Tees Perch

[Deleted]

Just thinking about catches of perch over recent years. Perch numbers and size seem to be increasing year by year these days in the tees. It seems to me to be one of the best perch rivers around!

Unfortunately I've not connected to a biggie, but I'm going to give it a good old try over the coming weeks. Talks of 2lb and 3lb perch are very interesting!

What tactics would you guys do to deliberately target the perch, and avoid the hoards of dace? A simple lobworm set up?

[Mick]

I agree Jim i feel the Tees is a very under rated river, yet i personally feel its one of the best rivers about, it has something for every type of angler from bream to barbel and all in between .

I used lobworm the other evening and was connecting with quite a few 1lb+ fish,but Ron was using a bunch of casters basically on his chub/barbel static rig and was getting a much better stamp of perch, most being a 1lb and half, i've yet to try minnows though or even a small small dace, but its something that im going to try soon

[Deleted]

I've heard a small dace livebait can work wonders for perch.

Maybe that's why they are feeding up and getting big, because of the plentiful tiny dace?

[ronny]

I would go for a thin wire trace with a size 2 or 4 hook, simple ledger setup with a small dace as live bait..
Keeps the smaller perch away from the worm to and you might even get a bonus pike

My 2lb 9oz perch come on live bait on two size 4 trebles lol.. Greedy bugger!

[Darren R]

I would target the dace Jim, the perch seem to be in the same areas and the small dace seem to be a good attraction.

Earlier in the week when I went down to see mick, massive shoals of dace were in the area and there was a massive perch that was stalking them.

Yesterday I could tell when the perch were in the area, as the float would make it down to the end of the run without going under. I put a bigger bait on next run down and more often than not I hooked into a perch. I only got the perch on either double red maggot, caster or imitation caster.

I think live baiting a small dace would be a good option, keep feeding maggots to attract the dace and fish a paternostered live bait in the area. I would go early morning/late evening as the dace switched off at 10am yesterday and it got harder to catch the perch aswell.

[Deleted]

Aye agree on early morning. I'm there Sunday at dawn....

Lobworms and maggots at the ready.

[stuthebroo]

Just don't forget to check your rule book, no livebaits allowed on Stockton water .

[geoff66]

but for a crisp 10 pound note we could turn a blind eye 

[Deleted]

If I'm correct, I think there is only one club who do officially allow it

[Deleted]

Strange how mother nature works.
Wasn't that long ago when there wasn't a perch to be caught around Dinsdale and grayling few and far between.
Is it the Tees barrage,the cleaner water, or just a natural cycle?
On the other hand there seemed to be a lot more big trout in the "olden days" but no otters!
For what it's worth,Jim,I had my biggest perch down there by feeding chopped worm and caster and alternating between a half worm or a couple of casters.
Something special about a big perch .

[stuthebroo]

Regarding the grayling Graeme they probably got swept downstream a few years ago when we had the floods. It did change the upper stretches quite a lot.