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!

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!

Why is it that as soon as the close season begins the rivers looks its best for ages?

I have fished the last three weekends on a near untouched lake trying to find whatever will take my bait, albeit for the time being its just been Bream whilst i’ve been there.  This weekend an attempt will be made to see what predators or in the lake… at 15-20 acres its a challenge to say the least but hopefully something nice will grace my net over the weekend.  Its barely fished so i have no idea what is in there and with only once seeing an angler fishing it – there is a buzz about the place for me to find something special.  I’m hoping this weekend i can find atleast one Perch to really set the off season campaign in to action…!  I was told a few months back of a number of pike in the lake but on questioning the perch population there was no information to hand.

Maybe its just waiting for someone to target them, and hopefully that person is me!  I’ll let you know how the place progresses, as atleast for now i have until June 16th to see if its back to river or not…!  Please oh please let the Perch come to see me, the place is so special and off the beaten track it will be a great pleasure to find some stripeys hidden out there somewhere!  

I’ll keep you informed!

I think today must have been my 10th or 11th attempt to try and catch a fish on a lure again. 

I went out for a wander last night and found a few pike hitting shoals of fish just as the sun was going down. I had a cast about but had to leg it early as otherwise my car would have been locked in the car park for the night . Didn’t really fancy that… how gutting that was – the fish were active and i had to get the hell out of there! 

Anyways so off i went at 6:30am this morning as i wanted to make sure i got back in the spot that looked so good last night. The water levels i knew were 3-4′ down … the EA were clearing a lock somewhere and nowhere else looked remotely good. 

After about an hour and a half in ‘the spot’ i must have seen about 6-7 pike launching into their prey and pike/prey breaking the water… but still the lures had not produced. 

I was beginning to question myself… until i bunged on a white 3″ Kopyto with a light jig head on, started to reel as slowly as possible and then BOOM at last something had found one of my lures appealing! I was in and the knees were knocking! The rod was an abu 5-15g and was doubling over – wow what a thrill on such light gear! A few moments later and the pike was in the net! Phew!!! I’d broken my duck! 

I managed to catch my first fish on the new lightweight setup, meaning that i’d just i’d christened my new rod, my new reel, my net from christmas and best of all i managed to catch my first predator on a rubber lure! Previously they’d all been on spinners and spoons! 

Happy days! Guess where i’m going next weekend! 

Oh and shortly after a i hooked a near 3lb eel on a grub! Doesn’t get much weirder than that!  

Cheers to all the LAS members for recommending Kopyto shads and making me invest in a load of em! 

Damn it seems like ages, but for the next three days i will be Perch fishing the Medway!  Well half a day each from tomorrow through till Sunday.  I love the night before, all the tackle gets a fresh sort through and the rods get prepared.  Man what a great feeling! 

I’ll be sure to try and post the results of each day either on here or the forum www.perchforum.co.uk

Has anyone else been on the bank since the new year and caught any nice Pike, Perch or Chub? If so join up to the forum and let us know – what when and where you’ve caught and discuss techniques and baits etc.  It’ll be good to have you on board! 

Tight lines for 2009
Mark 

Well fingers crossed this weekend the river won’t be flowing hard and coloured chocolate brown, as last weekend it was real hard going!  Cold, wet and with the river in flood isn’t just wasn’t to be.  Tried all my tricks and the Pike just didn’t want to know.  Tried the slacks that had produced 4 doubles the week before but they just weren’t to be found in their favourite hide outs either.  Stumped!  So hopefully this weekend with less rain i should be in with a shot! 

If it doesn’t look great i may have to resort to trying to catch some perch instead… hmmm!  I cannot wait, each day at the moment i am constantly checking the weather to see how its changing.  As for now its flippin cold but that sure as hell won’t stop me!  So far for the weekend its looking like a zero degrees day time temperature for both days although i’m sure a perch in the net will warm me up!  

I’ll let you know how it goes!   Keep check on how i get on : www.perchforum.co.uk

Just a quick report to say we’re 5 days in and already achieved 10 members!  If it carries on like this hopefully it will be a great resource for all us Perch and Predator anglers out there.

Come on in and have your say!  Signing up only takes a minute and all anglers are welcome!

Thanks for dropping in! 
Mark

Well this saturday it was 1 degree on the car thermo when i arrived at the river!  It looked full of life but the big pike weren’t about to play. 

Managed two jacks and a cracking perch at 2lb 12oz’s.  That made the session for me!  I love nothing more than hooking in to a specimen sized perch.  Fingers crossed there will be more to come.  Would still love to crack the 4lb barrier from the Medway… one day soon hopefully!  Its getting closer with reports of other large one’s coming out in recent days. 

I’ll keep you posted.

Well what did i want more than another large perch…?  Not much i can tell you!  And this morning after changing location another river caught 3lb’r graced the net.  There was me thinking to myself that it wasn’t going to happen this morning and i’d missed the prime time, when low and behold the float started to bop away and off she went.   What makes this even better was looking at previous catches there aren’t any other recorded 3lb’ers down this stretch of river, and this is my second in a year. 

The last one went 3lb 10oz and this one was bang on 3lb.  Will there be a 4lb’er soon who knows! 

The hunt continues!!!