FIVE WAYS TO WIN
On rivers and canals, a fat old perch is normally the bonus fish that will make a difference on the scales…
Catching big perch
HOOKS
IF YOUR hook is too small, you won’t set it properly in the bony mouths of perch on the strike. Taking into account the size of the lobworm tail bait, hook sizes can be on the large size, with a 14 or 12 being about right. This will leave plenty of hookpoint showing to ensure maximum penetration and hold on the strike. Be sure to pick a pattern that’s strong but relatively light in the wire it’s made out of. This will improve the presentation of the bait no end.
LOBWORM TAILS
PERCH are greedy and will eat most baits we use, but lobworms seem to be particularly loved. You don’t need the whole worm, though. Most anglers swear by fishing only the soft tail section, which is the flattened part at the end of the worm. This bait will be around 2ins long but, being so soft, it will be easy for a big perch to get hold of and take confidently.
FLAT FLOAT
IT’S possible to catch perch by running the bait along with the current of the river, but these fish much prefer a worm or maggot that’s completely still on the bottom. Normal pole floats may lack the bulk to present the bait naturally, and that’s where a flat float comes in. These lollipop-shaped floats look odd, but they will hold still in the strongest of flows and also allow you to present the bait slightly overdepth.
BAIT DROPPER
FEEDING chopped worm and caster via a pole cup is haphazard, especially in flowing water, as it’s hard to concentrate the feed and the fish in one place. Using a bait dropper instead will solve the problem because you can lower a consignment of bait into a specific spot and know that it’s resting in a pile exactly where you want it. This is where you will then place your rig.
FINELY CHOP YOUR WORMS
YOU can’t fish for perch without having chopped worms as bait, but there is a question to be answered – how finely to chop them. Mincing the worms into a fine soup can be good in very cold water, but on a normal winter river and with big fish in mind, cutting each worm into four or five pieces will result in lots of chunks that give the fish a really substantial meal. Feeding in this way doesn’t seem to attract the vast numbers of small perch that more finely chopped worms can.