Perch in coloured commercials

[Kappa]

I usually found perch appear to go right off the feed in the Thames when it is coloured and fishing for them is a waste of time.

 

However I'm just about to start a perch campaign on a heavily coloured commercial-type water. So how would you approach this type of water? As it is always coloured do they feed differently?

 

P.s. The only relevent rules are no barbed hooks and of course they are carp in the lake.

 

Rich

[fruitloopy]

Richard - take a look at THIS great article about fishing for perch on commercial carp waters by Steve Burke, a chap who knows lots about Perch.

 

He has a 3 part series on Perch fishing, almost a bible for those who want to hunt for 'ol stripey.

 

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Edited September 30, 2008 by fruitloopy

[Anderoo]

I've never fished for perch in commercials but I suspect your biggest decision is bait, i.e. something the carp etc. won't eat (as much!). So lobs would be a bit of a free for all. Having read Steve's articles and seen his Predators show, I'd try freshly killed roach fished under a float at dusk, and feed up the swim with maggots beforehand to attract the tiddlers.

 

I don't know about location. I'd start off fishing near the biggest feature/cover on the lake, whatever that is, and take it from there.

 

I really hope you get one of the giants!

[DavyR]

I'd love to be able to use deadbaits on my local commercial, which holds some very big perch, but unfortunately they're on the banned list (along with livebaits and lures).

 

The limited success I've had so far is on double red maggot, after ploughing my way through a lot of small silvers. Popped-up lobworm has also accounted for some good fish.

 

Having said that, my current PB of 2lb 12oz (there are much bigger perch in there!) was taken on popped-up fake corn on a method feeder.

Edited September 30, 2008 by DavyR

[Vagabond]

The limited success I've had so far is on double red maggot, after ploughing my way through a lot of small silvers.

 

That certainly will work - but you need at least two pints of maggots for a days fishing, and keep the loose feed going ALL the time to get a shedful of small silvers in a feeding frenzy - that will certainly attract big perch. Adding Archie Braddock's "Red Surprise" to the maggots overnight seems to enhance your chances of a decent perch taking the maggots. My own method is to get that frenzy going less than a rod-length out from the bank - it does mean one must be careful not to make too much commotion.

 

Perch will come to the maggots, and additionally a second rod, with a biggish perch bait (ie bunch of lobs, small live or dead fish if allowed) fished on the fringes of the frenzy will also pick off a decent perch from time to time.

 

Very often the first indication of a big perch in the swim is a huge boil under the surface as you slip a small silver fish back.

 

At one commercial where I use this method I have had plenty of perch over 2 lb, including two threes and a four.

 

All the big ones, contrary to received wisdom, came between mid-morning and midday.

 

Big perch and big roach are present in many carp commercials, although anyone after them is usually in a minority of one!

[gozzer]

I think it depends a lot on the density of the stocking on the water.

 

When I've tried creating a feeding frenzy on a well stocked association water, all I get is carp.

Even fishing a bunch of lobs or a small dead at the edge has resulted in .....carp.

My biggest from the water is just under 2lb, but I know that much bigger fish are present.

I have now given up and relinquished my membership of the club.

 

On my 'local' rivers I have found that colour in the river certainly helps with the perch fishing, you've just got to find them first.

 

 

John.

[Anderoo]

I always prefer some colour in the water too. Perch have the best eyesight of all our species except zander - and zander also feed in low light conditions and love colour in the water. The coloured water gives them a huge advantage over their prey.

 

If it's a dull day you can catch perch all day long. If it's bright, dawn and dusk are the key times, even in coloured water.

 

Also, colour in the water (in a river/stream, at any rate) usually means it's carrying extra water, which pushes the fish into small slacks. This makes location 10 times easier.

 

Perhaps you do well in clear rivers because of your favourite livebaiting tactics, Rich. A couple of lobs may be better in murky water. In your little lake, I think I'd do what Vagabond suggests. That sounds like very good advice to me. On the second rod, I'd probably try lobs first and if that was impossible due to nuisance species, I'd try a deadbait.

 

I think the main difference between river/stream perch fishing and small lake perch fishing, is that on the river you'd try several likely spots and try to locate some feeding perch, feeding very little (or even no) loosefeed. On the lake, I expect you'd aim to draw feeding fish to you. If there are platforms with at least a couple of feet of water underneath, I probably would just keep tricking red maggot just off the end of the platform.

[Stretpegger]

I know that prawns have been hyped up in the angling press as a perch bait par excellence in commercials although all they brought me were more pesky pasties!

 

Just as an aside i was visiting a friend in South Wales last winter and we half a day at a local commercial fishery.However on this particular lake on the complex big Perch were not uncommon.Our methods on the day were chopped worm and red maggot mixed in molehill soil and balled in.Hookbait was worm/maggot cocktail,sport was not fast and furious but the average size of the perch was impressive, even better we were not troubled by carp either.

 

I cannot recall the fishery name but will get onto my mate and will post the details on here if anyone is interested.

[Vagabond]

Our methods on the day were chopped worm and red maggot mixed in molehill soil and balled in.Hookbait was worm/maggot cocktail,

 

Ah, molehill soil! Cheaper than fancy groundbait, and provides your own local colour to the water!

On several of my waters the moles make their mounds conveniently close to the swim, so you don't even have to carry it far.

[Stretpegger]

Ah, molehill soil! Cheaper than fancy groundbait, and provides your own local colour to the water!

On several of my waters the moles make their mounds conveniently close to the swim, so you don't even have to carry it far.

 

Have used molehill soil for years, principally when the water is clear and i want to colour the water but without providing the fish food as a groundbait would.

 

Of course the coloured water of a commercial fishery would seem on the face of it to make the use of molehill soil unecessary.Our use of it on the day was because of its other interesting benefit.As you know moles eat worms so it follows that for want of a better word that the mole c**p will be present in the soil as well.

Draw your own conclusions but i have to say i have the utmost confidence in molehill soil especially when using worm on the hook.

 

BTW the fishery i was refering to in the earlier post was White Springs Lakes near Swansea, highly recommended