prawns

This is the place to discuss the fishing baits.
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Santiago
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Re: prawns

Post by Santiago »

A few years back I did lots of evening time lure fishing for perch and caught hundreds, often dozens over a pound in one session. Anyways, I quickly found that as evening progressed the less I caught and as it became a little darker I caught nothing. By a quirk of nature, I found the cut off point between catching and not catching was the exact time a murder of crows flew overhead to their roosts in a nearby wood. I never caught after seeing the crows, no matter how the fishing was before sighting them. So reliable were the crows for signalling the end of catching that when fishing alone that nowadays I always pack up if lure fishing for perch. My son thinks that I just imagined the link, but I tell you, it was quite tedious lure fishing with him into darkness knowing that neither of us were going to catch because the crows had roosted down for the night.
"....he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy"

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Stuart Whiting

Re: prawns

Post by Stuart Whiting »

Santiago wrote:A few years back I did lots of evening time lure fishing for perch and caught hundreds, often dozens over a pound in one session. Anyways, I quickly found that as evening progressed the less I caught and as it became a little darker I caught nothing. By a quirk of nature, I found the cut off point between catching and not catching was the exact time a murder of crows flew overhead to their roosts in a nearby wood. I never caught after seeing the crows, no matter how the fishing was before sighting them. So reliable were the crows for signalling the end of catching that when fishing alone that nowadays I always pack up if lure fishing for perch. My son thinks that I just imagined the link, but I tell you, it was quite tedious lure fishing with him into darkness knowing that neither of us were going to catch because the crows had roosted down for the night.
I very much agree with you Trevor, it's what I call the witching hour although it's more like about a 1/2 hr spell,

I've often found that this twilight time is so critical as regards to perch feeding times, perch are probably one of the best if not the best coarse fish for eyesight in very low light levels,

Perch have a chemical in their eyes known as poppiropsin, it basically enhances their eyesight tenfold and when small prey start to feed at dusk their eyesight is nowhere near as accute to the perch as its getting darker light levels and the perch being able to still see perfectly well take advantage of this and ambush their prey :Hat:

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Ian
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Re: prawns

Post by Ian »

Olly wrote:I have found a big difference between running water and stillwater in the baits for perch - add the water colour to that as well!

Where perch hunt by sight mostly in clear water either rivers or stillwaters, live baits and worms plus spinners/jigs/flies have all worked well. But not prawns.

In waters that are cloudy or have become cloudy through rain both rivers canals and stillwaters perch hunt by smell. I have caught perch in those conditions on worms, prawns and deadbaits. Even red maggots!

Not talking about small perch, which are a good big perch bait, but fish of 1.5lb plus. Had 3s on jigs, worms, lives and prawns.
Good point,they probably work on comercials because the carp tend to cloud the water.i have tried them on the water i was planning to fish today and never got a bite,thats what got me thinking.dont get me wrong if they work in rivers then there cant be anywhere more natural than that.
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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Ian
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Re: prawns

Post by Ian »

Wallys-Cast wrote:Ian, the time of day has always been a factor with me, unless the water is really deep of course but my biggest perch have always been caught on smelly baits just before the sun goes down.
On an old quarry water I used to fish which held some really big Perch, a ripe old bait fish left in the sun for a few hours usually got a quick response so I am wondering if a small dead Roach may be your ideal bait.

Wal.
Sounds like you have fished the same sort of water wal.i would have never thought of that as im always reading that a perch likes a really fresh bait but i reckon because of the sheer volume of water in this place that you may have a good pointcheers wallys cast.
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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Ian
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Re: prawns

Post by Ian »

Santiago wrote:A few years back I did lots of evening time lure fishing for perch and caught hundreds, often dozens over a pound in one session. Anyways, I quickly found that as evening progressed the less I caught and as it became a little darker I caught nothing. By a quirk of nature, I found the cut off point between catching and not catching was the exact time a murder of crows flew overhead to their roosts in a nearby wood. I never caught after seeing the crows, no matter how the fishing was before sighting them. So reliable were the crows for signalling the end of catching that when fishing alone that nowadays I always pack up if lure fishing for perch. My son thinks that I just imagined the link, but I tell you, it was quite tedious lure fishing with him into darkness knowing that neither of us were going to catch because the crows had roosted down for the night.
Funny you should mention this santiago.i have found that the perch go nuts for about 20mins,today it was half past 3 and it happened last week too only it was a bit later,about 5 oclock.after this spurt of activity they stopped instantly and that was it.
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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Olly
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Re: prawns

Post by Olly »

This happens with lots of different fish, the "witching hour" as I call it! Pike feeding after a short morning spell - sorry! - and again a 1 for hour before dark until 1/2 hour afterwards, that has given me at least 20 x 20lbers. For Roach - get a light meter! Perch the same - but remember water clarity as well in the equation!

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Santiago
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Re: prawns

Post by Santiago »

Same with bream on the Thames, but it's an hour after dark before they start to feed. In the summertime one can even set one's watch by their feeding time once their pattern is determined.
"....he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy"

Hemingway

Stuart Whiting

Re: prawns

Post by Stuart Whiting »

Olly wrote:This happens with lots of different fish, the "witching hour" as I call it! Pike feeding after a short morning spell - sorry! - and again a 1 for hour before dark until 1/2 hour afterwards, that has given me at least 20 x 20lbers. For Roach - get a light meter! Perch the same - but remember water clarity as well in the equation!
Light meter for roach yep I very much agree Olly .......I take it you've read Dick walkers roach fishing then :Chuckle:

There's times when you can almost set yer watch when those roach start to dimple on the surface :Wink:

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Olly
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Re: prawns

Post by Olly »

Nope! I haven't actually but remember Bill won the Roach Fisherman of England competition. Due to the very old camera I had at the time - a Zeiss Ikonta - my brain was the lightmeter!

Stuart Whiting

Re: prawns

Post by Stuart Whiting »

Olly wrote:Nope! I haven't actually but remember Bill won the Roach Fisherman of England competition. Due to the very old camera I had at the time - a Zeiss Ikonta - my brain was the lightmeter!
Arh yes of course, well that's one way of using a light meter :Hat:

I think I can vaigly remember bill winning that,

I'm now wandering where one can purchase such a meter, got me thinking now :Thumb:

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