LURE 1 | Page 68

L U R E Kopytos lifts and drops. The majority of the hits coming just as the lure is lifted from the bottom after a brief pause, the perch not wanting what they thought was a free meal to get away. In the clear water accurate presentation is a must. Leaders are 4lb fluorocarbon tied directly to the eye of the jighead, the addition of even the smallest U-clip would look unsightly in the miniature setup. Once the technique was worked out the fish came thick and fast. While the sun was up the more natural green colours were what the fish wanted, but when it dipped behind the horizon the yellows and reds dancing in front of their eyes really got them slamming into the Kopyto shads. By the time we were ready to call it a day we’d lost count of the number of perch that had come to the bank. It must have been nearing 70. The biggest of these was in the 30cm bracket getting on for 2lb. The majority were far smaller but every one got our hearts racing. We loved every second. Lure fishing in its finest form. L U R E As soft plastics go, the Kopyto shad from lure company Relax is a tried and tested king among paupers. Used extensive ly in eastern Europe, this lure has been around since the early 1990s, employed in both fresh and saltwater to devastating effect. Available in a number of sizes, on this session the LURE team dispatched the 1in long model to tempt the perch. On the retrieve it’s the tail action that’s the key to these lures. Even at low speed the paddle will start to work, delivering not only a visual cue for the predators to strike but also scattering out changing pressures and vibrations through the water, to help the perch locate their fake prey.