Jason Mitchell Outdoors NEW UTV + Jumbo Perch Fishing Tips
Category: article
Jan 10th, 2022 by Keith Worrall
Modified Jan 10th, 2022 at 4:49 PM
Frigid temps and wind has been the norm lately but the good news is that we are making ice. Been bouncing around on Devils Lake and also checked out a few perch sloughs in eastern South Dakota earlier in the week.
Across the board, we have been seeing some good bites. Devils Lake has been fishing well this winter for both perch and walleye. We found some good perch bites in South Dakota as well. There is a misconception that the fish don’t bite when it gets cold. The fishing can be good but finding fish can be more of a challenge and obviously the forty below temps we have had (wind chill) make it harder on equipment. I finally had enough and broke down and purchased a Can Am Defender side by side with tracks from Moritz Sport and Marine in Mandan, ND. Will be a perfect ice fishing rig especially for hauling our videographers and camera equipment.
What we are seeing in many places is a real finesse bite for perch. Small tungsten jigs tipped with waxworms, a perch eye or a minnow head has outperformed traditional spoons lately. When using small jigs for perch, make sure to use a jig with a slightly larger hook for increased hookups. Jigs that fit the bill include the CPT Drop Kick and the Drop XL.
A recent video we just filmed with Clam Outdoors called “The Bite” is now posted on YouTube. This video takes you to our corporate headquarters and shows some recent ice fishing on Devils Lake.
This weekend we aired a two part episode: Leech Lake area largemouth bass on spinnerbaits and Devils Lake crappie through the ice. We have received a lot of questions on how and where to target crappie on Devils Lake. We don’t necessarily catch many but they can be big!
We hope to head to Sakakawea this week. Let us know where you would like to see us film this winter!
Watch JMO on Bally Sports North on Sundays at 9:00 am. If you don’t have cable, you can also watch on ROKU Channel KOTV on Sunday at 9:00. Of course all of our episodes are also uploaded on our YouTube.