HOT THIS MONTH

Summertime fishing, where do I even start?

For me fishing in the summer is based on two things. First, it’s early mornings and late evenings. Second is high water temperatures and both active and inactive fish. So what do I mean by active and inactive? Well, for me it goes hand in hand with mornings and evenings.

My first tip for you guys who wants to catch perch in the summer is to plan your fishing trips in early mornings or late evenings when the temperature is lower. Even though perch like high water temps they often less active feeding mid-day when the sun is high and air temp is at its highest. This is my priority when fishing in summer, plan your trips and make time count when it’s most efficient.

My second tip is based on four different techniques and how I fish them in both shallow and deep waters.

So, what about these techniques?
There’s often a lot of vegetation in the summer and where I fish it’s pretty shallow where the fish often is located. There’s four types of baits and techniques I use the most in the summer and here’s how I like to use them.

Crankbaits is getting more and more popular and by all rights, it’s a fantastic technique to use and just not only in the summer. I talked about vegetation and I like to use crankbaits when there’s water above the vegetation so that I’m able to fish the bait right above the cover where the fish often is hiding. This could sometimes be the key when the perch is tricky because it makes a lot of noise and move a lot of water and really trigger the fish to bite. My favorite crankbait is the Prorex Toddler crank. It’s a perfect size for both smaller and bigger fish, it’s available in a lot of nice colors and is super-easy to fish. Either just reel it in or make small twitches with pauses that let’s the bait slowly rise.

Jerk baits are another type of bait that is getting more and more hype in perch fishing. No wonder this kind of bait is used a lot at the American bass tour, it really triggers the fish! This could also be used in shallow areas where it’s vegetation just as I use the crankbait but this kind of bait I often use when there’s schools of fish and predators is feeding high up in the water. There’s a lot of nice jerk baits on the market but my favorite and the one I fish the most is Prorex Minnow SR, the SR stands for Shallow Runner and it’s floating. Twitch, twitch, paus…. Strike!

Blade baits, man this is like a must-have in your box!
It’s super-annoying and could trigger the most stubborn perch or if they’re active and feeding they just go crazy. A blade bait, like the Prorex Metal Vib, is something I use a lot when I search for fish. It’s really effective and easy to fish. One thing I like the most with blade baits is that it’s a really versatile bait. You can find it useful both in shallow and deep waters. If you fish it shallow, just cast and start to reel it in immediately and keep your rod tip high and then it’s just a matter of how fast you retrieve it that effects at what depth your fishing it. In deep waters, just let it sink and retrieve it slower. It’s just that simple. A cool thing with the Prorex Metal Vib is that you get a small blade in the box which can be used instead of one of the hooks.

Finally, a swimbait on a Texas rig.
With this bait and technique there’s not a spot you can’t fish. Vegetation is a natural hiding ground for baitfish and where there’s baitfish you’ll find predators such as perch. With a Texas rig and an offset hook you can easily fish those spots and that’s where I find most fish in my waters. There’s two swimbaits I use mostly and that’s the Duckfin shad and the new D’fin. Both these baits have a nice cut in the back that’s perfect for offset hooks and have really nice movements in the water.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this and I hope to see some nice fish this summer!

Tight lines
Kalle Westberg / Team Angler, Team Daiwa Scandinavia.