Big Perch

[wunnus]

back to suggestions

 

Try a section of really big lob worm

 

cut at both ends

 

try static at first

 

then slowly trawl it about.

 

I seem to find most of my 2/3lb perch come at my feet.

 

Somewhere in Dick Walker et al they suggest that it is all the stuff that we throw away that attracts them.

[Per Mattsson]

Hello Steve and Newt. In Sweden is a 1700 gr fish concidered as a good fish. Is this really so much more than in England?

I use mostly livebait when perchfishing bekause it tend to attract more of the big fish. BUT my PB was taken on a plug when pikefishing...

[Vagabond]

Steve Burke:

 

 

There is a formula for estimating the weight of fish in general that takes the girth into account.  I can't lay my hands on it at present.  Can anyone help?

Girth in inches (squared) X Length in inches divided by 800 = Weight in pounds

 

That's the simple formula, but there was a very learned article in the 2002 IGFA yearbook that pointed out the factor of 800 only holds for a certain shape. For different species you need a different factor eg as small as 676 for conger and as large as 1228 for halibut

 

The nearest shape to perch in the article was largemouthed bass - factor 927

 

Anyone interested in how the formula is derived please contact me on PM

 

[ 05. May 2004, 08:17 AM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

[Steve Burke]

Per Mattsson:

Hello Steve and Newt. In Sweden is a 1700 gr fish concidered as a good fish. Is this really so much more than in England?

I use mostly livebait when perchfishing bekause it tend to attract more of the big fish. BUT my PB was taken on a plug when pikefishing...

Traditionally a "specimen" (=US trophy) perch in the UK was 2lbs (909gms). However, these days more big perch are being caught in the UK. I reckon that a perch would now have to weigh 2½lbs (1136gms) to be a specimen, although this would of course depend on the water it came from.

 

Having said that more big perch are being caught now, the UK record is only half an ounce higher than about 20 years ago at 5lbs 9½ozs (2537gms).

 

When we did research for "The Book of the Perch" we corresponded with perch anglers all over the world, including in Sweden. Unfortunately, lack of space meant that the information and articles we received couldn't be incorporated in the book.

 

However, I do recall that Scandanavia produced some very big perch compared with the UK. What's the Swedish record now, Per?

[Steve Burke]

Vagabond, many thanks indeed for that. Do you have any factors for other UK species? I can quite see that body shape could make a difference.

 

I've found the reference I was looking for in Fred Buller's "Pike & the Pike Angler", page 67. This is an update of Buller's thoughts in his original book, "Pike".

 

Buller writes that Dick Walker investigated the matter and, "having applied the formula to quite large numbers of pike, trout, salmon, barbel, carp and chub" came up with

 

weight = length x girth squared divided by 806.

 

Note that the 806 refers to species of fish with very different body shapes. Vagabond, could you bring the IFGA article the next time you come to Wingham? Thanks.

[Per Mattsson]

Steve, the official Swedish record for Perch is from 1985 and was caught by an Englishman named Gary Wickins. The fish weighed an impressiv 3150gr.

[Steve Burke]

Thanks for that, Per. That's one hell of a perch! I make it just under 6lbs 15ozs.

[The Diamond Geezer]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Per Mattsson:

 

Hello Steve and Newt.

---

Hello Per

 

I forgot that you can't see my posting because I am invisible

 

..... but maybe this photo of a small perch will help your eyes to focus better

______

 

 

DG

 

[ 06. May 2004, 06:54 AM: Message edited by: The Diamond Geezer ]

[Per Mattsson]

Well Geezer, the Swedish girls are like carp. the best condition and most beutiful are the hardest one to catch. But even the smallest and most roachlike are quite a challenge.

[Per Mattsson]

Good looking Perch DG. What did you use to make the dorsalfin to stand up? A picture of Greta?