Tactics for big perch

[gingerangler]

Over the last couple of months since i started fishing i have been catching lots of perch, plenty of little ones and a few bigger ones on maggots.

However i would like to catch some really big ones, something around 2-3lb would be nice. how do you go about finding these big perch on canals and is there anything i could do to attract them into the area of my bait and avoid some of the smaller ones. Livebaiting smaller perch or roach is something i am thinking about, putting fishy oil and tuna grounbait into the water via a small meshbag is something worth considering as well. Do you have anything to add. I wil let you know how i get on.........

[Chris Plumb]

I fish whole large lobs - single hooked right in the head and slow sinking so they look natural and are irresistible twitched. TBH I'm not a great one for staying in one place and will tend to roam around trying likely look spots namely lots of reed on the far bank or ANY kind of cover - trees, bushes etc. I will often loose feed red maggot as it gets the small stuff feeding and may draw out the bigger ones from their cover. Many winter canal anglers use a chopped worm approach (cupped sparingly) to attract fish - I prefer to go look for them!!! When you can pick overcast days and try to fish first and last light.

 

 

C.

Edited February 14, 2007 by Chris Plumb

[Andy_1984]

i hope you get a big one, they are the best looking fish when they are big in my opinion and will always be my favorite, as for tactics same as what chris said, whole lob worm twitched (one sharp turn of the reel every few seconds, use your best judgment just let it settle a bit first) a combination of spinning and lob worms can attract the bigger ones aswel so go with a friend who can spin.

 

but defo try twitching it never fails me, even on my canal where no one catches big perch cause they dont know or use this method

Edited February 13, 2007 by Andy_1984

[The Flying Tench]

putting fishy oil and tuna grounbait into the water via a small meshbag is something worth considering as well.

 

Well, I've never heard this one before. I'd much prefer this to buying lots of lobworms and cutting them up! But does it work? Has anyone tried it?

[Anderoo]

Firstly, this may be a load of rubbish because I don't fish canals! But I'd say the first priorities are to (1) establish whether big perch are present in the canal and (2) find where they are. If you've seen or caught a decent perch (or have some trustworthy information) that's easy enough. If not, you'll have to get out there and find out for yourself.

 

Finding perch can be tricky but look for features and a fair depth, and somewhere where there's food (small silver fish). Probably the quickest way to cover a stretch of canal is with a spinner, so that's what I'd start with. A little mepps on a light spinning rod (use a trace in case of pike, and take forceps) will be ideal. Cover as much water as possible, and try to be out when there's a touch of colour in the water and at dawn and dusk (all day if it's overcast). Once you've found some interesting swims and/or some perch you can come back another day and bait fish for them. Little livebaits will work but worms work well too and are far less hassle. Trickle red maggots in as well to attract the littluns. (If there are crays in the canal though, avoid any loosefeed.)

 

Floatfished worm would be my choice, nice and simple. If there's a flow and it's pulling a float out of position, a light running leger.

 

However, if they're not there you won't catch them! Best of luck

[Barry C]

Hi gingerangler loads of stuff on this site. On the home page click 'coarse fishing articles' then select 'sort by author' then look for Steve Burke. I think his stuff starts around page 11 or 12. A very highly respected perch fisher with a wealth of experience.

Also you might like to google in 'perchfishers' lots of stuff there. Good luck.

[Steve Burke]

Ginger, I'm not ignoring your topic. I'd completed a long post and my computer started shutting down just as I was about to send it!

 

I'll redo it asap.

[gingerangler]

Ginger, I'm not ignoring your topic. I'd completed a long post and my computer started shutting down just as I was about to send it!

 

I'll redo it asap.

no worries mate

[Steve Burke]

I agree that finding the big perch is the first priority. Some will be confirmed rovers, some will be almost stay-at-homes. The proportion between the two will vary from water to water, largely depending on the features and the food supply.

 

Features are always a good bet; what you're looking for in particular is somewhere with low light. This is because perch have excellent eyesight and feed best in low light when they have the maximum advantage over their poorer-sighted prey. This is why dawn and dusk, especially the latter at this time of year, are usually very productive times.

 

Two other good ways to find the perch are spinning (either with a lure or a twitched lobworm), and by asking match anglers.

 

How perch feed depends on what their prey is. You'll find more about this in: http://anglers-net.co.uk/authors/steve09.htm

 

If there are lots of small fish compared with the numbers of perch then the tactics I use on commercials are likely to pay off. See http://anglers-net.co.uk/authors/steve09.htm

 

If not, you'll probably find worm the better bet. One tip I'd give you here is to feed chopped and half worms little and often for half an hour before even wetting a line. Then start with a whole lob. The result is often the greediest (and biggest) perch in the shoal bullies the others out of the way and grabs the bait.

 

You mentioned fish oils. I haven't found these effective probably as perch don't seem to like sea baits. On the other hand minced up coarse fish could be a good bet. In fact in one pike-infested water I used fishmeal to draw pike off to the adjacent swims. It didn't do so completely, but it did enable the perch to stand a much better chance of getting at my lobworms. The results included a personal best perch.

 

One important factor is depth, and getting this right can make all the difference. In general the poorer the light the shallower the feeding perch will be. This is one of the reasons I prefer float fishing for perch whenever possible. The other is that perch hate resistance, or rather a change in resistance, and here a float rig is better than a ledger or paternoster.

 

Please note though this is only a starting point. Each venue is different, and so every time I try a new one I have to work out the best way of fishing it. My maxim is "If at first you don't succeed try something.....different."

 

Good luck, and do tell us how you get on!

[Andy Macfarlane]

I'll show this again, just for the fun of it.....

 

"Almost everyone with fish on the brain can tell amazing stories of how, at the sprightly age of 8 years old, they caught 269 Perch on their starter rod, a very noisy "reel" loaded badly with 10Lb line, a chuckie and an old hook baited with an endless supply of worms. It is usually this pre-pubescent hunting spree that made us the die-hard anglers we are today. Usually though, these bumper hauls consisted of 6 inch fish that could well have been spawned by the same parents and bigger ones were something of a rarity. We all knew the bigger fish existed because once in a blue moon, a "Big Humpy" would turn up but aiming for them when you had a 10-minute attention span was soul destroying. Usually, as we matured, we would turn our attentions to another species like Trout and Pike and the lowly Perch would be left to the "kids".

 

I like to argue that I am in fact just a big kid. The truth is, I am simply getting older and I want to hold onto something before it all goes pear-shaped. I ride a BMX, I watch cartoons and on the odd occasion I even wet the bed. Nothing though, makes me feel like an 8 year old quite like hooking into a Perch. The only difference is I am not happy catching 6 inchers anymore. I want the "Big Humpys" and I have the patience now to seek them out. Hopefully, once you have read this, you will down the Pike rod for one week at least and try to find your lost youth, unless of course, you are a youngster.

 

Before you set out looking for a Specimen Perch, you should try and list the most likely venues that will throw a big one up for you. Just because a water has loads of wee ones does not mean it has a herd of big breeding fish. Perch can spawn when they about 3 inches long so the water may in fact only hold small fish. Highly acidic water is unlikely to have many big fish although the population can be massive. The water should be of a fairly neutral PH and a poke about the bottom (no jokes please) should bring up a healthy supply of shrimps, bugs, beetles and other creatures. If the water seems devoid of life, move on. You are also looking for a water where a roving approach can be utilised. If the bank space is limited and a lot of wading or climbing is required, move on. The water should also have a few features like jetties, islands and shaded areas especially, as the bigger fish do not like bright sunshine. The bottom should have a liberal coating of mud and detritus and heavily snaggy areas are a no-no as lure fishing is a must do. Once you are happy with your chosen venue you should decide which tactics you are going to employ. I will explain how I go about this.

 

If you have no idea where the big Perch are, you should take 2 rods. One set up with a simple float rig for seeking out the small fish and one set up for spinning only. I will explain why this 2 rod method is required for successfully locating the specimen fish. Only once you are confident you have located the usual holding areas for fingerlings should you lighten the load and travel with one rod.

 

There is a lot to be said for watercraft and experience in locating fish but Specimen Perch have a quite different set of rules. All this previous knowledge will help in seeking them out though. In order to find the larger stripeys, you have to know where the small fish are. Look for features that may attract shoals of small Perch and aim for them with your float set up. The bait should be worm preferably as I find maggot just creates a frenzied feeding pattern which will, in turn, put the large fish off the feed completely. Once you start hitting the small fish you should try to vary the spread of your casts in order to find the outermost reaches of the shoal in every direction. If the wee ones are biting fast you should be able to build up a mental picture of the shoal perimeter in less than an hour. Visual markers like trees or buoys may help you remember these areas for later visits. In some waters there are no obvious features and the shoal may move continuously. This is where the roving approach comes into play and the float should be used every 15 minutes or so to keep check of where the shoal is at any time.

 

Ok, so you now know where the smaller ones are and you should have a good idea of the range of the shoal. How will this help in locating the specimen fish? We know that fish like Roach naturally protect their young and siblings by herding them into tight packs with the smallest fish in the centre and the largest or strongest patrolling the edge of the shoal. Almost all prey animals use this method to protect the weak, the young and the elderly and the group can be made up of several different generations. Perch however, have a different idea. There is no love lost between an adult and their young so usually the shoal consists of similarly sized fish. It makes pretty good sense too. If they fear predation from adults of their own kind then they will not tolerate the presence of a "Big Humpy" even if it is Mum or Dad. This does not mean that these prized fish are somewhere completely different. They are nearby. Not close enough to be seen by the shoal but close enough to strike from. A bit like a Cheetah stalking Impala. There will be an area of void space of about 15-25 feet between the pack and any marauding adult Perch so once you have located the edge of your shoal, you should aim your lure 15-25 feet outwith the range of the shoal. Maybe then will you crack onto a large stalking Perch. It is worth remembering that big Perch are almost total loners so if you pick one up from the left of the pack for instance, you should aim to the right or the back of the pack on your next cast and back again. Do not thrash the same area of water to foam, as continual splashing in the same 10 feet of water will put the biggies off the feed. If you stick to this method you can pick off almost every big fish in the surrounding area and that also includes Pike.

 

"Which lure should I use because there are millions on show and I'm new to all this?”

Many people buying lures are taken in by the bright colours, shiny patterns, wobbling action and the "Proven fish catcher" label that adorns lots of packets these days. Collecting all these glittery trinkets can drive you to madness in search of THE lure. I've tried loads of them and to be honest, nothing can whack a Size 1 "Mepps" type spinner in Silver, Gold or Bronze. The conditions dictate the colour of blade you use. Silver for dark or muddied water. Gold for almost every condition, light allowing of course and Bronze when fishing gin clear water. Ondex, Rublex and Voblex lures are also good Perch takers but more often than not, they pick up Pike and that may not suit you rod or your tackle. Tobies and bar spoon type lures are ok too but again, they tend to pick up the larger predators. These days, I make most of my spinners etc. I hated paying through the nose for lures that didn't meet my specifications. Now I can have any colour or size of spinner I want.

 

To try something a little different, you could cut the treble from the lure and attach a split ring. This gives you many options. You can attach grubtails, twin-tails, mini bucktails, swimbaits or anything you think, might just give the lure that extra edge. I've taken to adding single hooks and grubs. The rippling tail action is brilliant and you can tow the lure through weeds without too much fuss. Streamers made from red Marabou can be deadly also. There’s something about Marabou that fish find fascinating. Wet and out of water, it takes on a limp, lifeless appearance that looks like nothing in particular. Cast it out and tow it through the water and it takes on a whole new lease of life that Perch find irresistible. If you feel chopping up lures is going too far, try adding a bunch of red wool or John Roberts Baitsaver to the end treble. Once your catch rate improves, you'll have the wire cutters out soon enough. Plugs and ultralites also have their place in the right hands. Unfortunately, I’m utterly useless with either. There's an invitation for an article if I've ever seen one!

 

The set-up on your spinning rod should be kept as simple as humanly possible. Perch are very tackle shy and they will scrutinise your tackle for 20 feet only to refuse it in front of your face. A very small celluloid anti-kink vane may be incorporated but that is all you want. Big Jardine spirals and Wye leads make a hell of a racket and should be avoided like the plague. Wire traces may be required wherever there are Pike but again these can be off-putting. I'm currently trying a 49 strand wire that looks like brown thread. It doesn't kink too easily and it looks fairly discreet. If there are no Pike present in the water, I would do away with any attachments and simply tie the lure directly onto you line. You may after a few sessions encounter line twist but at £6 for a bulk spool of half-decent line, you can hardly complain if you have to change it regularly. I've also noticed that snap-link swivels, although handy for quick changing lures, allow the spinner body to gyrate in the opposite direction to the blade. This slows the rotation of the blade, which in turn, kills the appeal of the lure. Fluorescent lines suitable for Pike fishing are no good for Perch. Again, they will refuse the lure although they may inspect it. Very infuriating. If the fish are cracking your lure 6 inches from the tip of your rod, a buffer bead may be attached 6 inches from the lure for 2 reasons. You do not want to slow your retrieve when the lure approaches the rod and you do not want to damage your rod. Buffer beads are also of great use when fishing in the dark. A broken eye or a damaged rod tip is a right pain so such occurrences are best avoided.

 

The action required by a Perch lure is very different to the jerky, erratic motion you would employ when Pike fishing. The retrieve should be mechanical, even paced and ever so steady. Different speeds may be tested on alternate casts to see which turns the fish on but I generally find that you should slow the lure down until the blade looks as if it might actually stop. Perch are not the nimblest of fish and the retrieve speeds associated with Trout and Pike fishing are normally far too quick for these hunters to keep up with and they will rarely make the effort to even try. If you hit one at a decent clip, the chances are you landed the lure right in front of its face and refusal was unlikely. Marginal success does not make for a sound technique. Depth may also play a major part in whether or not you have any success. In Summer, Perch will gladly take a lure 2 inches under the surface, which makes for some explosive action. In Winter, you may have to fish 2 inches off the bottom. I have taken big Perch in 22 feet of water, in the middle of January but admittedly, the fishing can be a little slow. The good thing is, if you hit a fish at a particular depth, this is the depth the others are likely to be found at. I prefer to count down when my lure hits the water as additional weights are noisy and unbalance the action of the lure. It may be worthwhile flicking your lure into 10 feet of clear water to monitor its descent. Once you know the drop rate of your lure, you should then apply this knowledge when casting into your target area.

 

Bait fishing for these beauties can be an infuriating affair. Although small hook baits can and do take large Perch, it is worth remembering that a 3 incher can totally engulf a size 10 hook with the tiniest offering dangling from the barb. Usually the smaller fish will find your bait because of their massive numbers and all that time spent digging worms can seem like a waste of time. It is quite possible however to lessen the chances of hooking a wee one. I have found that a big Perch will comfortably swallow a size 6, or even a size 4 hook baited up with 2 or 3 large Lobworms. Bites can be differentiated easily because the smaller fish tend to poke and nibble at the large bait, rather than bolt with it. Try to find a good carbon hook with a long shank and a wide gape. Not only do these hooks keep the little blighters off your line but they have an excellent hook-up rate. Cheap, flexible wire hooks should be avoided because an over-zealous strike is needed to set the barb and that action may just damage the fish. Perch have an armoured mouth that will repel all but the sharpest of hooks. A large offering is also more likely to grab the attentions of a good fish, regardless of how shy they are. When legering, baits can be popped up with a little cork or rig foam mounted on the shank of the hook. Again, red seems to be the colour of choice although yellow or white can be equally attractive on some days. Float fishing can be quite effective also. The rig doesn't have to be complicated. Just make sure the depth is variable and you shouldn't have any bother. Twitching and retrieving float-fished baits can outscore static baits if the Perch are actively hunting.

 

Worms, once dug, should be kept in a dark, opaque container with plenty of ventilation. The medium should consist of a wet-ish mixture of sand, acid free soil, newspaper and moss. This mix will toughen the skin and the excessive water content will be absorbed by the worms, making them fat and juicy. On the day before you actually intend to fish, take all the worms you require and give them a good rinse and place then in a clean container with fresh medium. It can be hard to gauge how many worms you actually require and normally I find I come back with most of the worms I left with. Go easy. Maggots should never be used as I find the smell alone will drive the small fish into a frenzy and the big fish shy away from such activity. Small fish also have a knack for finding maggots first.

I spent a great deal of time over the last 2 years putting my efforts into seeking out Specimen Perch. All my theories have been tried and tested and my labours are bearing fruit in a BIG way. I have taken more than 50 2Lb Perch from various locations, my biggest being 3lb 12oz. I truly believe these methods could deliver me a record fish or a right clonker anyway. I can dream. The only thing I have to do now is find the correct venue and put these methods into regular practice. Watch this space.

 

...Andy "The Poachmeister" Macfarlane..."