Jumbo Perch in South Dakota

When you think of in the jumbo Perch in the Midwest most anglers immediately think of Devils Lake in North Dakota, and while Devils lake it a great perch destination; all across North and South Dakota there are shallow water duck sloughs that are loaded with jumbo perch that see little to no fishing pressure. 

These duck sloughs is that they are incredible fertile and these small bodies can support large numbers of jumbo Perch. The forage base in these duck sloughs tends to consist of a lot of freshwater shrimp which is really a key to growing big perch fast.

Fishing these shallow duck sloughs is pretty simple. Generally these bodies of water are fairly small (less than 100 acres) and can be fished fast. Started by drilling a line of holes from the shoreline out to the middle or deepest part of the slough.

Check the depth at each hole and look for fish. A Humminbird Ice Helix 7  is key, because the water in these duck slough is often muddy with low visibility so underwater cameras are limited. 

Once you find what area the fish are keying in on you can punch holes in similar spots to stay on the fish all day. 

Jumbo perch will bite on a number of different presentations. Small spoons like the VMC Rattle Spoon in a 1/16 ounce is perfect for big jumbos.

Jigs paired with live bait or plastics like the Clam Maki or the Clam Jamei are other great options for big perch. 

Ideally it’s preferred to use plastics over live bait simply, because you won’t have to rebait the hook and can catch multiple perch on the same plastic.  

The these small duck sloughs scattered all across the Dakotas are hidden gems for jumbo Perch.