Seasonal uptick in perch bite; annual decline in shiner availablity

Along with the heat of August comes the picking of tomatoes and other veggie crops.

Less available this time of year, however, are Lake Erie emerald shiners used to catch yellow perch.

The problem happens right around this time of year. It grows more intense into

Those conditions make collecting shiners along the shore line more problematic as the bait is less inclined to hang around piers and breakwaters where they can be taken by dip netters.

To accommodate anglers, the marina at the Wildwood unit of Cleveland Lakefront State Park has begun stocking up on golden shiners, a less-effective but longer-lasting yellow perch bait.

Anglers hoping to take advantage of the slowly improving yellow perch fishing need to be aware of the seasonal shortage of emerald shiners and take appropriate action. That includes buying emerald shiners and freezing them, either in iodine-free salt or else sawdust as the curing agent.

A frozen emerald shiner is a step below a live emerald shiner in being a good perch bait but it is a step up from a golden shiner.

Speaking of catching yellow perch and Wildwood, the marina reports generally improving fishing though on some days the perch just either can't be found or else are not in a feeding mood.

That situation was the case this past weekend where the charter boat Linda Mae saw its anglers on Saturday struggling to catch fish while the next day everyone aboard limited out. This time of year you just don't know.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com