jig heads for perch

[dav]

For the up and coming summer season i,m considering investing in some grubs and jig heads for targetting mainly perch and whatever fancies having a go at them ie chubb pike etc etc , , ive been looking through a few american sites to get an idea of what to go for and prices etc , the choice of jig heads and grubs is unbelievable theres bloody millions needless to say i never purchased any yet ,alot of the kits they do are all mainly bright coloured types and i would of thought a more duller motor oil colour would be more suitable but not sure ?, can any perch ,pike lure fishermen give me a clue as to what size, colours and weights to go for when targetting perch and pike and do you find this way of lure fishing with jig heads is a successfull way of fishing as it looks rather fun with a light set up , cheers

[Ducktape Corkfeet]

Fox Chubby Shads, all sizes - Roach, Green Mackerel, and Redhead patterns favoured. Fished anyway you want, but vertically jigged is the most fun. They are simple, cheap, they last, and have saved me from so many blanks it's unreal. I have all colours in all sizes, and all have caught me fish.

[Peter Sharpe]

I thought I might as well make the point, seeing as Steve Burke obviously hasn't seen this yet - that is that most jig heads have large single hooks that have the potential to be lethal to perch.

[Newt]

If Peter's caution is of concern, possibly a compromise by using this Storm Shad version

 

 

so that even if you are concerned about the chances of deep hooking (is that really likely fishing a jig?) you would not be likely to harm the perch.

[Steve Burke]

Thanks for pointing that out, Peter. Although I accept it could happen, I haven't yet deep-hooked a perch on a jig. I'd therefore go along with Newt on this one.

 

I have a lot less experience than Newt and other US posters when it comes to jigs, and so what I suggest here may well change with time. What I have found though is that the weight of the jig is probably the most important factor. This is because it determines how quickly the jig sinks. In turn this determines how deep the jig works for a given speed of retrieve - and depth and speed are more important than anything else in lure fishing.

 

Weight is of course related to size, but you can get big shads for instance that are slow sinkers and vice versa. Indeed, with many patterns (the excellent Masterline Head Cases are a good example) there's a fast and slow sinker available in the same size.

 

Many jigs sold as perch or panfish lures are on the small size for UK perch as here perch grow bigger than in the States. That said, there are days when small jigs will outperform bigger ones, and not just when the perch are fry bashing. However, in general I've found the bigger jigs often sort out the bigger perch as long as they're not pre-occupied with a given size of fry. If they are, it's a good idea to match the size of the jig to the size of the fry.

 

As for colour I've found that perch patterns in shads work well as perch are natural cannibals. In somewhat coloured water I've also done well with firetiger.

 

With the smaller jigs that are often just one colour I carry black, white, red, yellow and fluorescent chartreuse. I haven't found that the colour of the jig head makes as much difference as the tail, and have often caught on jig heads that have lost all their paint!

 

These sort of jigs are so inexpensive and take up so little room that carrying a big selection isn't a problem, especially as so many of them are interchangeable. It also means that you can play around with size and sink rates. For instance, within sensible limits, you can use a large body on a light jig head or vice versa.

 

I carry jig heads from 1/64th ounce up to about 1 ounce for the waters I fish. As a rule of thumb, the greater the depth I want to fish at the heavier the jig I'll choose. However the heaviest jig heads I use only with big shads, and even here I usually choose a fairly light head for a given size body. This means that the lure sinks more slowly and can be retrieved at a slower speed.

 

I commonly use shad bodies between 2 and 5 inches, with a leaning to the larger sizes. With curly tails, being slimmer, I carry them from half an inch to about 6 inches, and use the medium sizes the most.

 

Of course you need to match the weight of the lures to the optimum casting weight of your rod, so that may be a factor in determining what to buy to start with.

 

Good luck and do let us know how you get on!

Edited March 3, 2007 by Steve Burke

[Colin Brett]

Fox Chubby Shads, all sizes - Roach, Green Mackerel, and Redhead patterns favoured. Fished anyway you want, but vertically jigged is the most fun. They are simple, cheap, they last, and have saved me from so many blanks it's unreal. I have all colours in all sizes, and all have caught me fish.

 

Those Fox Chubby Shads are or were great. "Were", because they are being discontinued!! So get some in while they are still available.

I assume something "NEW" will hit the market, but I understand all new products are being targeted at Continental Europe.

 

Colin

Edited March 3, 2007 by Colin Brett

[Ducktape Corkfeet]

Those Fox Chubby Shads are or were great. "Were", because they are being discontinued!! So get some in while they are still available.

I assume something "NEW" will hit the market, but I understand all new products are being targeted at Continental Europe.

 

Colin

 

Figured it wouldn't be long, as Pace Megabait, who "made" them originally, have gone out of business. It is a shame if they aren't to be made, they are outstanding lures!!!!!!!!!