Vegetarian predators?

[ginger]

I went for an hour to my own private fishery (irrigation reservoir on the estate on which I work) last evening with a few left over maggots and the remains of a tin of sweetcorn. First few casts produced rudd to around 12 ounces on both corn and maggot. I then got a perch of around half a pound on corn quickly followed by another similar sized one on maggot. This was followed by a third on corn but this time it was around 2lbs. A fourth took the corn as I was reeling in and it really hit it as if it was a spinner. I have heard of (and myself caught ) small perch being taken on corn but is this a regular thing in others' experience?

[12ft kerplunk]

I went for an hour to my own private fishery (irrigation reservoir on the estate on which I work) last evening with a few left over maggots and the remains of a tin of sweetcorn. First few casts produced rudd to around 12 ounces on both corn and maggot. I then got a perch of around half a pound on corn quickly followed by another similar sized one on maggot. This was followed by a third on corn but this time it was around 2lbs. A fourth took the corn as I was reeling in and it really hit it as if it was a spinner. I have heard of (and myself caught ) small perch being taken on corn but is this a regular thing in others' experience?

 

The fact that you caught it whilst you were reeling in explains exactly why it took the corn. In my limeted experience predatory fish will strike at anything that moves regardless of whether it looks like a fish or not.

[rarepleasures]

In my limeted experience predatory fish will strike at anything that moves regardless of whether it looks like a fish or not.

 

I once caught a small Jack on worm reeling in. I thought at the time it this must have been for this same reason.

[jedibond]

You should try Wingham ginger, they have a 45 acre lake full of vegetarian pike and eels ! Last year they took corn, plastic bait rockets, boilies, swim feeders, etc, etc the list goes on.

 

Obviously Steve doesn't feed the pike enough at Wingham

[Anderoo]

I've caught pike on bread, sweetcorn, boilies, maggots, luncheon meat, and worm - fished static. I've had them strike at boilies being reeled in too. I think they do recognise a food source in these baits, even if their diet consists almost entirely of fish. Oddly, I can't remember catching a single perch on 'non-perch' baits.

 

Remember that the record zander took a halibut pellet

[bluerinse]

In the very early 80's I fished arrow valley Park Lake in Redditch, it was a new fishery then.

I was fishing for roach with hemp, but all I caught all day was perch, they went absolutely mad for it.

It was fish after fish.

I put it down to them thinking it was some kind of water insect or bug.

I have also caught perch on corn but again this was when it was being retrieved.

I had a 5lb Chub on a static smelt when pike fishing and have caught Rudd, perch and even bream on the fly when after trout.

I have caught bream on Toby lures when fishing for sea trout in Sweden.

 

I think fish will eat or take bait for many reasons, food, Protecting territory, out of interest at what the item is.

Lets face it salmon don't feed in rivers but they will take a bait out of aggression. I think this can apply to most types of fish.

[BoldBear]

I caught a large (18lb) pike once on a strawberry boilie a couple of seconds after it had hit the bottom, I assumed it saw the bait fall and must have thought it was something live.

Edited April 30, 2008 by BoldBear