Perch questions/big baits/nucience fish

[singy]

OK here's one for you guys/gals.

 

I'm starting my winter campaign to up my perch PB and these are the problems I think i'll encounter.

 

Lets start with a quick overview of the lake. It's a five acre estate lake, where apart from the eels, the perch are the only predetor present. The lake is long and narrow and the margins are very overgrown with Rhodedendrons.

The lake is very silty and coloured

 

The lake is full, and I mean full, with roach and rudd. Most are in the 3-6 oz range with odd ones going over 2lb.

 

Everyone fishes for the carp.

 

Lob worms (I used them one for stalking the carp) do not last seconds with the roach and rudd.

 

So I think this will be a live bait only attack.

 

here are my questions

 

What size live would be ideal for big perch (4lb hopefully) I struggle to catch anything less than 3oz I guess the perch are eating the bigger fish and that is why I suspect there are a few whoppers in there.

 

What rigs are reccomended for fishing a livebait of this size? Float/ledger.

 

Would a roving approach or a static approach be better. (I'm thinking of continual spraying with maggots to get the bait fish going mental)

 

any other tips would be most appreciated.

 

Singy

[Steve Burke]

Have a look at my series on big perch in the articles section here on Angler's Net. In particular I suspect this venue will respond best to the approach I use on commercial carp waters, although it always pays to keep an open mind on new waters. The following article would thus be a good starting point followed by the others: http://anglersnet.co.uk/authors/steve01.htm

 

From this you'll see that I suggest livebaits of around 5 inches. Don't forget freshwater deadbaits though - these can be deadly.

 

I'd try a static approach at first on such a water, whilst rigs are covered in detail in the article referred to earlier.

 

If you've any other specific questions I'll do my best to answer them. However, no one knows all the answers, so do experiment.

[Alan Pearce]

Singy, I would guess that this lake is also shallow with an average depth of around 5 feet. This being the case my first attack wouldbe with live baits 4 to 5 inches fished either or both on free rovers or legered. First of all pick an area where the small fish are showing. Next lokk for some feature like sunken tree branches or over hanging bushes. Bait up these areas with a pint of red maggots, catch your bait, and then put them in these areas, sit tight and wait. The larger perch could arrive at any time, more likely between 10am and 2pm then again at dusk.

 

Keep your tackle as fine as conditions allow i.e. 5lb test main line with 4lb hooklinks. Size 6 hook inserted in the bait mid way between the head and dorsal fin. Takes when they come will be very poitive and a light weight indicator should be fished on a 3 foot drop between the first and second rod rings. As the indicator rises to the rod hit it firmly just prior to it reaching the top, but go easy whilst playing the fish as perch often have very soft mouths. A slow tapered rod is advised with a reel with a softly set clutch, or gently back wind as required.

 

Once you have established the times at which the perch feed concentrate your fishing time at these periods but be prepared to adapt. When it gets really cold seek out any deeper water and if depths exceed 7 feet switch to a float paternostered rig, for what I think, and have found the best way to present a live bait to its best advantage.

 

At all times ensure the rigs you use are safe in case of a break off or snag.

 

Let us know how you get on.

 

Alan.

 

P.S. If you need any more help e-mail me.

[davidP]

I'd have a try with the US-style plastic worms - gives you chance to cover a lot of ground as well and suss out the bottom countours while you're at it.

[singy]

The lake does indeed have an average depth of around 5 ft. The usual thing, dam end shallow end and a few holes here and there. Usually the silver fish are spread all over. If you had a match on there you would probably get 50lb+ hauls from every swim. But I found a deep hole that has produced a few carp and a load of eels for me in the past and it's right next to a huge overhanging rhodedendron. So that's where I fance starting.

 

Thanks for the ideas guys. I'll let you know next week how I get on.

 

Singy

 

[ 19. November 2002, 12:11 PM: Message edited by: singy ]

[tony jolley]

singy:

The lake does indeed have an average depth of around 5 ft. The usual thing, dam end shallow end and a few holes here and there. Usually the silver fish are spread all over. If you had a match on there you would probably get 50lb+ hauls from every swim. But I found a deep hole that has produced a few carp and a load of eels for me in the past and it's right next to a huge overhanging rhodedendron. So that's where I fance starting.

 

Thanks for the ideas guys. I'll let you know next week how I get on.

 

Singy

Hi Paul,

You probably wont remmember me, but I bumped into you on "The Dam" a couple of years back,

You were after the carp, I was asking you about the eels, Do you remmember??

Intreasted in "Your water" as a eel water may have already fished it if its one of the ones I`m thinking of.

I wish you best luck, and maybe I`ll end up fishing next to you as I target the Perch at this time of year.

 

Ps Am I right? I was asking you about Brian Sefton at the time as well.

[singy]

That's me.

 

I now live in London though so not sure the water I'm on about is the same one

 

Singy

[singy]

just another quick question, maybe you could help on this Steve.

 

What bait would be better, roach or rudd. I presume a rudd would work harder when bottom fished as they like to be near the surface layers.

[tony jolley]

Hi Paul,

Not the same,

I had in mind Legga or the Paddock.

Do you know more about the eel and Perch content of the Paddock, I have a far idea about Legga,

please keep the details of location of the waters, "Skettchy" as netters may be reading, ok!.

All the best in London.

[Steve Burke]

singy:

just another quick question, maybe you could help on this Steve.

 

What bait would be better, roach or rudd. I presume a rudd would work harder when bottom fished as they like to be near the surface layers.

I've no preference as far as deadbaits go but rudd have a tendency to tangle livebait rigs. This leads to resistance and hence dropped runs, so I tend to use rudd mostly as deadbaits.

 

In practice I use whatever's available on the water I'm fishing. This is roach most often, although I also use small perch when I can get them.

 

There is the odd occasion when the species of bait makes a difference, but usually location and presentation are far more important.