Perch Fishing -
Pure Pleasure or Major Nuisance?
Perch fishing can be either an
activity an angler pursues on purpose, or one he ends up dealing with
as an unintended consequence. Perch are a lot of fun to catch on a
lazy afternoon when you just don’t feel like trying all that hard
while fishing. On the other hand, most avid anglers can regale you
with stories of those pesky perch that just would not stop taking
their bait, no matter where they moved on the lake.
Every little kid with a cane pole
and a local pond or small lake knows the fun of catching a stringer
full of perch. Without a doubt, fishing for perch requires the least
strategy or experience. A can of worms, a simple rod, hook, and maybe
a bobber and you’re all set!
Perch will eat just about any bait
you can imagine. If you’re one of those fishermen who gets bored fast
from a lack of strikes, perch are probably among your favorite fish to
pursue. However, if you’re fishing for something else, like crappie
or smallmouth bass, perch are downright annoying.
The perch problem is especially
frustrating if you frequent lakes or rivers without a lot of predator
fish. This usually leads to an abundance of perch, and that tends to
stunt them. They’re small fish to begin with, but sheer numbers make
them even tinier. You end up losing lots of fishing bait and throwing
back a lot of what look like slightly overgrown goldfish.
Solutions to the Perch Problem
One solution is pretty simple: use
bigger hooks. Small perch are relentless, and if you don’t find a
physical way to put them off your bait, it’ll be a long day of
fishing. Another option is to switch to artificial fishing lures for
a while, even if it means greatly reducing your chances for catching
the fish you’re actually after (crappie, for example).
Another way to avoid a ‘perch feeding frenzy’ is by
fishing at night. While they are voracious eaters during the day,
most perch simply will not strike at night. No one’s really sure why,
but hey, use this fact to your advantage by fishing when the sun goes
down!
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Fishing Lures |
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