by
Matthew Saunders
Big Perch Success
by
Matthew Saunders
INTRODUCTION by Nick Caine, Managing Editor
Even though we are very obviously by definition a lure angling and fly fishing website, when Matthew Saunders wrote to ASK THE TEAM for some tips on how to catch bigger perch, we soon realised that he was talking about catching them on baits, and that he very clearly knows a huge amount about bait-fishing for big perch .. so we asked him to tell us about his successes ....
BEFORE BIG PERCH
I am a self-employed decorator and have been fishing for 25 years. With my Dad, I cut my teeth on the normal sort of fishing, catching small stuff but then, like most youngsters these days, I got into what some will see as the bad habit of carp fishing!
After carp fishing seriously for many years and catching numerous 20s and a PB Common Carp of 32 lb., I decided that carp fishing was too nomadic for me, and a new challenge was what I needed .... and what I needed was big perch ...
BIG PERCH FROM LAKES
Luckily for me, i n my search for big perch I have discovered two superb lakes in my area. One lake is a true gem which I can only say must hold 100s of 1+ lb perch and numerous 2+ lb fish, with a few 3+ lb fish. There is also rumoured to be a 4 lb perch that has been caught on meat!
This lake is about 3 acres in size with not many features at-all, bar a couple of bushes 2and trees, and a duck house. It averages a deph of around 3-4 feet and is coloured like chocolate. The place is teaming with roach rudd and small skimmers, hence the reason why there are so many good perch — I've had 20 over 2 lb and two over 3 lb.
These days, living in Essex, and being self-employed, sometimes I do finish work early and find myself racing home at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, to grab a flask and shoot down to the lake for the last 3 hours of the day — the best time if you ask me! In fact, most of my fishing is done in late afternoon once the clocks have gone back, as this gives me the best time prior to picking-up our son from school.
RIGS & BAITS FOR BIG PERCH
The rigs that I am using vary from ledgering to float fishing, all using fish-baits. When I'm ledgering I tend to use a block feeder then a shock-bead with then a 7-10 inch hooklink of fluorocarbon (6 lb BS) to a size 4 hook. The feeder seems to be the key part to this style of fishing as it gets plenty of maggots around the hook bait.
If I float fish then I tend to fish a chubber-style float with 6 lb line to a size 4 hook, and a couple of Swan-shot to keep the bait down in the water. On average I will go through at least 3 pints of red maggotts in an afternoon session, with feed in the feeder I also keep spraying maggots over the baited area. Another great tip that I started using last year was liquidized bread around the baited area — it just seems to attract all the small fish in.
For baits I generally like to stick to small roach and rudd around 3-4 inches long, but on the lake that I caught my PB (see below), I tend to use the good old faithful Gudgeon.
At last, 4+ lb PERCH !
The other lake is a totaly different place, just 1 acre in size surrounded by trees and fringed with rushes. There are not many fish to be had here but most times during the winter months you will be lucky not to have a fish under 2 lb. — I have taken five 2 lb perch from this particular lake, plus a nice 3 lb fish. I have also been told that 5 years ago a 5 lb fish was found dead here.
My mission on this lake, was to hit it hard last Feb/March to try and see if i could get big fish when they were hungry and feeding heavily prior to spawning — it seemed like a good bet, and luckily, it did pay-off for me because that's when I caught my P.B. of 4 lb 2 oz.! This was of course my most pleasurable angling day so far, and one that I am sure that I will remember for a long very time.
The 4 lb 2 oz perch itself was so heavy with spawn that I think that maybe that in normal conditions, it may have been a good upper 3 lb fish, but in fishing you take your opportunities when ever you can, don't you ?!
I hope you like the photos and reading about my big perch searches and successes
Best regards to you all and tight lines and Good Luck in your search for big perch.
Matthew Saunders
EDITOR'S NOTE
Thanks for that, Matt: it's good to read about such successes in catching what are truly beautiful big perch. Like the rest of us, keep aiming to beat Les Brown's Record:
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