The Pikers Pit

Hi,

New to the forum. I'm looking to get into lure fishing for perch this winter. I've never lure fished before (mainly a carp angler) so I'm researching the gear i will need to cover jigging and dropshotting and I was hoping to get some advice on whether the below setup is suitable. I'll be fishing drains with pike and zander in them, I'm not targeting them but if i do get one I want to be able to land it safely rather than getting cut off.

rod - spinning rod circa 7ft casting weight up to 15g
reel - 2500 size front drag
mainline - braid 20lb
leader - light wire trace for jigging and 10lb flouro for dropshot
various lures circa 1.5-3 inch
jig heads circa 5g
dropshot hooks and dropshot weights

Does the above look about right? Also if anyone has any recommended entry level brands etc for the above then that would be welcome.

Welcome aboard.
Where are you located?

Did you know you can catch carp on lures?
Try a Bent Minnow, on the right days they will come a long way for a chomp on that lure.
Another to use is a small white sandeel, the 30-35mm size is best.

Our members also catch carp on bits of dead fish, make a search and see.

Mike J wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16 2019 09:56 -

Welcome aboard.
Where are you located?

Did you know you can catch carp on lures?
Try a Bent Minnow, on the right days they will come a long way for a chomp on that lure.
Another to use is a small white sandeel, the 30-35mm size is best.

Our members also catch carp on bits of dead fish, make a search and see.

Thanks. I'm located in the Peterborough area.

Cant say I've thought of carping on lures. Will have to give that a go one day!

Sounds about right to me for targeting Perch, good luck.
Clearly there are/will be exceptions and specific circumstances which may have to be taken into account where you may have to reconsider your original choice but on the whole I reckon you should be OK
Let us know how you get on.

Will

Will Smith wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16 2019 20:03 -

Sounds about right to me for targeting Perch, good luck.
Clearly there are/will be exceptions and specific circumstances which may have to be taken into account where you may have to reconsider your original choice but on the whole I reckon you should be OK
Let us know how you get on.

Will

Thanks very much. I've just ordered the tackle so lets see how it goes

Don’t forget a set of forceps coz you’re bound to snag a pike eventually !!!
Keep those digits safe

Maybe reduce the strength of braid if targeting perch, especially for the small jig heads. I was using 19lb with no issues, dropped to 9 and everything feels much more balanced and can cast further and more accurately. Haven't lost anything due to the reduction in bs either

My perch fishing has been transformed this winter by jigging with Zman TRD's in the worm and crawfish patterns, to the extent that a 'bad' day can be better than my previous good days. Take a look on YouTube there is plenty of information on there regarding their use for both zander and perch. You will also catch pike, some of which can be quite surprising, a friend of mine recently had one over 20lb and mid doubles are a regular occurrence.
I jigging rod from 3g up to between 10 and 15g casting weight rather than a lure rod is more suitable due to the action, thin braid is essential due to 'feel' and cutting down the drag from the water. I'm using 0.06mm yellow (for visibility as some takes can be very slight and simply be the line pulling back into the water) Spiderwire Smooth Stealth which is around 15lb breaking strain and Knot 2 Kinky trace wire rated at 6lb (this is vastly underrated and I suspect its nearer 6kg). For the snap connectors I'm using Crazy Fish snaps in size 1 rated at 22lb bs.
Trace wire, snaps cheb jig weights, much more and many soft plastics suitable are available from Lurefactors https://lurefactors.co.uk/ and AGM https://www.agmdiscountfishing.co.uk/
I've come across quite a few anglers using very similar set ups and like myself have only broken off on solid snags using this kit, note that as yet I haven't broken a trace which instils confidence in the product.
Finally a good quality jig rod, with a 2500 size reel and the line above will also make an excellent drop shot rod, I would recommend doing this rather than buying 2 budget rods.
https://www.predatortackle.co.uk/Rods/W ... ds-5g-20g/
https://www.westin-fishing.com/en/produ ... finesse-tc