By Mike Seymour

 The cry of "Gold!" at any new site during the Alaska Gold Rush stirred the blood of its discoverers and all who heard the word. Similarly, the cry of "Yellow Gold!" at Henderson Harbor has stirred the blood of ice anglers there and will do likewise to other anglers as the word spreads.

 Prior to last winter's ice up in Henderson Harbor, shore anglers routinely bagged buckets of yellow perch, and those buckets were an omen of the "yellow-gold" strike that would occur once safe ice formed. Reflecting on last winter's action, Bill Saiff III said, "As far as ice fishing for perch goes, Henderson Harbor is the rising star, the new kid on the block. And the nice thing is that Henderson is a lot less crowded than other perch-fishing areas."

 2009 Outlook

 Based on last winter's fishing, anglers can expect the perch action to hold up all winter long, with first- and last-ice being especially productive. Like elsewhere, the perch here seemed to feed in flurries. While fish could be taken throughout the day, the most reliable feeding flurries occurred between 5:30 and 11:30 a.m.

The old saying of "Big water, big fish" held true in 2008 as anglers routinely bucketed Lake Ontario jumbos in the 12- to14-inch range. Using 9 inches as keeper size, anglers saw about a 50 percent keeper rate last winter. Along those lines, anglers are reminded to release all perch not intended for the pan as these fish are an investment in future populations.

 Locating Winter Perch

Yellow perch follow seasonal patterns where they inhabit shallow flats and the first drop-off towards deep water during both early and late winter. At these times, the fish feed aggressively. In mid-winter, perch move to deeper water and feed less aggressively. Favorite winter haunts include deep-water flats, main basin of a harbor or bay, and deep-water edges. As a general rule, yellow perch do not hold directly on a structural drop, but they do hold in the vicinity of such an edge. Based on 2008 catches, the best and early- and late-season depths at Henderson were 16-20 feet while the mid-winter action occurred around the 25-foot depths.

Prior to fishing, perch angler's auger a number of holes in a selected area. Since perch are "roamers," an angler increases the odds of locating fish by having more places to drop an offering. And since perch hang out in schools, catching a single fish indicates an area will be productive for a period of time.

Moving from hole to hole and area to area is the traditional fish-locating method, but today's electronics can certainly facilitate that task. Flasher units specifically designed for ice fishing work well as do the underwater-camera units. Even a GPS can aid anglers in returning to previously found hotspots. As a final note on locating fish, anglers can certainly take a cue from other anglers who are putting yellow gold in their buckets. The key here is to practice sound fishing ethics and avoid "crowding" other anglers.

For the most part, yellow perch are not finicky eaters so a variety of offerings work effectively. Popular baits at Henderson include a mouth- or back-hooked live minnow, a perch-eye-tipped Swedish Pimple, a grub-tipped jig, and a gold-hook bug fly. Other traditional offerings that should work here are twister-tail tipped jigs, undressed panfish jigs, and Berkley Gulp!-tipped jigs. Many ice fishers believe red hooks work best. Anglers might want to use slightly heavier Swedish Pimples and jigs as locator lures since these offerings get down to the fish more quickly. Once fish are located, lighter offerings are recommended.

 Winter perch feed on larvae and small critters so such imitations should be the most effective offerings for ice fishing. The old adage of "Big bait, big fish." doesn't hold true for winter perch. Small is better. Also, perch are bottom feeders so offerings should be worked on or near the bottom. Too, perch feed by sight so color can make a difference, and natural colors work well in the clear water at Henderson. Lure or bait motion can entice perch to bite. Instead of a lift-drop motion, though, try a more subtle, side-to-side wiggle of the offering.

With the variety of jigging combos on the market today, anglers can find quality outfits at reasonable prices. Just remember to carry a spare in case of malfunction. Likewise, today's choice of lines allows anglers to approach near visibility, a vital asset when pursing clear-water perch.

Double the Pleasure 

Another way to double the pleasure is to set out the allowed five tip-ups for northern pike. Henderson offers not only good numbers of pike, but also the opportunity for some big ones. Northern pike fishers favor the waters from Henderson Harbor out to The Cut where anglers regularly catch fish in the 10-pound range. Last February a local angler iced a 16.5-pound and an 18-pound northern pike.

Access and Services

Two poplar access points at Henderson Harbor are the Henderson Town Launch at the south end of the harbor and West View Lodge & Marina situated on the harbor's east side. In recent years, bait has not been available here, but West View is offering bait, meals, lodging, and guided trips this winter. As a special offering, West View will prepare a home-style cooked meal for anglers who bring their fresh fillets across the street to the diner.

 If an angler wants to enrich his or her life this winter, head to Henderson Harbor and discover the gold waiting there. For up-to-date ice conditions and other information, call West View Lodge & Marina at 315-938-5285 or 315-771-3514, or visit www.billsaiffoutdoors.com and click on the ice-fishing icon.