/ 
Choice of equipment
While a relatively short rod is sufficient for boat fishing, a rod between 2.10 m and 2.70 m long is required for shore fishing.
The length of the rod is very important. It will give you the right casting distance, but also, and above all, better control of the streamer and therefore of your lure. The longer the rod, the less the streamer will be caught in the current, and the more direct the link with your lure.
Less slack banner also means less difficulty in making a strong shoe. But let's get back to the tactile aspect. Your rod and jig head must be able to transmit the bottom configuration perfectly.
This will enable you to validate your position and insist with greater confidence. In fact, if at first sight you fish a promising eddy, but it's muddy and has very little bottom, there's little chance of a pike-perch being posted there!
The lead head also acts as a probe. It's a sort of rustic replacement for an echo sounder... The lead head should enable you to determine the depth of the position, its topography, the nature of the substrate, whether or not there is a undercurrent, whether structures are present...
In the latter case, it's often "necessary" to leave several lead heads and lures on the bottom until you've mentally grasped the position of the structure. Because yes, if the bottom is rocky or cluttered, you'll need to see a good supply of lead heads.
This is one of the reasons why I use lead heads instead of tungsten. On paper, tungsten is technically more suitable (less polluting, more resonant, denser and more compact) but the price is too high given the large number of lures left on the bottom...
As for the rod, in addition to its length, it needs to have an extra-fast action and great sensitivity. Personally, I often use the Pepper X5 S2402 ML-M Stripes OPS, The Artist S225M Black OPS or the Night Shadows S2402M Z Stripes OPS, all designed for stalking pike-perch from the shore, very resonant and tactile, perfect for this type of fishing.
On this rod I use a reel size 2500 to 3000, which has a precise brake and a small capacity.
As far as ratios are concerned, I'm tempted to say that a medium ratio is best. In eddies, there's no need to animate quickly, the reel is just used to retrieve the banner, keep the line taut and your soft lure on a lead head in contact with the bottom.
The advantage of low-capacity reels is that you can use braid without backing or wasting a 500 m spool. This is all the more true given the need to use fine braid, from 12/100 to 18/100...
The finer the braid, the less it will catch in the current. For me, braid is indispensable when fishing for pike-perch.
Its low elasticity makes it very sensitive, and its smaller diameter, with the same resistance as a monofilament, means it splits water better.
The mechanical result will be better sensations and better work from your soft lure. Still on the subject of braid, opt for bright colors (yellow, pink...) which are highly visible and allow you to follow your drift with your eyes, or even visualize a hit.
As leader, I use a single-strand fluorocarbon line from 20/100 to 30/100. I modulate the length and diameter of the leader according to the size of the fishing area.
And the decoy in all this...
There's nothing better than a shad or a comma for effective linear prospecting. My favorite lures for this purpose are Illex's Magic Slim shad, a true 4x4.
The advantage of these lures is that they can be set in motion by the force of the current. The vibrations they emit are indispensable for stimulating the attention of pike-perch, who then hunt very little by sight.
In fact, we usually use flashy colors in murky waters and when the light is low, thinking that the pike-perch will spot them better. There's some truth in this, but don't forget natural colors, which also give very good results.
Flashy colors trigger the aggressiveness of fish in search of food, while natural colors seduce the most wary pike-perch... Don't underestimate the ability of pike-perch (and carnivores in general) to spot prey or lures.
As an anecdote, I had an interesting experience in Rotterdam, where night fishing is authorized: although the water was turbid and the night very dark, I had far more hits with an almost invisible ghost color than my colleagues fishing with fluorescent colors. Proof that you don't have to use only visible colors to be successful, and that you shouldn't neglect natural colors.
Still on the subject of stimuli, it's very productive to add attractant to your lure to get better bites.
You'll often have to change lure color to get regular hits. As far as lure size is concerned, from the shore, I confess to restricting my choices by fishing only with 4" and 5" lures (i.e. 10 and 12.5 cm). This is the all-purpose size for pike-perch, which focus on bleak and other small white fish.
When it comes to lead heads, I use soccer lead heads a lot. They offer many advantages. Soccer lead heads increase attractiveness by inducing rolling.
The soft lure is presented in a more stable way in the current and clings less to the bottom, because unlike a round lead head, the lure "lies" less.
Weight is another important point. You need to fish as light as possible while still feeling the lure settle perfectly on the bottom. If you fish too heavy, the lure's swimming action will be affected and you'll get fewer bites. If you fish too heavy, you'll get more misses, as the pike-perch will find it harder to get the lure to engage properly. If you fish too light, you'll never "feel" the bottom and the lure will drift too quickly...
Lure animation and fishing
The fishing action is fairly simple and mechanical. Cast slightly upstream, so that the lure makes contact with the bottom in front of you. Once you've made contact with the bottom, lift off the lure using only the reel and not the rod tip.
The reel allows you to retrieve the streamer almost constantly and to animate. The lure stays close to the bottom (where the pike-perch are wedged) when drifting and you always have the right angle (between 45° and 60°) to make the best strike.
The pike-perch has the peculiarity of sometimes hitting short and its mouth is hard.
It would be a shame to miss out on the day's highlights because of an inappropriate rod angle.
Avoid casting too abruptly, so as to keep the lure as close as possible to the pike-perch, which are glued to the bottom at this time of year.
The lure should be moved slowly and as naturally as possible.
You'll find that many of your catches will have damaged ventral fins and annals, and small benthic invertebrates attesting to their position close to the substrate.
This slow, subtle style of fishing is no less technical. You need to repeat the drifts over the sector, combing the area as much as possible.
Most of the time, therefore, you'll remain fairly static, and low temperatures should not be overlooked to avoid discomfort during winter sessions.
Winter logistics
To make the most of these outings, you mustn't neglect the cold, wind or even rain.
It's imperative to be warmly and appropriately covered. It's no use having the best rod in the world if you haven't prepared your outfit...
So pack a hat, gloves, several layers of clothing and a windbreaker. Woolen socks are also very comfortable. Cold weather is also an opportunity to share a good cup of coffee with other pike-perch anglers...
Finally, don't forget the landing net with the large handle. You'll be able to dry a nice pike-perch without delay or unnecessary acrobatics.
It's up to you! Pike-perch fishing from the shore is a fascinating sport.
The first few days are tedious to get to grips with the stations and get to know them inside out, but once you've gained experience, sometimes very quickly, the fish are there. The cold and the long hours of waiting are then magically forgotten.
