Zander and Perch Softbaits

Zander and perch softbaits at Charlie's Fishing: shads, V-tails, worms and craws by size, tail and technique

This is our collection of softbaits for zander and perch: the shads, V-tails, pintails, worms, craws and creature baits that catch both species on a jig head, a drop shot, a Ned rig or an offset hook. Zander and perch often feed on the same baitfish and in the same places, but they want a different size, a different tail and a different speed. On this page we go through exactly that: which size softbait for perch and which for zander, when a paddle tail beats a V-tail, which jig head weight fits which depth and technique, and which colour works in clear or coloured water. All softbaits come from brands such as DSTYLE, HideUp, Nays, Savage Gear Lures, Toppies, Megabass, Frapp and Rapala. For the complete range per species see Zander and Perch.

Which size softbait: 5 to 8 cm for perch, 10 to 15 cm for zander

Perch have a small mouth and hunt fry, small roach and invertebrates, so a softbait of 5 to 8 cm gets the most bites. When perch feed on tiny fry in spring and early summer, drop down to the DSTYLE Virola Micro 1.5" (3.8 cm, 0.6 g) on a micro jig head or a size 6 to 8 drop shot hook, or the Greenfin Tango Pin 5 cm, a plastic-free pintail with a gentle after-quiver. The DSTYLE Virola Slim 2.5" (6.4 cm, 1.4 g), the Jackall Drift Fry 2.5" (6.3 cm, floating elastomer) and the Megabass Hazedong 3" (7.5 cm) are the everyday perch sizes for a jig head of 2 to 5 g or a drop shot. On pressured water and in cold conditions, the Nays PRDTR 27 2.0 (6.9 cm, about 3 g) is the smallest size of the redesigned PRDTR: a broad paddle tail with a restrained roll and garlic scent, on a light jig head or a drop shot. Go to 10 cm when you fish for big perch or want to keep the small ones off the hook.

Zander are built for bigger prey. A softbait of 10 to 13 cm is the standard, and 14 to 16 cm is a good choice in autumn, in deep water or when big fish feed on roach and bream. The Megabass Hazedong 5" (12.7 cm) is a slim rolling bait for a 3/0 jig head, the Nays GHST JNR 50 (12.7 cm, 11.1 g) a curl tail that keeps working at every speed, and the Toppies Provius (14 cm) a full-body paddle tail that stands up on the bottom thanks to its slightly buoyant material. The Nays PRDTR 43 2.0 (10.9 cm, about 10 g) is the all round zander size of the same rolling shad, on a 3/0 jig head, and big perch still take it. For the biggest profile in a finesse bait there is the DSTYLE Virola 6" (15.2 cm, 14 g) and the Frapp Snatcher 6.6" (16 cm, 19.5 g). Many models come in both ranges, so you can fish one bait family for both species: the Savage Gear Craft Bleak Clear Water Mix runs from 7 to 12 cm with hook sizes 1/0 to 4/0, and the Savage Gear Fat Minnow T-Tail Clear Water Mix from 7.5 to 13 cm with 2/0 to 5/0.

Paddle tail, V-tail or finesse: which tail for which fish

A paddle tail kicks and rolls on its own, which makes it the search bait for active zander and perch and the easiest softbait to fish: cast, let it sink and wind it in or hop it along the bottom. The Savage Gear Craft Shad Dark Water Mix is a slim bleak imitation with a tight kick that tracks well in current and deeper water, the Savage Gear 3D Herring Shad Clear Water Mix (9, 11 and 13 cm) throws flash from its flat sides while it rolls, and the Savage Gear Cannibal Shad Dark Water Mix Pre-Rigged comes rigged and ready to cast. More in Paddle Tails.

A V-tail moves far less. It sways and rolls like a weakened baitfish, which is what pressured zander and perch want when they follow a shad but do not take it. The hollow DSTYLE Virola Type HG 4" (10.2 cm, 5 g) has salt only in its underside, so it falls with a swaying action and casts further than the standard Virola 4", for mid-strolling, a Ned rig or an offset hook. The DRT Cramp Shad (11 cm, 10 g) combines a small V-tail with a high-frequency paddle, a subtle hybrid for jigging and slow retrieves, and the Fish Arrow Flash Jerk Split 4" (10 cm) adds an internal foil that flashes like real scales to a split tail that kicks and glides. See V-Tails & Pintails.

Finesse baits have almost no tail action and rely on the fall, the roll and your rod tip. The Nays NTRL 35 (8.9 cm, 3.5 g) has an integrated reflective foil and a stable swim at minimal movement, for drop shot, a jig head or mid-strolling. The HideUp Stagger Stick 4" (8.4 cm, 3 g) falls with a subtle panic movement and fishes wacky, on a jig head, a drop shot or a Carolina rig, and the Megabass Hazedong 4" (10 cm) rolls and darts on the lightest twitch, weightless or on a light jig head. Our guide Softbait Fishing Masterclass: how to get more from shads and jig heads goes deeper into tails, heads and retrieves.

Jigging and dragging: the jig head weight for each depth

The rule is simple: use the lightest jig head that still lets you feel the bottom. In canals, harbours and still water up to about 3 m, a 3 to 7 g head is enough for perch and a 5 to 10 g head for zander. From 3 to 6 m, or with a bit of wind, go to 10 to 14 g. In deep rivers, strong current or beyond 6 m you need 14 to 20 g or more, and a tungsten head gives you the same weight in a smaller size with more feel. For jigging, lift the rod tip one or two turns of the reel and let the bait fall on a tight line; most zander bites come on the drop. For dragging, keep the rod low and pull the bait over the bottom in slow sweeps, which suits a paddle tail like the Provius or the Craft Shad in cold water. Product pages name the head sizes that fit: the Nays NTRL 35 pairs with the BKK Hyperlatch Round Jig Hooks in 2/0, the GHST JNR 50 with the 3/0, and the Hazedong 3" with the Toppies Tungsten Dart Jig in size 2. The Frapp Snatcher 4″ (10 cm, 4.4 g) swings its long tail calmly from side to side on a slow or a fast retrieve, a good jigging bait for zander in pressured water. All heads and weights are in Jigheads and Weights, and our beginners' guide Zander Fishing for Beginners: the guide for catching zander explains where to find zander and how to fish the jig head step by step.

Vertical and pelagic fishing from the boat

Straight under the boat you want a compact, stable bait on a 12 to 25 g head, depending on depth and drift, and a tail that works without much movement: the Craft Shad, the Fat Minnow T-Tail or the Nays PRDTR 50 2.0 (12.7 cm, 16.9 g) with its restrained roll and garlic scent all do this. For zander that hang in open water, often spotted on live sonar, a bigger and quieter V-tail works better than a kicking shad. The Frapp Placoid 6" (15 cm) (14 g) swims on a jig head or a corkscrew rig with stinger with movable fins and an asymmetrical V-tail, the Frapp GekoSlug 7" (18 cm) was designed for precise casts at single fish on live sonar and comes with noise capsules, and the Frapp Dotty Dart 6" (15 cm) wobbles on a smooth retrieve or darts from side to side when jerked weightless. See Pelagic and the Frapp range.

Drop shot: the softbaits that hang still and still move

On a drop shot the weight sits on the bottom and the bait hangs 20 to 50 cm above it, so you can hold it in front of a fish for as long as you like. That makes it the first choice for perch in clear or pressured water and for zander that lie deep and inactive. Use a 5 to 10 g drop shot weight in canals and 10 to 20 g in rivers and deep lakes. The DSTYLE D.S Kammer 2.5" (6.4 cm, 1.7 g) and DSTYLE D.S Kammer 3" (7.6 cm, 2.3 g) were designed for the drop shot: their scythe tail grabs water immediately and their V-shaped ribs give a rolling action with minimal rod movement, which triggers inactive perch. The Virola Slim 2.5" keeps rolling on a drop shot thanks to its slim body, and the Fish Arrow Flash Jerk Split 3" (7.5 cm) gives flash on the spot. For zander, a 10 cm bait such as the NTRL 35, the Hazedong 4" or the Flash Jerk Split 4" on a BKK Predator WG hook is the right size. Read Perch Fishing with Drop Shot, Carolina Rig, Ned Rig and Finesse Baits for the rig step by step, and see Hooks and Rigs.

Ned rig, neko rig and worms on the bottom

In cold water and on hard-fished stretches, a small bait that stands on the bottom and barely moves often gets bites a swimming shad cannot. The Rapala CrushCity Salted NedRoll (8 cm, 4 g) is a floating TPE bait with a spade tail that imitates gobies and small whitefish on a Ned head or a drop shot. The DSTYLE Torquee Straight Type HG 3.8" (9.7 cm, 3.2 g) and DSTYLE Torquee Straight Type HG 4.8" (12.2 cm, 4.2 g) are straight worms with maximum salt, so they fall faster and keep bottom contact in deeper spots, and they work by themselves on a neko rig, wacky or an offset hook: the 3.8" for perch, the 4.8" for zander. The DSTYLE Freeimo 65 (6.5 cm, 7.7 g) is a do-nothing bait that you skip under overhanging cover and simply let sink, and the HideUp Wapper 4" (10.2 cm, 7.2 g) and HideUp Stagger Stick 5" (12 cm, 10.5 g) switch between wacky, Ned, neko and Texas rig without changing the profile. Use a 3 to 7 g Ned head for perch and 7 to 10 g for zander on deeper bottoms. More in Ned's & Worms, and read Canal fishing and city water fishing for pike, perch and zander for where these rigs shine.

Craws, creature baits and shrimps for big perch and zander around cover

Perch eat a lot of crayfish and shrimp, and zander pick them up along stone banks and harbour walls too. A craw on a cheburashka, a Carolina rig or a Texas rig stays in the strike zone where a shad would swim past. The Greenfin Laola Craw 7 cm is a compact protein-based crayfish for perch on stones and hard bottoms, the HideUp Stagger Craw 4" (10.2 cm, 8 g) has large active claws for drop shot, jig head and Carolina rig, and the Walobaits Maramba Craw 3" (7.6 cm) with shrimp scent fishes Texas, Ned or neko. The DSTYLE SVSB Big 3.4" (8.6 cm, 10 g) is a sinking creature bait with integrated legs that skips under trees and jetties on a 5/0 offset hook. The elastomer shrimps DSTYLE Ebison Boy 2.7" (7 cm, perch) and DSTYLE Ebison Mommy 4.1" (10.4 cm, big perch and zander) stand upright in a defensive posture with a small nail sinker in the tail. When slim baits lack presence, the HideUp Stagger Wide Hog 4" (10.2 cm, 20 g) and the hair-loaded HideUp Coike Shrimp Magnum Softbait (8 cm, 23 g) push water and vibration in coloured water and heavy cover. See Craws & Creature Baits, Capt'n Greenfin and Walobaits.

Curl tails, blades and soft crankbaits: a different signal

When every angler on your stretch fishes a paddle tail, a different vibration can be the trigger. The Nays GHST JNR 35 (8.9 cm, 4.1 g) is the perch-sized curl tail on a 1/0 head, and together with the GHST JNR 50 and the Rapala CrushCity The Curl (7.5 to 12.5 cm) it keeps waving at a speed where a paddle stops working. The Fish Arrow Flash Jerk Spin 4" (10 cm) adds a small spinning blade to the foil body for flash and vibration on a 3/0 head. The Madotachi Soft Hanitas Crank 3 (7.6 cm, about 8.5 g) is a floating soft crankbait with a wide wobble for perch over shallow weed, and the DRT Cramp Shad FAT (11 cm, 19 g) glides in wide S-curves on a weightless offset hook. The Chasebaits Flacid Shad 11 cm flutters its ribbon tail on the drop; read Chasebaits Flacid Shad: the ribbon-tail softbait that triggers fish. More in Curl Tails & Twister Tails, Fish Arrow, DRT and Madotachi.

Colour per water clarity

In clear water, natural patterns win: roach, bleak, perch and translucent baits with glitter or a foil insert, like the Flash Jerk Split and the NTRL 35. That is what the Savage Gear Clear Water Mix packs are built around. In coloured water or at dusk and night, when zander feed most, choose a solid silhouette with contrast: chartreuse, white, pink, black, UV-active and glow colours, which is what the Dark Water Mix packs and the UV bellies on Toppies and Nays baits offer. In between, a natural body with a bright tail is often the best of both. In cold water, fish the natural colours smaller and slower, and in summer and autumn you can go bigger and brighter. Scent helps when fish hold the bait a moment longer: the Nays PRDTR and GHST have garlic, the Provius and Laola Craw are flavoured or protein-based, and the Rapala CrushCity baits carry salt and scent.

Which zander and perch softbait for which situation

• Perch on small fry, clear water: Virola Micro 1.5", Tango Pin 5 cm or Drift Fry 2.5" on a micro jig head or drop shot.
• Everyday perch fishing on a 2 to 5 g jig head: Hazedong 3", Virola Slim 2.5", PRDTR 27 2.0, Craft Bleak 7 cm or Flash Jerk Split 3".
• Zander jigging along the bottom: Craft Shad 10 cm, 3D Herring Shad 11 cm, PRDTR 43 2.0, Hazedong 5" or Snatcher 4" on a 7 to 14 g head.
• Big zander, deep water or autumn: Provius 14 cm, Virola 6", Snatcher 6.6" or GHST JNR 50 on 14 to 20 g.
• Vertical fishing from the boat: PRDTR 50 2.0, Craft Shad or Fat Minnow T-Tail on a 12 to 25 g head.
• Pelagic zander on live sonar: Placoid 6", GekoSlug 7" or Dotty Dart 6".
• Perch and zander that follow but do not bite: D.S Kammer, Virola Type HG 4", Stagger Stick 4" or NTRL 35 on a drop shot.
• Cold water, fish on the bottom: NedRoll, Torquee Straight Type HG, Freeimo 65 or Wapper 4" on a Ned or neko rig.
• Stones, harbour walls and cover: Laola Craw, Stagger Craw 4", SVSB Big 3.4" or Ebison on a cheburashka, Texas or Carolina rig.
• Coloured water: Dark Water Mix shads, Stagger Wide Hog 4", Coike Shrimp Magnum or a curl tail. See also Pike and all Softbaits.

Why buy zander and perch softbaits at Charlie's Fishing

We picked these softbaits per size, tail and technique, from Japanese finesse baits by DSTYLE, HideUp, Megabass, Fish Arrow and Jackall to European shads from Savage Gear, Nays, Toppies, Illex and Frapp, with the jig heads, drop shot hooks and weights to match. Everything ships from our own stock in the Netherlands with fast delivery across Europe, and if you tell us your water and depth we are happy to tell you which size and head to start with.

Which size softbait for zander and perch?

For perch, 5 to 8 cm covers most fishing, with 10 cm for big perch. For zander, 10 to 13 cm is the standard and 14 to 16 cm is a good choice in autumn, in deep water or when big zander feed on larger baitfish.

Which jig head weight for zander and perch?

The lightest head that still gives you bottom contact: 3 to 7 g for perch and 5 to 10 g for zander in water up to 3 m, 10 to 14 g from 3 to 6 m, and 14 to 20 g or more in deep rivers, current or wind. Vertical fishing from a boat usually takes 12 to 25 g.

Paddle tail or V-tail for zander and perch?

A paddle tail is the search bait for active fish and the easiest to fish on a jig head. A V-tail or finesse bait moves less and catches the cautious fish that follow a shad without taking it, especially on a drop shot, a Ned rig or when mid-strolling. Carry both and switch when fish follow but do not bite.