perch as livebait?

[starlight]

i wonder if any of you predator fisherman can give me a bit of advice. i have never done a great deal of live baiting but i am sure that i was once told small perch are a really good live bait for big perch and pike. the reason that i am asking the question is because whilst out fishing for live bait with a french friend, i put it to him that small perch were a good live bait but he was chucking them back because he reckoned they were crap. so are they any good? and does any one ever catch zander on them?

[Steve Burke]

I don't know about for zander, but I can tell you from experience that small perch make excellent livebaits for both pike and, in particular, bigger perch.

[DavyR]

They were certainly much used in the past for pike and big perch, and it used to be recommended to clip off the spiky dorsal fin before casting out (although this was obviously completely unnecessary). I don't know any anglers who still use them (in fact I don't know many who still livebait), but I've no doubt that they'd still be effective baits. A lot of successful lures seem to be finished with a "perch" pattern.

 

Never fished for zander - perhaps the regular zander anglers might comment...

[Anderoo]

Perch make excellent livebaits. They're much tougher and more energetic than roach, for example. I've never tried using them to catch big perch but I've caught plenty of pike and zander on them.

 

Speaking of perch, it's that time of year again :)

 

Edit: there's no need to clip off any fins.

Edit 2: it may be worth mentioning that whenever I livebait these days I nearly always hook the bait in the tail root (if using two trebles, one in the tail root and the other in a flank, just like deadbaiting). They survive much longer and don't tangle as much as when hooking them head first.

Edited September 4, 2007 by Anderoo

[starlight]

thanks for your replies, maybe i will give my french mate a surprise!

[zedhead]

I have used perch liveys many times and have drawn up the following: They last well, but contrary to anderoo, their energy levels are poor at best, often giving up swimming around and instead opting to hold postion. I find them good for perch especially but less so for pike and even less so for zander, however, I think they are a much underrated deadbait and have often scored when other baits have failed, partcularly with the zeds. As already stated, cutting off the fin is a load of rubbish. I much prefer silvers for zander and pike.

[Steve Walker]

Still, bit of a waste to use them for livebait when they're so good to eat (grins, ducks and runs for cover)

[starlight]

so what is the maximum size small perch that you would use for a big perch, i know that i have had perch as little as 4 ins on minnow and once had a 8 ins perch on a 4 ins gudgeon, so does the same apply for big perch? would a 2 pounder take a 4 or 5 inch live bait?

[Unimexsol]

Perch make fine livebaits for pike and large perch, you do not need to cut the spines off. Pike will go after anything, other pike are supposed to be excellent bait too although I personally have never used them as I never seem to catch any that are of "bait size".

[Steve Burke]

so what is the maximum size small perch that you would use for a big perch, i know that i have had perch as little as 4 ins on minnow and once had a 8 ins perch on a 4 ins gudgeon, so does the same apply for big perch? would a 2 pounder take a 4 or 5 inch live bait?

 

Two pounders very definitely take 5 inch perch! Indeed, 5 inches is my standard size livebait, but I still regularly catch perch of 1½ lbs on them. With deadbaits this would be my minimum size, partly to avoid the carp that can become a flaming nuisance on them!

 

For more info see my perch articles here on Angler's Net. Go to http://anglers-net.co.uk/authors/introsteve.htm