When you’re fishing, it’s important to have the right lure for the right fish. While many lures can be used for multiple types of fish, some lures work better in certain situations than others.
Fishing for perch? Perch fish are a type of pan fish found in freshwater. You can find them in lakes and rivers, and we’ve rounded up some of the best lures to use for your next perch fishing trip!
Top 5 Lures for Perch Fishing
These are the Best Perch Lures
- Berkley Gulp! Minnow
- Berkley Powerbait Power Honey Worms
- Rapala Jigging Rap
- Clam Leech Flutter Spoon
- Mepps Aglia Spinner
Berkley Gulp! Minnow
Since perch fish eat minnows, what better way to bait perch than using a minnow-like lure? Although you can use live or dead minnows as bait, Berkley’s Gulp! Minnow is just as effective, if not more likely to snag a perch. This lure is also an excellent choice if you’re fishing for rock bass or bluegills.
The realistic body tempts perch to bite, and the lure moves naturally in the water to attract fish as well. Berkley’s products also include their signature scent and flavor to keep fish on the line once they bite. If that isn’t enough to reel in perch, the Gulp! Minnow comes in plenty of styles that mimic actual baitfish, like Black Shad. The lure also comes in colors like Rainbow and Fire Tiger, so the brightness and shine will attract perch and other fish.
Berkley PowerBait Power Honey Worms
With honey in the name, this lure sounds sweet, and there’s a reason why this is called PowerBait. Another great product from Berkley, these PowerBait Power Honey Worms will land you some perch. The scent and flavor infused into the Honey Worms are the primary attraction of this lure. Perch and other fish will hold onto the worm after biting. Still, the worms will move naturally in the water, much like live worms, so this will draw attention well.
In one container, you’ll receive 55 worms, which is a fantastic deal. PowerBait Power Honey Worms are recommended for ice fishing and open water bobber fishing, so bring these along if you’re going ice perch fishing.
Rapala Jigging Rap
Rapala is a well-known and trusted brand for fishing tools, especially lures. It’s no surprise that their lures make a list for best perch lures. For perch fishing, Outdoor Life recommends using a size 2 or 3 while larger-sized lures work for bigger fish and walleyes.
The Rapala Jigging Rap has a minnow profile, which is going to attract perch. Besides feeding on minnow, perch can also eat yellow perch. Rapala offers this lure in colors like perch and yellow perch, so consider buying these styles to maximize the appeal of your lure. Even if you decide to purchase another color, the Jigging Raps are all bright and glossy, so any of the lures have the ability to entice perch.
Clam Leech Flutter Spoon
If you prefer using a spoon lure, then look no further than the Clam Leech Flutter Spoon. Many of the top-rated lures look like small fish or worms that can be baits, and this is no different. The outline of this lure is supposed to seem like a leech, which is where the lure gets its name.
Aside from its shape, the Leech Flutter Spoon from Clam comes in several iridescent shades and colors. This makes the lure extremely visible to perch and other types of fish, so they’re more likely to bite. The feathered tail is just another addition in order to tempt fish into biting the lure. When the lure is moving, the feathers also create more motion to attract perch. This lure is made from a zinc alloy.
Mepps Aglia Spinner
The Mepps Aglia Spinner is another ideal option for catching perch. This lure is a spinner, so it attracts fish by using vibrant colors and by creating sonic vibrations. Originally designed in France, this spinner has a French blade. Now, Mepps’ products are made and hand-assembled in the United States.
The hooks on the Aglia Spinner are especially sharp, and the lure has a shaft made of stainless steel. This lure is sturdy and heavy-duty. If you’re purchasing the Mepps Aglia Spinner, you have a variety of colors to choose from, and some of them are designed to look like types of trout, like rainbow trout. While you can try to use these to catch perch, sticking to a solid gold or copper is a fine choice. Most importantly, you want to buy a spinner with great shine and sound, which makes the Aglia Spinner a solid purchase.
How and Where to Catch Perch
Picking the right lure is crucial when perch fishing, but a successful trip goes beyond the right equipment. Each type of fish has different habits, and there are tips and tricks you can use to catch more perch. By learning a little more about where to find perch and when they’re active, you’ll be able to make the most of your fishing trip!
Fishing near boat docks is a good first step when you’re trying to catch perch, but remember that perch are freshwater fish. Smaller perch will be swimming closer to the surface of the water while larger perch will be deeper down in the water. Other good spots to catch perch are around weed beds, lily pads, and other vegetation and plants.
The best time to catch perch is either early in the day or late afternoon. Around sunrise and sunset are optimal times since they’re usually feeding during these times of the day.
By fishing early in the morning and as it gets dark, you’ll optimize your chances of catching perch. Since perch swim in schools, it’s likely that there will be a significant number of perch swimming around at sunrise and sunset.
If you prefer to use live bait, make sure to bring something along that perch will eat. Live bait like minnows or crayfish are good options for catching perch. However, live bait isn’t necessary. With a great fishing lure, you can also catch plenty of perch.
Final Thoughts on Perch Fishing Lures
There’s a wide variety of fishing lures that will work for catching perch. Whether you want to use a spinner, spoon, worm, or another type of lure, there are multiple high-quality lures you can purchase. For more information the best lures and techniques to catch fish, check out Fishmasters’ tackle and how to sections.
Why not make the effort to give the sizes of the lures ..eg mepps you use size 0 or #1….per mepps website ……..u just show size 4,…. Very poor article .
Hi Tom. Just like all fishing, it really depends and changes based on where you are fishing and the gear you are using. You might choose to use larger spinners trolling in a lake and smaller if you are targeting native brook trout in a small creek with ultra light tackle. Personally, I have multiple colors and sizes of each lure on the list.
I really enjoyed this post about perch lures! I have a blog myself, if you are open, I might curate this post to my audience. Obviously give a link back.
Thank you so much for posting this article about perch lures. I think this really puts things into a different light. I mean, I have read about this stuff before but the way you write just makes it clearer, if that makes sense
This is a great post about perch lures! keep up the quality content and I’ll be sure to come back and read often.