How to Dropshot for Redfin Perch

By Joshua Bland

European perch or ‘redfin’ are one of the most prevalent freshwater fish species in southern Australia. They also have a reputation for being one of the most aggressive freshwater angling species and are often easy to catch on lures. Despite this reputation, like most fish species they can shut down. This can make getting a bite a serious challenge. When this happens, I have been turning to ultra-finesse techniques to get the bite when nothing else seems to work. Drop-shotting is a highly popular technique in America and Europe. It allows you to fish soft plastics suspended in a way that looks natural to the fish. I recently put this into effect during the yak hunters kayak fishing competition at Myponga reservoir where the perch were in the middle of spawning and shut down. This resulted in many people struggling to find a bag. Despite the challenges, I was able to employ this technique to not only quickly get my bag, but also find the bigger bites and take first place.

Gear

To get started with drop-shotting you will need a hook (preferably with a flat eyelet), a swivel, and a drop weight. I use Owner Mosquito hooks in a size 2 for perch and the smallest swivel I can get away with. When it comes to weights there are two options – lead and tungsten. Lead is readily available and cheap, small bomb sinkers or split shots work well. Tungsten is more expensive and harder to come by, but it is denser and provides more sensitivity and weight for a smaller size. A killer combo for drop-shotting is a long rod, 7ft or longer with an extra-fast taper and a sensitive tip to feel these subtle bites. The TD Zero 722ULXS is a great example. Pair it with a 2000-2500 reel spooled with PE 0.6 braid like J-Braid Expedition and finish it with a 4 – 8lb J-Thread X-link fluorocarbon leader.

Technique

Fishing the drop-shot works best in deeper water (> 3m) where you can maintain a steep angle with the rig for the most natural presentation. It works well for long casts and for dropping beneath the boat. However, most of the time the best technique is to make a long cast around key areas holding fish (offshore rockpiles, drop-offs, flats, structure, points, and weed edges) and slowly drag the lure back with lots of long pauses in between. Remember this is a finesse technique and the drop-shot allows us to present the bait naturally in the fish’s face for longer than normal. As the weight scrapes along the bottom, the small bumps and changes in topography will give the lure a subtle action irresistible to fish. If the fish are more active you can try shaking the rod tip or hopping the lure. The drop-shot also allows us to hold the bait in the strike zone around the structure longer. Simply casting it into weed, rock or timber and holding it there can be enough to trigger a strike. Perch usually engulf the plastic whole but due to the hook being at the front of the plastic you sometimes get short strikes. I like to give the fish a second to eat it properly before setting the hook. If you are searching for the bigger fish in a school resist striking straight away. I often watch the rod tip bounce away from little bites before getting buckled by a bigger fish.

Choosing a soft plastic

There are two main kinds of soft plastic: Elastomax and PVC. Elastomax like the Daiwa Bait Junkieis incredibly soft and most importantly floats. This creates a unique, undulating action when dragging the bait. PVC on the other hand has neutral buoyancy when rigged correctly and will suspend perfectly horizontal. Being stiffer than Elastomax it has less movement and is more subtle. Each has its advantages so ideally have both. Drop-shots allow you to present a vast array of soft plastic sizes and styles naturally. Whilst all will work on the right day my favourite Bait Junkie for drop-shotting are 2.5” Risky Critters, 2.35” Prawns, and 2.95 Flicks.

Wrap up

Drop-shotting is an extremely effective technique for a whole host of freshwater species but works particularly well on redfin perch. For the yak hunters competition, I got my bag in three casts with school fish hanging on points before moving to drop-offs on a deep water channel in 8 – 10m to secure some crucial upgrades. Using this technique allowed me to get to the fish quickly and fish effectively in blistering winds to secure the win. So, the next time the perch are shut down, have this technique in your back pocket, it could very well change your day.