Trolling pike perch: TOP 10 wobblers for trolling pike perch

Requirements for the craft

Trolling is sometimes confused with trolling, but there is a significant difference between the two. The second method involves fishing for fish by pulling bait using a rowing boat. Trolling is only possible on floating vessels with gasoline engines. Power units allow you to fish different areas of the water area. If you choose the working depth accurately, pike perch will certainly appear.

Trolling with multiple spinning rods

Several fasteners are installed on the boat for spinning rods to increase the chances of a bite. Trolling fishing is carried out on various watercraft:

hull-mounted ones - quickly set into motion, develop high speed, and allow you to load a lot of things. The downside is the need for a separate parking space. The weight and dimensions of the boat suggest the presence of a garage;
inflatable (made of PVC) - stable models are easy to use and affordable. Mobile boats for two people must be at least 3.5 meters in length.

It is better to choose an internal combustion engine that is imported and does not require special maintenance skills. It is worth considering that in operation the unit is four stroke less noisy than a two-stroke one. Fuel consumption is more economical, but the engine price is higher. Four-stroke engines are heavier and more difficult to maintain.

The power of the internal combustion engine is selected taking into account the characteristics of fishing:

at close distances you can use an engine with 2-5 l/s. A compact electric motor with an almost silent boat motion is suitable, which gives an advantage in fishing;
sailing up to 10 km requires the purchase of powerful units that allow you to go on planing in any weather. Speed characteristics and accessibility to remote points of the reservoir open up new fishing opportunities, but the inevitable fuel consumption should be taken into account. A PVC boat designed for two people will require an 8-15 l/s engine.

There are no strict requirements for the speed of trolling fishing. It is necessary to take into account the factors of the wobblers used with the depth values and the selected search horizon. As a rule, this is a slow movement of the craft.

In terms of buoyancy, the boat must be stable and safe, especially in a body of water where large waves may appear when the wind increases.

When fishing, you should remember about the possibility of emergency situations, take a life jacket for unforeseen circumstances.

Trolling on a large body of water

What is the best fishing rod for trolling?

For trolling fishing, you need to choose a fishing rod that will have fairly simple parameters, such as:

— if a new troller begins to master this type of fishing, then you should choose shorter types of fishing rods, as opposed to catching pike perch on a donk, because an excessively long fishing rod can quite complicate the fishing process, interfering with high maneuverability, so the best option would be a fishing rod with a length of about 2.3 meters, but more professional lovers of such fishing carry out the fishing process of trolling with longer rods, especially when they fish with several rods at once;
— when choosing a fishing rod, you should pay special attention to its action, it is advisable to use fishing rods with fast action, which is designated by the letter F, or use super fast action FF fishing rods; other types of fishing rods are not suitable in this case;

- when choosing test loads for a rod, you should proceed from the parameters of the reservoir itself, where pike perch will be caught by trolling; on large rivers, where sufficient depth prevails, there are strong currents, heavier types of bait should be used, therefore the rod itself must have test load parameters that are able to withstand larger specimens of this fish, about one hundred grams or more, if the currents are weaker, then the test load is correspondingly smaller;
— Today, there are fishing rods made from a variety of modern materials; fishing rods made from carbon will be more sensitive, but they are susceptible to impacts and have high prices; the most budget option will be fiberglass fishing rods, although they are heavier in comparison with carbon ones, a lower degree of sensitivity.

See also: A bait recipe that will help you collect so many fish that the bait will not have time to reach the bottom

Choosing a reel, line and bait

When going trolling for pike perch, you should choose more powerful reel options for your fishing rod. Because this coil will be subject to heavy loads.

In this case, an option such as inertia-free is not suitable. Multiplier reel options would be more suitable; in addition, they have some additional advantage - they have a line counter, which will greatly facilitate the process of fishing with this method.

For this fishing, the thread for the rod should be high-strength, with zero elongation. Braids would be more preferable options. They are quite durable options and will handle large specimens with ease.

During this fishing, pike may be caught, so it is necessary to use leashes that protect against loss of equipment. It is advisable to use a twisted leash, which is made of strings.

You should use wobblers that have a large grounding depth. If the depth of the wobblers is less than a couple of meters, they are absolutely not suitable. In this case, the dimensional parameters should be selected in larger sizes.

There are no sufficiently strict requirements for the color scheme of these wobblers. In muddy waters, it is better to use the option of brighter colored wobblers; in sunny weather and clear water, wobblers of more natural colors should be used. In this case, you can experiment with colors.

It is necessary that wobblers for catching pike perch by trolling are distinguished by their stable play. Wobblers that can get lost or fall over are not suitable. But here the choice can be made either of proven baits, or checked during the fishing itself.

Choosing a reservoir for trolling pike perch

The universal method of fishing is attractive, but hunting is effective, first of all, in large water areas: rivers, large lakes, and reservoirs. A motorized watercraft needs room for free maneuvers. In small reservoirs the depth should be at least 2.5 meters.

The appearance of pike perch is more likely in water areas with complex bottom topography. The search for prey will be successful in places with a pebble bottom or coarse sand when the current increases - saturation of the water with oxygen activates the predator.

Fishing in reservoirs with a muddy, fine-sandy bottom is successful with moderate waves. When the water becomes more rough, the pike perch stops noticing the bait or goes deeper.

Trolling tackle

The choice and equipment of gear is made taking into account the expected trophy and the possibility of fishing in snags. The risk of snags necessitates the acquisition of high-quality fishing tools, strong fittings, and other devices.

Selecting a spinning rod

Beginner fishermen are advised to choose a rod length of no more than 2.4 meters for ease of maneuvering in the limited space of the boat. The optimal size is due to the lack of need for long casts. Experienced hunters work simultaneously with spinning rods of different lengths to cover a larger fishing area.

The requirements for a fishing rod come down mainly to power reserves. The choice of test depends on the conditions of the reservoir. On a large river with depths and fast currents, heavy baits are used, which the spinning rod needs to hold. Choose models with an upper test limit of over 100 g. In shallow water bodies with moderate currents, a smaller test is sufficient.

Fast, super fast action for the rod are the best. It’s easy to find out the parameters by the product labeling - Extra fast or FF, fast - F.

No less important is the material from which the spinning rod is made - carbon fiber, fiberglass, or a combination of them. Carbon-fiber (carbon) fishing rods are lightweight, sensitive, but are high in cost, susceptible to impacts, and require careful transportation. Fiberglass ones are inferior in characteristics and are a budget option. The middle category is composite spinning rods made from a combination of carbon fiber and fiberglass. Rating of spinning rods for trolling.

Fisherman with catch

Coil selection

A trolling spinning rod must be equipped with a sufficiently powerful reel, here are the TOP of the best trolling reels, in order to withstand the necessary loads and cope with landing fish. Multiplier reels are a suitable option. A tangible advantage of the models is the presence of a counter that reflects the length of the lowered fishing line. Hunting at shallow depths with lightweight baits allows for the use of simpler reels.

Trolling line

Forget about braids and 100 meter unwinds. In fact, the figure of 1000 m is quite underestimated. In the last decade, several types of modern fishing lines made from advanced materials with increased strength have appeared, and anglers have begun to pay more and more attention to this element of equipment. The fishing line is essentially the only thing that connects you and the fish after the bite. No matter what the boat and motor are, no matter how expensive the trolling reel and super-powerful trolling rod, all this will remain unusable if you do not pay due attention to the fishing line.

Braid is not used in trolling, since the cord quickly wears out the plastic clothespins with which it constantly comes into contact during fishing, and thus increases the already significant costs. But another reason is more important, which lies in the nature of the salmon fish bites. By the way, the bites of both large pike and pike perch can be very tough. Rigidity greatly enhances the boat's movement. When an angler stands still, moving the bait at a speed of 1-3 km/h, this is one thing. But the predator first has to catch up with the bait, then attack the spoon (or wobbler) moving at a speed of 4-7 km/h. Moreover, after the bite, without reducing the speed, the fish on the rig is pulled further. The rod does not help in such a situation, and the main load falls on the friction and fishing line. The entire tackle as a whole is under enormous stress. This can be better understood when you watch a Baltic salmon attacking a bait on a video filmed underwater with a camera mounted on a line above the bait. The clutch, no matter how perfect the coil, operates with a delay. Therefore, first of all, the efforts of the fish are dampened by the fishing line. An inextensible cord causes constant breaks and fish escapes. The predator's mouth is too weak, and a sharp jerk simply pulls the spoon out of it. For this reason, the clutch should be adjusted as sensitively as possible.

Read: What fishing line is used on ultralight?

The diameter of the fishing line used is most often about 0.4 mm. It is very rare to choose 0.35 mm, but you should not use more than 0.5 mm either. Strength is strength, but we must not forget about the work of the bait, which a thick fishing line will not allow to play properly.

Arithmetic is a serious science. Let me remind you that the number of gear involved is 14 and each one has at least 200 m of fishing line. With a simple action we get a figure of 3 (!) km. In monetary terms, taking 200 rubles as a basis. for 100 m of good fishing line, we get the figure 6000 rubles. Not as serious as with coils, but still. Fortunately, in addition to the usual reels unwinding 100-200 m long, specialized trolling stores sell massive reels with unwinding lengths of several kilometers.

I use Stroft line all the time and don't want to change anything. Many anglers choose other brands from Japanese, Scandinavian and North American manufacturers. But they are united by an approximately equal cost level of 200-300 rubles. for 100 m.

When purchasing fishing line, do not forget about the strategic reserve. When we talk about 200 m required for fishing, this means that this amount should always be on the spool, which means it’s not superfluous to make a reserve of 50 m. And it’s worth changing the fishing line from time to time. Fishing line is the main consumable material, for this reason a reserve of at least 400-500 m is required. Currently, fishing line is also produced with the troll mark, which means that it is designed specifically for trolling. It initially contains an increased breaking load, especially at the knots, and the elongation is at an average level (too hard will not work, but too much elongation will also cause a number of inconveniences during fishing). An important property is the lack of memory. Memory is a real scourge, killing hundreds of meters of fishing line in one fishing trip. The reason is simple: when using high-amplitude lures, especially in combination with a flasher or dodger, the line twists at incredible speed. Two or three days of intense fishing and a 30 m long section is completely out of order. This cannot be avoided; you can only reduce the twisting effect by using additional swivels and fishing line with less memory.

Installation of gear

Trolling equipment must be made strong, since it is difficult to avoid snags when fishing in places with underwater snags and stones. Pay attention to the following:

choosing a short rod with a fast action;
equipped with a multiplier reel, a metal (titanium, Kevlar) leash, similar to a fishing line of special strength. Predators will not be able to snack on the product;
the presence of a sinker for deepening wobblers if you come across a model that is not of the highest quality. A flat sinker is suitable, the installation of which is carried out at an angle.

To prevent the leash from twisting during wiring, it is recommended to install a drop shot, which is a fishing line with an end weight in the shape of a ball or pear. The outlet leash is attached to a triple swivel, and sinkers are tied.

Retractable leash for pike perch

Techniques for catching pike perch with jigs from the shore and from a boat and preparing gear

Catching pike perch with a jig is one of the surest ways to catch fanged ones. Few other methods will allow you to so quickly and accurately find and catch this fish in its intended parking areas. The extraordinary fishing technology, a variety of inexpensive baits, and the possibility of year-round fishing for predators in open water and in water areas with ice-free areas for the winter popularize fishing for pike perch using jigs from a boat and the shorelines of a reservoir.

Competent and effective equipment for catching pike perch also does not cause any particular difficulties even for an inexperienced fisherman. Consisting of well-known accessories, the tackle is not distinguished by its high cost and excessive load of high-tech elements. A spinning angler will learn more about the technique of catching pike perch with a jig by reading the article below.

This method allows you to hunt fangs throughout the year. Nowadays, this feature has become incredibly relevant in non-freezing sections of rivers and technical reservoirs within cities or near large industrial enterprises, where pike perch can be caught with a jig all year round, regardless of the season of the year.

The specificity and structure of jig baits for pike perch makes it possible to catch heavily snagged and cluttered bottoms of reservoirs, which are the predator’s favorite habitats, where it is simply not accessible by any other fishing method.

A huge selection of inexpensive baits in a variety of colors, shapes and dimensions certainly helps to cover any fishing conditions and choose an effective and efficient bait for any mood of the zander. Easy-to-implement methods of fishing for pike perch can be quickly mastered and do not require hours of preliminary training. Jig fishing is carried out both in standing and in flowing reservoirs of any size and depth.

Jig heads for pike perch are selected according to their shape based on the structure of the bottom base, and, in particular, its cleanliness from various types of natural and artificial obstacles. Snags use boot-shaped weights with a flat body structure, which increases the permeability of the bait and reduces the likelihood of a blind hook. In water areas with a flat and uncluttered bottom, classic round weights are used, both with a permanently soldered hook and in the shape of a Cheburashka.

Important! The use of Cheburashka makes the play of the silicone bait more relaxed and their use is justified when the fish activity is low.

Stationary jigs are easier to control and hooking when biting using a classic jig head for pike perch brings a greater chance of success.

Important! It is worth noting that a ball-shaped load reaches the bottom faster than its flat counterpart, which must be taken into account when fishing in deep water.

Pike perch on jigs are best caught using silicone baits, as has been proven by the practice of pike perch hunting. Among the variety of this bait, it is worth noting vibrotails and worms, the forms of which are most effective when fishing. Twisters, crustaceans and imitations of insects are less successful among fanged fish, although they should not be excluded from the pike perch’s arsenal, and experiments in moments of no bite can make these initially unpromising forms into fishing favorites.

One of the classics of pike perch fishing is the use of a jig head with a foam fish attachment. For some reason, the clumsiness and angularity of the foam rubber’s movements arouses the greatest interest among pike perch, which is what you need to take advantage of, keeping a couple of different-sized foam rubber imitations in reserve. Jigging using an oscillating spinner like castmatser is also effective throughout the year.

Important! Models with fluorescent coating perform especially well, which are practical for catching pike perch at night using a jig.

More exotic pike perch jig baits include medium-sized front-loaded rotating spoons with narrow willow leaf-shaped petals and sinking heavy wobblers with rattlin-type driven bodies.

Although lures have quite a wide variety of colors, it is worth considering the selection of colors depending on the fishing conditions. Initially, the color spectrum of the bait is influenced by the depth of presentation and only then by the conditions of natural light. Pike perch has keen eyesight and is able to detect shades of color even at great depths in almost complete darkness.

Important! It is recommended to catch pike perch at night with a jig using light-colored artificial imitations interspersed with or completely covering the surfaces of fishing tools with fluorescent compounds.

Some manufacturers have successfully mastered the illumination of nozzle bodies using LEDs, which are capable of not only producing a constant luminous flux, but also flickering at different frequencies, thereby increasing the predator’s interest in attack. At depths of over five meters, yellow-green acidic colors are more visible. From three to five meters, red, white, pure yellow and pink tones are practical to use. In shallow waters, where catching pike perch is not so promising, darker color baits are used for reconnaissance purposes, ranging from blue interspersed with sparkles to the color of machine oil.

In addition, I would like to note the rationality of using attractants in jig fishing with silicone and foam rubber baits, which are impregnated with simulators.

Important! Edible rubber during periods of low predator activity brings more significant results in terms of catch.

Installation of jig tackle is carried out on the basis of a spinning rod, usually with average test parameters, in the range of 7–30 grams. Often, microjigging when hunting for fanged fish does not bring significant results due to smaller baits. The spinning rod selected for equipment is equipped with a spinning reel with a high gear ratio and a finely adjustable clutch.

Important! Fine-tuning the clutch helps not only when catching a caught trophy, but also gives a chance to save the bait when hooked.

Trolling technique for catching pike perch

Studying a reservoir is the first condition for correctly selecting the depth and detecting places where fish accumulate. An echo sounder, a device for studying the topography of the bottom surface, helps to conduct reconnaissance. The following events are carried out:

by placing equipment in the boat and moving it away from the shore at the intended distance;
casting a spinning rod with bait, securing the rod to the holder;
on the movement of a watercraft at a speed of 2-3 km/h.

When biting, the hook is made with sharp movements. To enhance fishing efficiency, it is recommended:

install several spinning rods equipped with different wobblers;
cast baits at different distances to avoid tangling the wires. The distance between casts is 20-50 cm;
When moving, make zigzags, release the fishing line little by little, and periodically reel in to increase the activity of the bait.

With small bites, experiments are encouraged. They are also caught using a glider.

Fishing technique

It is necessary to slowly swim in a boat against the current at a slight angle to the opposite side. While driving, you need to constantly monitor the device values. When we see a depression, we lower the wobbler and give a slight acceleration to the engine, release the bait to the required depth, then reduce the speed and monitor the device data.

In order for the movement to be at the same depth, it is necessary to move like a snake. The bait is lowered into the water, the bracket is released, the reel spool is given free movement, and it’s time to count the number of circles of the line layer. When fishing, you can play along a little - this is what is great for catching pike perch.

When fishing, you need to constantly feel the play of the wobbler - sometimes the speed of the current and the boat do not match, and there is no such thing at which the bait would play optimally. When fishing for pike perch, high-frequency play is necessary, so the speed of the boat must be selected so that the bait constantly vibrates.

Once the wobbler has reached a certain depth, it must be maintained at all times.

If the depth begins to decrease, then the fishing line needs to be reeled in. In this case, you need to look at how much the line has been shortened, and as soon as the depth has been restored, the line is released to the previous distance.

And here's what you need to know: Carolina spinning rig video

The process of catching pike perch by trolling

It is necessary to continuously monitor the tip of the rod. Hooking requires a large swing so that the prey does not fall off the hook. Without breaking through the powerful mouth of a predator, it will not be possible to land the trophy.

In the spring, hungry pike perch reacts to many small wobblers; in the fall, selection experiments are required. The fishing process often depends on weather conditions:

in the heat the fish becomes lethargic;
morning and evening coolness increases the appetite of the predator;
short-term rains activate the movements of pike perch in the reservoir.

Selecting a location

The predator does not like standing water and lives in bodies of water with moderate and strong currents. You can find promising fishing spots in the following areas:

near holes, stone ledges;
with thickets of algae, but the pike perch does not stay there for long;
near steep banks, where the topography is characterized by unevenness and holes;
shallows where pike perch go to search for food at night.

Large trophies are caught in large bodies of water. In small rivers, medium and small individuals will become prey, but the catch can be numerous.

Trolling fishing is interesting because of the excitement of searching and creative experiments. Fishing conditions offer opportunities for beginner fishermen to practice their fishing skills and to demonstrate the professionalism of experienced hunters.

Choosing a place and time for trolling

A fish such as pike perch prefers a more complex structure of the surface of the bottom of the reservoir, various folds, and ledges of stones. Can be located on all kinds of edges. Can appear at the borders of aquatic grass and clear water.

Strong currents can also be considered areas where this fish appears. This fish does not stay in stagnant waters for long. The trolling process is less successful on small rivers. In this case, pike perch will be more numerous, but smaller in size. On small rivers, successful fishing spots will be steep banks, under which there are all kinds of holes.