What gear to use to catch pike perch in winter. Winter fishing for pike perch: secrets of catching pike perch in winter. Watch a video lesson on catching pike perch in winter

Pike perch lives not only in fresh water bodies of Europe, but also in Asia. Only experienced fishermen can catch a fanged predator, but luck can accompany beginners too.

The main thing is to show persistence, intelligence and prepare the right gear. Of course, you also need to be able to choose a promising place and decide on bait. The hunt for the bottom predator begins after the establishment of reliable ice cover on the surface of the reservoir.

Pike perch attracts winter fishing enthusiasts with its wavy body with densely spaced small green scales. In the mouth, in addition to many small teeth, there are powerful fangs designed to hold large prey. Due to the narrow structure of the throat, bottom fish feed mainly on small, narrow-bodied fish (gobies, gudgeons, bleak, sprat).

Winter hunting for bottom predator- this is a labor-intensive job where, in addition to preparing gear, it is necessary to monitor the air temperature, wind direction, noise, atmospheric pressure, etc.

It is difficult to lure pike perch to the fishing spot simply with bait; here you need to find its paths. The most favorable time for fishing is considered to be 2–4 weeks after the ice has formed. When there is severe frost, you should not count on a good bite; luck can be with you at temperatures up to 10 degrees.

How to catch?

The choice of fishing rod for winter trolling for pike perch should be guided by the powerful mouth of the fished object. To break through it, you will need a hard whip; its optimal length should be 30 - 40 cm. This size does not take into account the length of the handle. In the classic version, the fishing rod is equipped with an elastic nod to track careful bites.

The quality of bites is also affected by the diameter of the fishing line: the thicker the fishing line, the fewer bites. As a rule, to fish for predators in winter, a transparent fishing thread with a cross-section of 0.1 - 0.3 mm is used. It is recommended to measure the length of the fishing line with a margin. For convenience, it is better to take a fishing rod equipped with a high-quality reel.

A prerequisite for equipping winter fishing rod The presence of a nod is considered; the smooth play of the tackle depends on it. A fanged predator, before seizing the offered bait, first tries to examine it from all sides and touch it. Therefore, the nod should have maximum sensitivity.

For the spinner

One of the most popular baits for pike perch is a silver spinner.

Small to medium sized products work well. The spoon must fully comply with the characteristic features of pike perch food, in particular fry. When fishing in a body of water with a strong current, it is rational to use a spoon with a sinker.

As for the weight of the product, it all depends on the working depth: the deeper, the greater the weight of the spoon. The shape of the spoon should also be narrow and oblong, resembling the fish that pike perch go out to hunt. For catching large individuals, spoons with a length of 7–9 cm are suitable. For hunting small predators, products with a length of 4–6 cm are used.

Fishing technique:

To attract pike perch with a spinner, stable bait play is ideal, without any glitches or stops. Initially, it is recommended to try the bait in open water, which is very important. Here, not only the shape of the spinner plays a significant role, but also its play. To prevent the predator from losing interest in the bait, the game must be carefully structured.
To determine a better result, with such tests, all errors in the game are eliminated. Pauses imply a complete stop of the spinner, where the duration varies from 5 to 15 seconds. The duration of the pause is adjusted to the fishing conditions.
Winter trolling of the predator is carried out at a distance of 40 cm from the bottom surface. Each hole requires a minimum of 20 rounds of play. You should know that in winter period, the object being fished is characterized by increased caution and lack of appetite; in case of prolonged stagnation, you should not immediately get upset and assume that there is no one in the hole, you just need to interest the predator in both the shape of the spoon and its game.
Particularly good specimens fall off when using the shock-amplitude game (on the first and last ice).
During the dry winter the fish can be provoked to attack either by short tosses of the bait, or by lightly shaking the spoon or balancer. If another tactic is used, most likely you will be left without a catch.

For live bait

Hunting for fanged predators with live bait is the most effective way, using a baitfish as a tackle.

Here it is necessary to have a large supply of fishing thread, which is associated with the behavioral factors of the fish: having captured its prey, the pike perch can drag it close to 30 m.

To scare off a predator, you should choose a reel with a good line lock. When the fishing gear is installed at the fishing site, the distance above the ice should be maintained at about 10 - 15 cm.

For winter fishing they put on pike perch single hook, if there are more hooks, the fish will get scared and leave. As for the design of the gear itself, there is no fundamental significance here; you can use any convenient option. The weight of live bait (bleak, roach, brush, perch) should not exceed 20 - 30 grams.

To land prey on the surface of a reservoir, it is advisable to use a hook. It is used when the predator has already been brought to the hole.

Live bait fishing technique:

The first step is to drill holes, where the girder itself will be installed, the number of holes is determined by the fisherman himself. But there are also some restrictions; each region has its own rules, but on average up to 10 holes are allowed per person.
Places are chosen in a chaotic order Yes, but fishermen are trying to drill in more promising areas of the reservoir for this type of fish. Of course, getting onto the path of pike perch is quite difficult, so it is customary to make another hole next to the girder, but this time they use a spoon as bait. This increases the chances of a good catch significantly. The spoon provokes the predator and provokes it into active action.
Making a sharp hook immediately after a bite is not effective, since a hungry predator instantly reacts to live bait, where, after unwinding all the fishing line from the reel, it hooks itself. If the fish is full, it does not immediately swallow its prey, but swims with it for some distance, holding it with its fangs. At the moment of stopping, the fish must be hooked strongly and sharply.

To the balancer

The balancer as a catching bait has gained the trust of fishermen quite recently; few people can use it.

It is important here not to make sudden jerks; movements should be made with short stops.

For example, a spoon sinks to the bottom of a reservoir, then rises 20 cm from it. Afterwards, a swing is made up approximately 0.5 m and a pause is made for a few seconds. Once again the bait is lowered to the bottom and after the next swing the pause is kept a little longer (15 seconds).

If no bites are observed, you can lightly tap the spoon on the bottom to raise the turbidity. After such actions, a bite is guaranteed.

Unlike summer bites, winter bites are weak and with less resistance when landing prey. Although pike perch is calm during this period, and its bites are too cautious, it is recommended to use a sensitive fishing rod.

The hook must be powerful in order to be sure to pierce the predator’s mouth with the hook. Otherwise, when the fish rises to the hole, it will most likely spit out the bait and leave.

On the jig

The optimal size of jigs varies from 10 to 14 cm, but in some situations it is better to use baits with a length of 20 cm. If fishing occurs at great depths, then use a heavy, large jig made mainly of lead. If the jig was equipped with a weight at home, it is recommended to wash it thoroughly to avoid the smell of burnt lead.

In this case, use a bunch of bloodworms or pieces of fresh fish. A jig in the shape of a devil gives good results, as well as a simple version of the bait with a single hook. To make it even more effective, a red woolen thread is hung on the bait.

Jig fishing technique:

A jig on a fanged predator is carried out carefully, slowly and smoothly, creating the illusion of slow movement of the bait. With the monotonous swinging of the jig, the fish’s eyes “light up” and it is ready to go for the catch. For example, the bait sinks to the bottom of the reservoir, in this case, you need to create a muddy trail, and tap it, pause for 5-6 seconds, and tap again. This series of actions raises a cloud similar to that created by rushing fry. The object being caught instantly reacts to the bait and attacks it.
Another way: With slow movements, the bait is raised 30 cm, the fishing thread is given slack and lowered to the bottom with slight vibrations and stops. To enhance the effect, the jig is pulled along the bottom. Often, a bite occurs when the bait lifts off the bottom.
The hook should be as sharp and strong as possible oh, you can do a double hook.

On the ball

The bait is a heavy product equipped with a drop-shaped sinker and 2 hooks with a ring located on both sides.

Another catchy way to hunt for pike perch is to catch the predator on a bulldozer.

Sequence in collecting the bulldozer: First, a hook is mounted on the fishing thread, then a sinker and the final element - the second hook. The bait is fixed to the fishing line of the tackle using a knot. An important point: when the fishing rod rises or falls, the hooks should move easily along the line.

To catch a fanged predator in winter, the following steps are followed: slowly, you need to lower the fishing line and tap the bottom with a sinker. At this moment, the hooks will rise up and the bait will take the position of a small crustacean. And, most importantly, do not forget about the dregs, it is this that attracts the predator.

Where to look for pike perch in winter?

Finding a promising location in winter is very different from searching in summer period when, to determine the fishing location, it is enough to have an idea of the topography of the reservoir with its depressions and snags.

In winter, you will have to work hard to find the object of fishing. The most common mistake among novice fishermen is to sit over the feeding hole and wait for the school to approach. A feature of the predator’s winter behavior is its constant movement across the pond in search of food. The good news is that pike perch never changes its route, under any circumstances.

If once a fisherman stumbles upon a predator’s feeding area, there will always be a catch in that place. You should know that among such predators there are also passive individuals that stick to the bottom surface; it is almost impossible to lure them. Such representatives have fallen into suspended animation and respond to bait extremely rarely.

Pike perch belongs to the category of overly cautious predators When fishing, you should adhere to the rules of camouflage and not create unnecessary noise.
To pierce the lip of a fanged predator, it is recommended to inspect the hook before each cast; it must hold its shape and be as sharp as possible.
Considering that pike perch is capable of swallowing bait deeply, it is advisable to have special forceps with you to remove it.
The chosen bait must be alive and active to be sure to attract the attention of a predator.
The object of fishing is a bottom dweller, therefore, it is recommended to initially familiarize yourself with the terrain features in a particular body of water.
Tackle for pike perch must be of high quality with good performance characteristics (powerful, with a sensitive nod and appropriate fishing line).
To get the maximum amount of pleasure, you need to go out for pike perch either on the first ice or on the last one.

Some winter sportsmen believe that catching pike perch in winter requires special talent and extensive fishing experience. However, experienced zander fishermen insist that the fanged one is easy to catch, but difficult to find. Ninety percent of winter fishing for pike perch is searching and reconnaissance of the water area. And if the predator’s site was discovered, it’s a small matter. The toothy robber is extremely aggressive and greedy, loves to live in permanent places. This predator rushes to the bait for food or just because of aggression. In winter, of course, pike perch is less active due to energy savings due to difficult environmental conditions. Uncertainty of the diet, a decrease in the number of fish, difficulties in finding - these are the three main factors that fishermen overcome for the sake of successful fishing. In this article we will look at how to properly catch pike perch in winter.

Where to catch pike perch in winter

To successfully catch pike perch in winter from ice, a search fishing strategy is used. This is unusual for anglers who have not engaged in exploratory winter trolling and are accustomed to stationary fishing with fishing rods in baited areas. Winter pike perch stays in specific favorite places, large individuals are usually alone, and medium and small ones are in schools. The fisherman's task is to find such points. Places are remembered or recorded, saved in a GPS navigator - such points will probably work for more than one year. For pike perch you need a serious attitude, a set of special gear and a lot of fishing until an approach to the fanged fish is found. Therefore, you need to be serious about this kind of fishing. Accidentally catching a pike perch without a special search in an unfamiliar place is an extremely rare occurrence. Let's look at where pike perch lives.

The habitat of pike perch is almost all rivers of the Baltic and Arctic basins. Previously, this species of fish lived only in the European part, but now the predator is acclimatized in Siberia, in Far East and northern Kazakhstan. The fanged fish is demanding of clean water. The bulk of the population is concentrated in rivers and reservoirs, natural lakes, freshwater bays of flowing rivers in the Baltic and the North. In small rivers with sufficient current and depth, pike perch is also present. It is useless to search in silted ponds or polluted water bodies.

Features of behavior

Pike perch is a strong fish; on the river it often stands on the current, on the main stream. But it is more often found at depth after such rapids, especially if there are rocky placers or other shelters at the bottom. Large pike perch loves solitude in winter, settling in promising places. Because of large mass body, it is not profitable for such a predator to spend energy on an active pursuit of small things. Therefore, he stands in ambush under his favorite snag and waits for a larger fish that has gaped. Unlike its relatives, bersh and perch, pike perch is a pure predator and fish lover. It hardly feeds on other underwater inhabitants.

Promising points in winter, especially on large rivers and reservoirs are located at a great distance. Therefore, it is better for the fisherman to immediately prepare himself for many kilometers of travel. Fishing happens on your feet - drill, fish, move on. The further you go, the higher the chances of finding pike perch. If in the summer with a spinning rod the expectation of predators going into shallow waters for hunting is justified, then in the winter it is only a search for parking spots. During periods of inactivity, winter pike perch need to throw the bait literally half a meter from the muzzle. You shouldn’t rely on the fanged one to come out - such attacks by the predator are rare in the cold season, and in the dead of winter they almost never happen.

The right approach

Pike perch is a nocturnal predator. During the day he stands in his shelters, and at night he comes out of them to nearby feeding areas. In winter, the predator does not go far from the point, but still leaves its place to hunt for fish, visiting the nearest shallow waters or edges. In light of all of the above, avid winter pike perch fish at night, including in the early morning or late evening. It is at this time that the winter predator is more or less active. The fanged one senses the slightest vibrations in the water, relying mainly on the lateral line rather than vision. Therefore, catching a striped fish in an active state is easier simply because you can make a little mistake with the search - a hunting predator can approach the playing bait from afar.

During periods of inactivity in deep winter (for example, during the day), you can make a mistake with the hole by just a meter - and not get a grip. For running night fishing over large areas in winter, you need a snowmobile. It is advisable to have an echo sounder for searching and a navigator (for drawing up routes and remembering catching points).

It is a systematic approach to winter fishing for pike perch that is the most correct. With constant fishing and consistent inspection of the reservoir, catchable points will sooner or later be found, and further fishing can be done with better quality at known working places, catching them more carefully.

Where to look for pike perch in winter

Let us dwell in more detail on determining the habitats of pike perch in winter. Correctly identifying and finding the point is the whole point of winter fishing for pike perch. Tackle, bait, presentation style are also important, but secondarily. Catching this predator where it is not there is pointless.

A good assistant for ice fishing for pike perch is knowledge of the bottom topography in the area of the upcoming fishing. If there is no such information, then it is advisable to theoretically study the available information as much as possible (if possible): hydrographic maps, the experience of other fishermen, fishing forums.

Rivers

Winter pike perch is at depth. But there is no need to look for the most deep place on the pond. The fisherman's goal in winter is deep relief anomalies. A flat, deep hole is hardly interesting for a predator. But if there are irregularities, snags, stones, shell rock, on the contrary, these are promising points for fishing in winter. The predator not only stands in the depths, but stays near the edges, plateaus, snags and uneven surfaces. This must be taken into account when searching. The striped robber loves clean, oxygenated water and a hard, gristly bottom. You won’t find it in muddy pools or stagnant water. Promising places for fishing on rivers:

Deep holes after rifts and rapids;
Stone placers and spits, boulders;
Snags;
Submerged logs;
Underwater cliffs and drops;
Exits from pits, stepped edges;
Below under dams or hydroelectric power stations;
The border of the deep-sea channel edge, where water lilies grow in summer;
Under bridges;
A special “pike-perch” place is a cape that protrudes far into the river and goes into the depths. In winter, we search at a depth where the anomaly is just beginning, during the day. And at night - shallower, on the slopes.

Reservoirs

The listed places must be at a sufficient depth - 7 meters or more. Five-meter watering for the fanged robber in winter is stranded. He can go there to feed during periods of activity at night (if these places are located near the parking point).

You can find pike perch in the reservoir in the following places:

All of the above is for rivers.
Banks, nickels with shelters (for example, depths of 10-12 meters, and around 15), dumps of these “shallows”.
Flooded old riverbeds, holes, forests, buildings and what remains of them during the flooding.
Deep holes at the mouths of rivers flowing into a reservoir.
Deep-sea underwater plateaus with shells, vegetation, driftwood, stones.
A lonely old driftwood in the depths, covered with shells and algae.

Search tactics

The habits of pike perch in winter determine fishing tactics. Fishing on an unfamiliar body of water begins with searching for new points. More time is spent on this than on fishing itself. You can train a striped fish at a point in winter in an hour. But to find such a fishing spot, you need to try. The presence of snowmobiles (or motorized dogs), a gas drill and an echo sounder makes the task easier. It’s better to work in a team - this way you can catch large area per unit of time. It will take up time rather than help - at such depths it is still possible to see something with great difficulty. Lower the spoon and make 7-10 retrieves easier and faster. There is no grip - we go to the next hole.

All promising site(local) it is better to drill at once - 10-20 holes at a distance of 15-20 meters. Just one good hole out of all those drilled can make for fishing if you hit a school.

Search nuances

Finding pike perch in winter depends on the time of day and the period of winter. During the main time of catching pike perch from the ice - late December, January, February, early March (dead winter) - we look for fanged fish in the pits themselves. Moreover, if fishing occurs during the day, it is done directly in pits and shelters. If at night, then in shallower water areas adjacent to the point. These can be drops, slopes, exits from the depths, meeting points of the return and direct stream with a drop at the bottom. Pike perch bite in December and March can be observed in larger water areas, since at this time the active predator makes long forays for prey.

At night and at dawn (sunset), you can find a feeding flock in relatively shallow water areas. Don't forget that the hole should be somewhere nearby. This predator does not wander around the water area like bream. He always returns to his favorite places. In the wilderness, in especially promising places, when the instinct “well, he can’t not be here” is triggered, it is better to drill holes more often. The predator can be very passive at such times. In winter, a deviation of just half a meter can be critical, especially when fishing on stepped edges. In such places, you first need to find the required fishing depth (usually before the first step on the bottom, but this is far from a postulate), and then move along it.

Features of fishing in winter

The main secret to catching pike perch in winter is a successful search. All strength and initiative must be thrown at him. If a fish is found, catching it is not a problem (except for periods of complete passivity, which is unpredictable. The fanged fish is a greedy and aggressive predator. Of course, the technique of catching pike perch in winter has its own specific characteristics.

Nocturnal lifestyle

The object of the catch is a typical nocturnal predator. Short hyperactive outbursts (especially in summer) are also observed at dawn. But they may not exist. If a fisherman has the opportunity to visit a reservoir many times, then the rhythms of the fish coming out to feed need to be determined and studied. Comparison of the correctly found place and exit time is the key to a bite. Catching pike perch at night is initially more catchy than during the day. During daylight hours, fish are looked for passively standing in the pit. The fish may bite; you need to throw the bait directly to the point where it is standing. At night, pike perch actively hunts, using its lateral line. He senses vibrations from afar, so the range of action of one hole expands significantly. Therefore, if possible, it is better to use night fishing for pike perch.

Search and catch mode

When the fishing location is known in advance (at old points), especially during the day and in the dead of winter, a thorough search tactic is used. The point is precisely known, the predator is most likely passive, so you need to catch literally every meter. Holes are drilled quite often (for example, every 2-4 meters), carefully fished using various winter baits and fishing rods.

In other cases, in winter (the points are unknown, fishing at night, the fish are at least somehow active), the travel mode is used. Many holes on the maximum number of promising places with their fastest catching catchable tackle and bait. This approach is the most appropriate for winter fishing for pike perch - the more area of the reservoir that has been explored, the higher the likelihood of finding this predator in winter.

Bait game

In winter, the fanged one loves pauses. Regardless of what kind of bait is used, a balancer, a spinner or a ratlin. Movements during fishing should be smooth, pauses should be long. A passive predator reacts well, for example, to heavy nails, which practically do not play, but simply walk up and down. Pike perch does not like too lively game, like other predatory fish. Bites occur more often after a reset, when the bait is lowered, at the end of a long pause. In any case, the length of pauses and amplitude of movements are established experimentally. When the point is found, the correct fishing time, the adjusted gear and the right game winter fishing pike perch turns into a simple matter of getting the fish out of the hole. The bite is expressed in knocking, jerking or hanging weight. The hook is made strong and confident - to cut through the bone mouth. Sometimes a predator grabs the bait and clamps it with its jaws, without being detected and holding it to the end. Therefore, when fishing from ice, you need to fish quickly. Frequent cases are the spoon falling out of the fish’s mouth after being taken out of the water.

What do you use to catch pike perch in winter?

There are many fishing rods for winter fishing for pike perch, and even more baits. The specific gear used depends on the body of water and the angler's preferences. In some places, the predator takes better by trolling, in other reservoirs - by live gudgeon or jig with the addition of sprat, cutting fresh fish. All this depends on the food supply and time of year. More details in the article. The choice of gear for ice fishing for pike perch is determined by the conditions in each specific case. The most common fishing methods in winter:

Winter sparkle;
Pike-perch jigs with attached bait;
Fishing with live bait using a fishing rod;
Winter vertical jig;
Zherlitsy (suppliers).

Lures

To catch pike perch from ice, various baits, both artificial and natural, are used. The best baits for pike perch in winter:

Vertical spinners, balancers, .
Natural baits (for attaching to a jig or hook of a spinner) - sprat, capelin, cut fish.
Live - gobies, minnows, bleaks (for, any narrow-bodied fish species that are part of the predator’s food supply in this reservoir).
Silicone, edible rubber - for ice jig fishing.

Weather and pressure

Another important factor in the winter biting of fanged fish is weather. In what weather and at what pressure does pike perch bite best in winter?

The best fishing conditions in winter are stable weather, without changes in wind, temperature and atmospheric pressure. Constant but slight frost (minus 3-10 degrees Celsius). Weather fluctuations can unpredictably both improve and worsen the winter bite. The usual rhythm of hunting trips may simply change, and then the fisherman will not get to the next “planned” bite on schedule.

One of the working signs for ice fishing for pike perch is a warm autumn. If the ice does not rise for a long time, then the first ice almost always causes a strong gorging of the fanged one.

The fishing boxes of fanged predator hunters contain stocks of winter baits for pike perch that vary in appearance and function. In this article we will give an overview of working options, and also describe some of the features of their use on reservoirs in winter. The choice of bait for fishing for pike perch in winter is determined by the fishing method, the behavior of the predator and the conditions of the reservoir. Therefore, it is pointless to look for the most catchy super option. Certain equipment will perform well in some conditions, but will not work at all in others. But still, out of all the variety, the most popular and favorite baits among fishermen stand out, which catch fanged fish almost everywhere.

Artificial and natural baits

A popular method of fishing for winter pike perch is vertical ice trolling. Therefore, most often under the search for the most best baits For pike perch in winter, anglers use this method of fishing. Spinning is not limited to the use of only spinners. Among artificial baits there are a large number of applications and equipment, which in terms of catchability are in no way inferior to spinners, and in some conditions are superior to fishing rods. The most catchy baits for pike perch in winter are those that the fisherman understands, understands the game and the intricacies of presenting to a predator.

A winter jig for a striped robber in this situation is a serious competitor. Putting a sprat or fry on a hook, the predisposition of a striped predator in the dead of winter to bite on a small bait - and the spinners are no longer useful. But if you manage to find an active predator and its feeding places, then it is with powerful fishing rods with a spinner or rattlin that you will most likely be able to pull out a trophy specimen. Therefore, there is no point in arguing about the “self” of any decision - it is better to thoroughly understand each fishing method and use gear depending on the need. Detailed article about catching winter pike perch:

Flashing

When trolling under the ice, good baits for pike perch have similar equipment requirements, so they are usually all present in the fisherman’s box. Universal spinners do just that. Experienced pike-perch fishermen do not try to persistently fish with the same lure if it doesn’t bite, but try out a variety of options. It is advisable to keep several already loaded fishing rods in the box for different weights of equipment. It is not known in advance which bait will work to catch a cautious predator in winter, especially if the angler is on the pond for the first time.

Spoons

Traditional baits for fanged fish in winter are winter vertical spinners. They work always and everywhere. It is better for a beginner in pike perch fishing to start with them - the wiring is the simplest. It’s not for nothing that many fanged hunters call spoons the best lures for pike perch in winter. The most working ones, according to experienced ones, are hexagons, tubes, castmasters, halkos and the like. These baits allow you to fish in currents and great depths, using not particularly sophisticated gear. More details in a special article:

Rathlins and cicadas

Winter wobblers for pike perch began to conquer fishing arsenals relatively recently. Some anglers cannot praise them enough, others criticize them. The whole secret is in the correct wiring. Knowing the nuances of the game, a rattlin can be animated much more attractively for a predator than a spinner or a balancer. Mastering the playing technique is more difficult; everyone needs to find their own approach. In principle, the wiring basis is the same as for cicadas - metal plate-shaped spinners with an upper hook. In general, this group is very promising, and all the possibilities of using winter bladeless wobblers remain to be seen.

Rattlin (vib)

Amphipods

Amphipods are a logical continuation of the development of the folk Dnieper helicopter. Initially it was something between a jig and a spinner. Now the helicopter has been improved - a shift in the center of gravity and the gimbal angle allows for an interesting and unique game.

Amphipod

Edible rubber and silicone

Silicone baits for fanged pirates in winter began to be used relatively recently. And now ice jig is rapidly gaining momentum. Rubber is a universal attachment. It allows for a variety of installations and accessories. The development of the chemical industry has made it possible to introduce new materials to the markets. And now the most popular trend is edible rubber. The silicones are treated with a special attractant and also impregnated with salts, which mislead the predator and give the fisherman a couple of extra seconds until the fish understands that there is bait in the mouth.

Flies, brushes and other decoys

It is generally difficult to classify many deceptions. These are various tassels, flies, sets of beads. They are used as a basic heavy base, and also as an additional suspension. Most often, such decoys are made by fishermen themselves.

Brush on a jig

Jigs

The bastard and the devil

The no-attachment jig option is also applicable for catching a fanged robber. For this purpose, jigs such as the Balda or the Devil are used. Accordingly, for striped fish the baits themselves are needed larger, and the gear is a level more powerful than with the usual fishing with a reelless bait.

There is a whole class of fishing enthusiasts for whom winter fishing for pike perch is the most anticipated and beloved. And how can one not understand them when a large large fish lands on the hook of a small fishing rod, and not some undersized perch. Meanwhile, hunting for a fanged animal is not as simple as it might seem at first glance, and sometimes beginners do not immediately manage to adapt to it.

Where to look for it?

Pike perch is a schooling fish, so, unlike the ambush pike, it does not have exact locations. Rather, it is worth talking about its constant movement along certain routes in a body of water. Its migration pattern depends on the movement of forage fish - bleak, verkhovka or roach. On the first ice, both the prey and the hunter are more active, so the flocks move quickly, making more circles per day than in the wilderness.

In rivers, the laws of these migrations often depend on the direction and strength of the current; in standing reservoirs, on the bottom topography.

In any case, when talking about places to search for pike perch, you need to take into account its habitat areas, and not specific points.

Although along its route the fanged one is not averse to lingering a little longer near an interesting snag or a tree that has fallen into the water.

What to catch?

Fishing for pike perch in winter is carried out with three types of fishing rods, these are the following gear:

classic lure;
winter zherlitsa;
fishing rod for sprat fishing.

Blesnilnik

Winter fishing for pike perch using lures is most successful on the first ice. At this time, the speed of movement of the pike perch school is high, as is the competition among individuals within it. Therefore, in conditions of intense competition, the predator often grabs artificial bait without thinking.

Various models of fishing rods are used as lures, but we recommend this design:

fishing rod with a cork, “warm” handle;
a whip with rings and a replaceable tip, like a feeder;
spinning reel with a small spool of 1000 Shimano units;
monofilament line 0.25 mm thick.

Interchangeable tips of different hardness allow you to choose the best option for any weight of the bait, and their flexibility allows you to do without additional installation of a nod. A small meat grinder will help you quickly unwind and rewind the fishing line, and its clutch can be used to fish out large specimens of fanged predators.

Winter fishing Fishing for pike perch with a trolling rod involves using a large arsenal of different baits. This powerful predator may be tempted:

vertical spinner;
lure-tube;
amphipod;
balancer;
silicone bait;
rattlin wobbler.

In recent years, catching pike perch with jigs in winter has attracted great interest. Moreover, they equip the fishing rod either in a simple way with tying the bait to the end of the fishing line, or in rigs with a retractable leash for fishing in the current, or with a drop-shot for playing above the bottom surface.

Zherlitsa

Fishing for pike perch from the ice is also carried out using girders. In this case, two options for gear configuration are used:

classical;
with a retractable leash.

The classic live bait rig is used in places with weak or no current.

Regardless design features model, its under-ice part looks like this:

at the end of the fishing line there is a hook with live bait;
a stopper is installed 10-20 centimeters higher;
above the stopper, a sliding sinker moves along the working line, the weight of which is consistent with the size of the live bait (usually the weight of the load = 1/10 of the weight of the live bait).

If you have to fish with a lure in the current, then it is better to use a tackle with a retractable leash. In this case, the equipment looks a little different:

At the end of the working line, a sinker is attached, of sufficient weight for the current in a given place of the reservoir;
above the sinker, 30-50 centimeters, a diverting leash with a hook for live bait is tied.

The leash can be attached through a regular loop, or using a triple swivel.

The following fish are used as live bait for pike perch:

Verkhovka;
bleak;
chub;
minnow;
roach;
dace;
ruff.

Tall fish such as silver bream, crucian carp or sop are less in demand by pike perch, which are not able to open their mouths wide.

With its help, you can catch a fanged one both on the first ice and in the dead of winter.

Postavusha

This is the name of the fishing rod with which they catch fish in winter (a small fish of the herring family or just small bait fish). It is somewhat similar in appearance to carp fish: bleak and verkhovka, but differs from them, first of all, in its special smell, so beloved by pike perch.

Unlike the above-mentioned live baits, sprat is used dead and attached as a tackle to a hook or to a large jig or an original spoon.

The gear for catching pike perch using sprat is as follows:

fishing rod with handle, reel and legs;
nod-guard with a noticeable beacon;
fishing line with a diameter of 0.20-0.25 millimeters.

The supplied equipment is as follows:

A heavy jig with a large hook is tied to the end of the working line. A jig head can also serve as such. Some fishermen make special spoons for sprat.
40-50 centimeters higher, a leash with a hook for the second sprat is tied on the fishing line. Moreover, if fishing is in the current, the leash is made 50-70 centimeters long, depending on the strength of the flow. Sometimes a silicone bait is attached here instead of a sprat.

It is better to catch fish using sprat in the dead of winter, and use several at a time, optimally and not illegally - five units.

Techniques and tactics

Depending on when you go for walleye in the winter, you should be prepared for different methods designed to catch the predator. On the first ice, the so-called rut is often used. From the outside it looks like this:

A flock of, and there’s no other word for it, fishermen is gathering, about a hundred and over heads.
It disperses over a vast area of a river bay or a section of a reservoir and begins to do what it likes. There is simply no time to fish with live bait at this time of the season.
After the first catches of the fanged one, the crowd moves to the lucky one and soon after this, bites follow in the place where the flock of pike perch has moved.
This continues throughout the day: the human school follows the fish.

As the ice thickens and fishing activity decreases, they stop chasing pike perch. At this time, it is better to fish stationary: with girders and set-ups. Since the school moves along a certain route, gear is placed at certain stopping points and they wait for the next fish to come out. There were cases when three fish were pulled out of the same hole a day: in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening.

If the bait is self-sufficient, and all work with it consists of checking the live bait for activity, then with the bait everything is much more interesting. To attract and catch pike perch, you have to constantly go around the gear and play along with it.

The combination of gear is also interesting, when an active live bait is hung on the upper hook of the bait, and the lower jig is equipped with a sprat. Then the fry not only creates wave vibrations, but also moves the sprat, which releases more tasty-smelling substances into the water.

Fishing, and especially fishing in winter time, when there is neither a dacha nor numerous household chores, this is one of the most favorite pastimes of the male half of our country. Days in the frosty, fresh air fly by unnoticed. Catching roach, bream, and, of course, pike perch is an exciting activity that also allows you to taste fresh fish. What methods and gear are used for fishing for pike perch, and where it can be found in winter, you can find out by reading this article.

Fishing for pike perch in the winter is radically different from the summer months when the reservoirs are open. In winter, attracting large pike perch is much more difficult and, as a rule, it is necessary to fish at night. Night fishing significantly increases the chances of getting a good catch, since pike perch for the most part prefers to hunt at this time.

In winter, pike perch, like all other fish, is quite passive, and in order to find it, you will need to drill more than a dozen holes. Winter stops for pike perch can be in places where the water is most saturated with oxygen. Winter fishing for pike perch from ice has its undeniable advantages. They consist in the ability to install gear for winter fishing directly above the intended parking area of the predator. You can find pike perch sites using echo sounders that show the bottom topography, and some, especially powerful models, show the largest fish. Studying its habits and behavioral characteristics will help in finding winter pike perch.

Predator baits

As bait during winter fishing, it is mainly used for catching pike perch. This , . Sprat is considered the most catchy bait for catching pike perch. It can be used either live or cut into small pieces. Sometimes pike perch, but this is rather an exception. Some fishermen, as an experiment, use exotic baits, for example, boiled udder or.

Using such types of fish as bait as perch and perch reduces the likelihood of a good catch, because unlike pike, which is ready to grab everything that moves, our predator prefers white fish, and depending on the reservoir, its preferences may differ . So in winter, catching it in an unknown reservoir should be carried out using different types of baits, this way you can determine the most catchable bait, for a specific place..

The use of various types of spinners as bait, with artificial baits, is also quite common. It has been noticed, for example, that pike perch shows interest in silver-colored metallic spoons, small sizes and oblong shape. Apparently, they remind him of his favorite fry.

Photo 1. Tube spoons are an excellent bait for pike perch.

How to choose the right fishing spot

Catching pike perch in winter involves actively searching for the predator in its habitat. It is worth drilling in close proximity to snags and looking for... No one can tell you where you will be able to stumble upon an active predator, since the behavior of pike perch is difficult to predict, especially when fishing from the ice in winter.

Sometimes in winter you can find pike perch on the current, under the edge, this is one of its favorite places to hunt, such places in the reservoir should be checked first, since it is there that you can stumble upon an active, not half-asleep, pike perch.

Fishing for pike perch is interesting because it is not so easy to find it, and the pike perch does not bite on just anything, but on the bait that it likes.

Photo 2. Balancer is the most popular bait for pike perch.

Tackle

In winter, pike perch fishing is carried out using various tackles. , all this can be used for fishing. There are also not entirely legal gear, for example, saddles or self-catchers. I can have specific types of specific equipment for catching pike perch in winter great amount modifications, such as a vent.

Zherlitsa

The most common types of vents are:

A flag type holder, on a round stand that covers the hole.
Flag on the staff.
Tripod
Tripod on a round stand.

The fishing line for such girders is used with a cross-section of 0.4 - 0.5 mm, sinkers are selected depending on the speed of the current. The leash can be attached in two main ways, either directly at the end of the fishing line, or a sinker is attached to the end, and the leash is located about fifty centimeters from it. This design is used in strong currents. To equip the girder, one or several leashes can be used.

The zherlitsa can be made quite easily with your own hands, since its design is simple and practical.

Winter spinning

Another common tackle is a winter spinning rod, or. Essentially, this is a small copy of the summer version. The spinning rod is equipped with monofilament or braided fishing line; the choice of fishing line is up to the fisherman. Spinning baits are primarily silver, oblong-shaped spoons. The spoon can be used either independently or together with pieces of small fish, such as verkhovka or sprat. The balancer also shows good results.

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