Light Lure Fishing For Perch - Mainline

[Christian Tyroll]

Morning all

I fancy having a go for a perch on some light lure gear, either dropshotting or small jigs.

I've got a rod and reel I bought years ago that didn't get used much. When I bought the mainline for some weird reason I ended up with yellow braid.

Whilst I did catch a few fish I'm not confident in the colour at all, even with a 2ft leader. I've got a 100m spool of 6lb fluro I was thinking of spooling up with.

Everywhere on line recommends braid for the sensitivity, aside from a few Americans bass fishing but I'm not sure how that compares to a small silty canal. Would the difference between fluro and braid be that stark? The canal is only shallow and I'll never be fishing at any particular range.

Thank you

Christian

 

[Daniel Earl]

I have done a lot of this type of fishing

Colour of braid won’t spoke them off so to speak in my opinion, if you where to use a mono or floro right through you will not be as connected to the light lure as you will get drag on water or flow. For drop shotting it’s fine, you want a PE braid of around 0.10 max and a few feet of 0.20 / 23 6/7 lb breaking fluro.

Also casing light jigs with fluro is a pain and you won’t get where you want to go, you can work a jig better with braid also I used bright pink braid so I can see where it cuts into the water. Think small reel small coils fluro and mono hate it to much stiffness and memory.

Also braid colour will num down a little over time and use.

Stick with it, your build confidence once them perch see your jig and want it there have it.

Want any more info feel free to drop me a pm

You may feel more confident not using the coloured braid but you will do better with it failing that get some green braid to help keep your head in the game.

 

[Daniel Earl]

Your have loads of fun with it btw ! It’s a very easy way to fish a lot of water quick with not much work, I’ve done it it all through London and had some stronking perch in some very unlikely places.

 

[Neil Blood]

I like braided Mainline for dropshotting and use 9lb power pro in red. I’ve also used yellow and had Perch on it to 3.10lb, with a long fluro leader. I like braid due to sensitivity and it’s lasts forever, even though the colour fades. I use more expensive 8 strand braid on my BFS setups, which you don’t need on a fixed spool reel and when starting out IMHO.

Also use 6lb wire if pike are present and you are jig/crank fishing, either Knot2Kinky or AFW Surflon, both of which are knotable (See Youtube)

 

[Bob Watson]

Daiwa j braid x8 is relatively cheap. I have the 20lb on a spinning rod I use on the boat at sea and the 4x in 5.5lb on a drop shot set up that has yet to see the light of day. The 20lb is really nice to use, can't comment on the 4x-5.5lb in use but first impressions were good compared to other braids I have spooled up.

 

[Stephen Crowhurst]

The braid colour makes it easier for you, to watch the cast to fish moving water with the bow etc.

I have found that with the Perch using a flouro leader instead of wire helps, I’ve watched them spook on the wire but that is in gin clear water. If I’m doing that then I only use the smallest jigs and only single hooks unbarbed, just in case of a Jack, never anything that flashes.

Tbh I find summer, especially early season far more productive and fun for Perch, where they will hit spinners a spin tails on faster retrieval rates.

 

[Christian Tyroll]

Thank you all for the responses. Looking forward to getting out and giving it a crack. I've had a few short sessions bait fishing and only managed chub so far. One was almost 4lbs though which until I saw it had my heart in my mouth.

 

[Christian Tyroll]

I was reading the Des Taylor chapter in the Willow Pitch perch book yesterday. His chapter was on dropshotting and he said that he thought everyone had gone a bit braid mad and that on small canals he still used fluro. He also said he reckons there's been times he's seen the fish shy off coloured braid lines, with more small taps, where as he was converting bites on fluro.

I'll be giving the braid a crack anyway, but probably up the length of my leader a bit now.

 

[Neil Blood]

I was reading the Des Taylor chapter in the Willow Pitch perch book yesterday. His chapter was on dropshotting and he said that he thought everyone had gone a bit braid mad and that on small canals he still used fluro. He also said he reckons there's been times he's seen the fish shy off coloured braid lines, with more small taps, where as he was converting bites on fluro.

I'll be giving the braid a crack anyway, but probably up the length of my leader a bit now.

Just use a long fluro leader. Attach to the braid via back to back grinner knots.

In general finding Perch can be difficult and especially on long featureless canals/rivers. Even when you find them, they may not be in a feeding mood. If you know Perch are in your chosen length, stick at it and try different times of the day e.g. early and late.

Are you fishing canals or rivers and what gram rating is your rod?

 

[Christian Tyroll]

Hi Neil
I'll be on the canal to start with and the rod is 2-10grams.
Although I might give the Wye/ Severn a go when I've got more time but keen on this as I can sneak a some trips in when I wouldn't otherwise be able to get out.
I had the first trip with a lure the other day and ambitiously had a go with a large fake crayfish and a chunky worm/ ned rig. Both had a couple of very quick taps. Next time I'll have something little on a dropshot.

 

[Neil Blood]

The rod weight sounds perfect for dropshot and light jig work. Choosing/buying lures is addictive. Find a lure that works and buy it in different colours.

Everyone has their own favs and in my experience I can recommend these,

Dropshot river/canal:

Lunker City Ribster Soft Baits

I am always on a constant search for the most effective ways of rigging this soft bait. Standard hook rigging for Drop shot method allows a lure to work perfectly. However, there are some problems wit...

www.protackleshop.co.uk

7.5cm and motor oil colour is good in clear water. You don’t want the swim tail version. Don’t over fish the lure, just slight delicate moves on the rod tip can be enough.

Creatures on the canal:

Z-Man TRD CrawZ

Z-Man TRD CrawZ

todbermanor.co.uk

Colours The Deal and Back Blue, fished on a shroom head or the matching Bulletz jig heads in the lightest weights, which I like.

Creatures on the river:

Z-Man Finesse ShadZ

The slim, shad-shaped body, thin tail, and superior action of the 4″ Finesse ShadZ make them ideal for drop-shotting, small jighead rigs, and other finesse applications. An great when fished Ned Rig style.

todbermanor.co.uk

Strike King Soft baits KVD Super Finesse Worm - Soft Baits

The Strike King® KVD Perfect Plastic Finesse Worm is the softest, saltiest plastic ever produced, and even better, features Strike King®'s exclusive Coffee Scent technology. Coffee adds to the appeal,...

www.protackleshop.co.uk

Korum Snapper FloateX Squirlyz 7.5cm

Key Features7.5cm long Durable Floatex material Prominent curly tail pattern Pintail spine 4 per pack Colours available: Silver Fish, Spotted Goby

www.anglingdirect.co.uk

Fish the above on a Cheb rig with an EWG Worm hook.

Shads:

Keitech Swing Impact FAT Soft Baits

The Keitech FAT Swing Impact redefines swimbait performance. Keitech`s revolutionary two-tone injection process uses several different types of salted plastics to achieve perfect balance & action. The...

www.protackleshop.co.uk

71mm on the canal and 84mm on the River. Gold Flash Minnow colour is good when the water clarity is good.

Hope the above doesn’t send you on a spending spree

 

[Christian Tyroll]

Thank you for the recommendations Neil, its dangerous times indeed. For me that is, I'm sure the perch will be ok.

Looking forward to some bits turning up and having a crack. I'll let you know all know how I get on.