Lure Fishing For Perch

[Ken L]

On Birminghams canal network, I've found that two aproaches outscore everything else. Now, I only fish the cut in the dead of winter when they tend to be fairly clear so other methods may well work at other times.

 

First off, ultralight spinning with 6lb fireline, superfine traces, a 4' rod and a tiny reel used with a variety of micro plugs. The best of these are made by Norman and look like a little dayglow green crayfish. Several other patterns work but they all tend to be small with big diving vanes and a lot of action. retrieve steadily and dont strike. There will be a serise of plucks and pulls until a fish decides to make a proper grabat the lure and if your hooks are sharp, he'll hook himself. Little size 1 & 2 Angils spinners also work well on this type of outfit and I've regularly had bags of 30 or so perch with the od bonus pike in short afternoon sessions.

 

The other method is a planer. You have to make your own but it will allow you to troll lures along the canal at a set distance from the far bank and with practice, and the right lures and setup, at almost any depth. I've had most success towing size 3 spinners and have taken some suprizingly good fish on this method. If I get chance to play this winter, I'll be running some sot platic swimbaits behind the planer to se what happens. I prefer to run my planers with a fairly long rod and a baitcasting reel because I can controll evertything with my thumb and let out extra line instantly if I want the planer to move over to fish a feature or a bay on te far bank.

[DJMCJERICO]

I can't give any advice as I’ve not fished for perch with lures or spinners for long and am no way near as experienced as those who have replied above but I had a month or so where a stretch of canal was driving me crazy (and the Mrs because I was sneaking off at all hours). So will give my findings in case they can help in any way. (Or maybe it’s me that needs the help).

 

On the stretch I was fishing I found that the best results were with small black spinners (about the size of a flattened penny) with yellow spots in the mepps comet style with the treble removed and replaced with a size 8 raptors.

If I was fishing with the flow of water then a slow retrieve was better and if I was fishing against the flow then a fast retrieve worked better. If fishing with a worm then fishing with the flow a fast retrieve was better but against the flow it was better to fish sink and draw letting the spinner lay on the bottom for a couple of seconds. I found the fish nearly always took the spinner/worm as I bounced the spinner back up from the bottom.

 

It's probably the opposite as to what other people have found as I’m normally backwards and it may not work for you, it could of just been the water I was fishing but I can't wait for the pike season to open so I can try it out on a few of my normal lure chucking waters.