Top five lures for perch fishing with Sam Edmonds

After the pike, perch and zander have spawned they will be ready to go on a feeding spree. so here are my top five lures that i use when going after perch and zander in spring. 

Shad (Berkley Ripple Shad 5cm and 7cm) 

The Ripple Shad has a thick paddle tail, and ribs running along the body, which produce lots of vibration when the lure is retrieved – ideal for fishing in coloured canals.

Plastic worm (Berkley Floating Mice Tail) 

A plastic worm that works well on a drop shot rig, nose-hooked on a size 6-8 hook. Brown is a great all-round colour, but brighter pink and white lures are great in coloured water.

Crankbait (Berkley Frenzy Flicker Shad Suspending 5cm) 

This crankbait dives to around 5ft, great for fishing shallow canals. It covers lots of water quickly, searching out fish, and an internal rattle adds to the enticing action.

Shad (Berkley Powerbait Shrug Minnow 1.5ins)

Rigged on a 1.5g or 2.5g jighead, I use this tiny shad for smaller perch and zander, but it works for big fish too. Orange Glow is a great colour but Cherry Red is a close second.

Twitchtail (Berkley Twitchtail Minnow) 

Available in many colours, this is my favourite soft bait for rigging on a drop shot rig to target big perch, but is also great for zander. I like to nose-hook these on a size 2 Owner Mosquito drop shot hook.