Winter Fishing - Where And How To Catch Perch

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Fishing Academy

The middle of winter is perhaps the wildest time for anglers. Many species of fish settle for winter quarters, and therefore feed poorly or do not feed at all. One of the rare exceptions from this fishless time is the striped robber of the underwater world - the perch.

The handsome humpback is fattening (and therefore biting!) At any time of the year and in any weather. Therefore, in winter, perch is probably the main catch of fishermen. The greed and promiscuity of this fish for food is striking. To confirm this idea, I will give only two examples from my own practice …

Pulling out a rather weighty perch darting about on a hook, I inadvertently touched the line with the sharp edge of the hole, and it broke off. However, as soon as I adjusted the tackle and lowered it into the hole, the same perch was caught again. Another time, a half-kilogram striped predator swallowed its smaller brother, who was on the hook.

However, these circumstances do not mean at all that perches can be caught without any problems, anywhere, with anything and with anything. For successful fishing, first of all, it is desirable to know a specific reservoir, or rather, the bottom relief. Many fish prefer to stand and feed in areas with uneven bottoms, where there is shelter - driftwood, rocks or underwater vegetation. In the same places, fry are often kept - the favorite food of perches.

Perch is often found in "windows" among vegetation at a shallow depth under frosted ice or under ice covered with snow. You can look for striped brethren on the underwater hillocks, the edges of the drop-offs and the tops of the slopes. Quite often it happens like this: a flock of perches can be seen in a hole at a shallow depth, but they do not bite. Every now and then they revolve around the jig (spinners) and even touch it, but no more. Or suddenly they are slowly leaving. Usually the angler immediately starts changing the jig, hoping to pick up, in his opinion, the most fortunate (that is, catchy). This sometimes works well. But, alas, not always.

In such situations, a set of measures helps, namely: changing not only the jig, but also the nozzle, a new game of bait attractive for fish. If these measures do not give the desired result, then, unfortunately, it is better to move to another place. It is quite possible that luck will smile at you there. Of course, a burning question for every angler is: how many perches are in this particular hole? The concentration of fish in the holes defies any logic. Contrary to all the meaning, on a completely even, seemingly identical day, there are holes where fish, figuratively speaking, teeming with, and in others only single specimens are found. If you are lucky and you have caught a large humpback, immediately drill a few more holes nearby. It is possible that you stumbled upon a perch camp (always remember that perch is a schooling fish). Here you can't hesitate and,as the saying goes: "Strike while the iron is hot."

In search of "fish" places, it would be nice to use a proven jig and drive it at an accelerated pace with a high vibration frequency, consistently fishing all layers of water, right down to the lower edge of the ice.

If there is a perch, it will at least touch the bait. And if you are lucky, and there are many fish in this place, and it is also hungry, it will literally rush to the bait, often not allowing it to even fall to the bottom. The same thing happens with the spoon. The perch in this hole will always make itself felt at least with a slight tap on the spoon. The more holes are checked with a jig and a spoon, the more chances you will find a flock of striped brethren.

Having found a suitable place, you need to drill 4-5 holes: starting from shallow water (from about 0.5 meters) and in depth (over 2.5-3 meters), at a distance of 4-5 meters from each other. Fishing should start from deep-water holes. If, after several attempts, you manage to catch a decent trophy, then you can throw some groundbait into this hole (a pinch of a small bloodworm is enough).

Sometimes the perch comes up immediately, and sometimes only after ten minutes. Some anglers explain this delay by the fact that the striped predator is afraid of noise. However, many years of experience convinces me of the opposite: the perch, on the contrary, hurries to the source of the noise, hoping to profit from it. And I also noticed a curious pattern: in the morning and in the evening, perch is better caught in shallow places, while in the afternoon it is necessary to go to the depth. How to explain this behavior of fish, I do not know …

Having caught a perch, without hesitation, lower the bait to the depth where the bite occurred, or slightly lower. This is due to the fact that a flock of perches in the hole, every time they play, accompanies their fellow caught on the hook. Following him, the flock rises slightly, but only up to a certain level, then descends again. Therefore, in such a hole, you have to change the depth of the descent several times.

Sometimes it is very useful to try fishing where there are many old holes, not especially covered with snow. In this case, we can assume that quite recently there was a good bite here. Otherwise, who would have drilled so many holes in vain? But at the same time, be sure to make your holes next to the old ones. Practice shows that biting is usually always better in a new hole.

But even if you return home from fishing, without bending under the weight of the catch, then, having been in the fresh air, you will have a good rest and get a boost of vivacity that is so necessary in the bustle of our daily life.