Mar 09, 2024

THE BEST FISH CAUGHT IN 2023! DANIEL RIDLEY - FISH OF THE YEAR WINNER!

The votes have been counted and it's official, this is the best fish caught on a Rigged and Ready fishing rod in 2023! The competition was tough with some incredible catches from all over the world, but this specimen perch caught on the Smuggler 6 still managed to secure the win. We had a chat with Daniel, and this is what he had to say:

What tactics did you use to catch the big perch?

"The method was a roach live bait, using scaled-down pike gear with a 10lb wire trace. A very important addition when there are pike around!"

How big was the fish, and was it a personal best?

"The sergeant weighed in at 3lb 1oz, about half a pound short of my biggest ever which weighed 3lb 8oz!"

What do you like about the Rigged and Ready Smuggler 6?

"The Smuggler 6 is a perfect travel rod for a lot of the fishing I like to do. It's great for small river fishing, as well as for when I go sea fishing abroad for species like sea bream."

Do you have any exciting fishing plans for this year?

"I've got a lot of fishing plans for this year. One in particular is to beat my PB perch and get into the 4lb club!"

Do you think you could win Fish Of The Year again in 2024?

"If I was to win again, that would be a mega achievement! I will try my hardest to achieve a fish worthy of that position again!"

Do you have any advice to give anyone searching for their first big perch?

"Find the small perch and stick to your guns as the bigger ones will be close by. Try live baiting in low river conditions, or even better, an overcast day. Lob-worm also works very well fished close to snags like overhanging trees, bushes, reeds or structures in general."

Click here to view the Smuggler range of travel fishing rods!