Perch, Perca fluviatilis, are chiefly overtake-and-catch predators (like yellow perch, P. flavescens: Nursall, 1973). So, perch that pursue the lures cannot see any details in their front coloration.

The main objective of these tests was to verify the effectiveness of spinning lures with blades that had backside red spots.

Spinning lures of two types, Mepps Aglia #1 with large red spots (7 mm diameter) on the backside of silver blades (RB) (printed closer to the axis of rotation) and the same lures with plain blades (PB), were compared in the field.

At each estimated locality of perch, 20 presentations (cast and retrieving) of lures were made: 5 with RB, 5 with PB, 5 with RB and 5 with PB. Then an experimentator moved to the other locality, where 20 presentations of the compared lures were made in the reverse order. In total, 180 lure presentatations per 1 day were made, 38 perch were included in the calculation (see Table, null and equal results for RB and PB lures were canceled).

For comparison, the number of landed perch were group per each 10 lure presentations (140 lure presentations were included in the caculation).

Perch were released. Some landed and released Northern pike, Esox lucius, were no included in the calculation.

It seems that lures with spotted blades are much more effective (on an average, 3,86 perch per 10 lure presentations) than lures with plain blades (1,57 perch). Really, an estimation of mean difference with the assistance of Student’s t-test confirms this hypothesis (n₁ = 7, n₂ = 7, k =12, t_fact > t_standard, P < 0,01): perch prefer lures with spotted blades.

The same results were obtained within several  sessions.

Spinners with backside red spots are also effective for asp, Aspius aspius, chub, Leuciscus cephalus, ide, L. idus, and sabrefish, Pelecus cultratus, which usually pursue live prey and artificial lures like perch.

Basic References

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