Jigging
Although jigging is mostly practised in the sea, it is particularly effective on perch. It comes in a variety of shapes that can be adapted to the depth of your spot. A simple casting jig can be very useful, as its density allows you to fish very long distances, especially when the breaks are far from the shore.
For deeper areas, I recommend you animate your jig with long pulls before letting it glide back to the bottom with the line slackened. If the descent phase triggers more bites than the ascent phase, you can also use a small slow jig to be even more effective. You can also add a small soft drop-shot lure on top of your jig for a nice double!
The flexible scratch lure
The beginning of winter is undoubtedly the best time of the year for scratch fishing. However, each body of water has its own peculiarities and it's not always easy to fish correctly without the risk of frequent hooking. Rocky areas, however, are very good winter spots for perch, so we'll have to adapt our technique.
The aim is to slow down the descent speed to limit the chances of hooking on the break. To do this, you can use soft lures that displace a lot of water, like a shad for example. In bodies of water where crayfish are a frequent meal for perch, a small 5 to 7 cm creature mounted on a 5 gram lead head will be extremely effective. With the advent of the Ned Rig, it's becoming increasingly easy to find lead heads suitable for this type of fishing, as well as the soft lures that go with them.
A little palette
Like pike, perch react particularly well to the vibrations of a paddle. Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits are a must in winter to select the biggest fish in a school. Armed with a trailer shad, this combo is sure to win over sluggish fish.
A lure that is also very effective, though not widely used, is the vibrating blade with paddle. This makes it easy to cast long distances, while maintaining a reasonably slow descent speed. The paddle in the tail will greatly slow down the blade while adding a very attractive side, imitating wounded prey.
