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The Spring River is one of the favorite places to visit for spinners. A flowing reservoir “comes to life” faster than closed water areas. Among the most popular predators living in the rivers, one can single out the pike, which by April is gaining post-spawning activity. The spotted beauty begins to peck at the end of March, although the dates may shift depending on the year and the temperature regime.
Where to search for pike
The toothy inhabitant of rivers and lakes with an increase in water temperature remains in shallow waters, where there is an abundant food base in the form of fry. In the spring, many underwater inhabitants wake up or come out of hibernation, which the fish are not averse to eating. One of the favorite “treats” of pike is the frog, so many anglers use its imitations as bait.
Promising areas of rivers for fishing:
- small backwaters and entrances to bays;
- border of reeds, cattail and other vegetation;
- blockages of trees that have fallen into the water;
- grassy irrigation and shallow water;
- beaches, sandbars, coastal ridges.
Looking for a predator at a depth in April is a useless exercise, almost all the “toothy” leaves the channel and pits even before spawning.
Pike spawning takes place in February-March, so it begins to peck earlier than other inhabitants of the fresh environment. Some individuals go to spawn even under the ice, laying their eggs in shallow waters, in thickets of cattail and reeds. At this time, the pike refuses any bait, including live bait.
On the river, the coastal zone should be fished. The most interesting places are along the nearest coast. If there are no bites at the feet, and casts parallel to the shore did not bring the desired result, you can check the opposite shore. For fishing in distant areas, sinking baits are suitable, which must be deepened immediately after filing.
In shallow waters, the depth of which does not exceed 2 m, pike can attack the bait in any zone, therefore, in such places, fan casting is considered the best search tactic. The April predator can actively move, and if the water is muddy, it can stand at its feet. Passed zones can be checked again on the way back, in some cases this brings success.
April is coastal fishing, since navigation on the rivers opens only at the end of the month. High water hides many interesting places, which can be reached in special equipment – waders and waterproof suits. Pike often enters spills, where it is difficult to catch it with traditional baits. In this case, you need to use near-surface wobblers and walkers moving over shallow water obstacles.
Lakes are not as visited in the middle of spring as rivers, since the ichthyofauna in them comes to life more slowly. Small water areas warm up faster, therefore, to search for pike, it is necessary to select just such a body of water. It is also important to have shore access to the water, as fishing from a boat starts later.
On the lakes, fish lives everywhere, evenly occupying shelters. Any visible promising area should be forwarded, because often a predator attacks from an ambush.
On the lake, pike should be looked for in the following places:
- on the narrowing of the reservoir and in its upper reaches;
- near the walls of cattail and reeds;
- in places where aquatic vegetation remained;
- at depths from 0,5 to 2 m.
There are reservoirs in which the water remains clear even after the ice melts. In such waters, you can spot a predator on a sunny day with the help of polarized glasses. From a distance, a pike resembles a stick standing in the thick near an object.
Spinning fishing in April
For pike fishing in the middle of spring, a classic rod with a test up to 30 g is suitable. Since fishing is carried out at shallow depths, there is no need for a more powerful blank. The length of the rod depends on the size of the water area and the freedom of casting. In cramped conditions, it is better to use “sticks” with a height of up to 210 cm, in other cases, you can resort to models of 240-270 cm.
The color of the line does not matter, since there is always a leash between it and the bait. An active pike does not pay attention to the line, it only cares about the bait. In the summer, when the predator becomes finicky, the elements of the spinning tackle are changed to a more delicate option; in April, you can use a thick bright cord.
You can overestimate the cross-section of the braid if you need to catch expensive baits, for example, wobblers. A thick cord allows you to pull the product out of snags or young shoots of plants, shell rock.
For pike fishing, several types of postings are used:
- monotonous broach at low speed;
- classic step or Stop’n’Go;
- twitch with pauses, single or double jerks;
- combined animation consisting of different elements.
Unlike perch and zander, pike prefers smooth animation. An ambush predator seeks out weakened prey, which can be imitated by adding more stops and small twitches to the wiring.
For fishing with good activity, you can get up to a dozen bites, depending on the reservoir and the density of the predator. When fishing, it is important to change the nozzles, their wiring, the length of the pause. Only by the method of selection can one calculate what the predator bites best on.
You can determine the catchy bait by the food base of the pike. If there are a lot of narrow-bodied fish in the pond, for example, bleak, then the “toothy” one will most likely peck at such baits. In rivers and lakes where carp or bream, white bream and rudd predominate, wide baits can be used. The color of artificial baits is selected in the same way: silver with a food base in the form of bleak and bream, gold in the presence of crucian carp and rudd.
Also, the color scheme is selected according to the following criteria:
- Water transparency. During the flood period, visibility under water is significantly reduced. With active entry into the water area of mud coastal streams, visibility can be 10-15 cm. In this case, metallic colors of baits, acid colors or light products with glitter should be used.
- Fishing depth. Spring pike are caught at depths of up to 3 m, so with normal transparency, you can use green colors and dark colors to match natural tones. Copper color works among the metal.
- Illumination and time of day. In the morning and late in the evening you can use gold, brass and silver, on bright sunny days – copper. During the day, darker tones work best: ultraviolet, green and blue. At dusk, an all-white nozzle can give excellent results.
- Predator preferences. For some water areas, the general rules for choosing the color of the bait do not work, so you need to find out the adherence of the pike in practice. You can also ask the opinion of local anglers.
For spring, many anglers have their own list of working shades, which often include colors that change their appearance depending on the light and depth. As a rule, these are ultraviolet, sucker and engine oil.
Catchy lures for fishing in April
Spring pike is loyal to a wide range of artificial baits. Popular among them are: wobblers, edible silicone, oscillators and turntables, spinnerbaits. Each type of bait has its own characteristics and advantages, so it is impossible to single out any one type as the most catchy.
Mandulas
Multi-component polyurethane baits work great for both small and large pike. The mandula is mainly carried out in the bottom layer with the obligatory touch of the ground. When stopped, the sinker lies motionless, and the bait becomes vertical. It is easier for a pike with its mouth structure to pick up such a nozzle than a recumbent one.
Among the colors, natural tones (blue, green, brown, etc.) are popular, as well as provocative colors (yellow, red, light green, purple, etc.). Due to the numerous hooks, the mandula has a high degree of hooking, which works great for passive fish that reluctantly attack the bait. A polyurethane fish increases the chances of a notch, so every lover of hunting for “toothy” needs a mandala.
Pike mandulas are different:
- two-part with a combination of colors;
- three-piece with one color;
- from many parts with bright splashes;
- small and large models.
The more moving parts the bait has, the smoother the game when reeling it. It is worth remembering that the pike responds better to smooth animation, so these models should be selected.
Wobblers
For spring fishing, minnow-type lures with a size of 70 to 120 mm are selected. In spring, pike picks up small-sized models best of all, in contrast to autumn, when the largest products are used.
For fishing at depths up to 2-3 m, floating types of lures with a small spatula are used. The wobbler should go in the thickness, so the fish sees it from afar. An active spring pike may follow the bait, but stops in the wiring are also necessary. The task of the angler is to convince the predator that in front of him is a small wounded fish that will not run away in case of an attack.
Photo: zapiski-ribaka.ru
On the course of the bait, they lead with a light twitch with a pause of 1-2 s. In still water, monotonous broach at minimum speed is more popular. On peals, where the depth sometimes does not exceed 0,5 m, walkers are used that go straight to the surface. When jerking, the nozzle makes a jerk to the side, with the next tightening, the nozzle goes to the other side. Walkers allow you to get pike out where other types of bait are useless, but the pike often misses, and the fishing is spectacular.
The colors of spring baits are dominated by greens, yellows and other light shades are also popular. Many models have stripes that mimic the colors of a perch, and a bright spot can also be found on the body, which serves as a target for predator attacks. Wobblers have a body imitating a fish, distinct gill covers, a light belly and a dark back, as well as glued eyes.
Edible silicone
For fishing in April, active rubber is used up to 7-8 cm in size. The softer its structure, the more likely it is that the fish will not release the bait from its mouth during an attack.
The advantages of silicone:
- natural smell;
- natural movements in the water;
- work at the lowest speeds;
- affordable price;
- soft body.
Many manufacturers add meat flavors to their products that lure predators. Silicone is also impregnated with oils in which it does not lose its properties. That is why it is recommended to store baits in their original packaging, and not in a crowded box.
Photo: radical.ru
A good spring silicone should have a glitter that mimics fish scales. Among the models, vibrotails and twisters, as well as active crayfish, are popular. Depending on the bite, the bait can be made to move in the thickness or literally crawl along the bottom. The last trick is used in bad weather, when the predator is passive, and you really want to get a bite.
For pike fishing, a regular broach at low speed is suitable. Stops can be added to the wiring, at which the silicone will sink to the bottom. Floating rubber stands vertically at the bottom, which is important when catching a predator that rarely feeds from the bottom. The mouth of the pike has such a design that it is inconvenient for the predator to pick up lying food.
Spinners, turntables and spinnerbaits
These baits are a metal nozzle that has a certain game. Oscillations for pike are selected with a wide body. One of the most popular models is still the Atom, which works perfectly both in current and in still water.
Photo: poklevka.com
Spring baits are not painted using the traditional metallic sheen. The kolebalka can have an imitation of scales on the body and even glued eyes. This type of bait is not expensive, which is why so many anglers use it.
Unlike spoons, it is very difficult to find a quality spinner for a reasonable price. An example to follow is Mepps products, which have been on the market for decades. Under the current, models with long petals of 3-5 numbers are used; for fishing in still water, products with rounded petals are also taken with 3-5 numbers.
Metallic colors, natural shades, and provocative coloring work on pike. Depending on the place of fishing, one or another spinner is chosen.
Spinnerbaits are not a very popular type of attachments that can not be found in every store. This bait is a metal structure in which the petal is on top, and the body with the hook is on the bottom. As a body, silicone squids, twisters and vibrotails are used. The bait works great on an inactive predator, and some professional spinningists even consider it the best.
The spinnerbait allows you to change the nozzle, selecting a catchy model for each reservoir separately. This advantage makes it possible to independently assemble the bait, because in some models you can also vary the petals.