The Coach
THIS WEEK: Angling Times Mark Peck reveals his top lure patterns
Drop shotting – how to choose the best lures for bigger perch
SO YOU’VE bought all the equipment, you’ve found somewhere to try out drop shotting, but you’re not sure which lures work best...
There are literally thousands of lure patterns on the market, most of which will catch perch, zander or pike.
However, choosing the right lure is more important on the bank than it is in the tackle shop.
All you need is a handful featuring different colours and sizes and this should see you put some fish on the bank. By testing out different lures on the day, you’ll soon discover the hot ones!
BRIGHT COLOURS
Having a selection of different coloured lures is more important than a wide choice of sizes.
The old adage is that bright lures such as chartreuse score in murky water, while naturals work better in clear water. However, it is more important to contrast your lure colour to the colour of the water to help make it more visible to the fish.
For example, don’t use a brown lure in muddy water. If you’re unsure, just keep trying different colours and patterns until you start to get bites.
PINTAILS
Many of the top lure anglers will have this pattern in their drop shot tackle box. They work really well with this method as they are easy to manipulate. A light movement on the rod will impart a lifelike movement to them as the small tapered tail flutters a lot more easily in the water than say a shad tail lure.
Start with one around an inch long, but try smaller if you are struggling for bites or there is a shoal of smaller fish in your swim willing to feed.
Pintail lures are very common in the tackle shop and manufacturers offer a wide variety of colours, sometimes in the same pack.
MICRO LURES
These lures can be as small as 1cm in length and are a great option, particularly if you want lots of bites – their modest size will allow smaller perch to take the bait rather than simply follow it.
However, don’t be fooled into thinking micros only catch small perch – anglers regularly catch fish of 4lb-plus fish using lures as small as this. It’s all about matching the imitation to the real fry which the perch are feeding on.
FLY LURES
Larger versions of this kind of lure have been used successfully by pike anglers for years, but Fox Rage has recently brought out a smaller pattern for jigging and drop shotting.
Measuring 8cm in length, it has a buoyant plastic body, and its fur-like tail creates a vibration in the water unlike that of any other lure.
Flies could be a real game-changer on the lure scene, especially for pike and perch on large waters.
SHAD AND CURLY TAILS
The most common lure pattern, shad tail lures are available in a range of sizes, from half-an-inch up to a foot long. They are great for jigging, and tactics that require or allow more movement in the lure in order to make them lifelike.
The small versions can be used for drop-shotting, as their large, paddlelike tails create lots of vibration in the water. They come in many different colours and styles. Spiky ones work well for zander as they create a lot of the vibration favoured by the species.
Curly tails, too, can be drop shotted and work well when pulled along the bottom very slowly. Simply move the weight close to the lure to position your bait on the deck.