Top Perch Methods in winter

[Anderoo]

I thought I was doing OK - but going back in my diaries I have 44, 3lbers going back to my 1st one in 1999 (and I didn't get another till 03/04 season since when I've been targetting them a bit more....)

 

 

C.

 

Amateur!

[Chris Plumb]

Amateur!

 

 

Clearly!

 

C.

[Anderoo]

Clearly!

 

C.

 

Of those 44, have you noticed any recaptures? Or do you reckon they're all different fish? Most of my 3s have come from the 'small stream' and I was surprised to find - as far as I could tell from photos - all were different fish. Quite odd when you think about it.

[Dick Dastardly]

Of those 44, have you noticed any recaptures? Or do you reckon they're all different fish? Most of my 3s have come from the 'small stream' and I was surprised to find - as far as I could tell from photos - all were different fish. Quite odd when you think about it.

 

I don't think Ive ever had a recapture either....all though this is based on my results of mainly 2's a couple of handfuls of 3's and the one 4. Not got photos of more than maybe 20 odd to compare so not a lot to go on.

 

Did you photo many of your 254 "3's" Hawk and if so any/many recaptures there?

[Chris Plumb]

Of those 44, have you noticed any recaptures? Or do you reckon they're all different fish? Most of my 3s have come from the 'small stream' and I was surprised to find - as far as I could tell from photos - all were different fish. Quite odd when you think about it.

 

Hard to tell - again most are/were different fish - I think! Will often take a keep net when I'm perching - bout the only time I ever do - so in such circumstances its clear that some of these shoals of 2lb+ fish contain quite a few fish. However there was one swim on the canal that for a couple of years ALWAYS produced a very recognisable fish due to a large growth on its gill cover - it always weighed 2lb 13oz - which didn't vary by more than an ounce. Caught this fish around half a dozen times over 2 seasons - so suspect repeat captures happen more than I suspect.

 

 

C.

[Anderoo]

I came to a similar conclusion, that I must have had recaptures and just wasn't able to tell clearly - although from checking photos they all look like different fish. You'd think that such a small waterway would throw up the same fish now and again, plus towards the end of my time there I was only really fishing 2 or 3 productive swims.

 

I wonder if the perch there were quite transient and the good swims kept being refreshed with new fish? Or if there was actually quite a large head of big perch (same successful year class perhaps?) and they learned quickly, and so avoided recapture?

 

Where's Mr Burke when you need him!

 

Results on the stream dropped away over the few years I fished there, to the point where I was fishing about 3 sessions for every fish. So I guess the fish had either died (probably unlikely as most of the perch looked young and healthy), moved because of the fishing pressure (even though it was relatively light), or just got too smart to keep falling for the same trick?

 

Has anyone else noticed results dropping away like this when perch fishing?

[Vagabond]

Must check my photos when I get back in 2012, but as I remember my trio of three-pounders from Deerdrink (a small dam on a small stream) were not recaptures, as I had resolved to stop fishing there for perch if I recaptured more than one.

 

In the event I suspect this was a year-class that has since died out - no perch of over 2lb in the last four years from Deerdrink

Edited December 12, 2011 by Vagabond

[Dick Dastardly]

The only water I have any length of experience I can draw on was a small commercial specimen (as opposed to match) carp fishery. Very coloured and all the fish very pale.It had a lot of roach ,gudgeon and big perch along with the carp.

 

My association with it was basically that I had permission from the owner to take some of the roach I caught for pike bait as long as I transferred the rest to his neighbouring "match" pool. As such this saw me fishing the water one day every week during the back end (December to mid March) of the season. Whilst fishing for the roach with my whip I would have a couple of rods out for the big perch in there.I fished the same tactics on the same three swims during this period.

 

Over the many (9-10?) years I did this I noticed no obvious affects from fishing pressure on the perch all though as I was the only fishing once a week for that part of the year could this be classed as "pressure" despite the years? I'm fairly sure I never had any repeat captures (have checked the photos I did take) considering the small size of the water and the numbers of fish (in total over the years) I caught this does in reflection seem a bit unlikely.I just don't think a water could have held that many 2's and 3's...but could it have and certainly they would have been "replaced" by new fish over the years. When you look at Perch on the bank most look very similar but as Anderoo says when pictures are compared they are pretty individual. Maybe a case for photoing every good perch we catch?

[Anderoo]

I wonder if they do simply wise up quickly then?

 

The main reason I take photos (and which is why most are just quick snaps on the mat/net) are so I can check for recaptures. It's just a personal thing, but I don't like catching the same fish over and over. Once that starts to happen it's time to move on to something new and start again.

 

(BTW The bream I had this year was a recapture which has put me in a difficult position!)

[Dick Dastardly]

I just don't know Anderoo! Like I say despite having been lucky enough to catch some decent perch I just don't have a very wide experience of them. Another thing is maybe perch colouration and patterning changes?

 

As for the Bream now we are fishing for so few I think repeat captures are inevitable but no way round it if we are trying for the un caught ones!