Contents
The toothy robber has long been a classic prey for lovers of hunting for a river predator. It lives in every flowing reservoir of the middle zone, so every angler, even those who are not versed in the intricacies of this event, can catch a pike. As in stagnant water bodies, fish in the river are subject to various factors that affect their activity. By studying the behavior of a predator, selecting baits and varying fishing methods, you can line up for any whims of an underwater inhabitant.
Seasonal fishing on the river
The pike bites all year round, which is why the “toothy” has so many fans. Contrary to the statement about the brutal appetite of a predator, it is not always easy to catch him even in reservoirs with a large number. It is worth remembering that it is much easier to find a fish than to wait for its approach, therefore, active search and movement along the river is considered the main principle of fishing.
Spring
The open water season begins with the retreat of the ice. The rivers are the first to break free from ice captivity, so fishing always starts there. High water is inherent in early spring – not the most favorable period for fishing. At this time, the pike enters the spawning grounds, and catching it does not bring any benefit.
After giving the fish to spawn, you need to wait a few more weeks until the “spotted” one comes to its senses. From the end of March, you can purposefully move to the river with spinning, because the post-spawning zhor is one of the best periods in catching a predator.
Where to look for pike in high water:
- At the coastline. In the spring, when the water area is muddy, the fish do not hesitate to cuddle close to the shore. High water and a strong current makes the pike go into micro bays and nooks and crannies. You need to approach the shore carefully, it is best to stop 4-5 m from the water’s edge. When the shore zone is checked, you can get closer by casting the bait zone along the shoreline. Most attacks happen just “underfoot” or close to the shore.
- In shallow waters. Sandbanks attract fry, which are not able to withstand a strong jet. Behind him comes the pike. If there are areas on the river with a depth of up to 1-1,5 m and without a current, this is an ideal place for an ambush of a spotted inhabitant of the water area. Quite often, flooded river banks become such zones. Even 30 cm of water column is enough for a pike to stand there.
- In small channels and bays. Such places, which are shallow in summer, during the flood period are promising areas for the parking of a predator. There the fish comes to spawn and part of it remains after spawning. The calm water of the bays allows for smoother retrieves and the use of lighter lures. There is no point in casting deep-water parts of the water area, the pike will stay along the coast, snags and fallen trees.
- in the inflowing tributaries. In the spring, small rivers with access to the main channel also become full-flowing. The fish goes there to spawn, so even on a small stream there are worthy specimens.
When the water subsides, it becomes transparent and warm, you can explore the usual sites for pike. In May, the fish actively peck throughout the daylight hours, if the air temperature does not exceed 30 ℃.
Photo: turgeo.ru
In May, the pike enters shallow rifts rich in vegetation, it occupies zones with a moderate current, keeps near the edge of reeds and snags, large buildings, such as bridges. Activity in late spring is not as high as after spawning, but pike feeds, and trophy specimens are often caught on the hook.
Summer
In the warm season, catching a toothy predator is limited by high air temperatures in the daytime. During the day, the fish practically does not eat, it stands in the shade of trees, on the course, where the water is more or less cool.
It is best to catch pike in the summer in the early morning, using not only spinning, but also live bait gear. After the night, the predator is hungry, but is more likely to attack a real fish with a smell and taste than artificial counterparts.
Promising places for fishing in the summer:
- coastal edges;
- water lily windows;
- border of rushes;
- depth differences;
- herbaceous irrigation;
In June the water is usually clear. With such high visibility, pike can be wary of approaching the shores, however, a large amount of overgrown vegetation makes it possible to fish near the coastal edges.
Photo: rybalka2.ru
Stationary gear is installed near any shelters:
- water lilies;
- snags;
- fallen tree;
- river vegetation.
For summer fishing, Bolognese rods are used, which are convenient to check areas close to the coast. Also, bottom gear is used, they are installed further, often in the middle reaches. Donka allows you to check more areas, while it can be set on the current by increasing the weight of the lead sinker.
Pike can be spotted with your own eyes. She gives herself out with strong splashes near the shore. Live bait is installed in such zones, since the predator rarely changes its parking lot. When the fish gets hungry, it will definitely come to the nozzle.
When fishing on spinning in the warm season, it is recommended to use small baits of light colors. Products in green shades that blend with the surrounding vegetation work great.
Autumn
Biting, which began in August, continues until the end of October. With the cooling of the water, the vegetation begins to fade, and the predator strives to work up subcutaneous fat before wintering. In autumn, active biting is noticeable in shallow areas of reservoirs, near coastal edges, in bays and tributaries. At depths, for example, in the old bed of reservoirs, you can find trophy pike, for which they begin to hunt with the onset of September. Fish weighing 7-8 kg is not uncommon for large reservoirs during this period of the year.
On the shallows, a predator of a more modest size pecks, there are specimens that rarely exceed a weight of 3-4 kg.
In autumn, larger baits are used that can seduce a seasoned spotted beauty. It is also recommended to take a more weighty live bait.
With the onset of autumn, the fish become more active, but you definitely should not wait for it. Moving around the pond helps to quickly find a predator. It is worth remembering that under one shelter there is only one fish, although in reservoirs with a large population of “toothed” under a snag or a fallen tree there may be several predators. Pike does not tolerate competition from zander, so it is rarely found in his possessions.
The nuances of catching pike in the fall:
- You should check the water area with fan casts, since during this period of the year the fish are dispersed evenly.
- In autumn, the water is very clear, so many anglers switch to thick fluorocarbon as a line material. This increases the number of bites, but there are also much more gatherings.
- Fishing from a boat brings more results, because in September-October there are fewer visible shelters and spinners who fish from the shore have fewer options.
- A variety of postings, adding sharp movements to the animation can have a positive effect on the bite when catching an active predator.
Photo: YouTube channel “Konstantin Andropov”
Pike is perfectly caught until the freezing period, so autumn spinning is the best time to hunt for a predator. In November, the size of the baits should be reduced, so that more predators will sit on the hook, although its size will become somewhat smaller.
Winter
In warm winters, rivers may not freeze at all. This is a chance for spinners to spend the cold season doing what they love. In any case, rims appear on the reservoirs, which interfere with the shine.
In cold water, fish should be looked for in a variety of places:
- at the exits from the pits;
- on the upper steps of the dumps;
- sandy and shell shallows;
- the boundaries of calm water and current.
In winter, part of the pike rolls down to the depths, where it feeds on silver bream and bream. The other part of the predator remains on the shallows, feeding on rudd and bleak. In winter, you can throw holes, explore the bottom layer with stepped wiring. Since in the cold season there are fewer hooks, as well as shelters for pike, the bite is active, and many areas become available for fishing.
In severe winters, ice forms on the rivers. It happens that the safe icy part of the water column is located only at the edges, and the channel remains open. You need to move along the coast carefully, tapping the path in front of you with the help of an ice pick. It is worth remembering that the current washes away the ice from below, so thawed areas can hide under the snow on the rivers.
If the flowing reservoir is not completely frozen, the fish should be looked for near the shore, where there is reliable ice and a food base for pike. You can set up baits or catch a lure starting from a depth of 30 cm. The predator often comes to the shallows in search of water bugs and fry.
Photo: Yandex Zen channel “Severyanin”
In cold winters, when the entire river is covered with thick ice, it is easier to catch pike, since all promising places are available for anglers:
- depth differences, mounds and pits;
- former herbaceous irrigation with a small current;
- entrances to channels and bays;
- shallows, brows and braids.
On small rivers, it is easier to find a promising zone, it can be seen with the naked eye. A simple depth measurement confirms interest in the area under study. On large rivers, this is much more difficult to do. Fishermen start their search from the bays, gradually moving towards the main channel. The depth in the fishing area should not exceed 2-2,5 m, in this range there are much more pike than in the pits and the riverbed.
You need to explore all the uneven bottom, snags and visible shelters (platforms, piers, windows in the reeds). An echo sounder will be an excellent companion and assistant for winter fishing. A small device can read information about depth, terrain, and even fish in the fishing area. It is difficult to calculate a pike in this way, but promising places are searched faster.
Basic fishing method for pike fishing
Spinning is considered the classic way of fishing. This tackle is present in the arsenal of any angler, it is used all year round when fishing in open water. Also, many anglers use stationary tackle for live bait: a circle, a zherlitsa, an elastic band, a Bolognese rod and a donk.
Spinning and artificial lures
For fishing for a toothed predator, a strong rod with a test of 5-25 g or 10-30 g is selected. This load is enough to explore shallow depths, where pike is most often found. When fishing in the riverbed, powerful rods are taken with an upper test limit up to 60 g.
Depending on the baits chosen, the rod can have a fast or medium action. The tubular type of tip is a hollow whip made of the material from which the rod is made.
Types of baits for pike:
- wobblers and poppers;
- edible silicone;
- turntables and spinnerbaits;
- oscillating baubles.
For pike fishing, large wobblers such as minow, krenk and fet are used. The size of the wobbler is selected according to the conditions of fishing: the season, the weight of the intended prey, the rod test. In spring and autumn, minows with a length of 90-130 mm are used. Also in autumn, feta in natural colors show themselves well.
Active rubber is used year-round, changing shades. For summer, products with a more pronounced tone of green, yellow or red shades are selected. In autumn and winter, pike bite on natural colors, silver, ultraviolet.
Regardless of the type of bait, it is recommended to use uniform wiring with smooth animation. Twitching also works on an active predator, imitating the movements of a wounded fish, beating from side to side.
For pike fishing, gliders are picked up, which slowly fall in the water column during a pause, emitting a shine. Wheels are popular in classic metal colors: gold, silver, copper, brass. Atom is considered one of the most effective products. This model is present in many lines of different manufacturers, it can be painted or have a metallic tint.
Photo: activefisher.net
For fishing on the river, you should select a bait that looks like a pike food base. If the toothy robber feeds on bleak, then the narrow-bodied lure will be the best choice. In cases where there are more carp and rudd in the river, wide products come to the fore.
Popular spinners:
- Mepps Lusox 3;
- Mepps Long 3;
- Blue Fox Vibrax BFF3;
- Daiwa Silver Creek SPINNER і SPINNER R;
- Myran Toni 12.
These turntables are used for fishing on the river, they work great in the current and have enough weight for fishing at a depth of 1 to 4 m.
Spinners lead at a slow speed to the point of knocking off a petal. They can also be animated using the classic “step” or “Stop’n’Go” wiring. For pikes, both front-loaded and back-loaded models with a core are used.
A separate type of bait that requires attention is spinnerbaits. They are a design consisting of two parts: a rotating petal and a silicone body. The petal is at the top, on one of the metal whiskers. From below, you can change baits using either twisters or vibrotails, or silicone squids. The bait was used in late autumn when catching a predator at a depth.
Live bait
Natural bait is the best bait for a passive predator. It is used both in summer and in winter, using different gear designs. In the warm season, it is recommended to combine the Bologna rod with the donkey. This allows you to explore all areas within the reach of casting a spinning reel. A rod equipped with a small reel can also be cast, like bottom tackle, if fishing is carried out in river bays. At the same time, the fry freely “walks” around the area, attracting a predator.
Equipment for the Bolognese rod:
- main line 0,25-0,3 mm;
- sliding olive 5-15 g;
- titanium leash with carabiner;
- single or triple hook.
In the warm season, the fish is hooked under the dorsal fin or by the upper lip. In summer, the water begins to bloom and its transparency decreases. At this time, the use of fluorocarbon is impractical, it will only increase the number of sections.
Carp, rudd, silver bream, roach and other white fish are used as baits. The pike has a wide mouth, so you can choose a wide-bodied fish for catching it.
Bottom equipment looks somewhat similar, however, in this case, a larger load is installed, which lies motionless on the bottom. When fishing on the bottom, you can use a small float that will keep the live bait in the water column. The bait for the donkey should not fall off during the cast and should survive the impact well on the water. It is best to use perch or crucian.
Rubber bands are another way to catch pike. Up to 5 hooks on long leashes are installed on the tackle. Rubber serves both as a shock absorber and as a way to deliver tackle to the fishing area. The rubber band is used only when it is known for sure that there are a lot of pike on the site. If the lapdog and donkey can be quickly rearranged to another place, then transferring the gum will take a long time.
.The allowed number of hooks per angler is 5 pieces, so the elastic can be installed in a single copy. Many private farms that rent sections of the river prohibit this tackle.
Another popular way of fishing is the circle. Its use brings excellent results, because the circle can be installed on any part of the river. Tackle can be tied and made immobile or released into free swimming if caught in bays. A boat is used for fishing on circles, otherwise the tackle cannot be installed or removed in any way.
Winter pike fishing in flowing waters
The freezing period is a unique time when you can use the maximum of knowledge and skills in practice. Hard water does not require a boat, and any angler can reach the prospect on foot.
Photo: ad-cd.net
In winter, several methods of “toothy” fishing are used: zherlitsy and fishing in a plumb line. Zherlitsa is a winter version of the mug that works on the same principle, signaling a bite with a bright flag. Zherlitsy are placed at shallow depths, where the predator is found much more than in the pits. On the rivers, you need to check any visible shelters: tree branches, snags sticking out of the ice, platforms, river turns and depth differences. In the course, it is better to bend the spring with a flag more strongly so that the jet does not give false positives.
Popular artificial lures for plumb fishing:
- balancers;
- vertical spinners;
- rattlins;
- edible silicone.
For fishing, shortened rods are used, specialized for ice fishing. Holes are drilled in sets of 5-10 pieces. If you make single holes, the effectiveness of fishing is reduced, because the work of the drill scares away the predator. The succession of holes allows holes in the ice to give time for the fish to calm down.