How to Fish for Perch From a Pier

Perch are a fine tasting small game fish that are easily caught in fresh water, everywhere from Navy Pier in Chicago to a small dock on a lake. Nothing fancy is required to catch perch; anglers young and old can enjoy collecting the sweet tasting pan fish. Pier fishing gives access to catching these active fish without the need for a boat, and there is an abundance of locations in the Great Lakes and other freshwater lakes where these fish thrive.

Things You'll Need

  • Light weight fishing rod with spinning reel
  • 4- to 6-pound test fishing line
  • Size 8 fishhooks
  • 1-inch diameter bobber
  • Split lead shot fishing weight
  • Bait
  • Cooler or stringer
  • Needle nose pliers
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Instructions

    • 1

      Scout your location for a good perch site. Perch like cover structures such as piers, docks or underwater logs. While you might find them in shallower water, they prefer a depth of six to 20 feet most often. When fishing off a pier, large rock piles shoring up the pier beneath the water are good spots for perch.

    • 2

      Set up your fishing line for perch. A light line with a number 8 hook is just the right size for the perch's small mouth. Add a small split shot or two to the line just above the hook to weight it to hang straight down. Place the two sides of the shot around the line and pinch it closed to set it in place. Use a one-inch bobber so it moves easily when the fish bite. The bobber can set your depth by where it is placed on the line. A minimum depth of six feet is good in shallow water, but set your line deeper if the water you are fishing allows.

    • 3

      Bait the hook with some perch favorites. Try larvae or meal worms, small minnows, chunks of earthworm or even lures. If one type of bait doesn't seem to be working after a while, switch off to another and see if it brings them in.

    • 4

      Watch the bobber. Perch are aggressive biters, but also notorious bait stealers. They love to nibble the bait right off your hook if you aren't paying attention. When that bobber twitches, wait just a second, then give it a bit of a yank to snag your perch.

    • 5

      Get the line back in the water as soon as possible if you catch a perch. Perch are schooling fish, meaning they may not be biting for quite some time, but once you have one, they have likely moved into the area and there are many more down there. Strike while the iron is hot, because the school can move out of the area just as fast as it came in.

    • 6

      Unhook your catch carefully; use the needle nose pliers to twist the hook out of its mouth. If it has swallowed the hook, sometimes it's better just to cut the line and put a new hook on and retrieve your hardware later when you are cleaning the fish. Yanking a hook out of the fish's belly can rip up the inner organs and cause a mess.

    • 7

      Place your catch in a cooler full of ice or on a stringer you keep in the water to keep the fish fresh and cool while you catch more.