AFTER a run of quality perch from a big Midlands stillwater last winter, Carl Hill was understandably keen to return this autumn – and was glad he did so after catching this impressive 4lb 12oz fish on his first attempt.
It set a new PB for the Leicester angler, and is the latest in a string of big perch landed over the past month by the nation’s predator fishing fans.
Carl banked two other perch weighing 4lb 2oz and 3lb 10oz in the same session, with all three falling to drop shot tactics. From past experience, he knew the fish liked to hang around near structures, so he ditched the short and wispy rods typically used when drop shotting and instead went for a 12ft model with a soft action. He rightly figured that this would give him the necessary ‘grunt’ to get any fish he hooked quickly up off the bottom, while still being soft enough to cushion any lunges they might make near the net.
Wary of the water’s pike stocks and the risk of getting bitten off, he used an 18ins trace made up of 10lb wire. Some anglers may be put off using this stiffer material for perch, but Carl believes that using a decent length of the stuff gives the lure more mobility than it would have with the typical 10ins-12ins lengths most anglers use. Judging by his results, the perch certainly didn’t mind!
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