Soft lure fishing has to be one of the most rewarding ways to spend a quick session on the bank. That’s exactly what Ryan Hayden and Jon Arthur proved after an action-packed hour on their local canal!
With just an hour’s fishing to be had before darkness they decided to work as a team, leap-frogging each other as they made their way up and down the towpath. This enabled them to search plenty of water and also the chance to experiment with several Dropshot Lures in the latest E-Sox range.
First strike went to Jon, who managed a vividly striped perch on just his second cast in front of some moored up narrowboats. “I think that’s the quickest fish I’ve ever caught on this method!” he beamed.
The fish fell to a Pearlescent White Lobworm on a 5g jig head. “This has to be my number-one choice as it seems to work everywhere I go,” he explained, before adding, “I usually chop an inch or so off the head before threading one on the hook. I think that makes it less selective, as the match angler in me doesn’t mind catching small fish!”
With a chilly wind picking up they decided to explore a more sheltered area the other side of the bridge. Despite trying several likely looking spots there was no activity, so they quickly returned to the boats and began working different lures in a fan pattern.
A chance conversation with a friendly local gave them hope of more action. He was convinced they were in a good area for both perch and zander. Seconds later, Ryan’s tip rattled as a zander struck! The Compact Twistlock Handle did its job as a chunky little predator was soon scooped up. “That was on an Ecto Green Split Tail,” he explained. “This is the first time I’ve really put this lure through its paces, but I know how effective bright green is for predators.”
Then it was Jon’s turn as another zander was beaten, this time on an Earthy Brown Lobworm. “With a surprising amount of decaying weed down the boat channel, I changed to standard drop shotting tactics with a light 4g Dropshot Bomb Weight. I find this is a much better setup whenever there’s a lot of rubbish on the bottom.”
In a golden 15-minute spell, Ryan skilfully banked another four fish; all from the same hot area. With the clock ticking, fingers numb and the light fading fast they each made several ‘one last casts’ before Ryan latched into the best fish of the day.
It was clearly a good specimen as it ploughed deep with it’s head shaking stubbornly. After a tense battle it finally surfaced with it’s spiky dorsal fin angrily splayed. It was another quality perch, this time a good 2lb and with stunning markings. A great fish to end on!
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