Tight-lining Yellow Pygmy Walleye

In the fall many anglers turn their attention to the tasty little cousin of the walleye: Yellow Perch. Over the years, many anglers have tried to build a better mouse trap to catch more jumbo perch. Only a few of these have stuck around. Recently a new rig is coming to light; the rig is taking it’s cue from the bass world and the “Dropshot”.

All a dropshot is is a hooked tied into the main line so that it will stick out perpendicular to the main line. Below it a lead weight is attached. When this technique hit the scene it was illegal due to how the state of Michigan wrote it’s law for snagging fish. But, after some pressure from fishermen the law was changed a bit and now we can fish this way on most waters.

What a little company from SE Michigan did was design a rig that took advantage of the changes in the snagging law and also the hook law here in Michigan to help us catch more of those tasty perch. Using a mono mainline Domka Outdoors used crimps to position the hooks into place instead of tying knots. At the bottom you have a snap which is where the weight gets attached to the rig, and at the top you have a loop so you can attach it to your line on your rod. Included with the hook on the rig is a bead, placed just below the hook for added attraction.

The rig is fished pretty much the same as every other perch rig on the market, but with one slight difference. You want to try and keep the whole rig tight and without any slack in the system. A good way to do this is by using a pyramid sinker. The sinker when dropped to the bottom will either stick on the bottom, and if it doesn’t the flat sides force the rig not to move around and roll.

The beauty of the rig is that there is zero slack in the system, which increases the overall sensitivity, which also means more fish in the boat and more “jumbos” in the boat.

If you want to pick this rig up right now there is only one retail outlet that has any (Jeff’s Bait & Tackle). You can give them a call and they will ship you some or you can stop on by their shop before heading out on Lake Erie.

Justin Clark

Justin runs Michigan's premier fishing and outdoor blog Out in Michigan.com. He is also a local fishing guide, tournament angler and freelance writer and manages the newest tackle shop on Lake St. Clair "Sportsmen's Direct. He has been featured in regional publications like Michigan Outdoor News, Woods-n-Waters, Great Lakes Angler and a few others. Justin has made several TV appearance in recent years.

He has a true passion of sharing his knowledge with other anglers and non-anglers alike within the communities surrounding the waters that he loves to fish. Justin is a true multi-species nut. He can be found chasing everything from Bass, Carp ,Walleye, Muskie and everything in between. His background and experiences studying Ichthyology, Microbiology, and River Ecology gives him a totally unique view on fishing.