4lb river perch or 30lb river pike

[stooby]

Some nice looking Perch there Anderoo, good work!!!

Edited February 25, 2010 by stooby

[Brian Carragher]

On balance I would plump for a river 30lb pike, a really rare thing these days is a big river pike and quite a different looking fish to a resevoir or lake fish, long long body and a big head and paddles for fins, it would have to be the pike

[essox_lucius]

got to be a 30lb river pike as there my target fish although i am fishing a loch soon where a 4lb plus perch is easily do able

[Ken L]

Of course, you could have both. a 4lb perch would make an ideal bait for a 30lber........

[Dick Dastardly]

I to have had neither from a river but have had both from still waters.Despite only having had one 4lb Perch though and several 30+ pike I would have to go for the 30lb river pike.As Brian said a very rare fish and totally different to a still water one.

 

I came close once with a huge fish that had sadly started going back and weighed a lot less than it should have done from my local river.A 30lb pike from a fast running river though would be on equal status in my ratings as a 40 from a res!

 

Steve,the pike have already spawned on the reservoirs I fish and are in the process on several of the pits.Not sure about your Thames fish but they cant be far off if they haven't all ready.

[GrahamHD]

Hello all, yes a thirty pound river pike is certainly a rare beast. Talking to a fellow piker a while ago it turns out with about seventy years between us of fishing the surrounding area (the Fens) for pike we've had one each. And that's not fishing occasionally but putting a lot of time in over the winter. Quite honestly fish over twenty five are rare. I really would love another one but it's not likely to happen.

[Dales]

It would be the Pike for me, but would be well chuffed with either

 

Despite never catching a 4lb Perch I do think they are out there in greater numbers then 30lb Pike and kind of think one day I will catch one. Also there is the potential for a big Perch to turn up at any time while fishing for Bream, Roach, Chub etc, but with Pike you have to set out to catch one and so I think catching a giant one would be all the more satisfying. Plus I don't believe that I will never catch a 30lb river Pike.

 

But as some one who has just got in to Zander fishing, I think I would be tempted to swap both for a double figure Zander.

[Peter Waller]

Have had both and, emotion wise, nothing in it. But I would like to see four pound perch make a comeback to my local water, and for me to catch one. That would, for me, be a real red letter day.

[arbocop]

I'm a useless predator angler spending most of my time long trotting for silver fish.

But both perch and pike fascinate me.

I love catching 'stripeys'.

I step back in awe when a big pike lunges at my long trotted prize of roach, dace or chub.

Which fish would you most like to catch and why?

The 4lb river perch or 30lb river pike?

 

 

I think a 30lb pike would eb a bit scary - I don't really ahve the tackle for it and only really fish for jacks although I managed a 14lber in Ireland about 25 years ago on a spoon. I will have another crack at Thames pike on the fly this year, but huge fish would not eb my objective - and unlikely on fly anyway. A 30lb fish would therefore be a fluke.

 

I would therefore without question be more excited about a 4lb perch as it is likely to be something that I set out to catch. Wow - a 4lb perch - just typing it gets my hackles up!

[weirwulf]

My pb perch is 2 ounces short of the target and whilst I loved catching a pb it still peeved me that it didn't quite make it. That fish gave such a spirited fight and although I havn't caught huge numbers of pike I don't remember them fighting that well or giving that much satisfaction even when they pick up baits on the float rod. 4lb perch it is then but if I do get a 30lb pike I shan't sniff at it!