Will perch follow a jig up off bottom — even to the ice hole?
Yes — and using that is a core ice skill. Perch feed within the bottom meter, but a competitive school will chase. Pound the bottom to gather fish, then lift the jig slowly: on the flasher one mark separates and follows it up. That fish is the aggressor, and often one of the bigger ones; stop the lift, quiver the jig, and it usually eats. In shallow water of 2–4 m (7–13 ft) you can watch the whole thing down the hole, and perch will sometimes follow nearly to the ice before turning away. Few actually bite that high. If followers keep turning back, the lift is too fast, the bait is too big, or the jig needs a fresh minnow head or grub.
The full story
This answer is one piece of a longer lesson — setups, diagrams and the reasoning behind it.
More questions about How it strikes
- I feel tap-tap-tap and miss every time. What am I doing wrong?
- Deadstick or jigging — which cadence actually catches perch?
- Why do perch keep biting the tail off my minnow?
- What hook size should I use, and what is the logic?
- When exactly should I swing?
- How does a yellow perch fight once hooked, and how do I land the jumbos?
Same topic, other species
- If a crappie misses my jig, will it come back — and do they ever hit at the surface or under the hole? — Crappie
- Do largemouth jump, and why do they throw crankbaits and lipless baits so often? — Largemouth Bass
- What does a hooked muskie actually do — run, jump or dig in? — Muskellunge (Muskie)
- What is the S-strike, and why should it change how I retrieve? — Northern Pike
- Why do smallmouth slash at my moving bait and miss? — Smallmouth Bass
- What is the difference between a sipping rise and a slashing rise? — Trout (Rainbow · Brook · Lake)
- Do walleye follow a lure and hit at the boat or right under the ice hole? — Walleye