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Perch Assaulters get their exercise

by Hungry Horse News
| February 28, 2015 8:43 AM

The 2015 Perch Assault on Middle Thompson Lake kicked off on Saturday, Feb. 21, with 104 anglers walking off into the darkness at the 6:40 a.m. shotgun start.

“Instead of revving engines and red taillights fading into the distance, only the sound of pull sleds and portable ice houses scraping across the surface, and the occasional nasal cleansing,” reported Mike Howe, of A Able Fishing Charters and Tours.

Sunny skies and warm temperatures for the 12 days before the event had many anglers worried the lake would not even be safe to walk on. But cold nights for the 72 hours before the event saved the ice.

“The fish rewarded their efforts, despite weather conditions changing every 20 minutes once fishing began at 7 a.m. sharp,” Howe said. “Several bigger fish hit the ice early, as is the case almost every single tournament, no matter the lake.”

Spending time moving around could cut into valuable fishing time, and several teams took that risk early, while others never strayed more than 50 yards all day. Tournament rules state teammates must remain within 30 paces of each other.

“By the time the sun first peaked out at 11 a.m., there were several teams that made huge moves, and a couple paid off,” Howe said.

The first 10 baskets at the 2 p.m. weigh-in foreshadowed the rest of the results. There some half pound average fish, and some fish that needed nine to make up that same weight.

“One thing interesting, not one perch broke the one-pound mark,” Howe said. “Middle Thompson has always been known for big perch, if not many of them, but a 1 1/2 pound fish is not uncommon. Two 0.85 pound fish split the big fish pot, with several 0.83 pound fish rounding out some other very nice baskets.”

Earning the top spot was Chance Evenson, with David Meeker subbing for Chance’s wife Codi. They managed a 5.97 pound top weight, followed closely by Russ Geldrich and Jacob Link at 5.67 pounds and Ross Ganz and Ben Therrien at third with 5.48 pounds.

For more information, visit online at www.perchassault.com.