Perch Fishing PDF Print E-mail
Perch - Perca fluviatilis
  • Description: Large erect spiny dorsal fin, dark vertical body stripes, red lower fins
  • Specimen Weight: 2lb (0.9kg)
  • Lifespan: 13yrs
  • UK Record: 5lbs 9oz (2.52kg) Glebe Lake, Fringford, 2002.
  • Habitat: Clean reservoirs, pits, canals and slow-flowing rivers
  • Methods: Livebaiting, spinning
  • Baits: Lobworms


 perch

Perch Fishing


The perch is one of the most handsome coarse fish and also one of the most aggressive predators. When young they patrol in shoals rounding up fry and crashing through them. Unfortunately every few years perch populations are struck down by a mystery disease which all but wipes them out, but in recent years numbers have been rising again and anglers hope to break the weight record again in the near future.

Tactics
The real key to catching a big perch is to find a venue which contains a lot of them. Spinning is one of the best ways to catch a big perch as it allows you to move around and find where the perch are feeding. The fish will normally be in the shallows in the summer and deeper water in the winter. Go for a small blade spinner, and make sure it has tail feathers as perch chase other fish and peck at their tail until they are unable to swim any more. Retrieve your lure as slowly as you dare. Livebaiting is also a good method, choose only small fish though.

The final method is lobworm, which should be injected with a little air so that they wriggle around on the bottom. Use a clean syringe and always air-inject on a hard surface- never on the palm of your hand. No self respecting perch can resist the lobworm and some of the biggest ever caught have been landed this way.
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