Autumn perch: give yourself a shot at a new PB

Find the fish first. Pack light and cover water. On the River Nene, try the edge of the main flow, bridge piers and slacks behind obstructions. On fenland drains and canals, look along the far shelf, beside moored boats and around marina entrances. On stillwaters, check dying reeds, sunken branches and corners where the wind has pushed food. Give each likely spot a few casts; if nothing happens, keep walking.

Take a couple of ways to fish. A small soft plastic or crankbait lets you search quickly. Vary the retrieve, with a short burst followed by a pause. If a perch follows or taps the lure, slow down and work that spot properly. A drop shot rig can hold a lure near the fish with very little movement. A small buoyant lure on a Ned jig is another option when they want a bait worked slowly along the bottom.

For a quieter approach, try a whole lobworm or prawn under a float, with the bait on or just above the bottom. Feed a little and often. If the fish are beyond comfortable float range, a low-resistance running leger rig will put the same baits in front of them. A fresh small deadbait may also pick out a bigger perch; check the venue’s bait rules first.

Let the water guide you. After heavy rain, a coloured river can make lure fishing harder. Try a lure with a little vibration, such as a paddle tail, and slow the retrieve. In clearer water, start with a natural-looking bait. If smaller fish keep getting there first, try a larger lobworm or a three-inch soft plastic. There’s no magic lure colour or size, so change one thing at a time and see what earns a take.

A simple session plan is to search with lures at first light, then return to any spot where you’ve had a follow or bite and fish a worm or prawn there. You may have found the shoal even if the first fish didn’t take.

And when that PB does turn up, look after it. Wet your hands, support its body, keep its time out of the water short and return it carefully.

Heading out on the Nene or a fenland drain this autumn? Tell us where you’re trying—we’re always keen to hear what’s working locally.