours into the state coffers from taxes and fees on the recreational fishermen then they get from the netters.

 

Speaker of the netters, I haven't seen nets in the usual spots near beaver/Lorain... Am I just missing them or are the commercial guys fishing else wear?

 

So do you suggest that all perch and walleye come from Canada? Or across the pond. Yes the nets are out they are closer to the dump maybe 6 miles plus not sure bout the closer ones they may come later. Fair port fishermen are probably king fisheries and good luck trying to buy him out... He has deep pockets and I believe has the most quota. If you think white bass White perch and sheep head are a problem now I can't imagine what it would be without commercial fisherman. I too am a sportsman and I see the same things you do however I would like to see some sort of system where you earn your perch quota based on how much white bass and white perch and "" junk fish that you catch.

 

I've been catching plenty of perch from 10-13" drop shotting for smallies in 8-14 feet of water. Ive read plenty of schools in shallower water this year. You just have to adapt and change as the fish change. You can't always just expect to join the perch packs and catch limits left and right.

 

That's where some of the best limits were caught in May. 12 -15 ft I wouldn't believe if I didn't see it myself

 

Not suggesting all fish come from Canada. They have a higher quota they also gill net both walleye and perch. Would also like to see a lake erie stamp. Would like to see commercial fishing removed from the lake at least us waters.

 

Just curious, what is the legal size for Canadian walleye? Commercial and Sport fishing? Thanks for any replies!!

 

Same as ours. But commercial they are allowed incidental catch which basically means what ever they want

 

thanks to all for your input!!!!!