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Pike fishing in winter is especially interesting. This fish grabs so hard, as if the hook caught on a snag. And how she rushes about, trying to free herself from the spinner! Makes candles, furiously rampages on the baubles, shakes in the air with his mouth open.
L. Sabaneev wrote that this fish bites perfectly in autumn, but as winter approaches, bites become less active. But nowadays, fishermen claim that even in winter it is perfectly caught with a lot of gear: bait, lure, sometimes a medium-sized pike comes across with a bait. Indeed, in winter, in good weather, this fish actively feeds, at this time it is hungry and does not stop hunting.
Therefore, anglers use this predatory instinct of fish and catch it on live bait and various artificial lures. Catching this sharp-toothed and beautiful fish, somewhat reminiscent of a crocodile, is for patient and patient fishermen. But such fishing will give a lot of positive impressions, and adrenaline will go off scale.
Successful winter fishing
Finding and catching pike in winter
Ice fishing for pike in winter is not only hooking and hauling, but primarily the search for a predator. And this is quite difficult, because during the formation of ice, the pike likes to change its place of residence. She is looking for places where there is a lot of fish stuff. If there are few small fish in a particular section of the reservoir, then the pike will not linger there.
Large and small rivers
They look for pike in snags or in bays near the shore. Such areas are liked by the predator due to the fact that the water there is warmer. In the middle of winter, pike on a large river stay at a depth of one or two meters, and closer to spring they move closer to the coastline.
In small rivers, this toothy predator is looked for in snags, reed forests or near fallen windbreaks. In winter, it is better to go fishing for pike in the morning or in the evening, but this fish is also caught day and night. It often happens that morning zhor turns into daytime.
Lakes and ponds
The behavior of the lake and pond pike differs from the nature of the river relative. Predators living in pond ponds do not like to swim long distances. In ponds, they are looked for in pike paths and in the rhizomes of trees that grow right on the shore. Here it is easier for the fish to hide in order to guard the fish.
If the depth of the reservoir is even, then the fish will not be in certain places, and this makes fishing more difficult. Lake pikes often go in schools, lying in wait for fish from a plant ambush. The winter predator can also be found in deep dumps rich in food. Experienced fishermen are usually good at finding such points, but beginners have to learn how to look for pike trails.
Reservoir
At the beginning of winter, it is most preferable to fish for pike in the reservoir. Moreover, on such a reservoir, the December pike bites better on fry than on baubles. In December, there is still a good current between the sections of the reservoir with an abundance of vegetation. And in such areas there are a lot of small fish – the food base of the predator.
Pike are stupid fish, so they often confuse the seasons. As soon as the thaw begins, it seems to her the onset of spring. Therefore, at such a time, the bite of this fish noticeably improves. Usually, the pike living in the reservoir does not linger in the coastal shallow water, even if there are a lot of roach and other small things between the algae. But during periods of warming and on the first ice, pike can be caught in such shallow places, rich in snags and algae.
But with the onset of very cold days, the current noticeably decreases here, the algae begin to rot and this creates an acute lack of oxygen in the water. Therefore, the predator leaves such areas of the reservoir. She moves to large rivers, where she begins to hunt horned.
Pike at the trap
Ice fishing for pike in winter
Pike fishing in winter is both interesting and challenging. The fish has a lot of resistance when playing, so the tackle must be strong and not let down. The most popular winter tackle for catching this predator is zherlitsy. They are fished for live bait, which is caught with a bait with a float or a nod. The vent for this predator consists of a six made of wood, a reel, a rack, a spring with a flag attached to it. The equipment of this tackle must necessarily include a thick fishing line, a tungsten leader and a reliable hook for setting the live bait.
On such fishing, several holes are drilled, located about five meters from each other. You should study the regional legislation for fishing on vents. Since in some regions of Russia there is a limit on the number of winter vents used per amateur fisherman.
Before installing the vents, you should find out the depth of the reservoir. Measuring the depth of the bait is needed to put the live bait on the hook and rewind the reel back. In order to raise the fry above the surface of the lake or river bottom. The chute stand is set on the ice, and then the hole is covered with snow to disguise it.
As soon as the predator bites, the fishing line is unwound from the reel. The fisherman sees the bite signal with the help of a straightened flag. The hooking of the pike should be quick and sharp until the pike breaks out and its strength runs out. Thus, it must be slowly pulled to the surface of the hole.
Pike caught on a balancer
What is pike biting at? Pike fishing with lure, balancer, rattlin and jig
In winter, they successfully catch pike on winter artificial lures – spinners, balancer, rattlin and silicone nozzles. Especially successfully they are caught on the first ice.
Before going fishing, stock up on a wide variety of artificial lures. And on the fishing itself, you should change the spinners, choosing the one that suits the weather. For example, when the sun is shining brightly, it is better to put a bright baubles, and in a gloomy sky – a faded baubles. The biggest effect is fishing on a spinner with smooth wiring with the creation of pauses. First, several holes should be made at a distance of about five or six meters from each other.
Then lower the lure to the bottom soil, raise it by thirty or forty centimeters. Then pause for five seconds and then lower the lure again. In each hole, this action should be done about eight times, then move on to another hole. And so go through all the holes. Despite the inactivity of the pike during this period, its hauling must be well controlled, absorbing the shocks of the fish. The fishing line needs to be slowly lowered, driving the predator to the hole. On the surface of the hole, this fish should be fished out with the help of a hook.
Fishing on a balancer is an effective and interesting pastime on a winter pond. The balancer differs from the spinner in that it is horizontally located in the water, and the hooks are attached to the head and tail of the artificial bait. Catching pike in winter on a balancer is somewhat similar to flashing fish, but there are a number of differences.
Holes should be made more. Fishing starts from the first hole and slowly moves to the final hole. Each time lowering the balancer into the hole, but not reaching the bottom soil. Then you need to throw the balancer twenty centimeters up and return to its original position again. Then pause and if there is no bite, repeat all the steps again.
Rattlin Rappala
Rattlin
Rattlin is a bladeless flat sinking wobbler. Pike fishing in winter on rattlin is not yet as popular as on bait and lures, but it is also a very exciting activity. Lures vary in weight and color. In winter, XNUMX cm silver baits are best suited for pike. But if fishing is at a good depth, you should pick up brighter rattlins. With a normal posting, the rattlin should be lowered closer to the bottom, then the rod should be gently raised by twenty centimeters, so that the rattlin plays in the water as evenly as possible. Such pike fishing is quite within the power of even inexperienced fishermen, since the game of bait can provoke even a passive pike.
They also catch pike with silicone artificial lures, among which the jig is especially popular. With the help of a multi-stage jig, they catch both near the bottom and at higher levels of water. The fishing tactics is as follows: you need to make two or three turns of the coil, then pause for two or three seconds, then the silicone lure is thrown up. These steps are repeated many times.
Equipment for ice fishing for pike
For successful pike fishing, you need not only to choose the right fishing spot and pick up catchy baits. Great attention should be paid to equipment, because pike is a strong and large fish, and catching it requires good skill and strong gear.
Pike and winter rod
Winter fishing rod
They fish for pike with a winter fishing rod more than thirty centimeters long. The rod should be strong and without a nod. But if the fisherman is going to catch small pike, then it is still necessary to put a nod. The line must be monofilament. Its thickness depends on the weight of the fish that the winter fisherman is going to catch, and varies from 0,2 to 0,4 millimeters. After all, a test pike can bite on fishing, so it’s worth putting a thicker strong fishing line made by a reliable manufacturer of fishing tackle.
Some fish with braided line, but it has a minus: in winter water it becomes very visible and therefore fewer fish are usually caught on it in winter, but experienced fishermen have been observing for many years. You can buy any reel, but still better than a reel. Hooks are suitable for any, the main thing is that they are large, reliable and durable. You definitely need a metal leash, preferably a tungsten one, otherwise there is a high probability that the pike will bite through even a thick fishing line with its sharp teeth.
There are many baits, the fisherman chooses them according to taste and desire. If you are going to flash a pike, then oscillators from six to twelve centimeters are best suited. The balancer is also chosen larger, from five to eight centimeters in length. Lures are very good, completely similar in color and size to the fry fish that live in the area. Of the baits made of silicone, jig, vibrotail and twister are more often used.
Fishing with the help of a rattlin with a mount in the middle of the body of the fish is becoming more and more catchy. Rattlin has an advantage over the balancer, as he can make vibration in the water and thereby attract the predator.
Zherlitsy
If a winter fisherman goes to catch pike on baits, then real baits are already needed, and not artificial baits. As live bait, fry such as bleak, ruff, perch, path are best suited, sometimes gudgeon and crucian are used.
It is best to use the type of fish that is most often hunted by a toothy predator in a particular reservoir. If, for example, the main occupation of a pike in a lake is roach hunting from an ambush, then it is better to put this particular fish on the hook as live bait.
Pike
Weather and bites
The bite of a pike is greatly affected by the weather. Pike is a very capricious and weather-dependent fish. In bad weather, she simply will not peck. And bad weather means strong wind, snowfall, a sharp change in atmospheric pressure, magnetic storms and disturbances on the Sun, etc.
It is best to go fishing on a day when the air pressure has been at about the same level for several days. Fluctuations and changes by two or three units do not count. But when the pressure jumps by five points or more, then this is already bad. And it doesn’t matter if the pressure has dropped a lot or risen a lot. For pike, both are complete discomfort.
Pike weather is definitely not a day when blizzards and blizzards are circling. Apathy begins in the predator, she does not want to eat and she cannot be seduced by the most expensive and attractive nozzle. The fish’s metabolism slows down, it can just sit motionless in a snag and not attack small things floating by.
If a heavy snowfall is also bad weather, but if a little snow falls, this does not affect the pike mood in any way. Pike do not like when it is very frosty. It is best to fish for pike in cloudy weather with stable air pressure and a slight breeze. But even in such weather, you need to make an effort to find the habitat of the fish.
Pike fishing in a certain winter month
December is the best month for pike fishing. This is the period when these predators roam freely around the pond, hungry and they have zhor. It is necessary to move on the first ice with great care so as not to fall into the hole. Holes should be covered with snow, because through the transparent thin ice everything is clearly visible to the fish. Pike is best caught in the first and second decade of December.
January is a worse month than December for pike fishing. It bites especially badly in Central Russia at the end of January. This is a period of deafness. Thick ice and oxygen starvation do not bring mood either to fish or anglers. This is the off season when fishermen often come home with no catch at all. But the lucky ones in January still manage to sometimes catch a pike on a zherlitsa or with the help of a lure. Good luck rewards the most patient and persistent winter fishermen.
In February, you should catch pike in the morning or in the evening. In the first half of the month it bites better than in the second.
And so, pike can be caught throughout the winter fishing season with a variety of gear. This beautiful fish will bring a lot of happiness to the fisherman if there is a test trophy in the fishing backpack. These fish grow very large. In winter, 3-kilogram pikes and larger are also caught. It is not a shame to be photographed with such a fish, and catching it will be remembered for a lifetime. It will make a delicious fish soup or fish pie, pike is good and fried.