How to set up a simple lure rig and catch bigger perch - Paul Parnell’s tips
…and there’s no better time to hunt out those predators than now
OCTOBER is a great time to start your predator fishing campaign. It’s really easy to catch big perch, pike and zander on lures – and you can do it in just a couple of hours on your local canal or river. You don’t need much kit – just a rod, a reel and a few lures. While drop shotting really took off in recent years, another simple set-up to catch predators is jigging. The main difference between the two is that rather than having a hook up the leader and the weight at the bottom, the two are combined to form what is known as a jig head. These come in all different shapes and sizes, so knowing which to choose is key to a successful session. One man who knows better than most is Z-MAN and Lure Lounge-backed Paul Parnell.
MICRO-JIGGING
This is basically jigging with a jig head that’s under 5g. Similar to drop shotting, micro jigging is all about covering the maximum amount of water possible, with the intention of catching what is in front of you. It’s a great method on canals and rivers in autumn and winter.
“Lots of anglers think micro jigging is just another wasp-sized perch tactic, but if there is a larger fish in front of you, these tactics will catch it just as well as any other tactic you care to mention,” Paul told us.
WHAT JIG HEAD?
“The most common and popular jig heads are round. These are perfect for either bouncing the lure back in a series of small hops, or even dragging it along the bottom if needed,” said Paul.
“The heavier the weight, the faster it will fall, and the faster the retrieve needs to be to keep it off the bottom. In winter, when the water is much colder, you need to use a lighter jig head so that the less active fish have longer to see the bait falling past them. A
weight of around 3g is ideal in still or slow-moving water.”
WHAT LURE
“Perch love to take baits ‘on the drop’, so a lure that falls slower, but has enough weight in the head to enable its tail to ‘work’, will always outfish a similar lure,” explained Paul.
“Curly tails are excellent jigging lures, because they offer loads of vibration on the retrieve. Paddle tails are also excellent. Try to select ones with large tail discs and thin wrists, as they do not need as much weight to ‘work’.”
THE NED RIG
This is a slight variation of micro jigging. The rubber lure floats, so when used with a jig head the end of the lure tilts up to imitate a fish feeding on the bottom. You can drag these slowly along the bottom or bounce them around. Z-Man has a big selection using its Elaztech technology, but the TRD stick lures are best. Get them at www. lurelounge.co.uk