After a long winter of cold temperatures and few fishing opportunities, people are itching to get on the water again. While many anglers anxiously await the opening day of trout season, others are prowling local lakes for monster perch. If you love perch, which is often considered one of Pennsylvania’s tastiest species, there is no better time to catch a big one than now.

Like many species, perch come alive in spring. After spending the winter simply trying to survive, it is time to eat, spawn, and be happy. Large schools will gather where the conditions are right and provide the perfect opportunity to stretch a line to its limits if you can find them.

The first thing you need to do is find the fish. This is how you will spend most of your first trip, but once located, the rest of the time will be catching perch like no other time of the year. Unfortunately, the only way to find a school of perch is to cast, cast and cast some more. But some tricks can narrow the search.

FEEDER STREAMS

Anywhere that fresh water is entering the lake is a potential hot spot. Not only do feeder streams supply fresh, oxygenated water that is usually water than the lake itself, but they also wash in a few different options when it comes to dinner. However, perch do not stack up directly in front of the stream, unlike other species.

When searching, a feeder stream starts off to one side, often as far as 100-200 yards. Cast and retrieve slowly and move a little closer to the mouth. Repeat this until you get a bite or have run an equal distance to the opposite side. Not every stream mouth will hold perch, but make sure you work each one thoroughly before moving on.

SLOPES

Dropoffs are favorite targets for any angler, but when it comes to perch, you are looking for something a little more gradual. Instead of immediately heading for the deep channel or sharp ledge, focus on areas with a gentle slope. Fish from shore out to deeper water to locate the school, with particular focus on the areas with cover.

COVER

Speaking of cover, perch do not like to hang out in the open. It is important to identify areas with suitable cover, such as downed trees, rock piles, a sunken dock, or vegetation, and focus your attention there during your search.

TURNING THIS INTO A BIG PERCH

Once you locate a school of fish, it is simply a matter of fishing until you catch a big one. No, not exactly. Although perch are very social and prone to staying in large schools, they are also very selective about who they hang out with.

Different years classes tend to segregate from each other and form their own schools.

The good news is that these different schools are near each other. So, if you are catching smaller fish, keep searching the area. The bigger fish are likely nearby. Once you locate big fish, stay on them to catch more big fish. Mark your GPS, drop the anchor, or set the spot lock and make that spot your home until you have exhausted the school or the fish have moved on.

Once you have located a school, pay careful attention to your surroundings.

Note the water depth, structure type, bottom composition, feeder stream presence, etc. If you move to another cove, look for these same features. That will be where you want to start your new search.

Good luck and good fishing.