Late October Sodus Bay and Port Bay Yellow Perch: Finding Deep Schools Around Shad
By late October the easy shore bite is gone, the wind is getting mean, and Sodus Bay and Port Bay are full of shad. That last part is what throws a lot of anglers off. The perch are still there, but they have slid deep and are traveling under or behind the bait clouds. If you know where to look and what to put in front of them, you can still fill a cooler on a short fall day.
This article is about late October Sodus Bay and Port Bay yellow perch: finding deep schools around shad, reading your electronics, and using the live bait and small plastics that get bit when everything else is getting ignored.
On this page
- Where the perch are right now
- Tactics that beat the shad
- Fall perch gear checklist
- Boat power for long days
- Safety and regulations
- Summary
Boat Power for Long Days on the Bay
Running a graph, trolling motor, and livewell all day will pull a lead acid battery down hard, especially when you are stopping and starting on schools. These are the three Monster Marine Lithium batteries we send guys out with for fall perch trips.
| Product | Price | Best For | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
 12v 20Ah MANTIS |
$125.00 | Best budget lithium battery for small boats and short runs | View MANTIS |
 12v 40Ah Viper Bluetooth |
$300.00 | Best overall value for most perch boats running a graph and trolling motor | View Viper |
 12v 50Ah Hyena Bluetooth |
$375.00 | Best for all-day graph and trolling motor use on bigger water | View Hyena |
Shop all batteries, bait, and tackle at Shorette's
Where the Perch Are Right Now
In Sodus Bay, the late October perch bite is happening around the islands at the north end of the bay and out from Shaker Heights, where Third Creek enters. Those areas hold deeper water close to structure, and that is where the bigger fish are stacking.
In Port Bay, anglers are catching perch between the channel and Graves Point. Reports put the active fish in about 25 feet of water, and the larger perch are deeper than most people expect.
The common thread is shad. Both bays have plenty of bait moving through, and the perch are relating to it. The mistake is fishing the shad instead of fishing under the shad. When your screen lights up with bait, the perch are usually below the cloud or just off the edge where they can pick off struggling baitfish.
Reading the electronics
Set your graph to split frequency or use a down view to separate bait from perch. Shad show as a dense cloud. Perch look like small hooks or arcs underneath or to the side. If you mark bait but no fish, drop a waypoint and make a few passes. The perch often move in short bursts and will come back under the same cloud.
Pay attention to bottom hardness. Perch like transitions from soft mud to harder bottom, and they will hold on the drop side of a hump or channel edge. Use your map chip to find the subtle breaks in 20 to 30 feet of water and work those first.
Tactics That Beat the Shad
Live bait is the go-to right now because the perch are keyed in on the real thing. A standard perch rig with a minnow or a piece of nightcrawler will catch fish, but the guys doing the best are also carrying Charlie Brewer sliders. A 2-inch grub with a yellow or white tail, fished just under the bait, gets bit when the fish are pressured or the shad are thick.
Vertical jigging over schools
Once you mark a school, drop a small jig straight down and keep it moving. A 1/16 or 1/8 ounce jig tipped with a minnow head or a wax worm is about right. Lift it six inches and let it fall on a slack line. Most bites happen on the drop. If the fish are finicky, switch to a smaller hook and lighter line. Four pound test fluorocarbon is not too light this time of year.
Drift control
Wind is part of the game on these bays, so use your trolling motor to control drift speed. The goal is to pass over the school slowly enough that your bait stays in the strike zone. If the wind is pushing you too fast, point the bow into it and use short drifts. Mark the school on the way down and motor back up for another pass.
Bait selection
- Live minnows on a perch rig or drop shot hook
- Nightcrawler pieces for a scent trail in colder water
- 2-inch Charlie Brewer slider grubs in yellow or white
- Small jigging spoons when the fish are actively chasing
Fall Perch Gear Checklist
Here is what we are sending customers out with for late October perch on Sodus and Port Bays. Most of it is in the shop right now.
- Light spinning rods and 4 to 6 pound test line
- Perch rigs, drop shot hooks, and small jigs
- Live minnows and nightcrawlers
- 2-inch Charlie Brewer slider grubs in yellow and white
- A reliable battery to run your graph and trolling motor all day
For the battery, see the comparison above. The MANTIS is the cheapest way into lithium, the Viper covers most boats, and the Hyena is the one to buy if you want to fish from first light to last light without thinking about power.
Safety and Regulations
Fall weather on Lake Ontario can turn fast. A calm morning can become a rough ride by afternoon, especially with a north wind. Check the marine forecast before you launch and keep a life jacket handy. In New York, anyone in a boat under 21 feet must wear a securely fastened life jacket from November 1 through May 1.
Black bass season for keepers runs through November 30. After that it is catch and release only until June 14. Perch are open, but limits can change, so check the current DEC regulations before you head out. And if you are walking the tributaries, respect posted property. Salmon Creek in Pultneyville has some access, but do not trespass.
Summary
Late October Sodus Bay and Port Bay yellow perch are a deep water game right now. Find the shad, look underneath and around the edges of the bait cloud, and work live bait or small grubs slowly in 20 to 30 feet of water. The north end islands and Shaker Heights area in Sodus, plus the channel to Graves Point stretch in Port Bay, are the places to start.
Before your next trip, check the latest wind and marine forecast for Sodus Bay or Port Bay, then shop Shorette's online for proven fishing gear and dependable boat power.
Stop by Shorette's Bait & Tackle for minnows, perch rigs, jigs, and the lithium power to keep your graph running all day. We will point you toward what is working right now and send you out with the right stuff.