Best lures for perch fishing

No lure section would be complete without the humble spinner, like those included in the Ron Thompson Spinner Pack. This lure has been around for decades and still accounts for thousands of fish captures a year. The spinner consists of a treble hook, with a small section of steel bar where a shiny blade and sometimes some beads will sit, when retrieved, this blade will rotate, causing it to vibrate and flash. 

The spinner will sink, so it is best fished on a straight retrieve, allowing it to sink a bit further with each cast before you start reeling. Once you have found the depth the fish are feeding, allow the lure to sink to that depth every time before you reel in. A great lure for beginners to start with, perch big and small will take it, and it’s so easy to fish with.

When it comes to soft plastic baits, the Fiiish Minnow really does take some beating. The action the lure has and the colours that it is available in just seem to prove irresistible to perch, and anglers find themselves using them time and time again.

The lures have a detachable head, so you can swap the bodies for a different colour or if they get damaged. The weedless design ensures you won’t get snagged up, making them ideal for weedy or snaggy swims. The jig head comes in 6 styles depending on the depth of water you’re fishing in, with weights from 6g-190g, you’re sure to find one right for the scenario you're faced with.

The lure bodies are available in sizes 7-20cm and 19 different colours. For perch, the smaller sizes are best, the 7-10cm with the lighter jig heads proving to be the most effective, perfect for jigging along canal walls or bumping along the bottom.

The Savage Gear Gravity Crank is a fantastic diving lure for perch, its rounded profile and realistic patterns make it very successful on a wide range of venues. It comes in patterns that relate to what the perch are feeding on naturally, such as roach and other perch, and the size of 5.9cm is ideal. It is not too small that perch will ignore it, and it isn't too big that it spooks them.

The squared vein moves a lot of water on the retrieve, that helps to create plenty of vibration and makes the lure dart and wobble to entice the perch to take it. There is also a built-in rattle to add a further element of attraction to the lure. With a diving depth of around 1-1.5m it will stay above any debris to prevent you getting snagged.

The lure is best fished erratically, lots of sharp turns on the reel and jerks on the rod, with the odd pause to allow the lure to float up in the water and make it look like a dying fish.

These Fox Rage Ultra UV Micro Lure packs offer up to eight soft plastic lures, ranging from a tiny 4cm to 7cm. Each pack comes with a variety of colours, and you can choose between shads, spiky shads, and grub-style lures to ensure you have plenty of options to change and give the perch what they want.

Due to the tiny size and almost weightless construction, these lures are ideally suited to using with a small jig head or used as part of a drop shot setup. If you are struggling, or if the fish are feeding on very small fry after the other fish have spawned, these lures really come into their own and will help get you a bite when nothing else can. The UV element of the lures comes from reflective glitters and plastics contained inside them that reflect the sunlight, helping them glint and flash when they are worked, much like an injured fish does.

Don't be put off by the miniature size of these lures, thinking only small perch will take them, as it is not the case. Many big perch often become preoccupied with small fish in the summer and will readily take a small jig if it's presented correctly.

As many of us are aware, the American signal crayfish is a very invasive species in UK waterways, and it has spread far and wide. When crayfish moult (shed their shell) they are very soft, defenceless and prone to being eaten or attacked and the perch have become only too aware of this. It is no coincidence that perch that inhabit the same waterways infested with these crayfish are becoming increasingly larger and it's because they are eating them in abundance.

The Korum Snapper Reggiez are a creature bait that has been made to mimic the crayfish perfectly, they look and behave almost identically to the real thing and anywhere perch feed on crayfish, this lure will be deadly. Made with a buoyant material, they sit up off the bottom much like a crayfish does when its under threat, attracting perch to attack. The lure can be fished weedless style because the material is so soft it is easily crushed, thus exposing the hook when a perch hits it, whilst also allowing the lure to be gently teased along the bottom to replicate what a perch is used to seeing.

The claws and body wobble almost uncontrollably when retrieved, creating loads of vibrations and visual cues for the perch to home in on, a lot of the bites come when the lure is left to pause after a period of retrieval. They are available in 7.5cm, a range of colours, and the loaded versions come with a jig head and hook attached.

These small Berkley Pulse Spin Tail lures are an updated version of a spinner which can be used in a much wider range of scenarios and have a few extra features that make them a bit more effective. The main body of the lure is a metal, fish-shaped design with two spinner blades at the base of the tail.

One large blade spins whilst the other rotates around the lure. Not only does this look like a fish beating its tail, it causes an incredible amount of flashing and vibration to ensure the perch know it is there. The blades also cause the body of the lure to wobble erratically, further enhancing its attraction.

The lures are available in 5cm - 7.5cm and a range of appealing colours, they can be jigged but generally the best way to fish them is on a steady, straight retrieve to really get the maximum benefit from the blades.

Rapala have a global reputation for producing fantastic quality lures that catch fish, the Rapala Shadow Rap Lure is no different and it is a deadly lure for catching perch. The slim profile of the lure perfectly resembles juvenile prey fish like roach and minnows, and the 7cm version is just the right size.

The translucent/pearl finish helps the lure remain reflective even in low light levels, which is often when the biggest fish are hunting. The tungsten bearings inside the lure give you optimum casting weight as well as an extra rattle when it is reeled in. The lure is available in loads of colours too. We have found it best in roach patterns or in something very visual, as sometimes the extra colour can be the trigger to get the perch to take it.

This style of lure is best fished by twitching the rod tip with violent jerks before allowing it to pause for a few seconds and resuming the retrieve. This will cause the lure to spin, roll and dance in a very unpredictable manner, just like a dying fish, so even the wariest of perch are unable to tell the difference.

Jigging with small, grub-style, soft plastics, like those in the Savage Gear Grub Kit, has become a commonplace tactic on a wide range of venues due to its effectiveness. The lures don't look like anything in particular but look similar to a lot of the items perch like to feed on, like small worms, crustaceans and small fish.

The lures lend themselves to being jigged with the heads included in the kit or used on a drop shot rig and will work equally well with whichever style you choose. The kit is particularly useful if you are new to lure fishing, as they contain everything you need to get started, plus a range of colours, so you have plenty to try and tempt the perch with.

There are 52 pieces in the kit, and the lures have various tail patterns, from curly to twisted, to ensure they give off maximum attraction when retrieved. The lures work really well when simply jigged or straight retrieved, again making them ideal for novice users, as they don't require any specialist techniques to work.

These Westin Ringteez Curtail 10cm lures are great for jigging on reservoirs or other large bodies of water, where the perch are used to taking larger prey items. The ribbed body and oversized curled tail give out maximum vibrations when they are jigged, and the wide range of colours ensures that no matter what the fish want, whether that be bright and obvious or natural and subtle, you'll have a lure to tempt them.

They can be fished on a variety of setups, from a straight jig to a drop shot and will work on a straight retrieve or when jigged from a boat. The lure can be bumped along the bottom with lots of prolonged pauses or worked quickly when they fish are really active, it is such a versatile lure, however you want to fish it, it will be hard for the perch to resist it.