Perch and Pike on Lures: A Summer of Personal Bests!

This year has been incredible! I’ve dedicated time to truly exploring my local waters, and in doing so, I’ve shattered my personal bests for both Pike and Perch. By experimenting with different lures and colours, I’ve honed in on what the fish in my area really respond to. This article covers two sessions at the same location.

My PB Perch!

The first session of my exploration began on a stretch of the local canal where it meets the River Calder. The day was overcast, with mild temperatures—perfect conditions. I originally planned to head straight to the river, but as I crossed the bridge, I noticed fish activity in the canal below.

For this part of the session, I opted for the Fox Rage Spikey Shad in Green and Black. Almost immediately, I felt a nibble, and a couple of casts later, I landed a nice Perch — a great way to kick things off! I continued working the area, covering the water, and soon after, cast under the bridge. The retrieve was simple: a few turns of the reel, drop, repeat. Suddenly, the line tightened.

At first, I thought I had snagged on something, but it became clear I was onto a heavier fish—likely a Pike, given the absence of head shakes. After a good fight on my ultra-light setup (8lb fluoro lead), a solid Pike surfaced. I quickly unhooked and released it, not wanting to stress the fish longer than necessary, especially with awkward access to the water.

Moving from the canal to the riverside, I fished through dense, overgrown vegetation. Despite the challenging terrain, I found a spot and hooked another Pike on the same lure, which I managed to net after a brief fight. Two Pike and one Perch—so far, so good.

The Green and Black Spikey Shad, rigged with a 3g jig head for a slow fall and retrieve, was clearly doing the trick. I continued down the river, working toward a weir I hadn’t fished before. Along the way, I caught more fish while missing a few on my medium rod loaded with a Savage Gear Smash Tail topwater.

At the weir, I was buzzing with excitement. The water looked perfect, and the fast flow suggested it was well-oxygenated, with the potential for large fish. I cast the Spikey Shad along the weir wall and felt a tap—then a hit! I started reeling in a Perch when, suddenly, a large Pike engulfed it! Knowing I was only on a light setup, I played it cautiously. As the Pike surfaced, I realized it was huge. My heart raced as I fought to bring it in, but just as I thought I had it, the Pike spit out the Perch. Thankfully, the Perch, though scarred, swam off fine.

With my adrenaline pumping, I switched to the medium rod and tied on a Rapala Xrap Twitchin’ Shad, a lure that mimics a Perch. A few casts in, I felt another solid hit. This time, it wasn’t a Pike but a stunning, PB-breaking Perch—42cm and 2.46lbs. I was ecstatic! I wrapped up the day and couldn’t wait to tell my wife.

My PB Pike!

Despite being thrilled with my PB Perch, I couldn’t stop thinking about the massive Pike I’d nearly caught. Large Pike can be tricky to target in summer due to the warmer water, but the weir pool was highly oxygenated, so I decided to give it another shot.

Armed with a Savage Gear Cannibal Shad in White and Dark Green with an orange paddle tail, I loaded up my Savage Gear SG4 Medium Game Rod (12-35g) with 30lb braid and a wire trace.

After a few casts into the fast flow, I felt a massive pull. The fight was on, and it felt like trying to tow a truck! The Pike repeatedly ripped line off the reel as I fought to keep it from snagging behind a grass bank. Eventually, I manoeuvred it into my net, and the battle was over.

She was a true beast, bending my net under her weight. Weighing in at 14.72lbs and measuring 100cm, she was my largest Pike ever. After a careful unhooking and measuring process, I released her back into the water, supporting her as she recovered. After about 10 minutes, she regained her strength and swam off gracefully into the oxygenated flow.

Final Thoughts

I took a moment to sit and reflect. These are the moments we anglers live for—the exhilaration, the excitement, the adrenaline. I’ll never forget these experiences, and I hope you enjoyed this recap as much as I enjoyed perch and pike fishing on lures.

Looking forward to the next adventure—see you soon!