How would you tackle a Perch swim with Pike in it?

[Dales]

I fished a swim recently targeting Perch, but it seemed to contain a lot of Pike and I ended up catching more Pike then Perch. I am keen to give this swim another go as I saw plenty of good Perch 2lb plus in the water and my fishing partner caught one just under 4lb. So I feel if you get your tactics right and with a bit of luck a multiple specimen Perch catch is on the cards.

 

So before I run away with the happy thoughts of giant Perch, there is a problem. A very big problem, well lots of very big problems The Pike!

 

The water seemed thick with them, I don't know if this was a one off and there were so many in the swim for a one off reason and so on a return trip they might not be so many or whether this swim all ways holds a stock of esox. My prefered bait for large Perch on this venue are large snake sized lobs, but the Pike like them also. So I ended up hooking more Pike.

 

I also have a nagging doubt that in my baiting plan to attract Perch, I may have over done it and ended up attracting a load of Pike as well. I was feeding very sloppy soup style groundbait mixed with predator plus and liquid worm with chopped worm and maggot (dead and alive). This made a great looking cloud in the clear water and both the Perch and Pike homed in on it.

 

I should also add that the Perch did not seem interested in feeding, but were attracted to the cloud effect of the groundbait. Also when I had Pike on and they kicked up silt this also seemed to attract in Pike and Perch. A very knowledgeable angler said that the Perch may not be feeding as they had just recently spawned. But imagine what kind of result you might get once they are on the feed, if this swim is a holding area for them.

 

The experience of fishing this swim has thrown up a whole host of questions in my mind.

 

1. Did I make the Pike problem by going for a cloud effect in the water?

 

2. So if I try the swim again, should I drop the cloud groundbait?

 

3. If I drop the cloud groundbait will this attract less Perch?

 

4. Should I look at the presence of the Pike as a good thing? I have often seen Pike and Perch together, so if you have plenty of Pike in your swim does these mean there may be plenty of Perch?

 

5. Is there a bait that the Perch would go made for but the Pike be less interested in. (I guess Not) Plus I am convinced that Lobs are the bait for the big Perch.

 

6. Should I try small worms, I have had good success with small worms for Perch on many waters, but on this venue I think the bigger the Lob the bigger the fish. Is it the size of the lob that attracts the Pike? Would they leave smaller baits alone or at least get less attention, but then would I get less attention from the big Perch on smaller baits.

 

7. Are prawns worth a go, but I get the feeling the Pike may like them even more then the Perch.

 

8. Should I just except that I will have to deal with the presence of the Pike and try to fish past them, knowing I will land a few and get bitten off from time to time?

 

9. If I accept that I will hook a few Pike while Perch fishing, should I alter my hook lengths to deal with this. I don't like leaving hooks in fish, so should I use heavier mono in the hope that it will not get bitten off so easy. My initial thoughts are no as the lighter hook lengths if caught in a Pike should hopefully not cause them a problem and I think the thickness of mono needed to reduce the chance of a Pike bite off would put the Perch off. Unless the Pike is hooked in the scissors there will all ways be a chance of a bite off.

 

10. Should I drop the loose feed all together and just fish a single hook bait?

 

11. Just hope the Pike have moved on the next time I try the swim.

 

12. Does the presence of so many Pike put the Perch of feeding? Are they more concerned about not being a meal then finding one for themselves?

 

13. Why can I not find so many Pike when I go Pike fishing? But seem to come across them on many venues while targeting other species?

 

14. I tend to top a lob worm bait of with corn, would a simple change of leaving the corn off make a difference? Does this splash of colour alert the Pike to the worm bait? Problem with leaving it off, is does it also give the Perch something to home in on?

 

I guess the only thing I can do is try the swim again and see how it goes. I would describe myself as an average Perch Angler who has had a few nice fish on various methods, but it's a little frustrating to know that this swim may well contain some specimen Perch but be at a total loss as to how to fish for them. It almost feels like going back to being a kid, seeing the big fish in the water but not knowing how to catch them. Maybe my childhood tactics might work, worm on the hook, no groundbait or fancy rigs. Just chuck it out and hope, it might work

 

So if any one has a magic Perch bait, with anti Pike properties I would like to know

 

Or if any one has any ideas about how to avoid the Pike I would be interested to hear it.

Edited May 26, 2010 by Dales

[Anderoo]

Hi Dales

 

At the lake in question, I have found that it's very often the case that you find big perch and pike together. So I would not worry about the presence of pike. Yes, you will catch them on perch baits (in fact, any baits!) but I think you just have to accept that this will happen. Last weekend the pike were very active whereas the perch weren't really feeding, but this isn't always the case.

 

I have several times been bitten off by a pike only to land it later and get my hook back

 

Hooking and landing pike doesn't seem to spook the perch, so I would just fish through them. Once you've caught them they tend to slope away for a while anyway, leaving a better chance of a perch bite.

 

The cloud groundbait sounds very good (similar to molehill soil I suppose) so I'd carry on using it! In better perch conditions you'd have probably bagged up.

[Dales]

Hi Dales

 

At the lake in question, I have found that it's very often the case that you find big perch and pike together. So I would not worry about the presence of pike. Yes, you will catch them on perch baits (in fact, any baits!) but I think you just have to accept that this will happen. Last weekend the pike were very active whereas the perch weren't really feeding, but this isn't always the case.

 

I have several times been bitten off by a pike only to land it later and get my hook back

 

Hooking and landing pike doesn't seem to spook the perch, so I would just fish through them. Once you've caught them they tend to slope away for a while anyway, leaving a better chance of a perch bite.

 

The cloud groundbait sounds very good (similar to molehill soil I suppose) so I'd carry on using it! In better perch conditions you'd have probably bagged up.

 

Thanks Anderoo

 

The cloud groundbait can be a great tactic for attracting Perch in clear water and it's great fun watching the fish with polaroids even if you cant catch them

 

I was just a little worried that my recent session was drifting in to a Pike fishing session and not a Perch one. But when I think of it I have caught a Pike mainly jacks on every visit other then once last year when I blanked for the first time and failed to catch anything, so I should not have been to surprised by so much Pike activity. It's just this time I saw so many, where as before it was unexpected when I hooked one. This time when I got a bite, I kind of knew it was more then likely going to be a Pike

[lozza]

Prawns are defiantly a good bait for big perch had a few my self in conjunction with a maggot feeder to draw in smaller fish and fish a long hook link about three feet haven’t had any pike on prawns yet but plenty of other species.

 

[Andy Macfarlane]

I'd say the perch aren't feeding because of the pike in the area. In my eperience, perch are quite happy to feed round spawning time and sometimes during.

 

I'd leave the Predator Plus and the chopped worm out of your mix and just use groundbait and dead maggot. I think it's the PPlus and the worm that's brought the pike into the area.

[Anderoo]

I think it was probably more to do with the very bright sun and very clear water. Not great perch weather!

[Andy Macfarlane]

Quite possibly. Probably best to just say it wasn't the right conditions.

[Dales]

I think it was probably more to do with the very bright sun and very clear water. Not great perch weather!

 

Quite possibly. Probably best to just say it wasn't the right conditions.

 

The old anglers excuse, I like it. It was nothing to do with my lack of ability as an angler to catch the Perch that were clearly in front of me

 

It's all ways to cold, bright, hot, rainy, snow, high presure, low presure, humid etc etc

[Andy Macfarlane]

That's was pathetic wasn't it?....lol

 

If I was down there, I'd have kept at it until I got some. I couldn't think of much else to say.

[Dales]

That's was pathetic wasn't it?....lol

 

If I was down there, I'd have kept at it until I got some. I couldn't think of much else to say.

 

 

To make it worse, my other half caught one at 3-14. So I can't really just blame the conditions They were the same for her as me.