Catching perch on lures is something that has been done for decades, with anglers taking advantage of the species’ predatory nature to land some truly impressive specimens using artificial baits. It's fair to say that in the last five years or so, thanks to advancements in materials and manufacturing processes, perch lures have evolved to the point where it's hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t anymore.
However, despite all the high-tech lures and modern methods available to tempt perch, the old classics still stand the test of time, as Steve O'Neill proved when he landed this giant fish on a spinner, arguably one of the simplest lures you can use.
"I was fishing a North Yorkshire reservoir that I knew held some good perch. In fact, only last week I landed a solid 4lb fish and just couldn't help returning to see if anything bigger was lurking," Steve told us.
"The day was very similar to the previous session, it was overcast, and it just felt right for another big fish. I targeted a similar area and, after a few casts, I had a really strong hit on my number 3 Savage Gear Rotex Spinner," he added.
"At first, I thought it was a jack pike, so I played it quite hard to get it in, only to seea huge perch surface right underneath my feet."
"I prayed it wouldn't come off, and thankfully it went into the net first time. It looked much bigger than the 4lb fish I caught before."
"I couldn't believe it when the scales read 5lb. I'm still shocked now, it's the fish of a lifetime, and words can't describe it!"
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