Perca fluviatilis - the river perch. The perch is undoubtedly one of our favorite fish. It can be caught all year round, is found in almost every body of water - whether in a lake in the foothills of the Alps, an industrial river or a small pond - throughout Germany and can be fished using a wide range of techniques. It goes without saying that perch has developed its own specialty in the angling sector, which is precisely why we are giving you a rough overview of everything we think you need to know about perch fishing.
Rods for perch fishing
You should adjust the casting weight of your rod to the lures you want to fish, the fish you expect to catch, the depth of the water, obstacles and the current. Deeper waters with stronger currents, large fish and large lures or lures with high water resistance and strong action require a heavier rod! The basic rule is: as heavy as necessary, as light as possible!
The length of the rod determines the casting distance, lure presentation and relaxed fishing. If you are on the water for a whole day, you want to be focused and relaxed at the same time so that you don't miss a bite. Short rods are very suitable for boat fishing, where you rarely need to make long casts. You should also use short rods for twitching and topwater fishing. We therefore recommend long rods for classic jigging, various rigs and long casts. The extra centimetres make it much easier to animate your softbait with the rod tip held high. It also creates a better line angle, which makes the presentation of the bait appear more natural.
When selecting the rod action, it depends primarily on the lures and the technique you want to fish. Regular / regular-fast lures and techniques with high water resistance and a strong vibrating action, such as crankbaits or spinnerbaits. Fast / Ex-Fast for classic jigging, various rigs, twitching hardbaits and topwater baits. Solid-Tip is suitable for delicate UL fishing with small softbaits and sensitive rigs, where you only need to make gentle movements with the tip and the best possible contact with your bait.
Bait for fishing for perch
Soft baits - find and catch perch on the bottom
Softbaits are very successful rubber lures for fishing for perch. The lively action of the soft rubber compound attracts predators with its many small vibrations and its appearance. The classic softbaits are shads (softbaits), which imitate a small forage fish. These are available in many different shapes: slim, bulbous, roundish, ... sometimes perch like a lot of action, sometimes little action. That's why there are shads with a paddle tail (or similar) as well as no-action shads with a pin or V-tail.
As perch are very curious, there are many softbaits with feelers, legs and similar appendages, which also play through the underwater current during the resting phase and thus permanently send out small stimuli. There are craws, which imitate one of the perch's favorite protein-rich foods, and creatures, which are not necessarily an actual food source, but are still very successful!
Wobblers for bass fishing
Hardbaits are artificial lures that are usually made of hard plastic. They are available in different running depths so that all water layers can be fished at any time of year. They can have a diving blade, which brings them to depth when accelerated. However, there are also sinking hardbaits without a diving lip. Hardbaits have different sinking properties: sinking (S), floating (F) and suspending (SP). Depending on this, they are suitable for different depths, waters and situations on the water.
Crankbaits tend to be small, bulbous, voluminous and have a strong action. They are particularly suitable for quickly searching the surface for active fish. Twitchbaits/minnows are perfect for twitching. Light jerks are applied to the line to make the hardbait break out. Surface baits such as stickbaits or poppers are suitable for the warmer months when the forage fish are close to the surface. A very exciting, action-packed and fun fishing method that everyone should try!
Successful perch fishing with finesse rigs
On some days, our spiny knights can be very moody and cautious, so many different techniques and rigs have been developed over the years that bring success even in difficult situations. In some cases, special weights, beads and various hooks are used to modify the rig. We have materials for the following rigs ready for you: DS, Carolina/Texas, Spine, Jika, Splitshot, Neko, Wacky.
Bait sizes, colors and decors for perch fishing
The usual sizes for our typical perch lures are between 5-9 cm. Sometimes it can make sense to fish larger, for example in winter or when we want to fish very selectively for large perch. We only need to fish smaller on very difficult days when the mouths seem to be nailed shut.
In principle, you should focus on the forage fish that is most abundant at the time. Perch have very good eyesight, so you should definitely give some thought to your choice of color. There are a few classics to bear in mind: If the water is very clear and transparent, use neutral or natural colors. If the water is cloudy, on the other hand, you can go for slightly more shocking colors. Perch decors are an exception. Perch are cannibals and therefore often react very well to somewhat brighter perch imitations. Ultimately, you should take your cue from the forage fish and try to resemble it.
The right bait presentation for perch fishing
Of course, baiting cannot be applied to all types of bait. However, when fishing for perch, you can generally say that you should be very varied. Perch are very curious and usually look at everything. You just have to awaken their instinct and make the morsel appealing to them. Incorporate breaks into the bait presentation. Twitch a rubber fish or a crankbait lightly from time to time to break out of the monotonous presentation.