Anyone out  there target Perch or get them as a bycatch while Flyfishing theres been some good ones landed at Pupuke lately by the coarse anglers as well as trout on maggots.

I caught some beautys while spinning off the bank at Ototoa over the weekend along with one hen.

Used to instruct diving in Lake pupuke and we went in off the wharf by the pumphouse.About 50 metres off the wharf to the righ there is a buoy,at the bottom of that always saw plenty of perch about teh same as the one jamesd has caught.Often hand feed them and on night dives you woudl not believ the numbers of perch we often saw.There are some blimmin big salmon in there as well,we once saw a dead one that was a good 90 cm.

Going hard.... Salmon in Pupuke....really?

Rusky wrote: I visited the Mahurangi Technical Institute a wee while back and saw their Perch farm in full swing.  The biggest one they had was 2.4kg, but apparantly the record stands at 6kg for NZ.

Are,nt those ones a different species "Silver Perch" for cleaning up after Grass Carp and eating plankton etc.?

Where was the massive perch caught Lemmy? what a monster!!!

Not to keen to reveal locations online sorry,but any of the dune lakes on the West Coast contain big Perch just no one targets them specifically. Big Perch eat big baits and some of the best ones have fallen to ledgered Dead baits preferably "freshly killed"Perch or trout up to 2 pounds at night.

thanks Lemmy fair enough about not revealing locations but i think you gave given us enough general info! so Steve when are we going? 

I disagree Simon.  They taste like rubbish and dont have the firm texture and lack size to make a satisfying meal.

Rusky wrote: I disagree Simon.  They taste like rubbish and dont have the firm texture and lack size to make a satisfying meal.

im going to try one anyway and see what they are like... even if they are crap I'm still keen as to land a biggie on light gear. I guess the yellow perch they catch in the states are a lot different eating wise?