As a piker thats recently switched to doing a bit of perch fishing. Im finding your observations matches my own for the most part. I recently joined a still water and for a short period they were hitting old school spinners. Then every session after that i was lucky to get even two on them but they were happy to follow it to the bank and give it the odd love tap. It was the same when i switched over to using small 4g crank baits. They would follow it and hit it a few times but didnt really seem like they wanted anything to do with it. The only thing they did seem to go absolutely mad for were the spin tail style lures. I could often see a group of them chasing it right to the bank before hooking in to one. But these sort of lures do run pretty close to the bottom. I was hooking into a fish pretty much every cast... and then the smallest of pike turned up (barely longer than a pencil haha) and starting hitting the lure as well then all bites pretty much died up after that. highly recommended that people give 5 or 9g spin tails a go if youre after trying something a little different. Not had a chance to try them on my local river/canal yet but i most likely wont as they are quite snaggy.
Hi Thom, your videos are a goldmine of information, I'm genuinely shocked how few people are watching, for me this information from an angler of your calibre is an amazing resource. So I kind of packed away my cranks for winter, but now you got me thinking. So the river I fish is 5-7ft max, there are some good perch (i know as I had a 4lber last week on lure!) . There is a section i want to recki and cranks feel like a good option, so which crank would you recommend? Again, thanks for taking the time to share this information, I really appreciate it. Guy
Thanks for the kind word Guy, I guess I don’t do that much to promote it and it’s more information/education than entertainment so probably many people aren’t interested in listening to me waffle on! To be honest I just like talking/thinking about lure fishing so they’re quite enjoyable to make. If fishing from the bank in 5-7ft and it’s not too shaggy I’d go with the Westin 5cm Buzzbite to start with, but also consider the 6cm or 7cm Bullybite (silent) or the 7cm Rawbite (rattling) 👍🏻
You put alot of work into this one tom! Im a new sub, I think it was yesterday i subbed. Just been going through all your videos. and im looking forward to seeing what new content you release. Glad I found the channel!
Awesome thanks for the kind words! Glad you enjoy it! Sharing your favourite videos on other Social media platforms really helps the channel, and if there’s any topics or questions you have please ask I’ll do my best to make a vid on them 👍🏻
Wow amazing video my friend !!! Thanks a lot for that !!! Very great tips that helps me a lot. Today i did catch some perch on the 5 cm buzzbites headlight, en bling perch.They look very natural in the super clear water here. The babybites dr are a bit harder to use with all the weeds, but i gonna try them in winter with a silent dull model. The water is around 13 feet deep in the middle of the canal.
Great video Thom. Really enjoyed it. I've got a boat of my own and have done tones of pike lure fishing/dead baiting of it. I want to get into more perch fishing off it now I've got a new river to fish for them. I've managed two lovely 2lber on cranks but I'm struggling with boat control and how to stay on the fish without disturbing them. It would be great if you do a video on boat control around shoals.
Hi Ewan, thanks for the message, probably best for me to try and do a video for you next time I’m on a boat, leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do 👍🏻
Hi Thom, really enjoy all your videos and am gulping up the information to hopefully finally catch anything this winter. You mention that in some conditions (eg sometimes in winter) it is good to hit the bottom with the crank bait. I have been having some trouble with that. I find that I get a bunch of leafs or other debris on the lure and hooks when I fish too deep. I also struggle a to tell when I’ve hit the bottom (it’s the LACC grand Union canal waters, so I am not sure if it’s because of the amount of silt). Any tips would be highly appreciated. Thank you again for all the amazing content! -Nicole
Hi Nick, so this time of year won’t be great for hitting the bottom on canals with tree cover…. It takes a good few months for the leaves to break down plus also, many canals have a lot of snags so if hitting the bottom, you need to be just tickling the bottom not digging in. Digging in is really for sand/gravel/clay areas. In general the spring will be your best time on the canals for small cranks, May & June in particular. As for feeling the bottom, partly it’s the amount of time you spend fishing crankbaits, but also your set up. The rod/reel/braid combo is super important to get the right feel. Keep trying different combinations until you find what’s right for you. It’s not easy on canals as the casts are short but on longer casts I can 100% tell if I’m on silt, clay, timber or gravel bottoms
Thank you so much for your amazingly quick reply. That was really insightful and makes a lot more sense now. (And it was also in time for me to avoid making that mistake while fishing today!) I’ll be watching your rod selection video next!
Hey mate always enjoyed ya videos I’ve recently jus started fishing a big reservoir using lures..hoping for some decent pike..the venue doesn’t allow fishing from a boat so it’s all bank fishing wading etc..it’s 400acres and id just like to ask your opinion on how’d you approach a venue like that this time of year bank fishing targeting pike etc..thanks In advance
Hi, just discovered your channel and appreciate your efforts a lot! I find it inspiring and every I watch such good quality videos it makes me want to grab my rods and go fishing immediately. About crankbait fishing: any thoughts about speed cranking during winter time? I am also watching the american guys from tactical bassin and they swear it is a successful technique to catch bass when the water is cold. I tried it a couple of times now to catch a perch this way. So far it didn't work. But I think there is a chance it could pay off. I am looking forward to read other anglers opinion on that.
Hi Dominik it is worth a try but if I am honest it is very very rare to catch while speed cranking if the water is less than 10°C. I have tried a lot and just can’t seem to get it to work! I think with bass fishing, especially large mouth bass they are just a bit more aggressive than the perch species we get in Europe. I think it would work on what we called Red Letter days, the days when it seems like all the fish in the lake are feeding! But for the majority of fishing conditions in cold water it’s not the best method. However please keep me updated with your results.
Hi Thom .. Just watched yet another one of your videos. I never get bored of watching them. I’m looking for a bit of information if you don’t mind. I’ve just purchased a ul lure rod that Has a rating of 0.5-3G … it’s a lovely Thin Rod & wasn’t that expensive !! It feels so light but I don’t know whether it’s too light or not… what size fish would you recommend this would be good for and also what would be the best Lures to use ?? Any info would be much appreciated. Thankyou 🎣🎣👍🏽👍🏽😀😀
Hi John, wow yes that is very light! What is the length? With a 3g max I’d say it was suited to tiny lures with the biggest about 2.5-3”. But really it’ll be best with 0.4g-1.5g jigs and lures
@@Thomhuntfishing Thank you for the info Buddy …. . I just wanted a really light rod as some places I go them stripeys are only up to about a pound in size. The odd bigger one thrown in for good measure but mainly half a pound or less !! The rod is 1.98 m ( so about 6ft 3 ish is that or son ) ….. yes I’m really looking forward to giving it a bash and I will have to purchase some really small lures and jig heads … any recommendations would be much appreciated but I understand it’s a minefield out there. But always appreciate The feedback. Look forward to your next video buddy and also unless I’ve totally overlooked any videos do you have any videos with your fishing and trying some of your methods out ?? Thank you thom 👍🏽😀🎣
Hi Thom Great vid, thanks. Autumn to late October, what do you go for if you don’t use cranks at that time of year? Soft plastics? Jigs (Apologies if I missed you mention it)
Awesome info as always Thom. Really enjoy these videos! Do you think it's important to use a dedicated crank bait rod to fish them effectively? Would something like the W3 T&C be ok for shallow runners (up to 6ft max).
Yep that’s what I use. I have the T&C in both W3 and W6 and the W3 action is slightly softer so great for cranks. The 5-15g for light/shallow stuff and the 7-21g for bigger/deeper cranks
@@Thomhuntfishing Cheers ! One last question, next week i want to try dropshot for the first time with double bloodteez 5.5cm, what hook size do you recommend for medium to large perch ? Thanks in advance again :)
If you want to, go for it 👍🏻 I know plenty of people do that for chub. I’ve always got a wire trace on so happy to keep trebles on them as that’s how they come but there’s no reason singles wouldn’t be good
Love you videos Thom 👍🏻 and it’s nice to know you can’t beat a bit of bottom contact 🤪
As a piker thats recently switched to doing a bit of perch fishing. Im finding your observations matches my own for the most part.
I recently joined a still water and for a short period they were hitting old school spinners. Then every session after that i was lucky to get even two on them but they were happy to follow it to the bank and give it the odd love tap. It was the same when i switched over to using small 4g crank baits. They would follow it and hit it a few times but didnt really seem like they wanted anything to do with it.
The only thing they did seem to go absolutely mad for were the spin tail style lures. I could often see a group of them chasing it right to the bank before hooking in to one. But these sort of lures do run pretty close to the bottom. I was hooking into a fish pretty much every cast... and then the smallest of pike turned up (barely longer than a pencil haha) and starting hitting the lure as well then all bites pretty much died up after that.
highly recommended that people give 5 or 9g spin tails a go if youre after trying something a little different. Not had a chance to try them on my local river/canal yet but i most likely wont as they are quite snaggy.
Big big fan Thom. Another level 👌
Thanks I appreciate the kind words 👌
Hi Thom, your videos are a goldmine of information, I'm genuinely shocked how few people are watching, for me this information from an angler of your calibre is an amazing resource.
So I kind of packed away my cranks for winter, but now you got me thinking. So the river I fish is 5-7ft max, there are some good perch (i know as I had a 4lber last week on lure!) . There is a section i want to recki and cranks feel like a good option, so which crank would you recommend?
Again, thanks for taking the time to share this information, I really appreciate it.
Guy
Thanks for the kind word Guy, I guess I don’t do that much to promote it and it’s more information/education than entertainment so probably many people aren’t interested in listening to me waffle on! To be honest I just like talking/thinking about lure fishing so they’re quite enjoyable to make. If fishing from the bank in 5-7ft and it’s not too shaggy I’d go with the Westin 5cm Buzzbite to start with, but also consider the 6cm or 7cm Bullybite (silent) or the 7cm Rawbite (rattling) 👍🏻
@@Thomhuntfishing thanks Thom
You put alot of work into this one tom!
Im a new sub, I think it was yesterday i subbed. Just been going through all your videos. and im looking forward to seeing what new content you release. Glad I found the channel!
Awesome thanks for the kind words! Glad you enjoy it! Sharing your favourite videos on other Social media platforms really helps the channel, and if there’s any topics or questions you have please ask I’ll do my best to make a vid on them 👍🏻
Cheers Thom, very insightful 🙌🏻
Great video, great advice
Thanks Dale 👍🏻 If you ever have any questions feel free to ask and I can try making a video on the topic 👍🏻
@@Thomhuntfishing Thanks Thom Any thoughts or advice on fishing a stretch of 3ft to 5ft deep river with lots of weed would be great.
I should have said the river runs quite fast. Perch in the margins tend to 'mouth', the baits but not bite.
Yep no problem 👍🏻 Got a few video questions to catch up on but it’s on the to-do list!
Wow amazing video my friend !!!
Thanks a lot for that !!! Very great tips that helps me a lot. Today i did catch some perch on the 5 cm buzzbites headlight, en bling perch.They look very natural in the super clear water here.
The babybites dr are a bit harder to use with all the weeds, but i gonna try them in winter with a silent dull model. The water is around 13 feet deep in the middle of the canal.
Glad you enjoyed it hope it helps. Yes once the weed has gone definitely try the Babybite DR deep and slow 👍🏻
Great video Thom. Really enjoyed it. I've got a boat of my own and have done tones of pike lure fishing/dead baiting of it. I want to get into more perch fishing off it now I've got a new river to fish for them. I've managed two lovely 2lber on cranks but I'm struggling with boat control and how to stay on the fish without disturbing them. It would be great if you do a video on boat control around shoals.
Hi Ewan, thanks for the message, probably best for me to try and do a video for you next time I’m on a boat, leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do 👍🏻
Cheers for this.
Hi Thom, really enjoy all your videos and am gulping up the information to hopefully finally catch anything this winter. You mention that in some conditions (eg sometimes in winter) it is good to hit the bottom with the crank bait. I have been having some trouble with that. I find that I get a bunch of leafs or other debris on the lure and hooks when I fish too deep. I also struggle a to tell when I’ve hit the bottom (it’s the LACC grand Union canal waters, so I am not sure if it’s because of the amount of silt). Any tips would be highly appreciated. Thank you again for all the amazing content!
-Nicole
Hi Nick, so this time of year won’t be great for hitting the bottom on canals with tree cover…. It takes a good few months for the leaves to break down plus also, many canals have a lot of snags so if hitting the bottom, you need to be just tickling the bottom not digging in. Digging in is really for sand/gravel/clay areas. In general the spring will be your best time on the canals for small cranks, May & June in particular. As for feeling the bottom, partly it’s the amount of time you spend fishing crankbaits, but also your set up. The rod/reel/braid combo is super important to get the right feel. Keep trying different combinations until you find what’s right for you. It’s not easy on canals as the casts are short but on longer casts I can 100% tell if I’m on silt, clay, timber or gravel bottoms
Thank you so much for your amazingly quick reply. That was really insightful and makes a lot more sense now. (And it was also in time for me to avoid making that mistake while fishing today!) I’ll be watching your rod selection video next!
Great advice 👍
Thanks Gary 🙏 Glad you enjoyed the video…. Dont forget to subscribe it really helps my channel. Thom 👍🏻
@@Thomhuntfishing sorry pal I thought I was 🤫
You might be! I’m not sure I was just checking!
Hey mate always enjoyed ya videos I’ve recently jus started fishing a big reservoir using lures..hoping for some decent pike..the venue doesn’t allow fishing from a boat so it’s all bank fishing wading etc..it’s 400acres and id just like to ask your opinion on how’d you approach a venue like that this time of year bank fishing targeting pike etc..thanks In advance
Hi, just discovered your channel and appreciate your efforts a lot! I find it inspiring and every I watch such good quality videos it makes me want to grab my rods and go fishing immediately. About crankbait fishing: any thoughts about speed cranking during winter time? I am also watching the american guys from tactical bassin and they swear it is a successful technique to catch bass when the water is cold. I tried it a couple of times now to catch a perch this way. So far it didn't work. But I think there is a chance it could pay off. I am looking forward to read other anglers opinion on that.
Hi Dominik it is worth a try but if I am honest it is very very rare to catch while speed cranking if the water is less than 10°C. I have tried a lot and just can’t seem to get it to work! I think with bass fishing, especially large mouth bass they are just a bit more aggressive than the perch species we get in Europe. I think it would work on what we called Red Letter days, the days when it seems like all the fish in the lake are feeding! But for the majority of fishing conditions in cold water it’s not the best method.
However please keep me updated with your results.
Hi Thom .. Just watched yet another one of your videos. I never get bored of watching them. I’m looking for a bit of information if you don’t mind. I’ve just purchased a ul lure rod that Has a rating of 0.5-3G … it’s a lovely Thin Rod & wasn’t that expensive !! It feels so light but I don’t know whether it’s too light or not… what size fish would you recommend this would be good for and also what would be the best Lures to use ?? Any info would be much appreciated. Thankyou 🎣🎣👍🏽👍🏽😀😀
Hi John, wow yes that is very light! What is the length? With a 3g max I’d say it was suited to tiny lures with the biggest about 2.5-3”. But really it’ll be best with 0.4g-1.5g jigs and lures
@@Thomhuntfishing Thank you for the info Buddy …. . I just wanted a really light rod as some places I go them stripeys are only up to about a pound in size. The odd bigger one thrown in for good measure but mainly half a pound or less !! The rod is 1.98 m ( so about 6ft 3 ish is that or son ) ….. yes I’m really looking forward to giving it a bash and I will have to purchase some really small lures and jig heads … any recommendations would be much appreciated but I understand it’s a minefield out there. But always appreciate The feedback. Look forward to your next video buddy and also unless I’ve totally overlooked any videos do you have any videos with your fishing and trying some of your methods out ?? Thank you thom 👍🏽😀🎣
Hi Thom
Great vid, thanks. Autumn to late October, what do you go for if you don’t use cranks at that time of year? Soft plastics? Jigs (Apologies if I missed you mention it)
Yes I tend to swap over to plastic shads and then when it gets really cold, Ned or slowly fished craw baits
Awesome info as always Thom. Really enjoy these videos! Do you think it's important to use a dedicated crank bait rod to fish them effectively? Would something like the W3 T&C be ok for shallow runners (up to 6ft max).
Yep that’s what I use. I have the T&C in both W3 and W6 and the W3 action is slightly softer so great for cranks. The 5-15g for light/shallow stuff and the 7-21g for bigger/deeper cranks
@@Thomhuntfishing Brilliant, thanks!
Hey Thom, what rod do you recommend for my favorite 5cm buzzbites ? The W3 T C 5-15 gr, are the w3 streetstick 2-10 gr / 5-15 gr. Thanks in advance.
W3 Finesse T&C 5-15g 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
@@Thomhuntfishing Cheers !
One last question, next week i want to try dropshot for the first time with double bloodteez 5.5cm, what hook size do you recommend for medium to large perch ? Thanks in advance again :)
I use about a size 4 for double blood teez 👍🏻
Would you swap the hooks over to singles?
If you want to, go for it 👍🏻 I know plenty of people do that for chub. I’ve always got a wire trace on so happy to keep trebles on them as that’s how they come but there’s no reason singles wouldn’t be good