As a kid, some of the first ice fishing trips I can remember were for perch in Georgian Bay, near Collingwood Ontario.  Fishing in the harbor was always good.  You had the usual lulls between schools cruising under you, and days where the bite was so light it almost seemed like the perch were sleeping.  Anyway I look at it there are a few things that always made sure we were getting into decent numbers and sizes of Perch through the ice.

PERCH ICE FISHING TIPS:

1. A good rule of thumb to follow when you arrive at your ice fishing destination is to drill a number of ice fishing holes, preferably in a zig-zag pattern, around the area you intend to fish.  Drilling a number of holes right off the bat will allow the entire area to settle, rather than drilling holes as you need them and potentially spooking a school of perch right below you.
2. Always use needle sharp hooks for Perch ice fishing.  This is especially important when the bite is extremely light, and gives the perch the chance to set the hook themselves.  Keep a hook sharpener, or hone handy at all times.
3. Generally speaking, the smaller the bait the better when it comes to perch.  With maximum sized perch coming in at 14-15 inches, and the average being around 10 to 12 inches, it should be expected that smaller baits are the ticket for perch.  Red wigglers, wax worms and small minnows are your best bets with live baits.
4. When you set the hook, try to give it a sharp snap rather than a hefty jerk on the rod.  Many anglers lose fish without even knowing it when they pull the hook and bait right out of Perches mouths when setting the hook too quickly, or too hard.
5. Perch can be extremely finicky, and they are definitely line shy.  When trying your luck for Perch through the ice, use the lightest test line you can get away with.  Coupled with that, use the smallest hooks and spilt shot weights that you can to increase your chances of hooking up with finicky perch.
6. You’ve probably heard about using ‘Perch Eyes’ for wait.  And its true that perch eyes work excellent, but they should only be used when you are sitting on top of a school of perch.  Use minnows, worms or jigs to attract the school to you first.
7. Where legal, chum the area you will be fishing by mashing up salted minnows and dropping them down your ice fishing holes.  This is also beneficial in that you may hook into a pike thats cruising around the area looking for easy meals.

Check this link out for More Tips for Panfish Ice Fishing