I was out there Oct. 17th, too, and searched both north and south of Bills, in 35 to 50 feet. Same result as you. Farther south I got into some perch, but they were all too small to bother filleting. With a 2-hook dropshot and worms, the bottom hook gets most of the action, but at times when I get a hookup and don’t reel in right away, and instead jig up and down a little, a second one will grab the upper hook. There’s a few seagulls out there that hang around anchored perch fishermen, and try to grab a perch as you are swinging it into the boat! If the gulls are around, get the perch from under water into the boat fast.
Earlier when the water was warmer, larger perch were catchable. Anybody know where they migrate to as the temp lowers? I see some fish symbols in or just at the top of the weeds at 20 feet plus and minus, but haven't yet figured out how to fish the weeds without quickly getting weeded up.

I was out there on the 16th looking for smallies. I was fishing between the big island and the point just to the right as you leave the county launch in about 28 feet of water. I was using a dropshot with a small swim bait all around a school of perch hoping to find some feeding bass. No bass but the perch kept pecking my bait. guessing they were little ones but a good size school that looked like a huge cloud on my sonar. fished the same location the week before with the kids they caught little ones left and right but no keepers they had fun though.

Thanks for the info bassman and bilgwater. I also fish a 2 1/2 inch swimbait on a dropshot for smallies. And, yes, the perch peck on it, but usually all they do is tare of the tail. I now fish a one inch piece of the tail of other torn up worms. I then dress them with garlic scented Smelly Jelly. It doubles the strikes from just plastic alone.