BAIT TIPS, TACKLE & TACTICS FOR PIKE AND PERCH

LAKES, canals and even commercial fisheries now produce perch over 3lb on a regular basis.

Yes, you can operate the law of averages and fish maggots on the waggler to eventually catch a big fish, but why not go straight for goal with a set-up tailor-made for snaring a big ‘Billy’?

Perch love worms, and can rarely resist a lobworm placed in front of them.

Fishing a bomb allows you to carefully set the rig and wait, while overcoming any wind and tow that can ruin floatfishing.

RUNNING RIG 1

Perch hate resistance, and will soon drop a bait if they feel anything pulling back on the other end.

That makes a running rig the only set-up to use, stopping the lead against a bead-and-swivel combo off which runs the 12-18ins hooklink.

LIGHT BOMB 2

A half or three-quarter-ounce bomb cuts down on resistance as a fish takes the bait. Ensure this is fixed to the rig with a snap link swivel so you can quickly change bomb sizes.

WHICH WORMS? 3

A lobworm is best. These massive earthworms are much-loved by perch, and a whole lob is something no perch can fail to see. Sometimes, though, just the softer tail end is a winner – perch can get hold of it a lot more easily.

POP THE WORM UP 4

As active hunters, perch regularly swim about off bottom, hunting small fish. If you can put the bait in front of them, chances are they’ll have it.

To present a worm off bottom, carefully inject it with air from an empty hypodermic syringe to make it buoyant.

It goes without saying that extreme care needs to be taken when doing this.

TUNGSTEN PUTTY 5

To keep the line on the bottom, place a piece of tungsten putty a few inches above the hook.