Perch fishing is very popular for several reasons. For one thing, they are one of the easiest species of fish to catch. This makes them the prefect species for children, the elderly or anyone learning to fish for the first time. Another reason they are so popular is because they are very tasty. The only drawback is the fact that it takes several fish to make a meal because their average size is about two pounds.
If you are interested in only fishing for the fun of it without pressure or without needing to spend a lot of money on equipment, then perch fishing is for you. The main thing you need is a good quality medium action rod combined with a good casting or spinning reel. Add a bobber or sinker and your bait and you are ready to get started.
Tackle Used to Catch Perch
If you want to catch a ton of perch, one of the main things that you need to know is that you must use a small sharp hook. The perch has a small mouth that is not as strong as many other species. A large hook will pull right through its mouth. The best hook sizes to use for perch fishing are 14, 12 and 10. You will also get the best results from using 4 to 8 pound test line. It is recommended that you use a light to medium rod for the best results and a stiff rod seems to work better than a flimsy one.
Young perch will feed off of zooplankton, small crustaceans and insects. As the perch mature they add crabs, worms, shrimp, larval insects, other fish eggs and smaller fish to their diet. The perch can be a very aggressive species that will hit your line hard but sometimes they will be picky. When they are in a finicky mood it will be harder to detect their bite but if you are paying attention you will feel it. A nice presentation of the bait will encourage the perch to give in and take your offer, even when they are being picky.
When it comes to which bait to use live bait always seems to work the best. Use worms, shrimp and insects to fish for perch. It is best to use small pieces of bait so the perch won’t steal it and swim away. When using artificial baits the shiny metallic ones will get the attention of the perch the best. Go for the bright shiny spoons and metallic plastic minnows. If you go ice fishing the best baits to use are wax worms, minnows and maggots.
It is a good idea to experiment with different tackle and baits to see which ones work the best for you. You never know exactly what kind of mood the perch will be in so you can usually get better results by trying a variety of different things while you are out. It is recommended that you do check your fishing line often to look for damage and weak spots to prevent the line from breaking when you are trying to reel in the fish.
There is certainly no shortage of good Illinois crappie fishing locations, especially in the spring. The state is littered with lakes and rivers where bites are frequent and slabs are quite large. No matter where in the state you live or are traveling, you are within a few miles of great crappie fishing. Beginning in late February and continuing through spring and summer, you’ll find the peak of Illinois crappie fishing season.
Start with the Mazonia State Fish and Wildlife Area, where there are over 250 lakes ranging in size from an acre to about 50 acres. Here, you’ll find some average sized crappie of about 8-9 inches in length. The best part of the season in these lakes is generally between March and May, concentrating strongly on shoreline areas covered in grass, beaver lodges, and fallen trees that create cover for the crappie. If you visit the “back lakes” of the area that must be accessed by foot, you could be rewarded with 14-16-inch crappie.
Another viable option for Illinois crappie fishing is Evergreen Lake, a full 886 acres just north of Bloomington in central Illinois. Some avid anglers claim that fishing in this lake regularly yields 10-12-inch crappie and up to 40 or more black crappie per hour, as well as 55 white crappie per hour. At these excellent fishing odds, most fishermen go home with their 25-fish limit for the day with no hassle whatsoever. Try fishing the coves of the lake, with jigs and minnows being the number one baits of choice.
While not producing such high quantities, Illinois crappie fishing at Sangchris Lake does yield some of the largest sunfish in the state, averaging 12-15 inches in length. There is a nursery pond onsite where around 70,000 fish are bred and stocked annually that boosts the population for a good catch. Take advantage of the large slabs in February, March, and April, when crappie are easily found in shallow cover and are prone to staying in shallow environments for spawning. Minnows work well here, as do jigs, but keep in mind that Sangchris enforces a 10-inch minimum size and 10-fish per day limit on your catch.
Illinois crappie fishing is at its best in Carlyle Lake, with its extensive 26,000 acres, in spring. Carlyle maintains a 10-inch minimum for your catch, and you’ll find no shortage of keepers, with regular anglers claiming about 80% of the catch being of retainable size. The Allen Branch of the lake is full of stumps and good cover for crappie, making it a choice location for Illinois crappie fishing, though Coles Creek and the West Access area are also popular.
Do some sports teams’ names stump you? Oftentimes, we hear a team’s name over and over again, without knowing for certain, what it is. For instance, there is the Minnesota Timberwolves. We know that timber includes trees that produce wood for building houses and furniture. We know that wolves are wild mammals. Are Timberwolves wolves that live in forests?
Actually, a timberwolf is another name for the grey wolf. A distant relative of the domestic dog, timberwolves indeed live in forests. However, they also reside in other areas such as mountains, grasslands, and even urban regions. A “name the team” contest named the Minnesota Timberwolves as such, as the name defeated the other finalist, “Polars.” “Timberwolves” is quite appropriate, considering that more timberwolves live in Minnesota than in any of the other continental U.S. states. Here are some interesting wolf facts:
? Wolves are the biggest wild canine
? Wolves have 42 teeth
? Wolves’ jaws can create up to 1,500 pounds-per-square-inch of pressure
? Wolves do little chewing of food
? Wolves’ liter sizes range from 4-7 pups
Two decades after professional basketball had left Minnesota, the state welcomed the Timberwolves as an expansion team. The Lakers and two ABA teams had formerly called Minnesota home. Unfortunately, the Timberwolves lost their franchise opener of the 1989-1990 season, to the Seattle Supersonics: 106-94. Unfortunately, the season’s final result was also unfavorable, with the Timberwolves earning a 22-60 record.
However, as time progressed, the Timberwolves grew from pups to full-grown canines. During the 2003-2004 season, they achieved their most success. Key players included Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell, and Latrell Spreewell. At the end of the season, the Timberwolves had earned a 58-24 record (.707 winning percentage). This was the franchise’s top record ever, and the best Western Conference record that year.
In the playoffs, the Timberwolves pounced on the Denver Nuggets as if they were chicken nuggets, winning the series easily (4-1). The Timberwolves then outlasted the Sacramento Kings in the next round of the playoffs (4-3). Unfortunately, the Timberwolves then faced the mighty Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. The Lakers were simply too potent and too experienced in the playoffs. They defeated the Timberwolves relatively easily (4-2).
Unquestionably, Kevin Garnett has been the Timberwolves’ most significant player during the franchise’s short history. The Timberwolves picked Garnett as the fifth overall selection during the 1995 NBA draft. Then in 2004, Garnett captured the MVP award of the NBA. Garnett was the first player in over two decades that an NBA team directly drafted from high school, into the NBA. In addition to leading the Timberwolves to the NBA Finals in 2004, Garnett won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics (2000), and won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics (2008).
The Minnesota Timberwolves have brought basketball back to Minnesota. Though they are a young team, they have advanced to within two games of the NBA Finals. Use Minnesota Timberwolves merchandise to cheer on the team as they hunt for their first NBA Championship!