Description of the species, habits and other features
Summer is not the most catchy time. Perch is most active in May and September. The rest of the time it is moderately active, unless we are talking about individuals that have not yet reached sexual maturity. Small perches live throughout the entire water area, prowling the entire area of the reservoir within huge schools of up to 500 tails, which attracts the attention of large predators. And we’re not even talking about just any pike, pike perch, or burbot.
Minke whales, having reached a weight of more than one kilogram, turn into textured cannibals. Such metamorphoses are not directly related to the “mental retardation” of this species due to its lack of any intelligible size and properties of the brain. Not at all. The same pike has a clearly larger brain, but at the same time, it is one of the most malicious eaters of its own species.
The thing is that small representatives of the river perch species, out of their stupidity, having noticed a particularly large monster in which they recognize one of their own, joyfully rush to meet it. Humpback fish are inactive; they prefer not to make many unnecessary movements.
Therefore, if the opportunity for a quick meal is given, they will certainly take advantage of it. Even if you have to eat your own kind. Moral lamentations are hardly known to this particularly voracious representative of ray-finned fish.
Of all the freshwater fish that live in the waters of the central zone, the north and south of the Russian Federation and neighboring countries, perhaps the minke whale can be called the most common species. A true colonialist, he confidently settled both in Karelia and Kolyma.
The southern borders of his possessions became the Syr Darya and Amu Darya. Sometimes, he doesn’t mind swimming into salt water. So, for example, you can find it in the Baltic, and in the Black, Azov, Caspian, Aral Sea (in what was left of it in the end) and on Lake Balkhash, which also, once in ancient times, was a fairly large sea.
In the salty water of the sea, the perch lives its distant relative - the sea bass. It is difficult to call this species homogeneous. This term immediately means a whole layer of various kinds of ray-finned fish, which sometimes differ so greatly from each other in structure and internal structure that it becomes at least strange why they were all called perches.
Perch is firmly established in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It is also present in Arctic waters, and feels quite comfortable there. Red snapper reaches quite a respectable size and is distinguished by an exotic coloration in orange shades, which makes it essentially beautiful and worthy of the title of the most attractive of the perch species.
Grouper is a rocky ocean bass, on the contrary, one of the most monstrous. But brave scuba divers have proven to the world more than once that even with such a terrible fish you can find a common language when they demonstrated, by filming on a video camera, how they swam with this monster quite peacefully and in a friendly atmosphere. As a result, no one was hurt; the grouper did not even try to make any aggressive attacks towards the diver.
Rock bass is represented by two subspecies - the first of them is slightly larger and lives in the Atlantic, while the second prefers the colder waters of the Pacific Ocean. Not long ago, the Internet exploded with a video in which a representative of this species rips a hefty caught shark off a hook and carries it back somewhere deep into the reservoir.
But that’s not all. Giants from the genus of perches are also present in the fresh water of the Nile. One of the most gigantic representatives, nicknamed after its habitat, lives here. Nile perch reaches two hundred kilograms of weight with a total body length of 2.5 meters. A real giant, who, despite his size, is distinguished by such dashingness and mobility.
But our small Russian perch cannot boast of any large size. The largest of them was caught in the waters of one of the many Siberian waters, and the weight of this individual did not reach a full six kilograms. What can we say when 98% of representatives of this miniature species reach an average size of 200 grams with a body length of 20-25 centimeters.
At the very beginning, minke whales try not to leave the flock; they stick together. But in such conditions, the growth of an individual individual is practically impossible. Therefore, some sailors begin to swim separately, looking for an opportunity to have a snack alone. After all, in order for a perch to gain one kilogram of weight, it will need to cram almost five kilograms of fish meat into itself.
The older the perch gets, the larger it is, and the more it gravitates towards individualism, loneliness, somewhere at the bottom of the reservoir. The larger the humpback whale, the deeper areas it goes. Despite the fact that this species prefers to settle along rocky or tall grassy coasts, the most powerful individuals move greater distances from the shore. As a rule, medium-sized humpback whales sit close to the shore.
At the end of spring, even humpback whales (except for the most seasoned, deep-sea ones) gather in schools and begin to have fun, setting up their signature “cauldrons” in which they boil the fry, swimming after them to a depth of one meter. From a distance, this performance resembles a fish hell, when the water is literally boiling, covered in bubbles, and the ubiquitous seagulls are circling above it all.
In summer, on the contrary, the flocks disperse to the corners and live separately, as before. You can catch them in places that are known to everyone. They especially like flowing peat lakes, where they can swim for a quiet time. There they stand in the tall grass, come out of their shelters in the late afternoon, or never leave them, hunting directly from the grass for prey passing by.
But they don't eat everything. If during the period of active hunting (May and September) predators behave aggressively and are indiscriminate in their food, then throughout the summer they turn into uniform hulks. We are, of course, talking about humpback whales, and not about little sneaky sailors who remain hungry all year round, but it’s hard to call them game fish. This is a weed species that can interfere with the hunt for truly valuable trophies.
Varieties of spinners
Lures for perch in summer must meet certain conditions. For example, they are simply obliged to behave naturally. This can be done by additional animation using manipulations with the fishing rod. On currents in deep rivers, the bait will a priori behave like a small fish or crustacean, which will certainly attract the attention of some fat, hunchbacked scoundrel.
All spinners can be divided into two types: “oscillators”, which make oscillatory movements on the water, and “spinners”, which are more suitable for fast retrieving and are not afraid (or are afraid, but not as much as others) of hooks. This does not at all indicate the advantage of some over others, because each of them can show its relevance under certain conditions, but under other circumstances it can easily turn out to be completely powerless.
The nuances of choosing a winter perch line
There are characteristics of the fishing line that are taken into account in perch fishing:
Most winter anglers believe that monofilament fishing line for perch in winter is the best option. But there are also rare fans of braided bait, especially when it comes to hunting large specimens using poles or fishing in heavily snagged places.
Advantages of braid: strength, low stretch coefficient. Some consider the cord to be more resistant to damage, but this opinion is controversial. The main argument against the “perch” cord in cold weather is its freezing and “stuffing”, as well as its opacity.
The breaking load value is important if there is a likelihood of catching large specimens of perch or if there is bream in the by-catch, but for catching standard winter perch, strong tackle strength is not required. It is more important in winter tackle for perch to ensure the correct connection of the monofilament at the nodes.
There is no need to be too afraid of a cliff; large perches are rare in our reservoirs, and even when they are caught, the correct actions of the angler with thin monofilaments guarantee the success of the fish.
Diameter (thickness of the fishing line). Anglers' opinions on the choice of fishing line diameter often differ. Everyone is guided by their own experience. To summarize, monofilament in the range of 0.08 - 0.16 mm with good strength is enough. For jig tackle, monofilaments with a minimum diameter are taken, for trolling and fishing on balance beams with a maximum. More often, most fishermen use a diameter of 0.1 mm for jig tackle.
Don’t forget: the thinner the winter line, the more bites you will see, since the sensitivity of the nod depends on its diameter; The greater the depth of fishing, the thicker the line.
Color and transparency. In winter, line color is important. More precisely, its absence is important, since any bright colors scare away predators in clear, cold water. Experiments during this period are inappropriate; it is better to take the standard white color. The fishing line for perch in winter should be transparent, with an optimal diameter and breaking load. There are special brands of monofilament marked “For winter”, the combination of strength and thinness of which is achieved by the peculiarities of their manufacturing process.
Fishing line for jig fishing
It is better to take the minimum diameter (0.08 - 0.1, sometimes even 0.05 mm). Thin lines provide good play, sensitivity to bites, and less float in the current with a light jig. It is advisable to install high-quality ones, thin, but with a good margin of safety. Important: the larger the jig, the higher the upper limit of line thickness.
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For glitter
Lure fishing involves potentially catching large fish, fishing in different, including deep and difficult places. Therefore, the fishing line should have a certain margin of strength, usually monofilament.
Be sure to take into account the size of the spinners; the heavier they are, the larger the diameter of the winter fishing line for perch. For trolling, a 0.16 mm fishing line is suitable; when fishing at great depths, use larger diameters.
Line for catching perch on a balancer in winter
For catching perch, it is better to choose a monofilament line. If the bait is small, 0.15 mm is enough. But if the balancer is large and the bycatch is likely to include pike or pike perch, then the thickness of the fishing line is increased.
Tips for choosing a summer lure for perch
- The simpler the spinner, the better.
- You need to choose those models that are equipped with an additional element that enhances noise.
- In reservoirs with dull water, it is better to use spoons of the brightest, acidic tones.
- In lakes with crystal clear water, overly bright baits can only scare away the inquisitive humpback whale, so it is advisable to use dull-colored models in such conditions.
- In order to catch perch in the waters of the urban district, it is advisable to use spinners, since they generally make more additional noise when moving, which can have a positive effect in attracting stripers that are overly intimidated in such places.
- You should not purchase too expensive baits, because perch is a rather voracious fish and there is always a chance that it will bite even the most budget-friendly spinner.
- There is no ideal spinner, you must independently, through trial and error, choose the most relevant type of bait for yourself, because a lot will depend on both your skills and needs, the type of reservoir, weather, time of day, and so on.
Choosing bait depending on fishing conditions
The characteristics of the reservoir influence the choice of spinners:
• In the dead of winter, when the predator stays at a considerable depth, it is important to use spoons to fish the bottom layers. Their difference is their large mass (up to 20 g), which allows them to quickly reach the bottom. Pershings and gaskets that can be easily weighted with lead solders are suitable.
• At the beginning and end of winter, a variety of cloves, weighing from 1 to 3 grams, are suitable for fishing in shallow water.
• Winter trolling of perch in reservoirs without current occurs with the help of parachutes, diamonds, gliders and other well-gliding lures. They make it possible to increase the fishing area, going far to the sides from the main axis.
• Fishing on the current takes place using elongated baits. To prevent the spinner from being blown to the side, its mass must be large and depends on the strength of the current. You can fish by wire using light baits that are carried away by the flow of water.
