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I love to test new fishing gadgets and share my opinion.
Most of the time, perch fishing can be great fun, as you can attract this fish with just several baits in your tackle box. But if you want to make your time and effort worthwhile, then you need to pay closer attention to the type of perch lures you use.
To help you out to choose best lure for perch, we’ll share our experience with perch fishing lures and show you which ones are at the top of the market that can help you make your next big catch!
Top 3 Lures for Perch Fishing
Best Perch Lures For Fresh Waters
Bay de Noc Swedish Pimple
- You can use it for any season
- A resistant ice fishing lure
- Suitable for catching perch, trout, and mackerel
Best Perch Lures For Open Waters
Rapala Jigging Rap
- Quality long-lasting material
- Enables anglers to practice different fishing styles
- Works great for catching yellow perch
Best Mimic Lures For Perch Fishing
Northland Buck
- Minnow mimicking jigging spoon
- Super reflective holographic colors' choice
- It can be tipped with various baits
7 Best Lures To Catch Perch
- Bay de Noc Swedish Pimple – Best Perch Lures For Fresh Waters
- Rapala Jigging Rap – Best Perch Bait For Open Waters
- Northland Buck Shot Rattle Spoon – Best Perch Lures Mimic
- Salmo Chubby Darter – Best Perch Lures For Large Fish
- Lindy Perch Talker – Best Jig for Perch
- CLAM Leech – Best Perch Lures For Aggressive Fish
- Kalin’s Rattlin Google Eye Jig – Most Versatile Perch Lures
#1
Best Perch Lures for Fresh Waters
Bay de Noc Swedish Pimple
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Bay de Noc Swedish Pimple has our heads spinning, and for a good reason, too – it outfishes every bait in the tackle box. If you want to be amazed, you should take it out on a fishing trip and see these freshwaters lures work their magic. One of the best things about this lure is that you can use it during any season – even in winter.
- Colors: 8 colors, including Crushed Ice/Gold Ice, Crushed Ice/Purple Ice, Crushed Ice/White Ice
- there are more colors or, at least add “and other”
- Size: 1″, 1/10 oz
- Pieces per pack: 1
Pros
- You can use it for any season
- A resistant ice fishing lure
- Suitable for catching perch, trout, and mackerel
- Tipped with live minnows
Cons
- A low number of pieces per pack
- Pricey
- The ice material peels off after short usage
OVERVIEW: This product is an evergreen hit among anglers all year round. It has a classic build and design that can lure any fish to your rod. If you like catching fish in any season, then you need to try this lure. Cast a line with live bait or without it, and watch the strikes. This is one of the best lures for perch fishing.
We can vouch for this! After giving it a few throws, we decided that this is a lure that you definitely want in your fishing box. What we liked most is that these baits can withstand the bites of smaller and bigger fish alike.
FEATURES: The solid hardcore build on the Bay de Noc Swedish Pimple lure makes it a valuable bait for rookies and more avid anglers. Additionally, the sizes and choice of combo colors are capable of attracting various species in different seasons and waters. To top it off, these lures work great with or without live bait attached to their hook.
#2
Best for Open Water
Rapala Jigging Rap
WHY WE LIKE IT: One of the many reasons why the Rapala Jigging Rap has a place in our fishing box is the multiple styles it lets you catch fish. Experienced fishermen say that this is one of the best perch lures that you can use to catch yellow perch. Moreover, its performance is great in both fresh and salty water.
- Colors: 7 colors, including Glow Green Tiger, Glow Hot Perch, Glow Yellow Perch, Glow Blue Tiger, Glow Chartreuse
- there are more colors or, at least add “and other”
- Size: Size 7, 2.75″
- Pieces per pack: 1
Pros
- Quality long-lasting material
- Enables anglers to practice different fishing styles
- Works great for catching yellow perch
- A balanced minnow lure imitation (color, shape, size)
Cons
- A bit pricey
- Limited pieces per package
- It may break after using it several times
OVERVIEW: This lure is perfect for open-water angling. To match the taste of different species preying, the manufacturer offers a broad choice of natural and glow colors. Moreover, this is a versatile fishing bait that, aside from yellow perch, can get you other fish, like bass, walleyes, crappies, catfish, etc.
If you’re in the mood for pike, check our recommended list of northern pike lures.
But if you’re still going after yellow perch, we noticed that with this lure, it’s better to roam deeper water spots like channels or weed beds. We prepared some live bait and went to catch perch early in the day but noticed that even without it, the lure worked perfectly fine.
FEATURES: This specific lure produces tantalizing circle motions when cast in open waters for perch fishing lures. Additionally, its body shape and weighted zinc minnow figure enable more outstanding balance. All its features are nicely complemented by single reversed hooks accompanied by a center treble. The bait also has an eyelet (top-mid positioned) that you can use for horizontal and vertical jigging or practice the yo-yo bouncing-off style.
#3
Mimic
Northland Buck Shot Rattle Spoon
WHY WE LIKE IT: We like the Northland Buck Shot Rattle Spoon because of its ability to resemble a live minnow jigging spoon. It comes in many colors, making it suitable to attract perch and any other kind of fish, no matter the distance.
- Colors: Bubblegum Tiger, Golden Perch, Silver Shiner, Sneeze, Red, Wonderbread, Electric Perch, Firetiger, and other
- Size: 1/2 oz
- Pieces per pack: 1
Pros
- Minnow mimicking jigging spoon
- Super reflective holographic colors' choice
- It can be tipped with various baits
Cons
- The size may be too small for some
- The paint may come off easily
- The bait's rattling sounds can't be heard
OVERVIEW: The Northland Buck Shot Rattle Spoon is a highly effective perch fishing lure that has a great range of assorted colors, presenting a holographic minnow-acting jig spoon. This fishing bait works great when ice fishing for multi-species, like walleye, pike, and trout.
We advise you to give your line more aggressive jigging and a lift for even greater success, as we noticed that this works far better with the lure, charming all fish in a more distant radius. Plus, it works well even in some weed beds, rocky or brush areas.
FEATURES: This is the best spoon lure you’ll come across with an all-year-round effect. Not only is it one of the best perch baits around, but it also uses the best mimicking version of a minnow jigging spoon.
Its highly productive luring approach is owed to the molded metal body decorated with holographic colors. Plus, all this is featured with some loud rattles that attract all kinds of fish, not just perch.
#4
Suitable for Large Perch
Salmo Chubby Darter
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Salmo Chubby Darter lure is among the best lures that never fail when catching perch or other larger fish. This product also holds a good fight against some of today’s best ice-fishing lures and is deemed to perform best when used in open water.
- Colors: Holographic Purpledescent
- Size: One size
- Pieces per pack: 1
Pros
- An effective vertical wobbler
- Excellent bait for walleye
- Mimics unique wobbling moves
- Distinctive body built
Cons
- Not suitable for rookie anglers
- You get only one piece per pack
- One-sized artificial bait
OVERVIEW: The Salmo Chubby Darter is an artificial bait that is one of the top ice fishing lures. Regardless of whether you plan on fishing in the open or the cold water, this is a great addition to your fishing equipment.
When we used it, we found that it was perfectly effective even without live bait. Moreover, we witnessed the catch of fish like perch and walleye, mostly, but also bass, crappies, and muscular pike. To create the perfect combo, find the best ice fishing rod to go with this lure!
FEATURES: The initially made wobbler has a rugged premium polyurethane foam body through which passes a welded wire construction. To round it up, it has a black nickel VMC hook. The shape enables this ice fishing lure to sink at a slow rate, simultaneously mimicking a wounded minnow or other live bait.
#5
Vertical Jigging
Lindy Perch Talker
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Lindy Perch Talker is on our list because of its plain yet highly productive fishing results. It comes with a distinctive build compared to most fishing lures, and it’s perfect for a slow-biting ice-water fishing day. You can expect to catch perch as well as other game fish, like walleye, trout, whitefish, etc.
- Colors: Multi-colorful
- Size: One size (standard)
- Pieces per pack: 3
Pros
- Great for live bait ice fishing
- Excellent for spinning and casting fishing techniques
- Among the few fishing lures that attract fish by using flash, sound, and motion
- Equipped with a premium treble hook
Cons
- They have the habit of tangling up when in water
- The lure doesn't stay straight when tossed in lower depths
- May require live bait for better results
OVERVIEW: This product uses the perks of being made of beads and flashy colored disks for more significant fish attraction. It is a great fishing lure for vertical jigging, spinning, and long casts since it can draw fish in from great distances.
Trying out the Lindy Talker proved to be a piece of cake for us. We hooked some live bait and tossed it in the water, waited for a few minutes, and ended up with a nice catch. This time we used it for yellow perch fishing lures. But thanks to its flashing rays and rattle sounds, it’s great even in the icy waters as it can go straight through the ice and call up various predators.
FEATURES: This product is perfect for vertical jigging. Moreover, the bait is separated with a dropper chain to grab the fish’s attention. This is also complemented by a perfect water displacement ability the bait enables. For instance, you’ll attract fish that are farther away and don’t seem interested or hesitant to bite the bait.
#6
For Aggresive Fishing
CLAM Leech
WHY WE LIKE IT: The CLAM Leech flutter is the first-of-a-kind feathered-treble spoon around the ice belt areas, and as such, itenjoys the loyalty of many ice fishing anglers. However, you can also take it out on open water and catch yellow perch without hooking a live bait. It also has an original flutter that works every time on various fish.
- Colors: Multi-colored
- Size: One size only
- Pieces per pack: 1
Pros
- Made of eco-friendly lightweight zinc alloy material
- Can adapt to different waters
- The first-ever feathered treble spoon for ice fishing
- Mimicks an injured/deformed fishbait
Cons
- It may be too big for beginner anglers
- The twisting effect it has tends not to work well
- Only 1 piece per pack
OVERVIEW: Whether you’re headed ice fishing or to the open waters, this eco and light-weighted zinc flutter bait will work its magic. It also works excellently with more aggressive fish.
Although there were some complaints about its size and availability, we found this lure to work just fine in shallow and deep waters, especially on icy terrains. However, you’ll need to try harder if going after larger perch.
FEATURES: This breakthrough feathered flutter has a body made of light zinc alloy, which contributes to its magnificent fluttering action making it look like it’s stumbling/falling. What’s more, it comes in various colors, including UV glow colors.
#7
Versatile
Kalin's Rattlin Google Eye Jig
WHY WE LIKE IT: If you’re addicted to fishing jumbo perch, you should definitely have Kalin’s Rattlin Google Eye jig in your finishing gear. We like this product because of its versatility and that sturdy hookset. Bigger fish and largemouths don’t stand a chance to escape this jig.
- Colors: 12 colors, including Black, White, Black/Orange, Chart (Chart/Orange), Clown, Firetiger, Green Chart, Pink, Parrot, Purple Chart
- Size: 1/8 oz
- Pieces per pack: 3
Pros
- It uses a combination of visuals and sounds to lure in fish
- Various lively, vibrant colors to choose from
- Suitable for different fishing techniques
- Armed with a sharp hookset
Cons
- Easy-breaking google eyes
- Not an adequate lure for fishing nearby rocky areas
- Pricey
OVERVIEW: The Kalin’s Rattlin Google Eye Jig offers many color patterns, enabling anglers to adapt to any water. This is topped with great rattle sounds that spread underwater and call out fish to your hook.
We tried it and liked the results. The lure is easily adjustable to any fishing style, from casting, twisting, slow retrieving. Also suitable along with jigging rod and lure combo. What’s more, its simple design worked well even in weedy areas.
FEATURES: This jig is a combo of visual and sound effects, calling all predators living in deeper water to come out. It’s also well-known for allowing anglers the liberty to fish as they wish. Therefore, you can add a live bait or an artificial one, like a soft plastic lure, to it or go without one. It also features a sharp hook made from hard carbon steel.
Perch Lures Buyer's Guide
Forage Base
In a nutshell, the forage base indicates what the perch are feeding on. Now, this information depends on various elements:
- The type of water and its cover;
- Its depth;
- The vegetation living in the water;
- Whether or not the perch is suspended.
The above elements are game changers for picking the best baits for ice-fishing perch. Once you discover what the perch are biting on, picking the right lure is easy. For instance, perch like the following:
- Larvae
- Minnows
- Tiny/juvenile fish
- Fish eggs
- Bloodworms, etc.
Remember that shallow water perch goes for a different bait than deeper/bottom water perch. Finally, note that these fish can feed on everything we mentioned in different time intervals.
Water Clarity
Water clarity is another eminent factor that can navigate you to finding effective perch lures.
When perch fishing in clear waters, it’s best to have a lure of matching colors. Luckily, this is easy since almost all manufacturers provide many color choices. So, if you plan on fishing on a clear blue-sky kind of day, then choose a vibrant yellow or red color baits. For murky water, you can also enhance your perch fishing with a lure that produces noise, rattling sounds, fluttering motions, etc.
Depth
Perch can be found in deeper and more shallow water. However, when and how deep you cast your line plays a significant role in the lure you’ll use.
For instance, fishing early for yellow perch, like at the beginning of the winter season, will give you the best results by dropping the line at 12 to 15 feet. On the other hand, if you set on a fishing trip during a moderate mid to late winter, go deeper – 20 to 35 feet at most.
Technique
Techniques make quite the difference when perch fishing. The following are some of the most used techniques:
- Catching perch on hard water – Perfect to catch some more perch while there’s still untouched vegetation in the shallow water.
- Perch Jigging – Excellent for making noise and commotion under the water by playing the “pick up, drop it” game. The disruption signals translated into perch language is simple – it’s lunchtime.
- Drop a Tasty Perch Bait – Start small and go big by throwing in a soft plastic body bait decorated with some wax that would imitate small insects/shrimps.
Remember that perch tend to swim around in schools. So, find one, and you’ll find the others too.
Size
Perch fishing lures are far from being a one-size-fits-all. For more precise size determination, rely on the water’s temperature, the season, etc.
For instance, November and December are considered early winter fishing months. During these months, as the water temperature decreases, the perch slows down and moves deeper, almost hitting bottom. So, a situation like this requires a perch bait between 1.5 and 3.5 inches and a wide hook with a size varying from 1/0 to 3/0.
As winter progresses, the drop-shot style combined with a 1.5- 2 inches perch lure makes the top bait. Drop it at least 11 inches above the bottom, close enough to catch the fish’s attention. Leave it down for about ten seconds, and pull it back up.
Cold months like January and February ask for a different perch approach. This is a period when they can feed with a limited menu in specific parts of the day only. The best bait you can provide them is a look-alive bait like the soft plastic lures Berkley Gulp offers.
Color
The choice of color depends mostly on the water clarity and the time of the day you’re perch fishing.
That said, it’s always a good idea to think of natural-like or neutral colors. These colors easily match the color of the water and simultaneously grab the fish’s attention. However, this works best when ice fishing clear open waters.
For stained cold water, you’ll want something that grabs the eye of the fish – hot and shiny colors that can’t be ignored. Freezing murky waters ask for something darker. Take dark-colored baits with a pattern that stands out.
Which Lures to Use for Perch Fishing
Spinners
Spinners are straightforward fishing baits that excel in mimicking live fish movements. These baits are affordable and good for all-year-round usage. However, they’re most popular for using them on aggressive perch.
You’ll find spinners divided into several categories:
- In-line spinners
- Beetle spinners
- Underspins
- Tail spinners
Soft Plastics
Soft plastic lures always have a way of pinning down the perch. However, soft plastics also represent a broad category. They can be prepared into:
- Curly tail grubs
- Paddle/spear tails
- Shad/stinger tails
- Split tails
- Small swimbaits
- Swimming tails
- Small tubes
Imitation
Perch always falls for imitation baits. Artificial perch lures are made to be as versatile as possible, supporting different fishing styles – jigging, fast and aggressive retrieve, and long casts were made for baits that bring imitation to another level.
Some of the best imitation lures for perch fishing are the Berkley Gulp minnows, Mepps Aglia spinner, Rapala Jigging Rap, and the Clam Leech flutter spoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually, perch is successfully lured in by shiny vivid colors: white, chartreuse, and metallic/flash-reflecting colors. However, it’s best to look for color lures for perch fishing based on the type of water you’ll be fishing them.
Perch is mainly drawn by flashy, noisy, perfect imitation baits. They’re also fast responders to sound, movement, and sight, so you can use different fishing styles with various baits.
To determine the best perch lures’ size, you must consider factors like location, season, and forage base. Usually, fishermen go for perch baits like hair jigs, spinnerbaits, tube jigs, and others alike. All these baits’ size range varies from 1 to 3 inches.
Where there’s fresh water, there’s perch too. Your best bet would be searching near weeded and rocky areas, bridges, canals, and wherever there’s vegetation. Fishermen looking for smaller perch should check shallow waters. But the more mature perch is swimming in the deep.
The best time to fish out perch is when they’re feeding – early during the day or late in the afternoon. So, sunrises and sunsets are the prime perch fishing time. You can also try catching perch while night fishing if you feel more adventurous. Just remember to take vibrant-colored lures and tasty live baits.