pike and perch.co.uk

I nearly forgot and then checked the dates of the first post and Pike and Perch is 1 year old today!

Thanks to everyone for popping in and dropping by on the forum.  Hopefully we can build on this and make it even better by the site’s next birthday.

Tight lines to all!

Mark

Hi all,

Today i went for a different approach and thought i’d try dropshotting for the Perch.  I went to a large lake near where i live armed with my spinning rod 5-20g with 15lb braid loaded onto a Shimano Sedona 750.  This outfit is a total joy to use when targetting Perch and seemed perfect for dropshotting.

New dropshot hooks are currently on order so i opted for some green size 4 fly hooks that i have and they seemed to stick out perfectly when mounted on 12lb grand max.  I rigged it so the lure was about a foot from the bottom and set about trying to christen the new technique and get to grips with how effective it could be.

It didn’t take too long to work either i think on about my fifth cast i was into a nice perch of around a pound!  A great way to start on a new way of fishing!!! Luckily i managed another around 15 minutes later and i was set on always taking a rod rigged up for dropshotting on my luring trips.

I’m not so sure the hooks i used stood up enough but for the trial it seemed sufficient enough, i cannot wait to get out more on this method and see if it out fishes the usual spinning and jigging!  Time will tell!

And hey if you haven’t given it a go yet i highly advise you try it out!

I went out on Sunday for a quick dabble and managed numerous perch again but unfortunately only up to a pound. They were going mad on a chopped lob and red maggot spot that I had baited up, at times they were suicidal. Unfortunately no bigger ones came along but hopefully in time I can suss out where they are lurking.

On Monday I managed to get a day away from the office and get back onto the bank. I tried a new spot on the river and baited as before and to my surprise I caught my first ever Ruff which came in at 3oz’s. A real heavy set little fish which I was elated to catch. Shortly after a had another before that area suddently stopped producing. Later in thte morning I noticed further the reeds shaking away a little further down the bank, something was on the feed, so armed with a 1oz quiver tip a chucked a lobworm right along side the action zone. Low and behold about 20 minutes later the tip went crazy and pulled round solid. I struck in to something with quite a bit of speed and power! Considering I was using 6lb line with a 4lb hooklink it provided me with a great spirited fight, I wasn’t sure what I had connected with and at first thought it was a chub when to my surpise a common rolled right in front of me before meeting the landing net. I was very shocked at catching my first river carp, I’d always heard that they were in the area but I have never managed to catch one. The swim went dead after the eruption stirred from catching the carp and all that was to follow was a bream around 4-5lb. I did find some great looking pools that look good for the perch and chub and these shall be tried on my next visit.

Not too sure if I’ll ever catch two pb’s like this again in a day but the river holds so many unknowns anything is possible! As for Sunday’s outing, I cannot wait!!!

The day arrived and i was down on the river by 4:15 ready to launch an assualt on the fish that lurked beneath.  The river was quite clear with a slow flow to it, not ideal conditions but i had to be there!  I baited with chopped worm and reg maggots on the edge of the reeds in the hope to tempt a stripey into biting!  I didn’t have to wait long and the first one was in the net.  Not a biggie but it was what i was after so i couldn’t complain.  After this i managed two more perch to a 1lb and a half on worms, a 4lb bream and a small chub.  Then the swim died. 

I put the rod down and a pike went for the float which was just dangling on the water… shortly after he then assumed his resting position right against the bank about 2 feet away from me.  I couldn’t help to see what he would like for lunch, so i tried a few worms and managed to get them on video dropping into the water, then i tried a few tiddlers to see whether or not he was up for the challenge of a fishy snack! 

Check out the videos in the forum to see what happened!

Friday evening was overcast with a light breeze on the water at the lake that has been my target this last week.  with over 70 perch landed between us during the my prayers were answered and i managed to catch a 2lb 1oz perch at 9pm.  I knew there had to larger in there, well i had hoped so anyway.  And after seeing this pristine Perch the full potential of the place has been exposed…!

I shall be on the river for the foreseeable future but i know that when the river is having it’s off days i have this place to head back down to.  Its barely fished which is a god send and hopefully it stays that way i can fish where and when i need to.  Phew!

Good like to all for the coming season and may all your stripeys be big ones!  I look forward to seeing captures posted on the forum and i hope a few of them are mine!

Ok back i went to the same location, it wasn’t quite as productive as the first session as it was a lot windier but we still managed around 15-20 perch.  Biggest again just below a pound… i’m sure there are bigger in there after seeing an easy 2 pounder last autumn.  Hopefully i will be back down there tomorrow to see whats about and try another very perchy area of the lake.  Fingers crossed - and whatever happens i cannot wait for the 16th to come around.  I’m counting the days now.  The new perch rods have arrived and the worms are on order to arrive Friday so i can get out and prebait a few chosen swims on my favourite section of river.

Good luck to any readers who like myself will be aiming for stripeys on the opening day!

Last night the weather looked perfect, it was still quite warm and overcast.  So I had to get myself out and try a nearby lake for some perch. Unfortunately there were no whackers caught but a fishing buddy and I managed to catch over 30 perch in two hours from a large lake a short drive from where we live (approx 20 acres). The largest was just under a pound but that didn’t stop us have a very enjoyable session, it was all about getting out there and getting in amongst the stripeys. All fish bar two of them were caught on float fished worm. We will be back down there tonight and hopefully see if we can find some of the larger ones.

Fingers crossed~!  And i’ll let you know how we get on soon!