dead baiting.

[rayner]

Before I go any further I have never dead baited for perch but it could be a plan.
Being a total novice and not wanting to start on the wrong foot what are the chances of catching a commercial perch with a dead bait, probably Gudgeon.
Any advice that may help I will take. I'm not really after any secrets but a bit of an idea would be good.
Mostly rigs and baits just to get me started.
It's not nailed on that I will fish a dead bait.

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

you say a commercial perch - if you mean a perch fro ma commercial fishery most I know of don't allow deadbaiting

 

[john step]

Its a very good method. You say commercial. If so there is the advantage of no pike present and therefore no need for wire trace. Therefore softer presentation.

My favourite has been a small rudd or roach. Cut the head end off to leave about 2 or 3 inches of the tail end to use as the bait. This lets the juices flow and is a great attractor.
Trim the tail fins so as not to impede the hook.

Preston/Korum quick stops are great for this method. Make a hole through the tail end with the stop needle and then push a quick stop through on a hair on a largish hook size. Size 6 has been OK for me.

I find perch whoosh down a deadbait and give a good run on a hair like this. No mucking with shy bites! The bonus is that there is minimal chance of the deep hooking with the hook up inside the mouth not the gut.

I use 8lb bs main line and 15lb Merlin braid hooklink which is very soft. This doesnt seem to put the perch off one iota but enables the odd carp to be landed without breakage. AND YOU WILL HOOK CARP ON A COMMERCIAL ON DEADBAIT.

Last week I experimented with lamprey section and the perch loved them.

I fish on a small bomb and light bobbin or a top and bottom float overdepth and twitched back every 5 minutes os so then re cast to a differnt point of an arc.

Hope this helps. Tight lines.

 

[greenie62]

...It's not nailed on that I will fish a dead bait.

I would recommend hair-rigging rather than nailing!

.... most I know of don't allow deadbaiting

Many don't allow you to kill fish from the fishery - or import fish from elsewhere on disease infection prevention grounds - that usually stops deadbaiting in it's tracks!

The only exception usually granted is the use of sea-fish as bait - on the grounds that they don't have a common disease profile - so smelt, sprats or sardines might be OK - but check with the fishery owners first.

A sliding-float 'stopped' at about half-depth is worth a go - occasionally raising the rod-tip to work the bait and let it flutter back down along the margins.

The other technique to try - again depending on fishery rules - is the lip-hooked minnow - fished as above - or on a paternoster.

Tight Lines!

 

[robtherake]

Its a very good method. You say commercial. If so there is the advantage of no pike present and therefore no need for wire trace. Therefore softer presentation.

My favourite has been a small rudd or roach. Cut the head end off to leave about 2 or 3 inches of the tail end to use as the bait. This lets the juices flow and is a great attractor.
Trim the tail fins so as not to impede the hook.

Preston/Korum quick stops are great for this method. Make a hole through the tail end with the stop needle and then push a quick stop through on a hair on a largish hook size. Size 6 has been OK for me.

I find perch whoosh down a deadbait and give a good run on a hair like this. No mucking with shy bites! The bonus is that there is minimal chance of the deep hooking with the hook up inside the mouth not the gut.

I use 8lb bs main line and 15lb Merlin braid hooklink which is very soft. This doesnt seem to put the perch off one iota but enables the odd carp to be landed without breakage. AND YOU WILL HOOK CARP ON A COMMERCIAL ON DEADBAIT.

Last week I experimented with lamprey section and the perch loved them.

I fish on a small bomb and light bobbin or a top and bottom float overdepth and twitched back every 5 minutes os so then re cast to a differnt point of an arc.

Hope this helps. Tight lines.

Did you hair-rig the lamprey, John? If so, how much gap twixt bend and bait?

 

[john step]

Did you hair-rig the lamprey, John? If so, how much gap twixt bend and bait?

About an inch. I tie my own quickstops as the ones you buy seem a bit short for this purpose.

 

[robtherake]

About an inch. I tie my own quickstops as the ones you buy seem a bit short for this purpose.

Thanks, much obliged. Are you pinning the overdepth section to the deck when you're fishing it under a float, John? I'll have between six and ten feet right in front of me, depending on swim, dropping into deeper water.

 

[rayner]

The fishery I fancy may be good for perch is quite relaxed generally with rules.
Anglers are mostly left to police themselves within reason. I'll check with the bailiff tomorrow to make sure it's OK, I have the feeling it should be.
I recon half a roach may be my first try.

 

[john step]

Thanks, much obliged. Are you pinning the overdepth section to the deck when you're fishing it under a float, John? I'll have between six and ten feet right in front of me, depending on swim, dropping into deeper water.

Its not pinned really as I like to twitch it every few minutes by raising the rod thereby bringing the bait a bit closer until it gets close in to me before recasting.

Over depth by a couple of feet if possible as it gives the best of both worlds. On the bottom for a bit then off the bottom and moving a foot or two before settling down on the bottom for another short bit. Seems to work.

I use a small top and bottom float. A dibber is ideal. What you are in effect doing is a scaled down sink and draw as you would for pike. The float enables the line to float better. The bites usually have the float sailing away and the line on the surface giving a very visible signal.

You really havn't got to worry about neat tight presentation like you would waggler fishing for other species. A windy bow in the line on the surface shows up the take by the perch very well.
The perch where I fish don't appear to have any manners. They just gulp and go!! Thats why I hair rig, for fish safety.

6 to 10 foot in front sounds a nice fishery. Good luck.

 

[robtherake]

Thanks again, John; you've really got me thinking now. It's a water with potential ambush points in almost every peg - marginal weedbeds, overhanging trees, drop-offs, a wide variation in depth from peg to peg and even one or two gravel bars, so I may just try roving tactics instead of my usual static approach.

I'll be going in the next couple of days, so we'll see what transpires...

 

[rayner]

My idea was to fish a dead bait on the bomb.
Your post John has totally changed my thinking. I will now definitely go with a float fished over depth.
Your method in your last post John would suit me far better as I easily start to lose concentration if bites are slow. If I keep busy I enjoy my fishing a lot better.
Thanks for your help. Quality.

 

[gaznotts53]

I know Perch like gudgeon, I can remember reading an article where the author had a tank with a almost 5lb perch in it that loved the gudgeon. Had my pb on a gudgeon livebait. I also watched a big stripey well over 3lb when I was teenager hovering abou've the same when Pike fishing, I stupidly twitched it and it shot off!