Anyone else rubbish at lure fishing for perch?

[binka]

I have been lure fishing on and off for several years and I have recently taken a segway down the drop-shotting route... I have learned a few lessons on the way, but I still remain short of bites... First off fishing commercials for perch is largely fruitless due to the lack of clarity in the water... This apparently is the key to lure/jigging/drop-shotting as lure fishing of any kind is visual hunting for the fish... you'll have more success for Perch in commercials with smelly baits such as prawns worms or paste/pellets...

Location is a major factor... if they ain't there you'll not catch em... get some fish feeding with some maggots/pellets and then try lure/jigging etc as the bait will draw in bait fish and then the predators...

Coloured baits 2"-4" work well in murky water (but not too murky) with yellow or fluoro green working...(sometimes) despite all this info, I still struggle and yet......! and yet.....! the method is strangely addictive and as for buying lures.... well I think that lure fishing was created by tackle dealers to catch anglers.... Tight lines:wh

I share your frustration of the lack of bites, with reference to coloured waters I have drop shotted a soft plastic for hours on a coloured river where I know big perch exist without a hint of interest and as soon as I put a nipped worm on I get the taps, rattles and occasional fish which kind of figures with the scent theory.

Still nothing big mind, usually only a few ounces

I'm starting to think all these promo clips with big perch that were caught drop shotting were filmed over three years and made to look like the same day

 

[flatsfishing]

Some interesting points - I totally agree about drop shotting, it is another method, it works in some situations, but personally it's a last resort as I find it so boring.

I have caught plenty of big perch on 3" shads fished with a slowish straight retrieve, I have only had one decent fish fishing drop shot (or ledgering to give it another name). DS is fashionable so lots of people are doing it. By the end of the year there will be loads of DS rods and tiny little reels on eBay when a lot of people realise it is not the wonder method it is marketed to be.

Those that are struggling, although it's starting to warm up now, try some crayfish imitation soft baits. Don't bother with the ridiculously expensive savage gear ones, AGM do 8 for £2 which work really well. If not that, 2 1/2" shads (the slimmer the better, Kopytos are a bit fat in that size although I did catch the stunning perch below on a 3" Kopyto on friday) with as lighter jig head as you can get away with and a slowish straight retrieve.

 

[pointngo]

I fell for all the hype and thought I'd be emptying the place but its just not happening.

as for buying lures.... well I think that lure fishing was created by tackle dealers to catch anglers.... Tight lines:wh

I'm starting to think all these promo clips with big perch that were caught drop shotting were filmed over three years and made to look like the same day

DS is fashionable so lots of people are doing it. By the end of the year there will be loads of DS rods and tiny little reels on eBay when a lot of people realise it is not the wonder method it is marketed to be.

Anyone else see a common theme here?

 

[greenie62]

Anyone else see a common theme here?

Yeah - Tackle Dealers will go bust next year because there will be so many E-Bay bargains around to buy for Grankids taking-up fishing! mg:

 

[The Flangler]

For me, lures work very well on big, deep, crystal clear waters such as gravel pits or flooded quarries. Have tried lures on the local canal where i know there are a load of perch (can catch on maggots, worm & casters) but cant get a knock no matter what size/colour of lure i use. Can only put this down to poor visibility in the coloured water caused by boat traffic...
Meant to add - most of my perch fall to 1.5g - 5g jigs with 2inch rubber grubs with flappy tails small shad/minnow type rubbers are nae bad too. They also seem to quite like the 7g tasmanian devils(i throw the wire part away, thread it on my line followed by a small bead with a size4 wide gape single hook tied on the end - crushed barb of course!) but had no success whatsoever on spinners or spoons...

 

[binka]

For me, lures work very well on big, deep, crystal clear waters such as gravel pits or flooded quarries. Have tried lures on the local canal where i know there are a load of perch (can catch on maggots, worm & casters) but cant get a knock no matter what size/colour of lure i use. Can only put this down to poor visibility in the coloured water caused by boat traffic...

Hi flangler, welcome to FM

This coloured water and lure business is where I really start to lose the plot a bit, I know there are bright "fire tiger" and such patterns but that leads me away from my comfort zone of trying to emulate prey fish with natural coloured lures... Way beyond my comprehension.

Have you tried the canal with lures when the water is clear in winter and when the boat traffic has died down a fair bit?

And... Come to think of it in relation to coloured water and soft plastics, has anyone tried the scented/flavoured ones like the ones that Berkley do?

I have had a pack of these for that long without using them that they've probably dried out by now.

 

[The Flangler]

Hi flangler, welcome to FM

This coloured water and lure business is where I really start to lose the plot a bit, I know there are bright "fire tiger" and such patterns but that leads me away from my comfort zone of trying to emulate prey fish with natural coloured lures... Way beyond my comprehension.

Have you tried the canal with lures when the water is clear in winter and when the boat traffic has died down a fair bit?

And... Come to think of it in relation to coloured water and soft plastics, has anyone tried the scented/flavoured ones like the ones that Berkley do?

I have had a pack of these for that long without using them that they've probably dried out by now.

Thanks binka! Yeah ive tried the berkley ones with the apparent 'added scent' ... made no difference at all. Have considered dipping my lures in maggots or chopped worm but whenever i go to the bother of getting bait i end up just getting the waggler out! Can get some roach that way as well
Cant say ive been down the canal lately, was there in december and it was still pretty coloured - might have to give it a try this weekend though!

Hi flangler, welcome to FM

This coloured water and lure business is where I really start to lose the plot a bit, I know there are bright "fire tiger" and such patterns but that leads me away from my comfort zone of trying to emulate prey fish with natural coloured lures... Way beyond my comprehension.

Have you tried the canal with lures when the water is clear in winter and when the boat traffic has died down a fair bit?

And... Come to think of it in relation to coloured water and soft plastics, has anyone tried the scented/flavoured ones like the ones that Berkley do?

I have had a pack of these for that long without using them that they've probably dried out by now.

 

[greenie62]

...was there in december and it was still pretty coloured - might have to give it a try this weekend though!

The L&L Canal round here has been frozen over until the other day - not a lot of boat traffic - but the preponderance of locks mean there's always a slight flow and the water's never clear.
Thought I'd found the perfect spot for a bit of float-fished sprat the other day:

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The 'stream' entering the canal is actually a lock overflow relief channel - a bit of oxygenation of the canal water is good but it does mean that the silt gets stirred-up - even with no boat traffic - keeping the water permanently murky!

Tried Drop-shotting - no good, trotted sprat - no good, ledgered sprat - no good, spinning - no good! There's no bl--dy predators there!mg:

I mean how could a perch or pike refuse such a perfect place to hang out for a nosh?mg:

 

[Aussie Bob]

yep struggle big time to catch Perch (on lure or bait !) have put in a decent amount of time into it as well as I live 100 metres away from a lake that holds decent perch . I have often gone out for a hour or two after work with the sun dropping and had a bit fat zero on lures / shads / soft plastics / dropshotting e.t.c . Considering the lake is full of trout as well I have only caught one trout on lure as well....
I quite enjoy lure fishing and its easy to leave a rod set up so if I get the urge I can just go with a small bag with a few bits. I am sure on its day lure fishing will catch fish but considering I have caught more fish on float fished corn than any other technique I am wondering if I am just making life hard for myself ?

 

[flatsfishing]

Very interesting comments on coloured canals - in my experience on the canals local to me, if the water is clear then lure fishing becomes very difficult, yet if there some nice colour on the water then I am a lot more confident of catching zander and perch (very few pike where I fish).

The theory that lure fishing is a waste of time in coloured water is outdated in my opinion - I have disproved this on many occasions, even catching on the dreaded drop shot in a very high and very coloured Warwickshire Avon this January, not a very good photo to show the colour but it was up at least 3 feet and I found the fish in the edge of a lock.

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EDIT: I found a better pic of that jack showing the coloured up river:

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As long as you fish to the conditions and use the correct lure selection then lures will work in most conditions, admittedly not necessarily as well as in other conditions but they are rarely a waste of time. Location is obviously key.

Don't be afraid to use lures in colours which to you don't look like bait fish - fish don't see colours as we do and as the lure is fished at different depths the light transmission varies and the colour will not look the same as in daylight. Lure fishing works at night too don't forget.

Pink lures are my absolute favourite, we don't have any pink fish swimming around but they certainly work for me, 62 zander since mid October 2014 can't be wrong, 80% of those on pink lures.

Not a great pic to show the colour of the canal, but it is very coloured - my favourite condition for catching zander...

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[S-Kippy]

I'm not giving up yet. Perch wise there are some proper lumps in the GUC and I know people who have had them & do reasonably well on the DS. All about location in my view...you can't catch fish that aren't there.

And if all else fails I will smuggle a 4" crayfish into the bath when Mrs S is having a soak. That will be worth every penny I've ever spent on lures !

 

[Derek Gibson]

I'm not giving up yet. Perch wise there are some proper lumps in the GUC and I know people who have had them & do reasonably well on the DS. All about location in my view...you can't catch fish that aren't there.

And if all else fails I will smuggle a 4" crayfish into the bath when Mrs S is having a soak. That will be worth every penny I've ever spent on lures !

Isn't it true that in any form of predator,''lure fishing'' for pike, zander and perch, location is the key. All that's left is to establish which of the presentations offers you the best chance of success,''simples''. Unless of course you ''are'' in the right place but using the wrong approach, lol.

 

[flatsfishing]

And if all else fails I will smuggle a 4" crayfish into the bath when Mrs S is having a soak. That will be worth every penny I've ever spent on lures !

I like that idea as it would be amusing but the temperature my wife has the bath the lure would most likely melt!

 

[pf0x]

Thanks for all the responses. Very interesting. My small local tackle shop said he was selling loads of LRF/dropshot gear last year when I was buying too.

Keep an eye on ebay!

It's amazing what confidence can do. The first time I tried 'proper' perch lure fishing (i.e not just light pike fishing) I got an almighty WHACK of a take and the fish was on for a few seconds before coming off. But when you have a few blanks your mind starts playing tricks!

re: coloured water. It helps for bass fishing, I think. If it's too clear they're more shy and spooky. My first bass lure session I caught 2 in quite coloured water. I had zero confidence when I got to the water but they have no problem finding the lure if it vibrates etc.

I will try going lighter (I fish 10g normally but this is actually heavy when you compare it to ultralights jigs etc). I have the gear to lighter.........

 

[arthur2sheds]

I think that Zander in coloured water is bang on for Zander as they are a low light hunter anyway.... most informed sources claim that they are a semi-nocturnal fish, so the low light conditions on murky canals suit them better... the fishing is also dictated by the amount of prey fish in the area...

where the predators are small it signifies a lack of prey to sustain the population... as with most predator fishing the key is location... for Perch, the experts recommend structure as holding spots.... I have tried these sorts of areas , to no avail... the majority of my fish (mainly Pike) have come on clear lakes, along margins or close to snags... despite lashing the canal to a foam in the feint hope of snagging a decent Perch

I still maintain that you need to draw prey fish into the area with maggots/pellets before fishing a lure... I'd also recommend giving your lures a pray with a flavour/scent to increase their pulling power....

I s'pose it's a case of keeping at it till summat clicks, it ain't the immediately successful method the likes of Julian Chidgey would have you believe in the youtube vids:wh

 

[flatsfishing]

I think that Zander in coloured water is bang on for Zander as they are a low light hunter anyway.... most informed sources claim that they are a semi-nocturnal fish, so the low light conditions on murky canals suit them better... the fishing is also dictated by the amount of prey fish in the area...

where the predators are small it signifies a lack of prey to sustain the population... as with most predator fishing the key is location... for Perch, the experts recommend structure as holding spots.... I have tried these sorts of areas , to no avail... the majority of my fish (mainly Pike) have come on clear lakes, along margins or close to snags... despite lashing the canal to a foam in the feint hope of snagging a decent Perch

I still maintain that you need to draw prey fish into the area with maggots/pellets before fishing a lure... I'd also recommend giving your lures a pray with a flavour/scent to increase their pulling power....

I s'pose it's a case of keeping at it till summat clicks, it ain't the immediately successful method the likes of Julian Chidgey would have you believe in the youtube vids:wh

I think you are right about the zander and their eyesight in low light, but also think pike can definitely be caught in coloured water on the right lures (and if you can find the pike).

 

[arthur2sheds]

Oh I agree, but Pike as well as being sight hunters, can sniff out a manky minnow at a hundred yards.....

 

[pf0x]

I'd also recommend giving your lures a pray with a flavour/scent to increase their pulling power....

Divine intervention?

I knew there was something I hadn't tried yet!