Autumn fishing for pike perch is liked by many fans of spinning fishing for its prey and the relative consistency of the bite. The predator, which becomes more active as the water cools, switches to increased feeding and at this point in its behavior becomes easy prey for the fisherman. To do this, the spinner just needs to familiarize himself with the specifics of catching pike perch in the fall, relying on knowledge of its habitats, and use a simple arsenal of baits and tackle, similar in their parameters to the equipment for catching fanged fish during the rest of the open water season.
In addition to spinning and trolling, autumn fishing for pike perch can also be carried out using live bait on both donks and girders, but the popularity of these methods has recently begun to decline, and this is directly related to the spread of effective artificial baits. These methods should not be discounted either. After all, sometimes dynamic spinning fishing can be combined with more static hunting methods and at the same time significantly increase your chances of decent catches, and, of course, the resulting emotions.
Having gleaned information from the article proposed to the angler, both will become much more accessible to him and will save valuable time spent on experiments in real fishing conditions. Advice will never be superfluous, and improving the knowledge gained will help improve the results and your own confidence in the chosen fishing strategy.
Habitats
The fanged fish is a species of fish sensitive to the presence of oxygen in water. Therefore, its habitats are characterized by clean water areas and the presence of currents that promote mixing and saturation of water masses with oxygen. In rivers, the predator stays in the bottom horizons, on hard sandy or clayey soils, avoiding places of intense aquatic thickets and silt.
Fish parking areas vary in depth from 3 to 20 meters. At the bottom, schools of pike perch look for various kinds of irregularities, ledges, holes, ditches and bottom gullies and occupy these anomalies as ambush points for attack. You can catch pike perch in early autumn in snags and near trees that have fallen into the water and slow down the flow of water.
Hydrological objects, areas near dam bridges and embankments where the predator goes in search of food, are also considered promising for fishing. In the fall, fish migrations are observed following schools of bream moving to the winter roads into the deep places of rivers and lakes.
Important! It is worth considering that pike perch are not fans of coastal areas and try to stay away from coastlines in clear water.
Catching pike perch in the fall from a boat looks more attractive than coastal hunting, due to the expanded possibilities of searching for promising points and approaching them at distances convenient for fishing.
Types of pike perch fishing
The following types of fishing are popular among fishermen:
- catching pike perch in the fall from a boat. Here it is better to remember such gear as spinning rods, mugs, donks with a predatory feeder and side fishing rods for vertical fishing. Modified spinners are also used. Trolling on a boat allows you to lead the bait, while using more water areas of the reservoir to search for a predator;
- Jig fishing is done using a spinning rod from the shore of a reservoir. With a baitcasting reel, remember to control the wiring with your fingers. At night, using a large twister will help you. For catching small predators in fresh waters, microjig or jig fishing with light weights is suitable;
- Fishing with live bait can be done both from the shore and from a boat. Good places include spills, deep holes and areas with little current. Whitebait is used as live bait. Fishing for sprat is carried out with reliable equipment and a jig head. Bersch bites the most on sprat, but you have to play along with the tackle.
Peculiarities of pike perch behavior in autumn
Catching pike perch in the fall is based on the diversity of fish behavior in the first and second part of the season. If the so-called summer-autumn period from September to mid-October is no different from preparing a fishing strategy in the summer, then the following October and the entire November, autumn-winter time, radically change fishing tactics. This radical change is associated with the beginning of increased winter migration of the predator for carp fish species, which migrate to wintering pits for the entire freeze-up period.
Fishing in September is carried out at stationary anchorage points for pike perch, which at this time are motionless and occupy secluded attack areas, obtaining food in ambush hunting mode. The increased movement of bream forces schools of pike perch to leave their homes and move to the deepest waters of the reservoir, where fishing on the edges of the holes becomes most successful in November.
Reviews from fishermen about fishing for pike perch on the Volga
I went to the Volga a couple of times in the autumn, at first there were only a few small pike perch, but then I found a suitable place and things went well. Grade:
Dmitriy
Fishing on a big river is not easy. Experience comes with time and you can’t do without it. At first I fished from the shore, but then I realized that things would work better from a boat. Grade:
Vitaly
In general, fishing on the Volga is no different from fishing on other large rivers. The main thing is to know the habits of your main prey. I have a lot of experience, so I don’t leave empty-handed. Grade:
Alexei
I’m new to this business, I went with friends, they showed me the places and things went well. But pike perch is not a simple fish with a temper. Grade:
Alexander
I've been fishing for pike perch for many years. I like the process, I came across large specimens on the Volga, so you need to choose the right fishing line and form. Rating:
Gena
In conclusion, we note that only with experience will the catch be large. That is why beginners are advised to purchase inexpensive equipment from well-known brands, since the risk of losing it when fishing for pike perch is very high.
Best time to fish
September zander fishing is practically no different in terms of bite intensity from fishing in the summer months. In relatively warm waters there are still enough available food items and the predator is picky in their choice. Hunting trips are carried out at night, when fishing is carried out from evening twilight until dawn. Quiet moonlit nights with increased atmospheric pressure activate pike perch to come out frequently. During the day, bites are very rare, and the pecked specimens do not differ in industrial size.
Fishing in October becomes much more interesting, and this autumn month is considered the most productive time for hunting fanged predators. The bite in October is stable both in the dark and on cloudy days. The decline in fish activity is only affected by prolonged rains and inclement weather with strong northern and northeastern wind directions. The persistence of calm and cloudy weather for two to three days brings the fanged fish to the level of gluttony, often bringing particularly trophy, well-fed individuals into the catch.
The November weather forces the predator to go to warmer waters in the pits, where at great depths the fish are active throughout the day, going out to prey periodically, at certain intervals, which is very similar to the behavior of pike, which is more popular among anglers. According to this principle of their activity, pike perch will peck until freeze-up.
Spring tactics for searching for pike perch on the Volga near Samara
The preparation of our boat Windboat 5.0 EVO Fish for PAL 2019 began in early spring and is now still in full swing! Carbon 12 has already been replaced with Live 16, and Simrad NSS 12 evo3 has moved to my partner’s console. I couldn't wait to try out the new Live 16 in action.
Finally, the fast ice left the shores and here we are on the water and the first fish of the season!
The first day we walked through the classic points and came to the conclusion that the pike perch, and we were looking primarily for a good pike perch, does not hold on the points. The fish was constantly on the move. We caught several small zander, but obviously the tactics needed to be changed. The next few days we changed our tactics. We moved from fishing points to fishing deep passage areas, based on the testimony of the “structural specialist”. We found fish on the side scanner.
As soon as possible we anchored a little further upstream. As a rule, the first two or three transactions brought results, and all subsequent ones turned out to be empty. The fish did not stay in one place. This tactic brought results and delighted the guests not only with standard pike perch, but also with trophies like this handsome 5900g!
Having developed a channel theme, we decided to try to see fish on shallow spits. The water gradually warmed up and you can wait for the fish to approach them. On shallow spits, fish were less common.
However, unlike deep-sea areas, the pike perch stayed in one place longer and then the fishing became simply fabulous! What is called "distribution". The daily requirement was achieved in just a few minutes! And the fish returned to its native element. Doublets were also common.
There were also some very good specimens.
We weren't particularly interested in pike. Although we also saw captured specimens on the structure, we did not dwell on this topic.
There were some good pike in the bycatch with pike perch.
The week before the ban flew by like one day. Thanks to Mother Volga!
Summing up this spring, we can highlight the main points of productive tactics for searching for pike perch. The most important thing is that we don’t stand still. Search, search and search again. Moreover, it is not necessary to travel long distances. It's even harmful.
We select the most promising area where the fish moves. Using the structure guide, we find a school of pike perch of normal size and quantity and catch it before it leaves. The greater width of the structural designer’s view in this case is of decisive importance.
Search locations include deep water areas up to 20m and warmed shallow water. Good pike perch can be found both here and there. Promising areas can be identified by the presence of white fish. If white fish are found in this area, then you should devote time to it and go through it several times. Moreover, it would be correct to do this at different times. In different areas, activity may occur at different times. Having acquired several such areas and knowing the time of fish release in each, you can already build a productive fishing plan for the whole day. Although it will obviously work for a short period of time. In spring, everything changes very quickly.
For fishing, it is advisable to have two fishing rods: one for deep water, the second for shallow water spits. This spring I usually fished with one of two Maximus Advisor 24H and Ultimatum 21ML (or 21L). If the fish became capricious at depth, I switched to lighter weights and a light spinning rod, and in shallow water, I switched to Raptor UL. These were the tactics of this spring.
NHNCH and seven feet under the keel to everyone!
What to use to catch pike perch in the fall
The bait for pike perch in the autumn is either live bait or an artificial imitation fish or worm. They try to catch live bait in the same body of water where they hunt for fanged fish. With fish that are familiar in appearance and are regularly included in the predator’s diet, there is much more hope for bites than with super-active strangers.
Important! Bleak is considered a classic live bait, although pike perch successfully attack gudgeon and roach (read more about catching pike perch with live bait).
In some regions, fishing is carried out for ruffe and small perch, and in river areas with backwaters and oxbow lakes adjacent to the riverbed, loach is successful on live bait gear. The class of catchable baits among artificial imitations includes silicone vibrotails, worms and slugs; the fanged one is especially fond of the shape in the form of a long centipede. Foam rubber fish without their own game are rightfully called purely pike-perch bait.
Important! What makes foam rubber more attractive is the impregnation of the nozzle material with attractants based on fish oil.
The most suitable wobblers for walleye fishing are minnows and some types of shad. Minnows work on twitching, but shad are more specialized for catching pike perch by trolling.
Important! Wobblers, regardless of their appearance, are chosen with noise chambers, to which the predator responds much faster, especially when trolling at depths of over 7–10 meters.
Spoons are also considered promising pike perch baits. In the fall, spinners are significantly inferior to oscillating tools, since fishing is mostly carried out in deep areas of reservoirs. But castmaster-type spinners and spinners in narrow, purlin-shaped shapes are a success among fanged fish. Recently, anglers are increasingly using luminous spoons with a fluorescent coating or with a light diode powered by a miniature battery to fish holes.
A lure fly on the hook of a spinner will obviously not be an unnecessary element, especially if it is selected in a bright red color and does not get wet synthetic plumage. With a low intensity of bites in the absence of a fly, you can safely experiment with reattaching ordinary synthetic thread to the hooks, still in the same red color. Sometimes this trick significantly changes the course of a seemingly hopeless fishing trip.
How to catch pike perch in the fall
Gear for catching pike perch in the fall is identical to equipment for open water hunting in other seasons. The methods themselves can be divided according to the type of bait used. Artificial lures are fished using spinning rods using various fishing techniques. Among them, the most notable are jig and drop-shot, where the main role is played by silicones, twitching, when the fishing tool is a minnow-type wobbler, casting fishing using spinners, and trolling fishing, when deep-sea wobblers in the form of shad and crank are used. Foam rubber baits are used to catch pike perch both with jigs and using twitching retrieves. To carry out fishing, fast or semi-fast spinning rods are selected, with the help of which you can quickly respond to a bite, carrying out high-quality detection of the pecked fish.
A bony pike perch is unlikely to be pierced by a hook when using a slow rod action, which must be taken into account when assembling the tackle. Spinning tests depend on the weight of the bait. Zander spinning fishing, as a rule, fits into the test form from 15 to 50 grams. Braided cord is used in diameters from 0.15 to 0.25 mm. Inertia-free reel 1500–2500, with the ability to configure different levels of clutch operation. Leashes are not used when fishing for fanged fish. Water areas are fished for live bait using bottom gear. Tackle is assembled on the basis of a feeder or spinning rod, and a classic rubber band or hook is also used. Catching pike perch with a line also involves using live bait, as does the use of fry in bait hunting and circle fishing. On riffles and rapids under cliffs, using the forces of the current, pike perch are caught from a boat by trolling in a plumb line.
How to catch pike perch in Trekhrechye using jig baits
Volga pike perch , which is found in abundance in the rivers and canals of the Astrakhan region, is truly, given its large size and valuable meat, one of
the most coveted trophies of any fisherman. However, catching the “fanged one” is far from so easy. The main methods of catching pike perch in the Lower Volga, taking into account the specifics of these places (strong currents, great depths and complex, time-varying bottom topography), are:
— catching pike perch with a jig; — catching pike perch using spinning rods and artificial baits; — trolling pike perch from a boat using wobblers; — fishing with a donk or a wire rod with live bait. In Trekhrechye, the confluence of the Akhtuba, Mangut and Kharabalyk rivers in the Kharabalinsky region, trolling and jig fishing are most often used. One of the most effective and exciting is the jig, which is used throughout the entire period of open water when fishing from the shore and from a boat, while the boat can be anchored or floated downstream. With this method of catching pike perch, the bait goes along the very bottom, where pike perch most often stands, preferring depth and current. As in other cases, when fishing with jigs, the paramount importance for a good catch is a properly selected and equipped spinning rod, appropriate bait for the place and time of fishing, and proper wiring. Let's talk about this method in more detail. Choosing a spinning rod for catching pike perch on a jig . Usually, when fishing from the shore with a jig, a spinning rod with a length of about 3.0-3.5 m is chosen. Long rods in this situation have a number of advantages, for example, a highly raised rod allows you to avoid many snags when pulling the jig head through the underwater edge, protects the fishing line from cut by the river dracena shell, it is more convenient for them to catch on a shoreline overgrown with grass. The rod's action can be fast (hard) or medium-fast (semi-parabolic) - both have their pros and cons, so the choice is yours. The fact is that slower spinning rods are superior to fast ones in convenience and reliability when fishing (fewer fish drops), allow longer casting and are more versatile, as they allow you to fish with a heavy jig head, a wobbler, and an oscillating spoon or spinner. The test of a spinning rod for catching pike perch with a jig bait completely depends on the specific fishing conditions: when fishing on a river bed with a strong current and great depths, you should choose a test of 20-60 g, since a jig weighing less than 25-35 g. it is simply not possible to “break through” a large layer of moving water to the bottom. If fishing takes place in a backwater, oxbow lake or channel with shallow depth and stagnant or slowly flowing water, a rod with a test weight of 10-40 g is sufficient. A reel for jig fishing for pike perch , which is usually used without inertia, is almost of paramount importance. It must be of high quality
durable, with sufficient power reserve. There is no need to save money here - poor laying of the fishing line, beards on a braided cord and play in the elements of the mechanism can not only ruin the pleasure of the fishing process, but also let the angler down in the process of landing the long-awaited trophy. The optimal reel size is 3000; it will allow you to work with heavy jig heads with virtually no loss of sensitivity. Of course, all other elements of the equipment (carbine clasps, winding rings, swivels, leashes) also require careful selection and must be of high quality and durable. Jig heads . The choice of weight and shape of the jig head (the sinker on which the artificial bait itself is attached) depends on the following factors: - the size and shape of the bait; - depth at which fishing occurs; - the strength of the current. For example, when using a vibrotail as bait, you should settle on a head weight of 25-40 grams. for strong currents, 16-24 degrees. - for medium currents and 12-16 degrees, if fishing takes place in almost stagnant water and at shallow depths. In any case, you must be guided by common sense: a bait equipped with a jig head should sink to the bottom as quickly as possible and not hang in the water column. You will quickly feel this yourself. Depending on the type of head, the equipment is mounted in the following ways: - on a rigid jig head with a built-in hook; - on a Cheburashka sinker in a bundle with a separate hook on the winding ring; - on a lead leash about 1 m long, with the sinker located at the end of the main line and the leash higher; - according to the “Carolina rig” type, when the hook for the bait is fastened to a flexible wire rod 20 cm long in continuation of the bullet-shaped sinker. Each type of installation has its own advantages and disadvantages, and in this situation the fisherman needs to independently determine the most optimal option in each specific case.
Artificial baits for catching pike perch with jigs . As for the color and color of lures for jig fishing, as practice shows, in Trekhrechye on Akhtuba, pike perch often prefers bright lemon, orange or greenish-white colors. The color of the Red Head bait has also proven itself quite well. The size of the bait should be small, and the shape should be relatively slender and elongated, since the pike perch has a small mouth and feeds mainly on bleak, roach and fry. The maximum length of a “fanged” jig bait is no more than 11-13 cm. Among the wide variety of such baits, the following main types can be distinguished: - twisters and vibrating tails made of silicone or plastisol. They are manufactured by many well-known companies and come in a wide variety of shapes and colors. Their advantage is their low cost and large assortment; - foam rubber fish (foam rubber), which are very simple to make, but at the same time surprisingly effective for catching pike perch, as they successfully imitate a fish digging at the bottom upside down - the fanged fish’s favorite prey. Such a bait can be made in literally 5 minutes from a piece of foam rubber using scissors (fish are also made from polyurethane foam by heating over a fire). Features of wiring when catching pike perch with a jig. Wiring methods when fishing for pike perch on the Akhtuba and its tributaries depend on several factors: relief
bottom, weather, time of year and day, activity of pike perch at the moment, due to other non-obvious factors. There are several important rules for jigging: - if jigging occurs from a boat, then you need to lead the bait across the edge, simulating the fry rolling into the depths from the shallows. The rhythm of the stepped wiring is kept uniform; — after the bait falls to the bottom (you will feel it at the tip of the rod), you need to pause for 5-10 seconds; — the hook is made sharply (pike perch has a hard mouth) at the slightest hint of a bite; — when fishing for pike perch with a jig, the stepwise retrieval looks like this: 2-3 quick turns of the reel, then a pause (in this case, the bait moves about 1 meter and falls to the bottom);
If the fanged one “sits” on the hook, take your time and fish it out smoothly. Pike perch is not a fighter - even a very large individual, 4-5 kilograms, usually stops resisting and surrenders to the will of the winner after a couple of minutes. Features of catching pike perch in Trekhrechye at different times of the year. Spring. During this period, pike perch first concentrates in the area of their wintering pits, and then begins to move to spawning grounds. Spring pike perch prefers to stay on the bottom in gutters and on underwater humps. At the same time, it feeds on small fish in places where the water warms up first. Therefore, in the spring, the correct choice of fishing location is of paramount importance for successful fishing. In this case, you can use almost any bait - it will be guaranteed to be attacked by pike perch. Summer. When the water has warmed up, the fanged one prefers to set up ambushes near underwater obstacles (shade under bushes and snags, pools under steep banks, channel edges, flooded trees) in sections of the riverbed where there is clean water rich in oxygen. At this time, foam rubber fish, twisters and vibrating tails with a lighter weight work well.
Autumn. As the weather gets colder, the “fanged one” begins to slide into deeper sections of the riverbed, following schools of bream and bream. Accordingly, at this time it is better to use heavier heads, and in addition, foam rubber works well in the fall. The best time for jig fishing for pike perch in Three Rivers is April and October , although this is not a dogma, since the activity of the famous river predator is influenced by many factors: weather conditions in a particular year, water level in the riverbeds, etc. Well, you pulled out your Akhtuba pike perch by 2-3 kilos. What should we do with it now? You can prepare this delicacy right there, in the simplest way - bake it in foil or over coals, or you can make fish soup or smoke it. Pike perch is one of the most valuable river fish in terms of taste. No tail, no scales!
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Installations and wiring features
Silicone baits are placed in both spaced and stationary installations. Spinning fishing on currents using the drop-shot technique and a retractable leash rarely brings success. The main jig technique is considered to be step-by-step wiring with pauses of 2–3 seconds. For passive fish, it is recommended to increase the pause time and reduce the sharpness of movements. Hitting the bait on the bottom is mandatory. It has been noticed that pike perch react sensitively to the use of this technique, approaching the fishing point from longer distances.
On the contrary, the catchability of wobblers on twitching is distinguished by the sharpness of the pulls. The dotted wiring in an extended passage of the tool with a pause of 5–7 seconds, although in practice it is crude, is distinguished by its success in comparison with classic, short twitching at small stops. The wiring of foam rubber is similar to the wiring of minnow wobblers. Trolling is carried out at medium and slow speeds, often touching the bottom of the reservoir with a shad shovel. Along the same promising area of water, the surface is ironed five to seven times, tempting the predator to attack. The specificity of fishing with spoons is based on slowly pulling the fishing tool along the bottom, raising a cloud of sand or clay turbidity. After a couple of seconds of pulling, they toss the spoon 40–50 cm, with a further pause allowing the bait to naturally fall to the bottom.
Important! Almost all pike-perch bites occur during pauses, and it is at this moment that the angler must be ready for a timely hook.
The fishing process is no different in complexity. A fanged, careless fighter who, after hooking, becomes quiet on the hook and calmly pulls himself towards the boat or shore, rarely offering worthy resistance.
Features when fishing in late autumn
Fishing for pike perch in late autumn moves exclusively to deep-sea areas, where the predator is searched for at the boundaries of the beginning of the bottom rise, fishing at various water horizons, thereby determining the school’s anchorage areas. The usual spring and summer snags and access to spits using even the best baits for pike perch will not bring results. You shouldn’t leave the place you’ve chosen for fishing after a couple of unsuccessful trips. Experienced pike perch fishermen recommend experimenting with retrieves, increasing pauses and reducing the sharpness of bait movements, thereby selecting the rhythm of the game, which is to the liking of a passive, but still feeding predator.
Choosing gear for autumn pike perch
The jerking power of the carp excludes a thin fishing rod, since the jerk is many times greater than the size of the fish itself. When going fishing, it is better to use proven gear so that the trip does not end before the scheduled time due to an incident.
The most versatile fishing rod for catching carp is the feeder. The rod shows good results in open water. A type of fishing rod with precise equipment will allow you to notice the fish at the right moment and make a hook.
Fishing rod elements
What you should know when choosing a rod for pike perch:
A high-rigidity rod up to 6 meters with guides is suitable for coastal fishing. A 2-meter fishing rod can be used from a boat;
- Balanced spinning reel;
- Strong fishing line or better cord to prevent chafing;
- Light-colored float (for better highlighting in cloudy water);
- The wiring is thinner than a fishing line or cord (from 25 cm in length);
- Sinkers matched to the weight of the float;
- Round short hook.
The main thing is to find a middle ground between reliability and invisibility. On the one hand, if you take a thin line, it can break under the pressure of prey. On the other hand, a cord that is too thick will scare away the fish. You will have to work hard to choose a line that is not thick and noticeable. At the same time, it is important to set the reel correctly; if the brake is too tight, then after several jerks the tackle will break.
