I lost a big perch yesterday on 3lb line - broke me up - grrrrrrrr. I've read articles that recommend very strong line - 6 or 8lbs - for big perch, saying they don't mind it, but when I look at my 6lb mono it seems very stiff. I'm more worried by this than them seeing it. What line do people recommend?

Obviously it depends on the circumstances. However, for bait fishing my main line is usually 4.4lb Pro Gold, that like Maxima is a about 1lb under-rated. For the reasons why see my field test at http://anglers-net.co.uk/reviews/progold01.htm

I usually fish it in conjunction with a lighter hooklength, perhaps half that for maggot in snag free water, up to 4lb for lobs.

Occasionally, for shy fish with lobs I'll use 4lb Silkworm braid, but I don't often fish such waters these days.

For fish baits especially, I'll usually use 4.8lb Preston Flourocarbon as this is stiffer and avoids livebaits tangling the line.

As far as I know, I've never yet been broken by a perch on this gear, even near snags. They don't normally fight that hard, although there's always the odd exception. Hook pulls are much more common than breakages, usually caused by the perch's habit of shaking its head.

I'd add that by fishing lighter hooklengths to increase the number of bites I can thus get away with a heavier reel line, which sometimes is needed for casting heavy baits or feeders. This system is of course also very versatile if I want to change baits or tactics during a session.

[ 08. March 2005, 11:33 AM: Message edited by: Steve Burke ]

TFT

was it your main line or hook length that broke?

I have found that any breakages I have had nearly always occur just below the loop knot on the hooklength.
Second favorite seems to be near the hook but very rarely.

Bad luck John - hope it wasn't your long sought for 3lber. I never go below 4lb B/S for perch and have caught my 3lbers this season on 6lb rated mono (was fishing tight to snags and needed to bully them out!)


C.

4lb mono hook lengths for worms and 6lb mono for lives/deads.Sorry to hear you lost a big un John.

The hook length, near the hook. I didn't look carefully enough at the break, but I had some impression it was very rough, and it now occurs to me it might have rubbed against a sharp rock, for example. Not something I've much experience of.

It felt like a 3lb perch, but who knows. It was pulling hard and doggedly, but I hadn't expected it to break, so it could have been a bite-off by a pike, although there are not many pike in the water (the free weirpool that I fish). The last cm of lime looked as if it had been roughened, though, and in my limited experience pike bite-offs are clean. I guess the most likely thing is abrasion from a snag?

I have definitely decided to pick up my 3lb perch next Monday!