Aknib
Well-known member
Hey up Gaz…
As promised mate, my thoughts on your questions though I’m far from what I would consider as an expert.
First thing’s first and I generally group my Perch into two categories, those which live in known lairs such as some of the deep, snaggy, feature holding river swims I frequent and those who constantly roam around large, seemingly barren waters and which take in their food ‘on the wing’ so to speak.
These ‘seemingly barren’ waters are often far from it of course once you get below the surface but I’ll come to that later.
I will say I reckon you’re up against it on such a large water but that should by no means put you off, get it right and it could well blow your socks off.
If stocks of other species are low due to the lack of them then I reckon you’re Talkin Tarn fish will be nomadic feeders not just because of the category I put them in but also for the fact that there may not be a large population of fry and bait fish to influence their feeding habits.
I’ve found that the large gravel pit Perch (20-30 acres) that I often target are roamers and shoal fish, get one and you’ll often get a net full and this presents problems and advantages in that it can often be a waiting game but get enough snap out there ready for when they hit that particular spot and it can be a red letter day, on your water I reckon you’re playing to a strength in that respect and that you won’t have a multitude of unintended species trying to get in on the act or hoovering up your feed before your intendeds arrive.
But where do you put your feed?
You need to identify a likely patrol route, either with a marker float or counting a lead down to where there’s a significant drop off. You will find Perch almost anywhere but this is the most consistent approach that I’ve found and these methods will suffice for both the float and at longer ranges for a lead or feeder.
If you can find deep water very close in to the bank then it’s a favourite for me, even if it’s right under the rod tip. I’m sure I’ve said it before either in a Perch or a Pike thread but wherever that occurs it effectively reduces a prey fish’s escape route by a significant factor when you consider it blocks off a whole direction and with the added safety of deep water for the predator it’s ideal hunting ground.
If I’m fishing close in and I haven’t been too lazy in my prep then chopped worm, mixed with the soil they came in or riddled seed compost, via a bait dropper is my go to. The soil soaks up a lot of the attractant which would otherwise be lost and drift away in the water column as the worm pieces sink to the bottom when fed by hand and the bait dropper has the same effect of getting it down quick before the main draw of the feed has seeped out and drifted elsewhere.
The end result is a bit like trying to hunt down a freshly baked Cornish pastie shop without the waft of the goodies to direct you and draw you closer.
A heavy mix balled in will pretty much do the same job if you’re fishing beyond comfortable bait dropper range.
If I’m going for it and want to hold what I think will be a large number of fish then I add maggots, dead or alive and occasionally chopped prawn but I reckon almost anything will do provided that there’s enough of it to hold up a roaming shoal for long enough to snipe a few off before they move on and they will move on very quickly if there’s nothing to keep them there.
Pike can be a nuisance, I’m convinced that chopped worm draws them in but on the flip side Perch will often be found close by. Fishing a bait up in the water seems to help the Pike, probably because they’re not that well designed for scooping small baits up off the bottom so fishing on the deck will help to avoid them and put your bait where your feed is, if you’re still getting interest from them try changing from whole worm hookbaits to small sections of worm on a medium sized hair rigged maggot clip and you’ll be amazed at how much it takes to fill, two or three good sized worms usually.
I’ve never been a fan of deadbaits for Perch although I’m sure they’ll work, even more so if worked rather than static and similarly with spinning, that’s probably the most effective way of locating fish on such a large water when combined with a mobile approach but it’s just not for me so I tend to go with what I’m happy with.
Large waters like yours tend to require patience in my experience so don’t be put off if you’re three or four hours into a session without a sniff as that can just be the characteristics of the fish movement, they can and often do turn up the goods.
So, in conclusion…
I do think it’s worth groundbaiting for Perch but, like much fishing, you have to think about how, what, where etc. and the overall question is why? If you can come up with the reasoning then give it a go.
And two words when it comes to expensive bait additives and one thing they all have in spicy common denominators…
Garam Masala!
My still early exploits with the stuff have been very positive, I’ve just not had the chance to significantly prove anything (as far as you can with these sorts of things) but it’s certainly done me no harm to say the least.
As promised mate, my thoughts on your questions though I’m far from what I would consider as an expert.
First thing’s first and I generally group my Perch into two categories, those which live in known lairs such as some of the deep, snaggy, feature holding river swims I frequent and those who constantly roam around large, seemingly barren waters and which take in their food ‘on the wing’ so to speak.
These ‘seemingly barren’ waters are often far from it of course once you get below the surface but I’ll come to that later.
I will say I reckon you’re up against it on such a large water but that should by no means put you off, get it right and it could well blow your socks off.
If stocks of other species are low due to the lack of them then I reckon you’re Talkin Tarn fish will be nomadic feeders not just because of the category I put them in but also for the fact that there may not be a large population of fry and bait fish to influence their feeding habits.
I’ve found that the large gravel pit Perch (20-30 acres) that I often target are roamers and shoal fish, get one and you’ll often get a net full and this presents problems and advantages in that it can often be a waiting game but get enough snap out there ready for when they hit that particular spot and it can be a red letter day, on your water I reckon you’re playing to a strength in that respect and that you won’t have a multitude of unintended species trying to get in on the act or hoovering up your feed before your intendeds arrive.
But where do you put your feed?
You need to identify a likely patrol route, either with a marker float or counting a lead down to where there’s a significant drop off. You will find Perch almost anywhere but this is the most consistent approach that I’ve found and these methods will suffice for both the float and at longer ranges for a lead or feeder.
If you can find deep water very close in to the bank then it’s a favourite for me, even if it’s right under the rod tip. I’m sure I’ve said it before either in a Perch or a Pike thread but wherever that occurs it effectively reduces a prey fish’s escape route by a significant factor when you consider it blocks off a whole direction and with the added safety of deep water for the predator it’s ideal hunting ground.
If I’m fishing close in and I haven’t been too lazy in my prep then chopped worm, mixed with the soil they came in or riddled seed compost, via a bait dropper is my go to. The soil soaks up a lot of the attractant which would otherwise be lost and drift away in the water column as the worm pieces sink to the bottom when fed by hand and the bait dropper has the same effect of getting it down quick before the main draw of the feed has seeped out and drifted elsewhere.
The end result is a bit like trying to hunt down a freshly baked Cornish pastie shop without the waft of the goodies to direct you and draw you closer.
A heavy mix balled in will pretty much do the same job if you’re fishing beyond comfortable bait dropper range.
If I’m going for it and want to hold what I think will be a large number of fish then I add maggots, dead or alive and occasionally chopped prawn but I reckon almost anything will do provided that there’s enough of it to hold up a roaming shoal for long enough to snipe a few off before they move on and they will move on very quickly if there’s nothing to keep them there.
Pike can be a nuisance, I’m convinced that chopped worm draws them in but on the flip side Perch will often be found close by. Fishing a bait up in the water seems to help the Pike, probably because they’re not that well designed for scooping small baits up off the bottom so fishing on the deck will help to avoid them and put your bait where your feed is, if you’re still getting interest from them try changing from whole worm hookbaits to small sections of worm on a medium sized hair rigged maggot clip and you’ll be amazed at how much it takes to fill, two or three good sized worms usually.
I’ve never been a fan of deadbaits for Perch although I’m sure they’ll work, even more so if worked rather than static and similarly with spinning, that’s probably the most effective way of locating fish on such a large water when combined with a mobile approach but it’s just not for me so I tend to go with what I’m happy with.
Large waters like yours tend to require patience in my experience so don’t be put off if you’re three or four hours into a session without a sniff as that can just be the characteristics of the fish movement, they can and often do turn up the goods.
So, in conclusion…
I do think it’s worth groundbaiting for Perch but, like much fishing, you have to think about how, what, where etc. and the overall question is why? If you can come up with the reasoning then give it a go.
And two words when it comes to expensive bait additives and one thing they all have in spicy common denominators…
Garam Masala!
My still early exploits with the stuff have been very positive, I’ve just not had the chance to significantly prove anything (as far as you can with these sorts of things) but it’s certainly done me no harm to say the least.
