In autumn big perch are feeding eagerly small fish such as vendace, smelt, small perch and bleak. The perch season continues throughout the autumn and hot spots include shallows close to deeps and fast-flowing sounds. In September and October, shoaling perch strike jigs, spinners and bottom fishing rigs. On a good day, you may find big ones weighing over 0,5 kg.
Depending on the lake, you can catch perch in autumn at 5 to 10 metres, sometimes even just below the surface. Hot spots are often found where birds are striking at the surface or where you can see a shoal of small fry jump in the surface trying to avoid predators that are going after them. When searching for perch shoals in autumn from deeper waters an echo sounder is for a good help.
When perch are biting, the jig barely has time to sink below the surface when there is already a new fish in the end of the line.
Photo: When you have found a good perch shoal, catch is sure! Photo: Ismo Kolari