Spring: Perch is school of thought on Simcoe

What snow remains on the grounds in York Region is now just a remnant of what winter had left behind earlier in the year.
These days, the mercury is slowly inching its way upward.
And the grass is turning green.
Signs of the much-anticipated days of spring are upon us.
For those who like to wet a fishing line in the open water, these days couldn’t come soon enough after a long, cold winter.
One of the first early spring rituals of open water angling takes place on Lake Simcoe when the jumbo yellow perch can be found cruising the shoreline areas.
Wil Wegman, an ardent angler whom I’ve had the good fortune of wetting a line with and a noted outdoors writer, reported a good segment of Simcoe is now ice-free.
This is about normal for early April.
And, with anticipated warmer temperatures soon to arrive which will warm up the water, he predicts yellow perch action can only get better.
During these days, jumbos can be caught by anglers standing on shore or from a boat.
Making the outing even more enticing is that you don’t have to be a seasoned angler to catch them.
This is an activity that everyone can enjoy.
When the bite is on, the action can be fast and furious as these fish tend to congregate in schools.
To catch yellow perch, you can use live bait such as minnows.
Artificial offerings such as soft plastic baits imitating the shiner minnows that inhabit Lake Simcoe, can be just as lethal and less expensive.
By employing these artificial baits, you can also run them individually or in a tandem format with the use of a drop weight and retrieved slowly.
Casting a small beetle spin-grub combination and retrieved slowly is another proven yellow perch favourite.
Since yellow perch aren’t known for their fighting prowess and can be found in open water, an ultralight rod and open-faced spinning reel outfit is all that’s required.
In searching for potential early season perch hotspots on Lake Simcoe, Wegman suggests there’s a number of places to try.
The key, Wegman said, is in finding shallow water areas that will receive plenty of sunlight which in turn will warm up water temperatures.
“The warmer the water the better. So, north-facing shores and shallow bays (are good). Down south, try Cooks Bay. Up around Lefroy.  Back in Keswick.
“Jackson’s Point and Sibbald Point can be really good, same as Snake Island. Up north, Lake Couchiching and the southern bays as well as north end bays around the Orillia Narrows,” he said.
When fishing the waters of Lake Simcoe, some etiquette is required as shoreline anglers should abide by any posted No Tresspassing signs and avoid those areas.
Those venturing out on a boat should use common sense and take precautionary measures by listening to weather forecasts before going out. The winds on Lake Simcoe can pick up in a New York City second.
Anglers 18 years of age up to 64 are also required to have a valid fishing licence.
If you elect to keep any yellow perch, be sure to abide by possession limits as set fourth in the 2008-09 recreational fishing regulations summary.