Catching pike on live bait: how to catch from the shore, float fishing rod

Toothy predator is one of the most common predatory fish species that inhabit our reservoirs. Over the centuries, people have come up with many ways to catch a pike. Live bait fishing is a method that was invented by man at the dawn of civilization. Many anglers use it nowadays.

The use of natural hook baits gives good results, since the live bait behaves quite naturally in the water column, which cannot be said about artificial baits, although they copy the movements of a small fish in the water column. This text is designed to acquaint readers with how to properly hook a live fish so that it stays alive for a long time and attracts a predator.

Benefits of live bait fishing

As a rule, catching predatory fish on live bait always gives a positive result, since predatory fish quite often react to natural bait. The advantages of this method of catching predatory fish include:

• The versatility of the method, since live fish can be used with any rig options, regardless of the season.
• It is not difficult to have bait, since live fish can be caught in the same reservoir where you plan to fish for pike.
• The cheapness of the method, since no additional costs are required for expensive artificial baits. In addition, the tackle is just as cheap.
• The use of natural bait does not require the use of additional materials and means to attract a predator.

In addition to the advantages of this method of fishing, there is one significant drawback associated with the storage of the caught fish. In addition, the problem is exacerbated if the bait has to be transported to a reservoir. This method of fishing is not considered dynamic, such as spinning fishing, so not all anglers are delighted with it, especially young people.

Where to fish?

Live bait fishing has no restrictions, so it is permissible to catch pike anywhere in the reservoir, regardless of the depth and the presence of a current. And yet, it is better to catch a pike:

• In oxbow lakes, inlets, in branches of rivers and channels at medium depths and in the presence of aquatic vegetation.
• On rivers, lakes and other bodies of water on the border of clean water and vegetation.
• In large water areas with or without current.
• Within underwater shelters, which are submerged snags, islands of algae, small islands, etc.

With the advent of autumn, when the pike goes to deep-sea areas, the most promising areas may be riverbeds, deep crests, areas of reverse currents and whirlpools, reaches and other places where the pike can eat and where it feels more comfortable.

The right choice of bait

The diet of the predator includes various food objects of animal origin, including small fish of various species. When choosing a live bait for fishing, it is necessary to give preference to the fish that is found in the same reservoir as the pike. A similar bait for pike is more preferable than caught in another reservoir.

When catching pike in various water bodies, especially those that do not have a current, the best option for live bait is a small carp. It is believed that crucian carp is the most suitable, because:

• The fish is quite tenacious, because it is not sensitive to a lack of oxygen.
• Carp is easy to catch on any body of water. Such a fish can be bought at any fishing store, although in this case you will have to think about where to store it.
• The crucian is easily and without problems mounted on a hook.

On reservoirs with stagnant water, it is permissible to use a small tench as a live bait fish, although it is not easy to catch this fish, and it is not found everywhere. Therefore, such types of fish as roach, rudd, perch, etc. are also suitable. For pike fishing, fish are suitable, ranging in size from 5 to 30 cm, which depends on the estimated size of the prey.

It is important to know! To catch a trophy pike, you will have to use a fairly large live bait, the size of a palm and no less.

When fishing on rivers, it is permissible to use such fish as blue bream, bream, silver bream, etc. as live bait. In short, any fish that can be caught on the river is suitable as a live bait, like perch, minnow, goby, ruff, etc.

In order not to waste precious time on fishing, it is better to prepare the live bait in advance, but then you will have to solve the issue of its storage and transportation.

How to plant live bait

There are several ways that allow you to put a live bait on the hook so that it remains active in the water for a long time. Much in this matter depends on what kind of equipment is used and what kind of fishing conditions. The easiest option is to put the live bait behind the back, regardless of which hook is used.

You can hook the fish by the lip, while keeping in mind that in some species of fish the lip is weak and cannot withstand the load for a long time. In addition, unreliable fastening of the live bait for a number of other reasons is obtained. When biting, a pike can simply knock the live bait off the hook. A similar method of attaching a live bait is more suitable for catching perch on a running bottom.

There is a more reliable way when the leash passes through the gills of the fish. As a result of this fastening, the fry is quite securely held on the tackle. At the same time, the survivability of the fish remains at the same level. The only drawback of this mounting option is the complexity and waste of precious time.

Alternatively, you can put the live bait on a pair of hooks at once, while one hook can be threaded through the gills, and the other can be fastened to the back of the fish. Despite the reliability of this option, such a process takes a lot of time from the angler.

For fishing on a running donk or on a fly rod, or on spinning, a tackle is used. Thanks to this, a live fish is securely held and will not fly off when it hits the water, while it is easy to mount it.

Live bait fishing methods

Catching a pike on live bait is real, using various fishing techniques. At the same time, each method of catching predatory fish differs from each other, although only slightly. It is especially important, despite the options for using snaps, to know the nature of the behavior of a toothy predator, then you can count on a positive outcome of fishing. The choice of a promising site plays a very important role.

For pike fishing on live bait, it is permissible to use the following gear:

• Mugs.
• Bottom rods.
• Walking Donka.
• Float live bait.
• Summer vents.

Below in the article you can find out in more detail how such gear differs from each other and how to catch a pike on them.

Fishing for mugs

Our grandfathers and great-grandfathers also caught pike on mugs, so the method of fishing is familiar to many anglers. For effective fishing, several circles are used, which are installed at different points in the reservoir. When the pike takes the live bait, the circle turns over, signaling a bite. When the angler swims up to the circle, the pike already has time to swallow the bait. The fisherman can only make a sweep and pull the predator out of the water.

The advantages of this method of fishing include:

• Tackle can be installed in any promising place of the reservoir, taking into account the features of the bottom topography, as well as the presence of aquatic vegetation.
• Mugs are simple in design, so even an inexperienced angler will be able to understand their device.
• Alternatively, mugs can be purchased at specialized outlets or on the market.
• Mugs are highly effective, despite the simplicity of design.

As a tip! The tackle is simple, so for its manufacture it is enough to use available improvised means in the form of plastic bottles. There is a lot of this garbage in our time!

You should also pay attention to a significant drawback of this method of fishing – the presence of any watercraft. Unfortunately, not every fisherman is able to purchase a boat, although this element of fishing is the dream of any angler.

Running donk

This tackle allows you to catch a predator from the shore, when there are a lot of them in the reservoir and it is more distributed along the coastal zone. Among the advantages of this method are:

• High mobility, since the angler has the opportunity to move freely along the coast in search of pike.
• The use of light and fairly simple tackle allows the angler to feel all the excitement of fishing.
• The ability to cast the bait into hard-to-reach places, where there are many underwater surprises.

As a rule, running bottoms are used mainly in summer, although this can be done in autumn, but not deep, while the pike has not yet gone to the depth. The advantage of fishing from the shore is that you do not need to have a watercraft, which in our time costs a lot of money.

Summer girders

It is believed that the zherlitsa is a winter tackle for catching pike, but some anglers, having modernized and simplified it a bit, use it to catch pike from the shore in the summer. This tackle also allows you to catch the coastal areas of the water area, and often quite difficult.

It will not be difficult to mount a summer vent with your own hands. At the same time, it is within the reach of any angler, even the most inexperienced, and it will not take much time. The summer vent is installed in any suitable place, and while it is standing, the angler can fish with a float rod, or rather, catch live bait. From time to time, you can just look at the zherlitsa in order to respond in a timely manner to a bite.

Catching pike on a float rod

Fishing with this tackle has some similarities with fishing with a running bottom, but this tackle has a float as a bite signaling device. For this fishing technique, rods are used that are not shorter than 4 meters, and with a rod length of more than 6 meters, fishing can be problematic. If the pike is located at a considerable distance from the shore, then it is better to use a spinning rod, which allows you to cast the bait for a considerable distance. Otherwise, fishing with float gear is no different from ordinary fishing. Unless you have to pick up a reliable rod.

Bottom gear

There are many variations in the manufacture of bottom gear, which are used in specific conditions.

As a rule, bottom tackle is a stationary tackle, and quite simple in design. Despite its simplicity, the tackle is distinguished by excellent catchability, not only in relation to pike, but also to other types of fish. As a rule, bottom rods are mainly used for catching fish such as bream, carp, chub, roach and others.

Rubber is another type of bottom gear, although catching pike on this gear is quite problematic. The rubber band is installed at one promising point of the reservoir and frequent movements with it along the shore of the reservoir are simply useless: it is not easy to install and just as difficult to assemble, and this is a waste of time.

Pike fighting

Fishing for live bait has its own specifics, therefore, when a bite occurs, you should not immediately hook the fish. The pike is different in that it grabs its prey across and tries to go into cover so that it can be safely swallowed there. Therefore, you need to wait a bit and only then, a sweeping sweep is made.

When the pike realizes that she is hooked, she begins to resist violently. Often she manages to get away or drag the tackle into snags or vegetation. In this regard, delay is also fraught with failure. The main thing is to bring the predator to clean water and then try to cope with her efforts to get rid of the hook.

Often the pike rises to the surface of the water, after which it does something that an inexperienced angler often cannot cope with the task. When a pike manages to be brought close to the shore, then it should not be pulled out of the water with your hands, but it is better to use a landing net. It should always be remembered that the pike has sharp teeth, and wounds do not heal for a long time.

Subtleties of fishing in winter

Winter fishing is a topic for a separate discussion. The zherlitsa is, perhaps, the only, most simple and productive tackle when catching pike from the ice. The advantages of such fishing are as follows:

• The tackle is universal.
• Captivating enough.
• Very simple.
• Reliable enough.
• Cheap.

Zherlitsy catch pike in any water bodies, the main thing is to find promising points. They are effective on both small and large water bodies. In the presence of a current, this tackle is ineffective, so it is better to install it in the bay, in the backwater, in the coastal zone and other closed water bodies or areas with minimal current.

Naturally, live bait is a unique bait that works when catching any predatory fish. Pike quite often grabs a weakened fish and does not chase a more live one, except that it quickly grabs, jumping out of its hiding place. Although few anglers use this type of bait, preferring artificial lures and a more mobile way of catching fish.

In conclusion

I would like to remind you that this way of catching fish, when a live fish is used instead of bait, is considered barbaric in some European countries. In this regard, our anglers could just as well think about this problem, as well as about the problem of fishing, as such, which depletes fish stocks at a tremendous pace. And this is largely related to the barbaric methods of fishing, including live bait fishing, electric fishing, fishing with dynamite, gases, etc. It’s time for us to consider fishing as an event for which a person rests, but does not enrich himself. After all, the majority of fishermen these days are not poor people who ride bicycles with simple float rods around water bodies, but rather wealthy citizens who drive expensive SUVs and minibuses. It makes you want to ask them what they lack in life.