How to Make Perch Traps for Ice Fishing

Catch perch by lowering a trap through a hole in the ice.

Perch are bottom-feeding fish and will scour the mud in search of winter food. They usually will not move far, but the scent of fresh food could entice them. An ice fishing perch trap has an opening just big enough for the fish to swim inside, searching for the bait they smell. Perch become trapped inside because they have difficulty finding and navigating the opening they swam through. Modifying a minnow trap will produce a good perch trap. Make sure the use of perch traps is legal in the area where you're fishing.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic-coated wire mesh
• Tin snips
• Plastic-coated or stainless steel wire
• Pliers
• Permanent marker

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of your wire mesh with tin snips and roll it into a cylindrical shape. Make the cylinder large enough to hold several perch, but small enough to fit the hole you will auger through the ice. Make the trap about 8 inches in diameter and 4 to 5 feet long; increase the diameter if you can drill a larger hole in the ice.

2. Overlap the edges of the wire cylinder by about 2 inches. Cut several pieces of plastic-coated or stainless steel wire, each 8 inches long. Wrap the wire pieces through and around the joint in several spots to secure the cylinder. Twist the ends of the wire with a pair of pliers to cinch them. Make sure there are no large openings where perch can swim free.

3. Flip the cylinder on end and place it on a flat piece of wire mesh. Trace a circle around the cylinder end, about 2 inches wider than the cylinder's diameter, using a permanent marker. Cut around the outline of this circle on the flat mesh, using tin snips.

4. Using the first circular piece as a guide, trace a second circular piece of wire mesh, about 2 inches wider in diameter than the first one. Cut the second circle out with tin snips.

5. Mount the smaller of the two circular pieces you just cut onto one end of the cylinder. Secure it in place with several pieces of the 8-inch wire. When completed, the shape should resemble a wire-mesh trash can.

6. Cut a straight line from the edge of the second circle to its center. Roll the piece into a cone. Secure the edges with pieces of wire. Trim off the tip of the cone, leaving a hole just large enough for a perch to swim through, about 4-5 inches in diameter. Trim the wide end of the cone so it will fit inside the cylinder.

7. Mount the cone inside the cylinder, with the narrow end pointing in. Secure it in place with pieces of wire.

8. Cut a square opening on the surface of the cylinder. Wire the square back into place. You will use this opening to place bait inside the cylinder and to remove the perch you catch.

Tips & Warnings

• To increase the chance of catching perch, substitute a second cone for the closed end of the cylinder so that there are two entrances. Increase the length of the cylinder to accommodate the additional cone.

• Try different baits for the trap. Sardines in oil, bread soaked in anise, minnow heads and dog food are popular choices for wintertime perch.

• Check state and local fishing regulations to make sure it is legal to trap fish in the area you will be ice fishing.

References

• Trails: How to Make a Wire Minnow Trap