prawns

[Ian]

I am going to fish an old quarry pond that only contains roach and perch.i want to try for the perch as I think it will contain specimin sized fish.ive had big perch on prawns while fishing commercial waters but don't know if they will work on a more natural water.can anyone please verify wether they work or not.

[Stuart Whiting]

They do obviously work at times Ian but to be perfectly honest with you there's only two effective baits for perch, one being a float fished lobworm or if ledgering then carefully air inject it so it pops up off of the bottom from the lead or secondly being my favourite method is to use a float fished live bait

When fishing natural waters live bait will generally produce the biggest of fish, lobworm will probably catch you more fish overall but for bigger fish definitely stick with the lives

By all means Ian try the prawn but I think that you'll find that the two main effective baits are what I've mentioned above

Be lucky

[Paul D]

They do obviously work at times Ian but to be perfectly honest with you there's only two effective baits for perch, one being a float fished lobworm or if ledgering then carefully air inject it so it pops up off of the bottom from the lead or secondly being my favourite method is to use a float fished live bait

When fishing natural waters live bait will generally produce the biggest of fish, lobworm will probably catch you more fish overall but for bigger fish definitely stick with the lives

By all means Ian try the prawn but I think that you'll find that the two main effective baits are what I've mentioned above

Be lucky

I tend to agree, for me on the waters I fish prawns don't work but I know others here swear by them.

[Ian]

They do obviously work at times Ian but to be perfectly honest with you there's only two effective baits for perch, one being a float fished lobworm or if ledgering then carefully air inject it so it pops up off of the bottom from the lead or secondly being my favourite method is to use a float fished live bait

When fishing natural waters live bait will generally produce the biggest of fish, lobworm will probably catch you more fish overall but for bigger fish definitely stick with the lives

By all means Ian try the prawn but I think that you'll find that the two main effective baits are what I've mentioned above

Be lucky

Cheers Stuart.the water I will be fishing is bursting with 2-3oz perch and its a nightmare to get anything bigger using maggots.i suspect there must be bigger perch in it as its a very deep water with lots of weed,prob 30ft deep.theres lots of roach too so a small roach might do the trick.my biggest from it is around a lb so it isn't just full of stunted little perch.I will give it a go and see what happens,cheers again.

[Stuart Whiting]

They do obviously work at times Ian but to be perfectly honest with you there's only two effective baits for perch, one being a float fished lobworm or if ledgering then carefully air inject it so it pops up off of the bottom from the lead or secondly being my favourite method is to use a float fished live bait

When fishing natural waters live bait will generally produce the biggest of fish, lobworm will probably catch you more fish overall but for bigger fish definitely stick with the lives

By all means Ian try the prawn but I think that you'll find that the two main effective baits are what I've mentioned above

Be lucky

I tend to agree, for me on the waters I fish prawns don't work but I know others here swear by them.

Have had many a 3lb + perch from Teddington weir over the years and everyone of em caught on float paternoster live Bleak

[Beresford]

I've taken a lot of perch whilst fishing for carp with prawns at a mature (50+ years old) gravel pit. I think the only way to really answer your question in relation to this water is to try them.

[Olly]

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.

[Stuart Whiting]

They do obviously work at times Ian but to be perfectly honest with you there's only two effective baits for perch, one being a float fished lobworm or if ledgering then carefully air inject it so it pops up off of the bottom from the lead or secondly being my favourite method is to use a float fished live bait

When fishing natural waters live bait will generally produce the biggest of fish, lobworm will probably catch you more fish overall but for bigger fish definitely stick with the lives

By all means Ian try the prawn but I think that you'll find that the two main effective baits are what I've mentioned above

Be lucky

Cheers Stuart.the water I will be fishing is bursting with 2-3oz perch and its a nightmare to get anything bigger using maggots.i suspect there must be bigger perch in it as its a very deep water with lots of weed,prob 30ft deep.theres lots of roach too so a small roach might do the trick.my biggest from it is around a lb so it isn't just full of stunted little perch.I will give it a go and see what happens,cheers again.

Nice one Ian, be lucky mate

[Stuart Whiting]

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.

Absolutely agree there Olly,

It was Steve Burke president of the perch fishers group that always mentioned about how dead baits work on commercials, I presume because a commercial having coloured water the visibility of chasing live baits are gonna be considerably a lot lower, hence why the dead baits and prawns can be quite affective on these type of waters

[Wallys-Cast]

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.