Silver perch help

[moorie86]

Hey guys,
We released bout 1000 silver perch into a large dam on the farm about 10 years ago. After about 3 years we were catching perch up to 30cm, catching 20-30 in a session easily. The bait was just crickets or worms ontop of the water and some with a float. anyway 7 years down the track with no sign of a dead fish ever in the dam, i cant catch a single fish. They have to be there but no matter what i try i cant seem to catch a single fish. The water is a bit muddy as it is a dam and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to catch a couple.
Thanks for your help.

[reelchippy]

Try freshwater shrimp or bread and corn kernels on float is good all so on the bottom they do love worms? I have a dam with silvers, bass and yellas good luck oh they have a small mouth so small hook

[lenthals_barra]

try using moss or weed my mate had a dam and he had the same problem caught them to about 30cm and then nothing. i heard about them turning into vegetarians when they get bigger so i tried moss one day and it worked.
might be worth a try mate

Doug

[Leigh77]

try using moss or weed my mate had a dam and he had the same problem caught them to about 30cm and then nothing. i heard about them turning into vegetarians when they get bigger so i tried moss one day and it worked.
might be worth a try mate

Doug

Took the words right out of my mouth...Silvers do turn to the darkside (vegetarian) when they get older. Makes them real hard to catch on lure/bait.

[bassbuster]

When I want to feed the local veggies to the crows, and have a close to home session on fly, I burley with tin corn at the same time each day for three days and on the fourth day put out a corn tied pattern. It makes for a ##### session and gets rid of a few noxious veggies that distroy out our local natives. Can't see why the same wouldn't work on your silvers.

Good fishin,
Bassbuster.

[moorie86]

Thanks guys, some good info here.
Just 1 further question in reguards to wat type of moss/weed do you use and where does it grow? do you use a float or on the bottom?
thanks again for the help.

[cammo79]

hi, i have caught plenty in the hinze over 30 on small minnows and small spinners and i have to admit they go harder than the bass in there.

cam

[lenthals_barra]

the kind of moss u get where there is flowing water is best and u leave a bit of water in the container orbucket u hav it in and i found u put a bit of salt in with it and mix it arond abit. then when u go to put it on ur hook squeeze the water out of it and put it on ur hook the best u can. i used a float so ide give it a try and try different depths with the float

[FTW]

I've been following this thread as I have a dam stocked with silvers that can't be caught. Have tried prawns to corn, all manner of flies and lures. Tried feeding them for a period then putting hooks into the food, all with no graeat success. My 8 year old son catches plenty on a peice of string tied to a few feet of fishing line with a small hook. He uses whatever he can catch as bait crickets, grasshoppers, grubs and worms. he walks around the dam trowing the line out 4 or 5 yards into the water and retrieving it immediately in a jerky motion works a treat