Where are all the big Perch?

[Aknib]

Approaching mid-October and not one entry in the Big Perch Challenge XI!

I'm having a go later this week but mind you, having been out only three times all year, I'm sceptical about my chances but scepticism and optimism are three different things

Surely someone's gotta have caught a swinger to kick things off?

Some previous conquests, c'mon guys don't let me have to live on memories...

 

[ian g]

2.6 on a lure is my best so far , the Severn had been low and full of weed until the last week of so .

 

[Aknib]

Get it in the thread man, a wonderful fish by any account!

 

[Philip]

Alot of contenders but if i had to bet my money is on Grayson this year...his run of fish last year was amazing

 

[John Aston]

Hmm - well it'd be nice to think so but my plans depend on the perch being in the same postcodes as last year . And , if there is one thing I have learned about big perch , in fact perch of all sizes , it is that they can turn up anywhere , but if they were here last week, or even yesterday, they will now almost certainly be somewhere else .

I've had some perch sessions already , with lure and bait but apart from a couple of 1-8ish I've been bothered by nuisance fish like the 13 lb 1 oz barbel and the 5-13 chub . Not too distraught about that .

As far as 'big' is concerned , where I live a nice perch is a pound plus , a good perch 1-8 , a big perch 2lb a very big perch 3lb and a monster is 4lb. A false impression is given on the quality of perch based on reports from name perch waters , primarily in the south , including reservoirs like Grafham . It is a very different picture fishing spate rivers and I treat every perch on lure especially as a minor triumph .

 

[john step]

I usually have a perch bash this time of year but I am grounded from any fishing having had a hernia op yesterday. I know of one spot where I saw some decent perch chasing fry. I wonder if they will be there in a few weeks. I bet not.

 

[mikench]

I wish you a full and speedy recovery Pete.

 

[rayner]

Soon be back to normal on the Fos. How long to recover?

 

[rob48]

If they're in the Upper Trent my guess is the big pike have been trying to eat them.

 

[Philip]

I am grounded from any fishing having had a hernia op yesterday.

Bummer...back to on the mat capture shots for a while then !

..wish you a speedy recovery.

 

[ian g]

I usually have a perch bash this time of year but I am grounded from any fishing having had a hernia op yesterday. I know of one spot where I saw some decent perch chasing fry. I wonder if they will be there in a few weeks. I bet not.

Get well soon

 

[Aknib]

Speedy recovery Pete, I can sympathise having had mine at the end of November last year. I was back out running and training to 80% of my usual levels within three weeks so don't feel that fishing will necessarily be too far away but be cautious just in case.

 

[naxian62]

Actually had a 2:10, sometime around mid-September from a local carp puddle, on double caster. Very surprised,
Sorry no photo.

 

[Neil Maidment]

I rarely catch big perch but I did yesterday. Just added to the Big Perch Challenge XI thread!

 

[sam vimes]

The venues I have access to, that have produced big perch for me in the past, are both firmly into the bottom of their perch cycles. Whilst it's not a species I generally target, if somewhere I fish throws up big ones, I'll deliberately chase them. There's not been enough incidental catches of decent fish, nor reports of decent fish, for me to bother chasing them. It's been about seven years since I had a 2lb+ perch.