Perch Telling Other Perch!

[BoozleBear]

I have heard that it is wise, after cathcing a perch, to put it back in the water in a different location so it doesn't return to its shoal panicked and disturbed, warning them off that spot.

 

Is this really true? When fishing a gorundbaited spot for roach and perch with my son we have caught several perch one after the other and put them back at out feet.

 

I am wondering if this is just one of those fishermans rumours, or is there any weight in it?

 

I would have though that if perch did have any intellegence, their instinct will tell them not to go back to the place where their natsy experience happened!

 

Also, if there is all this research saying that fish don't get stressed or feel pain, then what are they warning the other fish about?! It can't be the bad experience they just had, as research suggests they wouldn't have had one!!!!

[jimpy0]

was also aware of the theory and so always netted perch and released at the end of the session

never knew of any truth to it??????????

[Steve Walker]

Some species will release an "alarm substance" when attacked which serves to alert the other members of the shoal to danger. I think most of the work on this has been done with minnows, and I haven't heard of perch showing the same response.

 

I've also watched a small perch unhooked and released only to swim out and grab the bait again.

[MALC2]

Perch are a shoal fish when small but become nomadic when they grow larger,when you catch a big perch you usually catch a bigger one after and then nothing else.

atb

malc

[argyll]

It usually happens that way for me with bigger perch. I'm a firm believer that a large perch released will be responsible somehow for the rest turning off. I keep the first three in a pike net alongside the boat. It usually has me in with a chance of one or two more.

Edited November 14, 2005 by argyll

[Dick Dastardly]

Dont know why but I too have found it best to retain large perch when possible.

[Newt]

Largemouth bass behave in a very similar fashion so we've learned a trick or two.

 

Get a bottle of spray on scent such as the lure guys use on soft plastics. Bang! is a good one in any of the available flavors.

 

Spritz a little on the fish before release and it seems to completely mask the 'panic odor' that spooks their fellows. Harmless to the fish so no downside.

[Andy Macfarlane]

I have a slightly different take on things. I believe that smaller Perch of a similar size, from the same shoal may release some sort of hormone to warn their siblings of danger and this can kill off your catch rate considerably but there may be an upside to this behaviour. Large predators are probably quite aware of these hormones and a large predator has less to worry about than one of it's smaller brethren. 0n occasions I've been catching 4"Perch, one after the other, for a period and then it seems that once the panic message has been taken notice of, the bites dry up almost immediately, like folk have mentioned but I've noticed that this activity can bring the larger fish in for a look.

Think of it this way. If a small fish is releasing a hormone because it is injured or stressed, this could in turn, attract bigger fish on the look-out for an easy target.

If you've been speed fishing with Perch and you think you've killed your swim by releasing smallish perch, hang around for a while and try throwing a bigger bait in. You might just find that you've inadvertently done yourself a favour.

[BoozleBear]

Thanks guys, very helpful.