Perch on the method feeder?!

[Zerkalo]

I'm fishing a venue tomorrow that holds quite a few big Perch alongside the other usual species like Carp, F1s, Bream, Roach, Ide, Chub, Barbel etc. When I have fished there the previous two winters I can usually expect at least one Perch pushing 2lb. I used to fish it with an open end feeder and almost 2' hooklength, putting maggots between the groundbait and using maggots on the hook. These fish always made my day and added a lot of variety. Tomorrow I'm going to fish a hybrid feeder, still with maggots on the hook, but only micro pellets on the feeder.

What are my chances of hooking one of the big Perch? Very slim I'd say. Though at least there is a chance of big Bream or Roach.

Has anyone caught a Perch on the method feeder?

 

[Silverfisher]

I wouldn’t imagine it would be great for perch as they are known for rejecting baits when they feel resistance. I’d be much more inclined to target them with a running maggot feeder or a waggler if conditions allow.

 

[rudd]

Yes - maggots on hook can catch anything in venue regardless of feeder type.

 

[rudd]

Fish your session as planned with method.
Half an hour to an hour before end of session fish a maggot feeder.
I have found big Perch are attracted by silvers feeding but will just sit away from feed area watching.
Occasionally they may charge in and take a silver if hungry.
For some reason if not hungry they (much like chub) cannot resist a massive mouthfull of maggots and by repeat regularly casting of a maggot feeder can be forced to feed.

 

[Zerkalo]

Tomorrow is just a practise session to see how the hybrid feeders works and I only have 1/2 pint of maggots for the hook, but I'll definitely bear in mind fishing a maggot feeder there over winter. I reckon it was the maggots in my cage feeder that used to attract them.

 

[Silverfisher]

I think it’s generally a mix of the maggots and the silvers that attract them. Seems to vary though as I’ve caught big perch on the feeder when feeding very few maggots which implies that it’s the silvers attracting them but then if I feed very little maggot on the float I don’t tend to catch many perch full stop which implies it’s more maggots attracting them (when you do feed them obviously) as clearly there’s still lots of silvers about whatever you feed

 

[Zerkalo]

There is one pool there, that if I end up on that if there's matches on, is chock full of the tiniest of Roach, means I will be fishing Corn on the hook which will completely eliminate my chance of a Perch, but you can't fish maggot on that pool because of them. Still holds a lot of 5lb+ Bream.

 

[squimp]

When I fish my standard short hooklink maggot feeder rig it seems to catch bream, roach, tench and carp really effectively.

The one species that it doesn’t seem to catch is perch - As silverfisher has suggested the very short hooklink doesn’t seem to suit the way perch actually feed.

 

[Zerkalo]

I was a bit surprised to catch a Chub first time I fished the hybrid feeder on a different venue.

 

[Zerkalo]

Here a couple of the Perch I caught there in one session last year, I would post the 10 or so other pics of them I caught there but it was before I learned to hold fish properly for photographs. The above confirms I'm not likely to get one tomorrow though. They go up to 4lb in there.

 

[Silverfisher]

The one species that it doesn’t seem to catch is perch - As silverfisher has suggested the very short hooklink doesn’t seem to suit the way perch actually feed.

I find about 9-10 inches is about as short as you can go with perch

 

[Total]

Tomorrow is just a practise session to see how the hybrid feeders works and I only have 1/2 pint of maggots for the hook, but I'll definitely bear in mind fishing a maggot feeder there over winter. I reckon it was the maggots in my cage feeder that used to attract them.

Just to add to your confusion!..........My two biggest perch have been caught on method and corn....3-14-0 and one on hybrid and corn 3-12-0 both in a match on separate occasions and weighed and authenticated....Work that one out!

 

[Zerkalo]

Wow. Biggest Perch I've seen in the flesh was 3lb 11oz caught in Junior Match on the Severn out of the silly little basin at Stourport. It was full of minnows so I don't know why we used to fish there but we did. I tried lobworm the next time we fished it but still got hammered by minnows. I've only ever caught the occasional small fluked Perch on Corn.

https://www.maggotdrowning.com/forums/threads/a-perch-observation.235572/

 

[rudd]

Just to add to your confusion!..........My two biggest perch have been caught on method and corn....3-14-0 and one on hybrid and corn 3-12-0 both in a match on separate occasions and weighed and authenticated....Work that one out!

Its most likely a case of Perch attacking a silver fish and hooking its self but this year I have seen others hook Perch on corn and yellow bolies. So I tried yellow lures as thought there was something in the yellow - and blanked

 

[Zerkalo]

Perch will take corn and then decide they don't like it, I doubt they ever digest it.

 

[Total]

Its most likely a case of Perch attacking a silver fish and hooking its self but this year I have seen others hook Perch on corn and yellow bolies. So I tried yellow lures as thought there was something in the yellow - and blanked

Yep, your probably right, loads of theories but happened on sooooo many times on many different venues on commies, ressies, natural venues, etc etc...

 

[Total]

Perch will take corn and then decide they don't like it, I doubt they ever digest it.

And a perch actually told you this Dr (Dolittle) Zerkalo?

 

[Zerkalo]

And a perch actually told you this Dr (Dolittle) Zerkalo?

https://www.maggotdrowning.com/forums/threads/a-perch-observation.235572/

Seen them do it.

 

[Total]

https://www.maggotdrowning.com/forums/threads/a-perch-observation.235572/

Seen them do it.

All fish do it/that to a degree Steve.....But saying that, I've observed perch sometimes with corn towards the back of their mouths when unhooking them........No rules in nature mate....

 

[Zerkalo]

I caught one! But then again, I am the INCREDIBLE HULK...