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Even novice spinners know that the period immediately after the ice melts is the “golden time” for catching pike. Everyone who wishes will definitely have a catch during this period, the main thing is to choose the right bait for pike in the spring and be able to hold it so that the toothy predator notices it.
Features of catching
As soon as the ice melts, the water warms up a little, the fish in the reservoirs begin to show activity. The inhabitants of rivers and lakes begin pre-spawning zhor, shedding the remnants of hibernation, especially predators, begin to prowl in search of prey.
Pike is especially active, which is usually caught on a jig in the spring from the shore, but other types of baits will work just as well. But not everyone will be with a catch, in order for the prey to be on the hook, you definitely need to know some of the features of fishing:
- Fishing is carried out at a shallow depth, where the water can warm up well during the daytime. Usually these are beaches with a minimum flow or with stagnant water, up to a maximum of one and a half meters.
- To attract attention, predators choose small baits. It is in the spring that wobblers for pike should be miniature, the same applies to silicone, turntables and oscillators.
- Preference should be given to calmer types of postings, fast and aggressive can easily scare away.
- In most regions, there is a spring ban on the spawning period for catching fish, including pike. Before you go fishing, you should take this into account.
The peculiarity is the time of catching: in the early spring they go for pike in the morning from 9.00 am until lunch, and then in the evening from 17.00. You should also pay attention to the weather, on cloudy days with consistently low thermometer readings, the probability of catching a predator is very scanty. But sunny weather, on the contrary, will invigorate the toothy inhabitant of the reservoir.
We collect tackle
Based on the characteristics of fishing, and in particular from the baits used for pike and other predators, it is worth knowing that a fishing rod is chosen with a relatively small casting. The length will depend on the reservoir and the place from where the casting will be carried out. The best way to see this is in a table:
spinning rod length | where apply |
1,8m-2m | from a boat for fishing small rivers with a weak current |
2,1m-2,4m | for catching from the shoreline on small lakes and streams |
2,7m-3m | for fishing large reservoirs: reservoirs, rivers, backwaters |
Having decided on the length of the spinning, you should also pay attention to the coil, with a length of up to 2,4 m and a test of up to 15 g, it is quite possible to use 1000-1500 spools, a test of 18-20 will require 2000 sizes.
Basis
So that the selected bait flies well, and during the wiring it goes smoothly, without braking, it is better to put a braided cord up to 0,1 mm thick. Such a base will be a great start for beginners; more experienced spinningists often have enough of 0 mm. The breaking load of the cord is higher than that of a monofilament, and due to its small thickness it is less noticeable in the water and practically does not create windage when casting.
If the first fishing is ahead, then for pike fishing it is worth putting a fishing line, and the thickness is chosen no more than 0,2 mm.
Leashes
For the correct wiring of baits on pike and perch, you should use a fluorocarbon leader or put a tungsten product. Steel is not needed during this period, since the predator is not yet aggressive.
It is best to make leads yourself, and it is preferable to knit fluorocarbon rather than make it for a crimp tube. Long leashes should not be made, 20 cm is enough for spring fishing.
When making leashes on your own, you should look not at the thickness of the fly, but at discontinuous indicators. Properly selected material should be inferior in strength to the base by 2 kg.
Findings
Will you make the leashes yourself or will you buy ready-made ones, you still need to additionally use accessories. The easiest way to work is with a swivel and an American crab. More experienced anglers use knotless baits to tie. In order not to apply, it is worth remembering that the size should be minimal. A large swivel will make the tackle heavier, and it can easily scare away a predator, in the spring the pike is especially careful.
Having collected everything, you can proceed to the baits, you can use a lot of them in the spring.
Lure selection
The best baits for pike in the spring are still artificial; a predator that has not yet departed from winter will not always react to live bait. Based on this, you can make a rating that will tell you what is best to use.
Popular types of artificial lures
Among the variety presented in stores with fishing tackle, it is very easy to get confused. A beginner will definitely not be able to decide what exactly he needs. In the spring, pike fishing on a jig is preferable, but which silicone should be preferred? We will look for the answer to this question together.
It is better to choose jig baits for a predator from an edible series, but the color will depend on the reservoir and the turbidity of the water in it:
- pike in rivers with muddy water will pay attention to elongated and acid-colored silicone, the best option would be a twister, a worm, an artificial dragonfly larva;
- in reservoirs with cleaner water, purple silicone, machine oil, caramel, dark greens with glitter will work well;
- shallow streams with a small current and translucent water perfectly set off the milky Tioga silicone from Lucky John and the transparent model with glitter.
Reapers will also be good options, Kopito Relax has proven itself well, and the colors are bright, acidic with glitter. Mance is also popular, jigging for pike in May is never complete without this bait.
Rattlins with poppers will also work well, they are chosen in bright colors and with dots on the sides. Small spinning baubles with bright flies on tees and a colored petal will perfectly attract the attention of any predator in the pond. As for the oscillators, then preference should be given to micro-options with a single hook. It is not necessary to look for acidic colors, gold and silver can lure pike just as well.
Weakly working artificial baits
In the spring, small baits work better, even a large predator after wintering is unlikely to pursue silicone more than three inches. It is not advisable to choose large shakers, rippers, vibrotails, twisters, this type of bait will work well from the shore in the fall.
A oscillator with a large petal or a spinner over 9 g will also not be able to properly attract the attention of a pike, most likely the predator will hide and wait for smaller prey.
Minow wobblers larger than 70 mm can definitely only scare away fish, they are not included in the top spring baits.
Live bait
In the spring, pike are best caught on a jig, but you should not forget about the live bait method. Such tackle is collected from a harder rod, it turns out to be bottom. The bite indicator will be a sagging float or ordinary tackle for a float with a sinker. This method is most effective for night fishing.
As bait, it is best to take small fish from the same reservoir.
Where and when you can catch pike in spring
As the water warms up, the inhabitants of the reservoir begin to become more active, during this period the fry go out to bask in the shallows, and larger individuals of the predator follow them. Observing this behavior of fish and anglers have established the most priority places for catching, among them:
- shoals with brows and rifts;
- reed beaches along the coastline;
- backwaters and bays;
- floodplain lakes.
There, the pike will come to life after hibernation faster. But it is worth considering the ban on catching fish during the spawning period, this is very important for preserving the amount of fish resources.
Usually the ban is imposed in early April, but its duration varies for different reservoirs.
So the best baits for pike in the spring were found out. They definitely won’t leave anyone empty-handed. The main thing is to believe in yourself, to feel the rod and the game of the bait, and it has already become clear to everyone which baits to catch pike in the spring.