Most anglers will remember the first fish they caught was a perch, the reason being they are generally a very inquisitive and greedy species, which makes them ideal to target with lures. With their striking appearance and willingness to feed in all conditions, they are a great species to begin your lure fishing journey with, if you get your tactics right, the rewards are always there to be had.
Perch feed on a whole range of items, from worms and maggots to small fish, including other perch. This means the tactics and lures you can adopt to fish for perch can be far more versatile than with other predators. Whether you choose to drop shot with a micro worm or cast a larger crankbait out, you always have a chance of a bite. This also enables you to perfect a whole range of methods, which will make you a much better lure angler.
Best lures for perch fishing at a glance...
• Best Soft Plastic Shad Lure For Perch: Fiiish Minnow Lure - View offer on eBay
• Best Perch Lure For Beginners: Mepps Perch Kit Spinner Pack - View offer on Fishing Tackle & Bait
• Best Creature Bait For Perch Fishing: Korum Snapper Reggiez - View offer on Angling Direct
• Best Jerkbait For Shallow Water Perch Fishing: Rapala Shadow Rap Lure - View offer on Fishing Tackle and Bait
Another positive thing about perch is they inhabit practically every waterway in the UK, so you are never far away from one, regardless of where you live. Whether it’s a gravel pit, canal or river, these fish are abundant and always looking for their next meal, even commercial fisheries are becoming a hotspot for really big fish. They can be fished for in the summer too, so when other predators like pike are best left alone, the perch can give you your lure fishing fix, so you can still get out and enjoy your angling. Here is a guide to some of the best lures for perch fishing…
Best perch lure for beginners
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No lure section would be complete without the humble spinner, like those included in the Mepps Perch Kit Spinner Pack. This lure has been around for decades and still accounts for thousands of fish captures a year. The spinner consists of a treble hook, with a small section of steel bar where a shiny blade and sometimes some beads will sit, when retrieved, this blade will rotate, causing it to vibrate and flash.
The spinner will sink, so it is best fished on a straight retrieve, allowing it to sink a bit further with each cast before you start reeling. Once you have found the depth the fish are feeding, allow the lure to sink to that depth every time before you reel in. A great lure for beginners to start with, perch big and small will take it, and it’s so easy to fish with.
Pros
- Very simple and easy to use.
- Effective for all species.
Cons
- They are very basic, you can't really work them like other lures.
Best soft plastic shad lure for perch
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When it comes to soft plastic baits, the Fiiish Minnow really does take some beating. The action the lure has and the colours that it is available in just seem to prove irresistible to perch, and anglers find themselves using them time and time again.
The lures have a detachable head, so you can swap the bodies for a different colour or if they get damaged. The weedless design ensures you won’t get snagged up, making them ideal for weedy or snaggy swims. The jig head comes in 6 styles depending on the depth of water you’re fishing in, with weights from 6g-190g, you’re sure to find one right for the scenario you're faced with.
The lure bodies are available in sizes 7-20cm and 19 different colours. For perch, the smaller sizes are best, the 7-10cm with the lighter jig heads proving to be the most effective, perfect for jigging along canal walls or bumping along the bottom.
Pros
- Very realistic action.
- Weedless design reduces snagging up.
Cons
- The body is prone to being ripped.
Best crankbait lure for perch fishing
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The Savage Gear Gravity Crank is a fantastic diving lure for perch, its rounded profile and realistic patterns make it very successful on a wide range of venues. It comes in patterns that relate to what the perch are feeding on naturally, such as roach and other perch, and the size of 5.9cm is ideal. It is not too small that perch will ignore it, and it isn't too big that it spooks them.
The squared vein moves a lot of water on the retrieve, that helps to create plenty of vibration and makes the lure dart and wobble to entice the perch to take it. There is also a built-in rattle to add a further element of attraction to the lure. With a diving depth of around 1-1.5m it will stay above any debris to prevent you getting snagged.
The lure is best fished erratically, lots of sharp turns on the reel and jerks on the rod, with the odd pause to allow the lure to float up in the water and make it look like a dying fish.
Pros
- Great action.
- Designs match the natural prey.
Cons
- Slightly too buoyant in some situations.
Best perch lures for dropshotting
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These Fox Rage Ultra UV Micro Lure packs offer up to eight soft plastic lures, ranging from a tiny 4cm to 7cm. Each pack comes with a variety of colours, and you can choose between shads, spiky shads, and grub-style lures to ensure you have plenty of options to change and give the perch what they want.
Due to the tiny size and almost weightless construction, these lures are ideally suited to using with a small jig head or used as part of a drop shot setup. If you are struggling, or if the fish are feeding on very small fry after the other fish have spawned, these lures really come into their own and will help get you a bite when nothing else can. The UV element of the lures comes from reflective glitters and plastics contained inside them that reflect the sunlight, helping them glint and flash when they are worked, much like an injured fish does.
Don't be put off by the miniature size of these lures, thinking only small perch will take them, as it is not the case. Many big perch often become preoccupied with small fish in the summer and will readily take a small jig if it's presented correctly.
Pros
- A perfect size lure when perch are preoccupied with fry.
- Lots of variations in each pack.
Cons
- They are quite fragile.
Best jig bait for perch fishing
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This comprehensive kit includes a variety of soft baits (Sneak Shad, Hollow Belly, Sneak Minnow) in different sizes and colours, along with Flex Round Heads in various weights.
PowerBait-scented and available in Clear Water and Murky Water versions, the Pro Pack offers a versatile solution for targeting perch in various conditions. The included Fusion19 hooks ensure reliable hookups.
Pros
- Comprehensive selection of softbaits to suit varying conditions
- Very soft, realistic design.
Cons
- The lures being loaded with attractor are best stored individually
Best perch lure for coloured water
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These small Berkley Pulse Spin Tail lures are an updated version of a spinner which can be used in a much wider range of scenarios and have a few extra features that make them a bit more effective. The main body of the lure is a metal, fish-shaped design with two spinner blades at the base of the tail.
One large blade spins whilst the other rotates around the lure. Not only does this look like a fish beating its tail, it causes an incredible amount of flashing and vibration to ensure the perch know it is there. The blades also cause the body of the lure to wobble erratically, further enhancing its attraction.
The lures are available in 5cm - 7.5cm and a range of appealing colours, they can be jigged but generally the best way to fish them is on a steady, straight retrieve to really get the maximum benefit from the blades.
Pros
- Very erratic action.
- Twin blades create lots of vibration and visual output.
Cons
- They are a sinking lure, so can get snagged on the bottom.
Best jerkbait for shallow water perch fishing
Rapala have a global reputation for producing fantastic quality lures that catch fish, the Rapala Shadow Rap Lure is no different and it is a deadly lure for catching perch. The slim profile of the lure perfectly resembles juvenile prey fish like roach and minnows, and the 7cm version is just the right size.
The translucent/pearl finish helps the lure remain reflective even in low light levels, which is often when the biggest fish are hunting. The tungsten bearings inside the lure give you optimum casting weight as well as an extra rattle when it is reeled in. The lure is available in loads of colours too. We have found it best in roach patterns or in something very visual, as sometimes the extra colour can be the trigger to get the perch to take it.
This style of lure is best fished by twitching the rod tip with violent jerks before allowing it to pause for a few seconds and resuming the retrieve. This will cause the lure to spin, roll and dance in a very unpredictable manner, just like a dying fish, so even the wariest of perch are unable to tell the difference.
Pros
- Fantastic quality.
- The profile matches small fish like roach perfectly.
Cons
- Not the best in deep water.
Best jig kit for perch fishing
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The Savage Gear Cannibal Box Kit offers a versatile solution for anglers targeting a variety of fish species. Available in four sizes (Extra Small, Small, Medium, and Large), each kit contains a carefully selected assortment of soft baits and jigheads.
The Cannibal Shad and Cannibal Shad Curltail soft baits are designed to mimic the movement and appearance of natural prey, making them highly attractive to fish. The included Ball Jigheads provide the necessary weight and hook point to effectively present these soft baits.
Extra Small: Ideal for smaller fish species, featuring the smallest soft baits and jigheads.
Small: Suitable for a wider range of fish sizes, offering slightly larger baits and jigheads.
Medium: Designed for larger fish species, with increased bait and jighead sizes.
Large: Perfect for targeting trophy-sized fish, featuring the largest baits and jigheads.
Pros
- Ideal choice for catching perch of all sizes.
- Perfect for jigging and drop-shotting.
Cons
- Prone to being ripped by fish.
Best deep water soft plastic lure for perch
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These Westin Ringteez Curtail 10cm lures are great for jigging on reservoirs or other large bodies of water, where the perch are used to taking larger prey items. The ribbed body and oversized curled tail give out maximum vibrations when they are jigged, and the wide range of colours ensures that no matter what the fish want, whether that be bright and obvious or natural and subtle, you'll have a lure to tempt them.
They can be fished on a variety of setups, from a straight jig to a drop shot and will work on a straight retrieve or when jigged from a boat. The lure can be bumped along the bottom with lots of prolonged pauses or worked quickly when they fish are really active, it is such a versatile lure, however you want to fish it, it will be hard for the perch to resist it.
Pros
- Very attractive with its oversized tail.
- Versatile lure.
Cons
- The tail is prone to being ripped off.
What to look for in a perch fishing lure...
It is worth noting that perch are very aggressive fish that will take a liking to most lures and baits anglers throw at them. However, there are always situations where certain lures will be far more successful than others. Soft plastic lures have become very popular in recent times due to their versatility, they can be fished on a jig head or dropshot rig and be fished slowly, quickly, jigged or bumped along the bottom, so no matter how the perch are feeding, the lure can be presented perfectly to suit.
When it comes to choosing a lure, think about what the perch are mostly feeding on in your local venue. If the water is full of small fry in the summer, choose a lure to match that. If, however, your venue is full of crayfish, then opting for a lure that emulates them would be far more successful, especially for the larger fish that have become accustomed to eating them.
The size of the lure is important too, choose something too small, and it's likely you'll be plagued by very small perch. Something too big, on the other hand, and it's likely you'll spook the perch. A lure in the range of 5-10cm is about the right length, with something around 7cm seeming to be the most successful for catching perch of all sizes. Perch are caught on massive lures intended for pike, but if you want consistent action then a lure in this size range will see you get plenty.
Glossary
Soft plastic lure: A lure that has a soft, rubberised body designed to feel more natural when the fish take it.
Floating/diving lure: A hard plastic lure that will float on the surface but, when retrieved, will dive under the surface thanks to a plastic vein on the front. They are also known as crankbaits.
Rough ground: A name given to a fishing mark where the bottom is made up of rocks, boulders, weed and other items you're likely to snag up on.
Weedless: A lure design, where the hook point is buried in the lure to prevent it getting caught up, the hook is exposed when the fish bites down on the body of the lure.
Jig head: The metal weight, generally with a hook attached, that is used to mount a soft plastic lure on to give it the weight to cast and sink to the bottom.
Paddle tail: A flat, rounded section at the back of a lure that causes drag in the water, causing it to kick erratically.
Rattle: Some lures have a hollow internal compartment that is filled with ball bearings that knock together when retrieved to create a rattling sound.
Diving vein: A thin, rounded plastic or metal plate mounted on the front of a lure. When retrieved, it causes drag that forces the lure downwards.
Walk the dog: A method of retrieving a surface lure to make it look as natural as possible. By maintaining a constant retrieve and flicking the rod tip, the lure will snake from side to side, looking like an injured fish.
Lure action: This refers to the way a lure moves when it is retrieved by the angler.
Dropshotting: The method of using a weight at the end of the line and attaching the hook further up the line. This is then jigged back slowly to the rod tip.
Paternoster rig: A rig that involves the lead being at the end of the line and one or two hooks being attached above it, this keeps it away from the lakebed and reduces the resistance when a fish takes the hookbait.
<strong>Frequently asked questions on perch lures</strong>
What's the best lure to start perch fishing with?
If you're looking for a really simple lure that will catch perch of all sizes, then you would be hard pushed to find something easier and more effective than a traditional spinner. The lure is small, has plenty of action to attract the perch, and it's worked for decades, just simply cast the spinner out, allow it to sink to the depth you want and steadily reel it in. There is no need to flick the rod or try and impart action onto it, it's simple to use and effective.
What is dropshotting?
Dropshotting is a relatively new method for catching a whole range of species using lures but has been proven to be a great method for catching perch. It involves attaching a weight to the line, then attaching a hook and soft plastic above that at whatever depth you want the lure to sit at. The weight sits on the bottom, allowing you to work the lure above any snags. It is really effective because it allows a very slow retrieve, meaning the lure is in front of the perch for the maximum time possible, extending the chance of a bite. Simply twitching the rod in small increments keeps the lure moving without moving the lead or moving it very slowly so you can cover more ground.
My local canal has perch, where are the best areas to try?
Canals can be great places to catch perch, and they are often home to some real monsters. Generally, most canals are very similar in design, so that can make the places to target very generic. Perch are often held up in certain areas waiting to ambush their prey. Overhanging trees and lily pads are great spots to target, as it gives the perch cover. Another fantastic place to try can be off any marginal walls where boats moor up, the concrete walls just seem to be prime real estate for perch on canals.
Author Aidan Bordiuk is an enthusiastic angler who enjoys all fishing disciplines from match fishing to beach casting. He is currently occupying the position of Commercial Content Writer at Angling Times.