Yellow Perch gear

Quick setup

Rod	Reel	Line
Ultralight to medium-light spinning rod. Sensitivity matters more than length.	Small spinning or spincast reel.	6 to 8 lb monofilament; go heavier in weedy water.

Rod, reel and line

Rod: Ultralight to medium-light spinning rod. Sensitivity matters more than length.
Reel: Small spinning or spincast reel.
Line: 6 to 8 lb monofilament; go heavier in weedy water.

Baits

small minnows
worms
waxworms and other insect larvae

Lures

small jigs
small jigging spoons tipped with a waxworm
small spinners
flies

Rigs

Two-hook bottom rig or a small jig kept right near the bottom.
A small, lightly weighted bobber over a size 6 fine-wire hook, so even light bites show.

Tips

Perch travel in schools sorted by size. If you only catch small ones, move or go deeper. They push shoreward to feed in morning and evening, rarely live deeper than 30 feet, sit shallower in spring and fall, and stay active under the ice.

Starter setup

A 5.5 to 7 foot light to medium-light spinning or spincast rod and matching reel, spooled with 6 lb monofilament. Spincast is easiest for beginners, and a 4 to 5 foot rod suits small kids. Carry size 6 to 10 hooks, a few split shot (pinched on 4 to 8 inches above the hook), small bobbers, a couple of small spinners and jigs, and worms. Learn the improved clinch knot and the palomar knot.

Light line casts farther and draws more strikes. Heavier line and stiffer rods are for bigger fish, heavy cover or sharp teeth, not for everyday fishing.

When to size up

Fish	Gear
Walleye, bass, saugeye, hybrid striped bass	medium rod, 8 to 12 lb line, 6 to 7.5 feet
Channel catfish	medium-heavy rod, 10 to 20 lb line
Northern pike	medium-heavy rod, 15 lb or heavier braid, steel or heavy fluorocarbon (40 lb+) leader
Muskellunge	heavy 7 to 9 foot rod, 50 to 80 lb braid, heavy leader
Trolling for lake trout and salmon	8.5 to 10.5 foot trolling rods, 15 lb mono or 30 lb braid, level-wind reels
Steelhead	8 to 10 foot or longer rods, 6 to 10 lb line
Lake sturgeon	heavy rod, 50 to 100 lb braid