The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Personally if I was to fish deadbait on a sliding ledger for perch I would tail hook it and use a 30lb wire trace as I do for eels as the risk of a Pike enjoying such an 'after dinner mint' is always higher with deadbaits. For bite indication I would use a small pike pencil float and wind it down as it will instantly rise and lay flat if that bait is touched or it will pull away of course. This should avoid deep hooking although with Perch they tend to mess about with bait before swallowing it so you may get quite a few missed runs though better those than a lost fish. A long shanked hook like a dab hook will reduce the risk as well as it will turn quicker and lip hook. I use them for eels all the time for the same reason.
My preferred method is to use a small pike bung or a bobber sufficient to support the bait, an up trace of heavy fluoro from the hook and fish the bait a few inches off the bottom hooked through the dorsal. That way you can watch the movement on the bait better and when the float swings away strike. This method is effective in still or running water. Don't discount a few lobs and prawns in your tackle bag as they are superb baits for perch and if they are not having a dead then you will have an alternative.
Good luck with it, average weights of Perch are rising fast and there will be some corkers landed this Autumn. I hope you will be on the end of one of them!

Olly wrote:Freezing the bait enables you to use wherever! All 'bugs' die when their host is dead & frozen. It is not illegal to use frozen deads anywhere -- but it is with livelys!

Olly, "bugs" do not die when frozen. They go into a state of dormancy and no longer multiply. Once the bait is taken out of the freezer and it warms up the bacteria will start to multiply again. This is why you cannot refreeze foods that you have defrosted.

Not true with 'bugs' (the term was loosely used) which transfer from fish to fish, Argulus, tapeworms, gill fluke, etc., which are killed when frozen as their host is no longer living and therefore not providing sustenance.

Refer to the following:- https://www.gov.uk/fish-health-checks for the checks required before transferring fish.

Bacteria however do multiply once defrosted. An angling colleague nearly died after using continually refrozen mackerel when piking.

I use to be a microbiologist/virologist and can 100% guarantee certain fish disease causing agents do not die when freezing, such as many pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and therefore all frozen freshwater deadbaits are risky except when used in the water they were caught. And I'm pretty sure movement of freshwater deadbaits between waters is banned, be they frozen or not!

The only deadbaits that are safe to use anywhere are sea fish, but should only be defrosted the once! Defrost more than once and you put yourself at serious risk as suggested by Olly.

Right here my view;

Firstly I'd start by spinning. This will help you to locate the fish in the first place. No matter how well presented a dead bait in the wrong area will not get taken. As for rigs I'd go for a size 6 through the tail root and I'd always use wire. 15lb should do and it's fairly supply in that breaking strain.

If it was my quest though I would fish a roving live bait if this is possible as it will quickly locate the bigger perch. Often when you find the 2lb+ fish sport can be hectic.

Let us know how you get on.

The main thing is to make sure you use wire trace & that your mainline is sufficient enough in case a pike takes hold of it!

Just last weekend I was dead baiting for pike & I decided to put a rod out for perch, using a very small roach dead bait, as I was reeling in for a recast, I noticed something swirling behind the roach, so I cast just behind the spot & slowly reeled the roach in again & got a take! (it was a pike!) that stayed hooked for about 30 seconds & then escaped with my roach!

Off topic I am afraid but -----

Actually the movement of frozen fish is not banned! You can buy them in your local tackle shop.

It is also included in some angling clubs rules that they must be frozen unless caught from the water you are fishing.

Made many visits to Bramton with live fish to be examined - they cut up 40lb carp amongst others - they are useless when they are dead.

View:- https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/2 ... aboratory/


Just a small insight into work done there.

I always thought the ones in the shops were certified disease free! At least that's what I assumed!

Still off topic (only a tad), whether banned or not, I wouldn't risk it! Red Leg in amphibians for instance (a fungus), would be transported, and is wiping out our frogs etc.!

Don't disagree with 'Red Leg' - I never use frogs - only plastic ones. I do however eat them in France but I do wonder if they are Salmonella free though!

Very very difficult to say if they are disease free! I wonder if they are a bi-product of netting by commercial fisheries. I believe that frozen lamprey come from Canada where they are regarded as a pest!

Thanks for all the input, I'm going tomorrow and will see what happens.

Unfortunately spinning is not allowed on the water, but I don't see this negates the use of a deadbait or worm "twitched" through likely areas. I'm not sure about the use of livebaits, it doesn't say you can't but I'm not sure it would be given the thumbs up if I asked. Probably be nobody else on the water so one may be popped on briefly - but first catch your livebait!

The water doesn't contain pike, so wire traces etc. aren't necessary.