The biggest reported perch of the season has just been landed in the shape of a 5lb 11oz specimen – a fish that, in a few months’ time, will be pushing the 6lb 3oz British best.
It was Rikki Cooper that caught the huge fish, which was also backed up by specimens of 5lb 6oz, 5lb 1oz, plus a quartet of four-pounders on a day for the history books.
That session was no fluke either, as just a few weeks ago, Rikki enjoyed another spectacular perch trip, in which he landed perch of 5lb 5oz and 5lb 4oz, plus another smattering of ‘fours’.
He’s fishing Cambridgeshire’s Grafham Water and isn’t the only angler this season to have enjoyed its exceptional perch, with numerous other landing fish over the 5lb mark.
“I’m using very small lures – no bigger than 5cm – on a size 5 dropshot hook,” Rikki told us. “Rather than sit and work the lure, I’m slowly dragging it along the bottom as the boat drifts at around 0.5mph. “The takes are exceptional, with the rod hooping over as the big fish strike. “My most recent session was an absolute red-letter day and was one of the biggest hauls of perch ever taken in the UK.”
Well done Rikki!