Perch

Perch Lures at Charlie's Fishing: Finesse Softbaits, Crankbaits, Blades and Jig Heads

Perch lures need to do two things: find the fish fast and then fool them when they turn picky. Perch hunt in groups, react quickly to flash and vibration, and become very selective in clear or heavily fished water. In this collection you find our lures for perch: finesse softbaits for the drop shot, Ned rig and jig head, compact crankbaits and twitchbaits, vibration baits and spintails for deep schools, small surface lures, compact chatterbaits and spinnerbaits, and the jig heads, hooks and leaders that go with them. It is for anglers who fish canals, rivers, harbours and lakes, from the bank or from a boat. Below you find which lure is for which situation.

Paddle tails and shads for perch on the jig head

A small shad on a jig head is the classic way to catch perch: cast, let it sink to the bottom, and lift it with short hops or wind it in slowly. A 3 to 7 g jig head covers most canals and lakes; go heavier in current or deeper water. The Rapala CrushCity The Kickman has a subtle kicking tail that works at the slowest retrieve, and the 3" (7.5 cm, 3 g) is the perch size; it also fishes on a drop shot or Texas rig. The Nays PRDTR 35 2.0 (8.9 cm, 6 g) has a broad body with a restrained rolling action and garlic scent, made for pressured water and cold conditions. The Greenfin Samba Paddle 7 cm is a compact paddle tail with a wide kick, made from a plastic-free, biodegradable protein blend. The Savage Gear Craft Shad Clear Water Mix gives you five slim shads that sink quickly, a good choice for deeper water and current. The ultra-soft Toppies Skeletonius (7 and 10 cm) has a floating tail that rises off the bottom like a small fish, and the Chasebaits Flacid Shad 7,5 cm flutters on the drop with its ribbon tail and has a belly slit for weedless rigging. More in Paddle Tails and Zander and Perch Softbaits, and per brand in Rapala, Nays and Savage Gear Lures.

Pintails and V-tails for drop shot and finesse fishing

When perch follow but do not bite, a slim pintail or V-tail that moves on the spot is often the answer. On a drop shot rig the bait hangs just above the bottom and keeps working while your weight stays put. The Toppies Pintius 7 cm is made from a light, floating material, so it works on a drop shot, a dart jig, a Carolina rig or a Texas rig, and it survives nose hooking much longer than most pintails. The DSTYLE Virola 2.8" (7.1 cm, 2.2 g) is a V-tail for perch hunting small baitfish, on a light jig head, a Ned rig, a drop shot or a neko rig. The Jackall Drift Fry 3" is an elastic elastomer baitfish for drop shot, light jig heads and offset hooks in clear or pressured water. Want more flash? The Fish Arrow Flash Jerk Spin 3" (7.5 cm) combines an internal foil insert with a small spinning blade. See all V-Tails & Pintails, and the full ranges of Toppies, DSTYLE and Jackall.

Ned rig, worms, craws and tubes: slow on the bottom

In cold water and on difficult days, perch often take a bait that sits still on the bottom. The Rapala CrushCity Ned BLT is made from a durable TPE that stands up straight on the bottom, ideal on a Charlie's Tungsten Ned Rig: a compact tungsten head with a flat shape that keeps the softbait upright and lets you feel every bit of bottom. The PXS Kagashi Worm 3" 7,5 cm is a pin-tail worm for the drop shot, round jig head, Texas rig and Carolina rig. For a craw, the Walobaits Maramba Craw 3" (7.6 cm) with shrimp scent fishes on a Texas rig, a Ned rig or a neko rig. The tiny HideUp Coike Mini has an 8 mm core with long elastomer tentacles that keep moving even when you hold the bait still: fish it on a drop shot, weighted wacky or neko rig. For big perch, Charlie's Tube (10 cm) is a hollow mix of tube and craw that takes tube jigs or regular jig heads. More in Ned's & Worms and Craws & Creature Baits, and from HideUp and PXS Pitch and Strike.

Crankbaits and twitchbaits to search the shallows

Hard lures let you cover water quickly and find the active perch. The Rapala DT4 Dives-To Crankbait (5 cm) is a balsa crankbait that dives to about 1.2 m and stays there, made for shorelines, weed beds and rocks. The Rapala Shad Rap Elite 55 (5.5 cm, 7 g) runs at 2.4 to 2.7 m for deeper perch. The BlueBlue Zepper 40F (4 cm, 4 g) is a floating mini crankbait with rattles, for perch feeding on small baitfish. The Nays CRNK FLT (7.5 cm, 10.5 g) is slow floating and runs at 0.8 to 1.5 m, so it rises gently during pauses. To twitch, the Toppies Primos (7.5 cm, 9 g) is a suspending twitchbait that runs at 0.5 to 1 m, and the Jackall Live Darter (52 mm, 4.5 g) is a sinking minnow that darts from side to side on short, sharp rod tip movements. See all Crankbaits & Twitchbaits and the BlueBlue Fishing range.

Vibration baits and spintails for deep perch schools

In autumn and winter perch often gather in deep schools along drop-offs, harbour walls and in rivers. Compact, heavy lures that cast far and sink fast get you there. The BlueBlue Narage 50 (5 cm, about 12 g) is a vibration lure with a tight, steady vibration, designed to fall in a spiral so the line does not tangle; cast it or fish it vertically. The Rapala Rippin' Spin is a metal spintail with a blade on a swivel that keeps turning on the drop: the 3 cm (9 g) is the perch size, the 4 cm (16 g) casts further for windy days and running water. Fish both with a lift and drop along the bottom. More in Vibration Baits, and read our blog River Fishing: 9 Lures We Always Bring for Perch, Zander and Pike.

Surface lures for perch

On calm days in late spring and summer, perch chase small baitfish to the surface. The Stucki Fishing Mini Bubble 35 (3.5 cm, 2 g) is a tiny popper with a mouth shaped for splash and sound, made for the time of year when baitfish are still small. The Rapala Skitter Pop 5 cm (6 g) has a cupped lip and a balsa body, so you can pop it, walk it or skitter it across the surface. Use a light rod so these small lures cast well. See all Topwaters.

Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits for perch

Blades bring vibration and flash, which helps in coloured water and when perch are actively hunting. The PXS Copper Head Blade Junior is a compact chatterbait in 7 g (7 cm) and 9 g (8 cm) with a #2/0 hook; the PXS Kagashi Worm is made to fit behind it as a trailer. The DSTYLE D-Spiker Compact 7g is a finesse spinnerbait with a small profile, powerful blades and an extra sharp 2/0 hook, and a hanger underneath to add weight. See all Chatterbaits & Spinnerbaits.

Jig heads, hooks and leaders for perch

Light terminal tackle makes small lures work properly. The Toppies Tungsten Dart Jig (5, 7 and 10 g) makes a pintail like the Pintius dart unpredictably through the water. The BKK Predator WG is a wide gape finesse hook for wacky rigging and drop shot, with a micro barb for easy unhooking. A perch will not bite through your line, but where pike live they often take a perch lure too: the VMC Fluorocarbon Leader in 0.80 mm is a ready to fish leader for perch, zander and average-sized pike. More in Jigheads, Hooks and Rigs, Lines and Leaders and BKK Hooks.

Which perch lure for which situation

• Clear water and pressured perch: Toppies Pintius, DSTYLE Virola 2.8" or HideUp Coike Mini on a drop shot.
• Cold water, perch on the bottom: Rapala CrushCity Ned BLT on a tungsten Ned rig, or a Nays PRDTR 35 2.0 slowly on a jig head.
• Searching for active perch in shallow water: Rapala DT4, BlueBlue Zepper 40F or Toppies Primos.
• Deep schools in autumn and winter: BlueBlue Narage 50 or Rapala Rippin' Spin.
• Perch hunting at the surface in summer: Stucki Fishing Mini Bubble 35 or Rapala Skitter Pop 5 cm.
• Coloured water: PXS Copper Head Blade Junior or DSTYLE D-Spiker Compact 7g.
• Big perch: Charlie's Tube, Toppies Skeletonius 10 cm or Fish Arrow Flash Jerk Spin 3". Also see Zander, Pike, Trout and Asp.

Why buy perch lures at Charlie's Fishing

We are a specialised predator fishing webshop and stock perch lures from Rapala, Toppies, BlueBlue, Nays, DSTYLE, HideUp, Jackall, Savage Gear, PXS, Capt'n Greenfin and more, in the sizes that suit perch, with the jig heads, hooks and leaders to match. Every order ships from our own stock in the Netherlands with fast delivery across Europe, and we are happy to help you choose the right lure for your water.

What is the best lure for perch?

There is no single best lure. In clear or heavily fished water a small pintail or V-tail on a drop shot or a Ned rig usually works best. When perch are active, a small crankbait, vibration bait or spintail helps you find them quickly.

Which size softbait should I use for perch?

Softbaits of 5 to 8 cm cover most perch fishing. Go for 10 cm when you target big perch or want to avoid the small ones.

Which rig is best for perch: drop shot, Ned rig or jig head?

The jig head is the all-round choice for searching. The drop shot keeps a bait working on the spot for fussy fish, and the Ned rig is best for slow fishing on the bottom in cold water.