Pool 7 Mississippi River PERCH

 

I finally did it...I went out on a fan boat for some perch fishing.  This is something that I have wanted to do for a few years now.  I have been able to catch some perch on Pools 8 and 9 of the Mississippi River and this trip took me a little further north to Pool 7.  The air boat experience is something else, literally there is nothing like traveling on a boat over ice, then open water, then back onto the ice to catch some fish.  It was a weird feeling, for sure.  The fishing on this particular day was good, we caught quite a few eater sized perch and couple real big perch around that thirteen inch mark.  

I utilized a 36in Jason Mitchell Dead Meat Stick the entire day with my Lew's Speed Spin reel.  A smooth drag is so important with these perch.  Another key piece of equipment was the Vexilar FLX38.  Most of the day we were in water less than five feet deep.  With the adjustable depth on this unit, I was able to use the whole screen and adjust it to as little as five feet.  This was key for early detection of these perch as they cruised around the large flat.  A variety of spoons worked, I really didn't see much difference from one color to another on this day.  When perch fishing, I always go with a spoon, bigger the better.  I have learned that these hungry river perch feed heavily on 1 year old bluegills, so a spoon is the perfect size to trick them. 

This was a trip to remember, hopefully this can become an annual thing to explore unchartered Mississippi River perch.