The Redfin or English perch is an introduced species that has easily adapted to conditions in Victoria.

It’s had an impact on our native species but is no where as bad as the European Carp….cos it don’t muddy the waters and it tastes real good!

 Redfin were some of the first fish I caught when I first started fishing back in the day…..and are great sport on light gear.

I’ve never caught a monster, the biggest being just under 2 kg, but you read reports of fish caught much bigger than this.

If you want a fish that isn’t too picky about the baits it eats, chases lures and tastes good then it’s worth giving Redfin a go….and when I say they taste good…many people rate them as better eating than trout…myself included. 

Being a feral species there’s no bag limit or minimum size so you can take as many as you like and as small as you like….and they can be small….I’ve caught “reddies” that weren’t much bigger than the small soft plastic lures I was casting.

The gear for redfin is similar for trout. 2-4kg light action rods with enough graphite to chuck small lures  or small baits.

When it comes to fishing line – you can use braid if you cast lures otherwise monofilament is the go. A reel in the 1000 to 2000 range is fine for this type of light work.

If you haven’t used lures before then redfin are the perfect introduction. They chase most types, bladed, hard and soft plastic and metal…but soft plastics are a good choice for a beginner.

You don’t have to put too much action into your lures to catch fish but you’ll always do better if you can make the lure look wounded.

A simple lift and drop motion really excites “reddies” …I’ve even had them hit a stationary lure that I’ve rested on the bottom after plenty of erratic action…soft plastics are good for this.

I usually add a bit of coloured flavour to my lures just to give me a bit more chance. Check your local tackle store for the best colours and flavours. I like red colours cos they look like a bait fish that’s already been damaged…and redfin like an easy meal!

Bait fishing can give great results and the methods are similar for most other fresh water fish.

My first and easiest choice of bait is worms. Lively, wriggling worms will catch redfin every day of the week and worms are easy to get….you can easily breed them yourself.

Other baits that work are small yabbies, maggots and corn…..and people have caught them in a whole lot of other stuff as well.

If I’m bait fishing I always use a small running sinker or berley cage down to a size 8 baitholder hook. The bait holder hook really helps keep worms on the hook and makes the presentation look natural….and if you raise your own worms you’ll always have steady supply.

Be careful when handling redfin. They’ve got a wicked dorsal fin full of sharp spines that seem to always find an anglers fingers. They’ve also got very sharp gill rakers, that will cut skin like butter…so handle with care.

Lately I experimented with a new berley item that’s helping me catch a few extra fish…baby tinned prawns.

You can throw these into some likely holding spots to attract and keep the fish busy….redfin seem to love them.

One tip when using these prawns – try to keep them concentrated in one area rather than spreading them….the results will be a whole lot better!

The final point about redfin is their ability to multiply. In some areas there are large numbers of small redfin. You don’t seem to get many big ones. I don’t know if there’s not enough food or what the problem is but you can find heaps of little ones chasing your lures or swallowing baits and never get anything if size.

It seems to be an over population problem.

Anyway….it’s worth chasing these striped fish. They’re a bit of sport and taste pretty darn good….that’s a winning combination in my book.