Big Perch

[Chris Playle]

Me and my fishing buddy went fishing the other night. It wasn't the best of weather, the wind was blowing a gale across the pond and the going was slow. Had two fish all evening, one was a Tench of about 5lb which was OK but the other was a personal best Perch of about 2-2.5lb (didn't get chance to measure or weigh it but I'd say it was about 10 or 11 inches long so if anyone can figure the weight out from there...). It was a cracking fish (well I was pleased with it anyway). It was caught on 4 bronze maggots fished hard on the bottom (I was fishing for Tench) and caught around dusk.

 

Wanted to get a piccie of it and the camera was in the car. My mate kept the fish in the water in the landing net until I got back with the Digi camera but when we pulled it back out to take the photo and put the landing net on the staging it went flap, flap, plop right back into the water and swam away. Curses said I, well I said something a little more coarse and not to be repeated on here...

 

I've tried the same method around the same location to try and catch it again but to no avail. Are there any other tried and tested Perch methods you can suggest. I know Perch will go for a nice juicy worm (any particular type?) or even small livebait (how do I go about presentation/rigs and bait species?). Is dusk/early morning the best time for Perch. Correct me if I'm wrong but don't big Perch prefer lowish light conditions for hunting?

 

It was such a nice looking fish, the colours of the stripes was almost perfect and that bleeding great big mouth it had looked like it belonged on a basking shark let alone a Perch...Only thing is....big Perch, big spines...still got the cuts to prove it...it wouldn't stop wriggling.

 

I'd like to hook the little begger again (even if it was to even the score between me and it).

 

Any advice you can give on targeting big Perch would be greatly appreciated.

 

Many thanks...

 

Tight Lines.

 

Chris.

[malevans]

Mr gudgeon is a good bet, fished fairly high in the water in my experience. Big lobbies in Autumn bagged my biggest 3 todate. Have not done it for a few years must give it a try this Autumn.

[Lid]

Perch will take slugs too. Dawn apparently is an excellent time. Have a look at this article.

 

[ 02. May 2004, 10:52 PM: Message edited by: Lid ]

[teebee]

I`d say a 10 or 11" fish would only be about a pound or so.

[Eddie]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...ssPageName=WDVW

[Chris Plumb]

teebee:

I`d say a 10 or 11" fish would only be about a pound or so.

Me too! 2-2½lb would be around 15-17 inches.

 

 

Chris

[The Diamond Geezer]

quote:

---

Originally posted by malevans:

 

gudgeon is a good bet ..

---

Yup, I agree .... and there are always lures e.g. plastic grubs

 

DG

[The Diamond Geezer]

quote:

---

Originally posted by teebee:

 

I`d say a 10 or 11" fish would only be about a pound or so.

---

Can't agree with that .. but let's hope Steve B, an expert on perch, reads this thread.

 

It's impossible to guesstimate the weight with any real accuracy, especially without any pix to show the width of the fish.

 

Last season I caught many perch that I actually weighed, between 2 and 3 lb, and I would loved to have caught one 15 inches long

 

Some of my pike weren't a big as that!

 

DG

[The Diamond Geezer]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chris Plumb:

 

2-2½lb would be around 15-17 inches.

Chris

---

Can't agree with that, Chris .. but let's hope Steve B, an expert on perch, reads this thread.

 

It's impossible to guesstimate the weight with any real accuracy, especially without any pix to show the width of the fish.

 

Last season I caught many perch that I actually weighed, between 2 and 3 lb, and I would loved to have caught one 15 inches long

 

Some of my pike weren't a big as that!

 

DG

[Andy Macfarlane]

I can't agree with that either. Perch come in all sorts of weights and sizes. Some have very pronounced humps, some are particularly thick bodied, some seem denser than others. I've caught 2lb Perch that don't look anything like that once photographed. By the same token, I've caught perch that looked as if they'd go well over the 3lb mark. Once weighed, they were barely a pound and a half. Most of the time, it's only once you actually hold the Perch, you realise,

"This one is a real challenger for my PB" or,

"Wow..I thought that was much heavier looking"