Everyone is accustomed to the fact that the main goal of feeder fishing is to catch “peaceful” fish. Bream, roach, crucian carp, carp - these fish cannot be called predatory, but for some reason everyone forgets about perch, which is very interesting from the point of view of feeder fishing.
Perch lives in large numbers almost everywhere. Rivers, canals, reservoirs and small ponds - this striped robber is comfortable everywhere, since he is omnivorous.
Perch is a clear representative of predatory fish, but it has a mixed diet. Of course, he is a hunter and loves to feast on small fish, which he skillfully hunts, but he also takes great pleasure in eating the larvae of various insects, such as bloodworms, maggots and worms. This is why perch is interesting as an object for feeder fishing.
Perch activity periods
Bursts of perch activity, as a rule, occur at dawn and dusk; it is at this time that it actively feeds. In early spring and autumn, perch shows interest in food during the day (mainly on cloudy days), and at the height of summer (June, July) the evening burst of perch activity practically disappears, and the morning one shortens.
Ichthyologists say that perch is unusually voracious and exhibits feeding activity regardless of whether it is full or not. That is, in well-fed perches, the wakefulness phase begins at the same hours as in hungry ones.
Fishing point
Perch, as a rule, stays separate from the “peaceful” inhabitants. When choosing a fishing spot, you should pay attention to rocky slopes, edges, and littered areas of the bottom. In these places he feels comfortable and at ease. Schools of perch patrol in search of food and are easy to attract. Often, perches hide in the shade of aquatic vegetation or under bushes overhanging the water. A school of perch can move quickly regardless of the actions of the angler. All these factors must be taken into account when choosing a fishing point, as well as preparing a reserve point where the perch can later retreat.
Read! Catching perch in winter on dams
What does perch hunt for?
The diet of the striped predator varies depending on its age, geographic location and zoosphere of the reservoir. This factor must be taken into account when preparing for fishing in order to select the optimal bait option. The main diet of perch consists of:
- plankton;
- insect larvae;
- earth and river worms;
- leeches;
- tadpoles and frogs;
- small crustaceans;
- fry and small fish;
How to find a place to catch perch
Determining a place to catch perch is quite simple. It’s better, of course, to use an echo sounder (onshore or for a boat) - it will show the bottom topography and identify a school of fish. If such a device is not available, pay attention to the shallow coastal waters, where schools of fry are visible. If there are thickets of algae, overhanging or fallen trees near this place, look for the striper there. You should look for humpback fish at changes in depth, on rocks, in places where streams and rivers flow into a body of water, or where there are accumulations of branches and logs.
To settle in stagnant bodies of water, perch often uses thickets of water lilies and sedges located far from the shore. In running water, both humpback and minke whales prefer to stand in small creeks, snags, and at river bends, where there is practically no current. As a rule, perch hunts in the morning and evening, going out into open water. Its presence can be recognized by the “boiling” water created by the chasing fry.
In autumn, perch moves to depths where the water is a little warmer. Its activity usually slows down in November, but with the first ice you can again catch striped fish in the same places.
What to catch
Depending on the type of reservoir, its characteristics and time of year, perch is caught in different ways and with different gear:
- float rod with an attachment in the form of a live fry, worm, larva or piece of meat (spring-autumn);
- spinning rod equipped with a spinner, wobbler or silicone bait (spring, autumn);
- predatory feeder (summer, autumn);
- winter fishing rod (winter);
Lure
When making bait, you need to understand that perch is not interested in all kinds of cereals and grains, and culinary delights are not the object of its nutrition. The bait should only serve as a means of delivering the live component to the fishing point. In addition, the food should have an odor that attracts fish and create a cloud of turbidity at the point. All this causes the perch to feed. To create a cloud of turbidity, soil (soil or clay) is often added to the bait.
When fishing for perch, the presence of a sufficient amount of animal component in the bait is mandatory.
Since perch is a predator, the presence of a sufficient amount of animal component in the bait is mandatory. Larvae and worms are food for the perch and keep it on point.
Spinning fishing
When catching perch with a spinning rod using a spoon, experienced fishermen most often use light-class rods with a test load of 10-15 g or ultra-light (up to 10 g) for micro-spinners and spinners. The length of the spinning rod should not exceed 2.5 m. As for the reel, it is best to use an inertia-free one. You should not spend money on expensive types of rods or reels, because the success of fishing depends not on the cost of equipment, but on the skill of the fisherman.
Choosing bait is not an easy task, since in terms of the variety of spinners, wobblers and other baits, perch hunting is superior to pike perch or pike perch.
The most popular bait is the cicada or bladebait. The behavior of such bait in the water column instantly attracts the attention of an active predator. Using a “cicada” as bait, you can use any type of wiring from jig to uniform.
In summer and autumn, fishing with an oscillating spoon or spinner with deep stepped wiring is also popular. This method of spinning tactics gives good results, but is only applicable on reservoirs with a clean sandy bottom.
Jig head with “feather”
The best option for spinning fishing in reed thickets is to use a small spinnerbait (a jig head with a hook and a variety of “feathers”). For such a nozzle, the best type of wiring is uniform, which allows you to keep it at a depth not exceeding 1.5 m. You can also use a fast retrieve to keep the spinnerbait at a minimum depth.
It is better to fish with a spinning rod in the morning or at sunset . Calm, windless weather and light clouds are the best conditions for perch hunting. In rain and strong winds, perch does not hunt, but at this time prefers to sit somewhere in a secluded place.
When fishing with a spinning rod, you should take into account that perch is a very playful fish and attacks with lightning speed, so be prepared for the fact that the spoon will be attacked when casting before it has time to sink to the bottom. Pulling up and landing a small predator is not a particular problem, since the perch almost always swallows the bait deeply. The likelihood of a derailment is thus reduced to a minimum. But if you had to hook a humpback whale weighing 1-1.15 kg, you need to be extremely careful, because such a specimen is capable of breaking the tackle or taking it under snags and breaking it off there. To prevent this from happening, you need to make a hook immediately after the bite and begin to evenly pull the catch towards the shore.
We catch perch with a spinning rod: rigs, baits, fishing techniques.
How to catch perch with a float rod on a lake or pond?
Read on to learn how to catch perch on a retractable leash.
Nozzle
The most popular perch bait is the bloodworm; even the pickiest fish will not miss this delicate larva. Often perch, especially large ones, bite well on maggots and worms.
When the bite is capricious, the use of dips often saves the situation. The perch grabs the bait flavored with working dip more readily. Among the smells that stimulate perch's appetite, meat and fish aromas come first. But, oddly enough, perch often reacts to odors such as strawberries, milk, scopex, vanilla, corn and others. Apparently, in reservoirs frequently visited by fishermen, fish associate these odors with similar food. In any case, you need to have a large selection of different dips with you and not be afraid to try and surprise the fish, provoking it to bite.
Perch on the feeder
Ours, the domestic striped robber and emigrant on the hook.
River spills have long been considered good fishing grounds. White fish come here to spawn; they bask in the shallows in spring and autumn, and roach and rudd live and bite here all year round. In winter, floods are an excellent place for catching pike with a zherlitsa, hunting for medium-sized linen. And the perch here always bites well with a jig. It is for roach and rudd that fishermen come here. Belle bites well on lapdogs and feeders, and occasionally crucian carp and bream are caught. When you don’t have time for serious fishing, you can always unwind here for a few-hour session. I went to the bays for “quick” fishing, having 5-6 hours to spare.
He quickly set up the platform, uncovered the eleven-foot feeder, and mixed a pack of bagged roach bait. It took about fifteen minutes to do everything. To quickly find the fishing spot, I cast an echo sounder-deeper. The picture I saw on the screen amazed me. At a distance of 12 meters, there was a huge school of fish on the dump.
The fish were recorded in the upper, lower part of the edge and even in the thickness. “Today is my day,” I thought, deciding that it was a school of roach. Without compacting the food in the feeder so that the dusty mixture would keep the flock at the point, I made the first cast. I didn’t put the rod on the stand, expecting a bite from my hand while falling. However, the bite occurred about two minutes later. A sharp, non-roach bend of the tip. A hook, and the first unexpected surprise. Instead of a roach, there was a sunfish on the hook.
Small, but very hungry, it swallowed the hook with the maggot so deeply that it was not possible to remove it carefully even with an extractor. On the second cast the picture repeated itself, a sharp attack and again the emigrant was on the hook.
This one is larger and not as greedy. I make the bait more voluminous so that it does not fit into the small mouth of this predator. Cast, five-minute pause and again a sharp bend. You can feel the perch behavior familiar from spinning fishing experience. This is true. Our, domestic striped robber.
I am beginning to understand that the echo sounder did not show me a school of roach. And it’s useless to wait for her on the curb today. I unclip and increase the distance. The bottom is as flat as a table, but in the hope of attracting whitebait with dusty bait, I regularly feed the lion's share of the prepared mixture at a pace. Not a single bend. Fish is not suitable. “At least there was a perch biting there,” I think, and return to the dump. And from the very first cast I get a powerful bend in the quiver. Perch again.
When replacing the bait with a cook, there are no bites. Neither lengthening the leash nor reducing the weight of the feeder so that the bait was lowered more slowly changed the situation. Only perch bothered my feeder tip that day.
Having come to terms with this state of affairs, I was properly caught. The perch bit with short pauses and sometimes a sunfish came to replace it. But the fish pictograms shown by the echo sounder indicated that someone larger was standing under the edge. However, enlarging the bait and increasing the size of the hook did not provoke the large fish to attack. Here you need a spinning rod and edibles, but that’s a different kind of fishing. Unexpectedly for myself, I was pleased with the absence of roaches at the point. And such fishing happens. NHNCH.
With a fishing rod - to Vetluga
Jig with sparkles
Making a cicada with your own hands
Feeding tactics
Catching perch is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Its bite is often very capricious, and the bites are careful and barely noticeable. In addition, perch is quite shy, and large feeders can alert or scare away a school, so perch are caught using small “thimble feeders” that quietly enter the water and do not scare the fish at the bottom. In most cases, a lot of bait is not required, only a constant supply of live components is important.
Read! Catching perch in winter with a Koza reelless reel
Before starting perch fishing, as a rule, a massive starting feeding is not required; it is enough to “mark” a point with a couple of medium feeders with a large amount of animal component. After all, we are not faced with the task of feeding the fish; we need to attract it and try to catch it.
Perch fishing in early summer
There has long been an opinion among fishermen that June is not the best month for fishing. There is some truth in this. At this time, various fish are caught, but the bite leaves much to be desired. However, there is a fish that can be caught well in June - the ubiquitous perch, the striped predator of our rivers and lakes.
Catching this beautiful fish is very interesting. All you need is simple gear and a good place for fishing. In the first month of summer, perch is perfectly caught on a donka. For bait, the best option would be a small live bait or a leech, and, of course, it won’t disdain a large crawling worm either.
It is best in the summer to be tempted by a leech; we will dwell on this bait in more detail.
Where can I get it? It's not difficult at all. A sufficient number of leeches can be found in swampy bodies of water. It is enough to go to the shore of such a reservoir and use some kind of stick to turn some grass and mud onto the shore, and you will find it there.
Leeches live in large numbers in streams that flow from dam sluices. You need to look closely; as a rule, at a depth of up to 30 cm, leeches will be clearly visible on stones or aquatic vegetation. There is no need to be afraid of them; feel free to pick them up and collect them in a small container with water. Be sure to close the jar with a lid, otherwise they will spread everywhere.
Now about the gear. It is simple and quick to make. We will need a spinning rod with a small dough from 10 to 50 grams, equipped with an inertia-free reel. The main line is monofilament with a diameter of 0.3 mm. We put a sliding sinker on it, the weight corresponding to the test of our spinning rod, preferably in the shape of a barrel, and make a loop at the end of the fishing line. Just above the loop we clamp a small pellet; it will serve as a stopper for the sinker. We attach a leash at least 20-30 cm long to the loop using a swivel. We make the leash from fishing line with a diameter of 0.25 mm, with a breaking load slightly less than that of the main one. We select the hook according to the bait. That's it, it's time to go fishing.
We carefully inspect the reservoir and find perches by the scattering fry and breakers left by the predator pursuing its victims. We throw out the tackle and look forward to the bite. This is an unforgettable moment for which we all love fishing. Since the perch is very strong, it is impossible not to notice the bite. The tip of the spinning rod jerks and bends sharply, and a hook immediately follows. The perch takes the bait greedily, swallowing it deeply, so it would be a good idea to have with you a device that allows you to remove the hooks from the predator’s mouth. Sometimes the leech catches just beautiful perches weighing up to a kilogram. Pike can also take it; there are frequent cases of pike perch and catfish being caught with this bait.
Just imagine the adrenaline rush that an angler experiences when landing such beauties. Fishing in June is worthy, as they say, if you have the desire and opportunity. Good luck!
The most popular and effective methods of catching perch from ice include:
- jig fishing;
- on the devil;
- to the balancer;
- on a spinner;
- on the bald.
Catching perch from ice with a jig
A jig is a bait in the form of a hook, soldered at a certain angle into a small sinker of a special shape.
Jig weights are made of lead, tungsten or other metals. When presenting bait to a perch, the angler must give it an attractive action. To achieve this, it is necessary to perform rhythmic jerks of a certain amplitude and frequency with the tip of the rod.
To catch perch from the ice, you can use either a baitless jig, or a reelless jig, or a jig with a bloodworm, maggot, fish eye, or other bait attached to the hook. Reelless fishing is the most sporting and interesting, but it requires high skill and refined bait animation techniques.
Video about catching perch with a jig in winter
Perch on the devil
The devil is a large, elongated drop-shaped jig, equipped with a tee.
The technique of fishing with this bait is significantly different from fishing with other jigs, so fishing with the devil can be separated into a separate category. There are various options for playing with a devil - here you can use both standard “jigs” techniques and techniques that resemble the animation technique of a vertical spinner. They can be used to sharply tap the bottom or gently rock it in the water column.
Video about winter fishing for perch with devil
Catching perch in winter using a balance beam
The balancer is a good bait for hunting decent sized perch.
Small balancers with a length of 2 cm can also be used for catching small stripers, especially if the fish is active. But in the dead of winter or on days with “non-biting” weather, you can’t count on good catches of perch on the balancer. They are usually caught with this bait at depth. The main technique for animating a balancer is sharp swings of the rod tip of a certain amplitude and frequency.
Video about catching perch in winter using a balance beam
Catching perch with a spoon
Vertical trolling is another effective way to hunt for “above average” sized stripers.
The powerful play of a bright spoon attracts perch from afar, which allows you to lure a flock of striped predators from a great distance under the hole. Like the balancer, this bait is used more often for fishing at depth. Small, narrow-bodied spoons are usually used for catching perch from ice. There are a lot of options for their animation - these include slow rises with acceleration, and short swings of the fishing rod, as well as swaying it from side to side, “trembling” and other techniques.
Video about catching perch with lures in winter
Winter fishing for perch on Baldu
Balda is an original bait that you can easily make yourself. It consists of a massive sinker, two hooks and several colored beads or pieces of cambric. Balda is very easy to use, and at the same time it brings good catches. The main technique for animating a bully is tapping the bait on the bottom by swinging the tip of the rod.
Gear selection
Perch is an excellent fighter. Fishing even a non-trophy specimen brings a lot of pleasure to the angler. Let's talk about equipping a feeder for catching perch.
Rod
A feeder rod for catching perch should be very sensitive, capable of registering the most delicate bites; have good shock-absorbing properties to minimize fish escapes when fishing with thin leashes, which perch simply adores.
The feeder is chosen based on the fishing conditions, but I prefer to catch perch short with picker tackle. The advantages of such fishing are speed, casting accuracy and maximum sensitivity of the lightest fishing rod.
Despite the fact that perch is a predator, its bites are often so delicate that, having placed a hard tip, you may not notice the bite, while the fish, feeling the tension, recognizes the catch and manages to free itself from the hook.
Installation
The most effective rig for catching perch is the paternoster, as it perfectly registers a bite on the fall and provides an additional opportunity to animate the bait in the current. In addition, it is simple and you can always quickly change something during the fishing process, say the size of the shoulder, for better implementation.
Leash
The perch's mouth is strewn with numerous very small teeth, with which it can damage a thin fishing line, so in order to avoid breaks on the fish, the leash must be changed more often and the supply of ready-made leashes must be sufficient. Using fluorocarbon line extends the life of the leash. But with the same diameter, a fluorocarbon line has a lower breaking load compared to a regular one, which can lead to breaks when fishing for large specimens.
Read! Fishing for perch on the first ice
Hooks
Since the perch's mouth is large and bony, special requirements are placed on the hooks. If I'm going to catch perch, I take a large selection of different hooks. By selecting the type, hook size and leash length, you can achieve ideal bites from capricious perch.
Main line
It would seem that for better sensitivity it would be more correct to use a braided cord, because it is very accurately and on time capable of transmitting a bite. But in practice everything is not so simple. On the one hand, when fishing for a perch on a braided line, even with a very soft rod, slips often occur due to the fact that the hook breaks a large hole in the fish’s lip and falls out of it. On the other hand, when using monofilament as the main line, sensitivity suffers.
You can choose the material for the main line only taking into account the characteristics of a particular fishing location. Obviously, at close (picking) distances up to 20 m, the stretchability of the monofilament line is insignificant and in most cases it will suit us as a base. At distances of 30 m or more, it is preferable to use a cord with or without a shock leader. A shock absorber will help smooth out the jerks of the fish when fishing with a line. It can be made from plug rubber of various thicknesses and hardness or from feedergam.
Catching perch with feeder tackle is very interesting and gives no less, and maybe more, pleasure than catching roach. It has its own nuances, by comprehending which the fisherman approaches the pinnacle of his skill.
What elements does the feeder consist of?
The configuration of such gear is not very different from spinning gear, but there are differences:
- rod;
- fishing line or cord;
- coil;
- equipment: feeder, weight, leashes, hooks, anti-twisters, stoppers;
- a set of interchangeable tips (quivertips);
- bite alarms;
- accessories for feeder fishing.
Feeder rod
When choosing a fishing rod, a beginner should know its characteristics. This is necessary in order to select the right equipment for certain equipment parameters or vice versa. It is necessary to choose tackle taking into account the material from which it is made, test, action, length and quivertypes.
Material
Carbon (carbon fiber), fiberglass or composite materials are used to make blanks for feeder gear.
Fiberglass material is characterized by good flexibility and elasticity. Fiberglass blanks are a budget option and have a low price. The disadvantage is the heavy weight.
Carbon material is lighter in weight, has a high level of strength and flexibility, and can withstand heavy loads when playing fish. The main disadvantages are its high price and the fragility of the material in places exposed to impacts. These blanks can easily withstand the bending load that occurs when the fish jerks. But they can break in the place where there was a previous blow, for example, with a sinker or on a stone. Always install the tackle on a stand. You can damage the form by stepping on it or hitting it against a rock. Try not to hit the form with a sinker or feeder.
A composite rod has some of the characteristics of both fiberglass and carbon. It is less fragile than carbon fiber and lighter than fiberglass. This is a universal and ideal option for a beginner.
Test
The choice of the test depends on the weight of equipment that will be used.
The choice of spinning test depends on the fishing location. In shallow areas or a quiet river, a rod with light to medium light dough will do. At greater depths or currents, it is recommended to use “sticks” with medium or medium-heavy dough.
Rod length
The casting distance and the convenience of landing fish depend on this indicator. Blanks are available in lengths from 1.6 m to 4.5 m. Long bits are good because they are capable of casting over a considerable distance. These are rods with a length of 2.4 m. With such gear it is easy to control the landing of fish, but they are less compact and have significant weight. They can be used in coastal areas where there is no vegetation or objects that interfere with the swing.
For fishing from a shore planted with plants or a boat, the desired gear size is up to 2.1 m.
For beginner fishermen, tackle lengths from 1.8 m to 2.4 m are suitable for training.
Quiver Tips
The replaceable tip of the feeder tackle, which serves as a bite alarm, is called a quivertip. Tips (usually 3–5 pieces) are included in the rod kit. They are characterized by different hardness (test) and are installed on the rod depending on the weight of the equipment filled with bait. The test may be expressed in grams or English ounces (Oz). The ratio of one ounce to grams is 1 to 28.3. The smaller the quivertype test, the more sensitive it is to fish bite. Budget feeder kits only include 1, 2, and 3 ounce extra tips. The more expensive ones also have 4 and 5 ounce tips.
Build
The action of a fishing rod is an indicator of its rigidity and elasticity. The speed of flexion and extension of the bit when casting the equipment depends on elasticity. This affects such characteristics as sensitivity, range, swing size.
The structure is divided into categories:
Very fast and fast action is most popular. The rods have high rigidity, only the tip is bent. To cast you need a small swing. They have high accuracy and sensitivity. The disadvantages include the short casting range.
Slow tuning has the opposite characteristics to fast tuning. It is very soft and when fishing for a large specimen it can bend into a parabola. Such tackle can make long casts, but the sensitivity is weak and accuracy is not guaranteed.
Medium-fast is a combination of fast and slow tunings. Everything here has average indicators: range, sensitivity, accuracy, elasticity, rigidity.
For a novice feeder, it is recommended to start with “sticks” that have a very fast or fast action.
