The Mississippi River pools between lock and dam 7 and dam 8 is the stretch I fished on and mainly referring to in having the trophy YP fishery. Whatever has happened with managing that fishery and the river itself, it
worked tremendously well. Some true giants in there and love the coloration on those healthy-looking fish. Makes you dream pretty big of creating your own mini opportunity at fish like that, at least it did me! I kind of
freelanced by myself for a few days and caught a few fish on the ice, then the last day I had an opportunity at an airboat ride out where the general public cannot reach on the river. That was a day I'll never forget perch
fishing. The morning at sunup was hottest bite, then slowly tapered off during day, but managed to pick them here and there and that is usually the common consensus on most public water perch fishing. There are a few
lakes in Iowa that have YP, but not much to show for actual trophy size YP however, at least on a semi consistent basis. Ice fishing Dec 15th- ice out would be a great time to target YP in public waters, because they're
more grouped together and more easily targeted I suppose. Don't have to be an expert fisherman by any means, just have to know where the perch are, and in unknown territories sometimes it pays to ask or even pay a
guide or someone that knows something, no shame in learning and spending a little bit in something I'm passionate about is how I justified anything when it came to finding the perch. Northeast Iowa, Decorah, Waukon,
and then just north of them into and near Lacrosse, Wisconsin and Minnesota is right there too! Beautiful bluff country and the streams are full of trout too near Decorah, IA! Hope this helps answer.
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