Perch - Perca fluviatilis

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Dave O Donovan
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Perch - Perca fluviatilis

Post by Dave O Donovan »

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If you have ever fished in freshwater in Ireland, there's a pretty decent chance that you started your trade fishing for these striking freshwater predators! Yes, they are predators!

Perch (Perca fluviatilis)

Irish Record 5lb 8oz taken in 1946 by S.Drum, at Lough Erne.

Specimen 2.646lbs or 1.2 kilo

Identification

A well-known Irish fresh water species, and quite easily identified. The obvious features are the stunning colour variations, with a cream belly leading on to bronze-green flanks and a dark green back. Vivid black stripes run vertically along the body with orange pelvic, anal and tail fins, in various hues and that iconic front dorsal fin. The spines are sharp on the front dorsal, the second dorsal is softer. The body scales are tough and the Perch has excellent eyesight and a cavernous mouth.


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Where to catch

Perch can be found in almost every drop of fresh water in Ireland! They are extremely obliging, and more often than not, are the young angler’s first coarse fish encounter. During the late eighties, a Perch disease introduced through infected keep-nets, along with commercial netting drastically reduced our stocks on the Erne and the Lough Neagh system, but slowly and surely, they seem to be making a healthy return.

The River Barrow still produces the occasional good fish, but the Erne, Lough Mask and Lough Corrib are beginning to feature now with larger specimens showing. The River Quoile in Downpatrick has a great head of Perch, with some fine fish among them. Really, it is a case of getting out there and trying the secluded waters and river stretches, there is a “lunker” hiding in most of them.

When to catch

Perch are taken all year through, but larger specimens tend to show early in the season and again towards the tail end of the season. This is due to anglers being able to locate mature female fish prior to spawning before March-April, and again, larger adult fish on the feed coming up to the barren winter months.

Bait

With increased popularity in “drop-shotting” and “vertical jigging”, a method of jigging small latex lures simulating wounded fish, greater numbers of Perch captures are being reported. This is a fabulous way of targeting the larger predators.

Failing that, traditional use of float fished or ledgered lobworms, maggots, spinning with lures and plugs or small Rudd or Gudgeon dead-baits are all equally devastating.


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Methods
Fishing from a kayak requires the reduction of length of rods in most cases due to the "geography" of the kayak itself. Longer in this case, is not better. Remember, you are not bank fishing and dont need to cast that far.

As previously mentioned, “drop-shotting” is amazingly effective, and extremely enjoyable. There are a multitude of lures and tackle available and comes well recommended. Float fishing will pick up large numbers of Perch on the right venues, but it tends to be a numbers game if you are looking for a specimen fish. It is better to move away from the large Perch shoals containing 4-8 ounce fish and look for the smaller packs of mature adults. These are more likely to be picked up through drop-shotting constantly on the move, dead-baiting or fishing a large lobworm over a pre-baited area. Pre-baiting will certainly benefit the cause, especially with a large amount of chopped worm and caster in the feed. If you are gonna prebait, then you will need to anchor and be VERY PATIENT & VERY STILL!

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More information on the status, distribution, rigs and techniques:
http://www.fishinginireland.info/coarse/perch.htm
http://www.fisheriesireland.ie/fish-species/perch.html
The science bit..... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_perch
The Pike Whisperer, in fact I whisper so quietly, they can't hear me! :lol:
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Dave O Donovan
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Re: Perch - Perca fluviatilis

Post by Dave O Donovan »



Handy video here
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Kevin Murphy
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Re: Perch - Perca fluviatilis

Post by Kevin Murphy »

A wealth of information there Dave👍
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Re: Perch - Perca fluviatilis

Post by Popsy08 »

Thanks Dave will definitely be giving them a go , I tried dropshot on the Shannon this year great crack but I couldn't get one 🤣a certain man next to me was getting them every cast but it was all luck 🤣🤣

I had one years ago on caragh lake in Kerry it was 4lb while trout fishing
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Re: Perch - Perca fluviatilis

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picked up a lot of info there dave , watch this space
SAFETY ITEMS ; P F D , TYPHOON DRYSUIT , PALM BOOTIES, SEALSKIN SOCKS AND GLOVES, THREE LAYERS THERMALS, HAT AND BUFF.
V H F FLOATING RADIO , WATERPROOF PHONE, WHISTLE , FLARES , STROBE LIGHT , SAFETY KNIFE,
PADDLE LEASH, PLB, CHECK TIDES AND WEATHER
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TimOH
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Re: Perch - Perca fluviatilis

Post by TimOH »

pat gill wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 4:59 pm picked up a lot of info there dave , watch this space
Only took you 1254 days to respond to the original post.
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Andrew McGarvey
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Re: Perch - Perca fluviatilis

Post by Andrew McGarvey »

There used to be a good head of perch in the quoile river lol, not so great now
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Re: Perch - Perca fluviatilis

Post by Neptune »

pat gill wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 4:59 pm picked up a lot of info there dave , watch this space
Do you remember bending my ear about being the greatest Perch angler in Ireland/the world. Caught above Victoria lock and released below the lock separating him from his entire family. Answers to the name Nemo.

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Safety Gear: SPF 30 :oops:
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Dave O Donovan
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Re: Perch - Perca fluviatilis

Post by Dave O Donovan »

Neptune wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:03 pm
pat gill wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 4:59 pm picked up a lot of info there dave , watch this space
Do you remember bending my ear about being the greatest Perch angler in Ireland/the world. Caught above Victoria lock and released below the lock separating him from his entire family. Answers to the name Nemo.


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Nially, we shall park SPF-GATE and I tip my hat sagely for the above performance!!

Bravo sir, bravo.
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Re: Perch - Perca fluviatilis

Post by ANTHONY BYRNE »

Nice reading Dave, thank you
2011 - 6 species 2012 - 14 species
2013 - 15 species 2014 - 23 species
2015 - 24 species 2016 - 2019 MIA :oops:
2020 - 2 :?
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Re: Perch - Perca fluviatilis

Post by pat gill »

Neptune wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:03 pm
pat gill wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 4:59 pm picked up a lot of info there dave , watch this space
Do you remember bending my ear about being the greatest Perch angler in Ireland/the world. Caught above Victoria lock and released below the lock separating him from his entire family. Answers to the name Nemo.


SAM_2207.JPG
Surely not Niall, certainly remember the epic battle
With the perch !
I’d say I only mentioned it in passing :? :?
SAFETY ITEMS ; P F D , TYPHOON DRYSUIT , PALM BOOTIES, SEALSKIN SOCKS AND GLOVES, THREE LAYERS THERMALS, HAT AND BUFF.
V H F FLOATING RADIO , WATERPROOF PHONE, WHISTLE , FLARES , STROBE LIGHT , SAFETY KNIFE,
PADDLE LEASH, PLB, CHECK TIDES AND WEATHER
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pat gill
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Re: Perch - Perca fluviatilis

Post by pat gill »

TimOH wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 5:46 pm
pat gill wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 4:59 pm picked up a lot of info there dave , watch this space
Only took you 1254 days to respond to the original post.
you obviously never heard the story about the young bull and the old bull on the hill
watching a herd of cows ????
SAFETY ITEMS ; P F D , TYPHOON DRYSUIT , PALM BOOTIES, SEALSKIN SOCKS AND GLOVES, THREE LAYERS THERMALS, HAT AND BUFF.
V H F FLOATING RADIO , WATERPROOF PHONE, WHISTLE , FLARES , STROBE LIGHT , SAFETY KNIFE,
PADDLE LEASH, PLB, CHECK TIDES AND WEATHER
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