Retractable leash on the rocker for catching perch

Gear used

Rod

For fishing with a rocker, a simple rod with a short foam handle, a whip with a nod, and a stand on two legs is suitable. In this case, fishing rods such as “filly” and “balalaika” can be used. The most common nods are lavsan. They are cheap, have good sensitivity and are easy to install.

fishing line

As the main fishing line, you can use winter monofilament fishing line or braided cord. For monofilament, a thickness of 0.14-0.16 mm will be sufficient, and for braid, the optimal diameter will be 0.06-0.08 mm.

Sinker

To load the equipment, ordinary lead pellets or pieces of lead plates are used. Weight depends on the depth of fishing and the strength of the current.

Float

A float is absolutely necessary for successful fishing with a rocker; a nod is not enough. It is selected depending on the conditions of the reservoir in which fishing is carried out and the weight of the load with the expectation that the float will be immersed in the water.

You can pick up a float suitable for fishing with a rocker in a store, or you can make it yourself.

Hook

For fishing with a rocker, two simple hooks are used. The number depends on the type and size of the fish being hunted.

Rocker

The rocker itself can be purchased in a store or made with your own hands. The purpose of the rocker is to spread the leashes with hooks in different directions. Fishermen mainly use two types of rocker:

• made of thin elastic wire;
• from a piece of insulation of an electrical wire (tube)

Almost every fisherman who practices fishing with a rocker has his own way of making this gear.

Tackle for fishing with a rocker

The main task is to properly equip the equipment. Elements of tackle that are used when fishing with a rocker:

1. A short winter fishing rod with a handle, a whip, a nod and a stand . The most commonly chosen rods are “balalaika” and “filly”. The nod is lavsan, which is not afraid of low temperatures and is the most sensitive, unlike other products.
2. Monofilament line with a cross section of 0.12-0.22 mm . Some people recommend installing a cord, but in the cold it quickly “dumbs” and freezes.
3. Lead olives or strips are selected by weight, taking into account the presence of current and depth.

Recommendation: when installing the rocker arm to the main line, it is best to use a “palomar” type knot.

Palomar knot

Equipment

In order to equip the rocker, you need to pass a fishing line through wire rings or a tube and tie hooks to its ends. The final length of the leashes can be from 3 to 6 cm depending on the size of the rocker arm. The tackle is tied to the main line either through a ring at its top, or using a loop or carabiner. The tube rocker has a built-in weight; the wire tackle is surrounded by pellets on the main line next to the rocker.

Also, some fishermen use feeders to deliver complementary food. Most often these are springs that are attached to the main line above the rocker.

Eureka: diverter leash + rocker arm!

From these two practice-tested options, something in between then matured in my head - a “yoke” rig for a diverter leash (Fig. 12):

Fig. 12: Equipment with a retractable leash on a wire rocker with a walker sinker

Let's look at its elements in more detail.

Rocker

The basis of the equipment is an equal-armed rectangular rocker made of elastic steel wire with a diameter of 0.6-0.7 mm. The usual shoulder size is 5-8 cm, which ensures that the bait is carried 7-10 cm from the bottom. Why exactly equal arms? It seems to me that it is the most compact, the most stable and the least engulfed. And the rectangular one is to take the leash further away from the main fishing line.

In principle, you can raise the leash above the bottom using unequal-armed rockers. For example, if the upper arm is noticeably longer than the lower one, this moves the undergrowth further away from the main line and there are fewer overlaps. It seems good. But this design is unstable - when driving and when stopping, it constantly tends to fall over on its side. And this is already bad. If, on the contrary, the lower arm is noticeably longer, then the stability of the rig increases, but there are more overlaps, since the short top does not sufficiently distance the undergrowth from the main line. And every overlap is an empty wire. Therefore, the equal-arm design, in my opinion, is the best option. True, overlaps do happen here too, but with the transition to a smoother technique with a “back” pause to straighten the undergrowth before casting, they almost disappear.

The front loop for tying the fishing line can be either bent or twisted. The first, like a spinnerbait, is more accurate and correct - for pure perch fishing I use just this option. If the fishing is “diverse and creative”, it is better to tighten the front loop tightly. Then, for example, if the pike doesn’t take, you can remove the wobbler or spoon and quickly fasten the equipped rocker onto the perch onto the same pike leash - and when casting, the fastener will not slide down or up the wire. If we want to get the most “sensitive” rocker for active playing along (which will be discussed later), we twist the front ring like a wind-up one and attach it to the main line through a semicircular fastener - the maximum degree of freedom is obtained (Fig. 13).

Fig. 13: Options for wire loops for the rocker rig: top drawn loop, lower drawn loop with fastener, lower drawn loop with an enlarged fastener for a walker sinker, front loop "spinnerbait", front loop "loop", front loop "pin"

The upper loop is “pulled” back and tightly twisted - a undergrowth with a hook is tied to it or inserted “loop into a loop”.

The bottom loop is, in principle, “pulled” with a clasp. I use “loopless” cast walker sinkers (a type of injection mold), so I have to make a specially shaped fastener that fits into the inconvenient lead “eye” and allows you to quickly change sinkers during the fishing process.

Sinker

Why walker? There are several reasons. I saw this option in some foreign catalog and immediately intuitively trusted it. It seemed to me that the shape, reminiscent of the toe of a ski, would snag less and, as it were, bounce at least a little when pulled, which would allow, if not to jump, then at least to get over small obstacles. And especially on a hard wire rocker. Subsequently, when I found a suitable injection mold at the exhibition and tried out the new products, everything was confirmed in the best possible way: the walker is indeed the best option in terms of low grip. In addition, the flat bottom and toe of the sinker, when falling on the ground and when dragged, noticeably raises the bottom turbidity - and this is an additional irritating factor for the predator. Plus, practice has shown that such a bent shape of the sinker, which does not seem to resemble a fry in appearance, nevertheless noticeably attracts striped fish both on the retrieve and on the fall (perhaps resembling a sheer spoon-bait?). And the grip of perches on such a load is a very common occurrence.

Photo 14: Rocker arm kit

monofilament

Monoline - preferably stiffer (less tangled), with a diameter of 0.22-0.25mm. The length of the undergrowth is 15-100cm. The more active the bite, the shorter the undergrowth. In addition, bringing the bait closer to the sinker is useful when a perch (especially a school) is clearly interested in the sinker - the appearance of bait in the attack zone almost guarantees a bite.

Hook

The hook is either a special one (with notches on the fore-end - it holds the twister better) single for clean places, or an offset hook or a hook with a safety loop for cluttered areas.

Silicone bait

The bait is a medium-sized twister, vibrotail or passive “fish”. My perch favorites are RELAX twisters 1-2” (3.5 – 4.5 cm) and RELAX Banjo fish 1” – 4.5 cm (photo 14).

Photo 15: Favorite perch baits

Baits and lures

The fisherman should have several types of plant and animal bait with him. The following animal baits are used for fishing with a rocker:

• bloodworm;
• maggot;
• worm;
• caddis larva;
• burdock moth larva.

Among the plant attachments, the following can be distinguished:

• dough;
• semolina chatter;
• bread;
• pasta;
• Hercules;
• steamed wheat and pearl barley.

As a rule, different baits are attached to the yoke hooks.

Catching bream on a rocker: search and technique

In order for the rocker to work effectively (as, indeed, any other equipment), you need to choose the right fishing location depending on the conditions, winter periods and other factors:

1. With the establishment of the first strong ice, the fish is at a depth of 3-5 meters. To find a bream site, you need to make several holes. It is recommended to do them on edges, depth changes, and holes.
2. With the onset of severe frosts, the fish go to a depth of 7-12 meters.
3. After the freeze-up begins, there is not enough oxygen in the water for the fish, so it tries to find appropriate places. These are underground springs, areas into which non-freezing small rivers flow.
4. At night, bream often bites at a depth of 2-4 meters.

Lure

Feeding for catching bream using the “whisker” can be prepared at home; there are several ways to do this:

1. Boiled peas are passed through a meat grinder and mixed with ground breadcrumbs.
2. Bait made from crackers (0.6 kg), millet (0.5 kg), ground seeds (0.2 kg), rolled oats (0.3 kg) is universal. You can also add 0.5 tsp to it. vanilla, and before immersing in the bloodworm hole.
3. The simplest recipe is mixing breadcrumbs (0.5 kg) and semolina (0.3 kg). This mixture is already ready for use.

Fishing tactics

Fishing occurs according to the following scheme:

1. Having selected a place for fishing, you need to make 5-10 holes in a checkerboard pattern, where the feeding is placed.
2. After half an hour, you can start fishing, starting from the first rested hole.
3. A bunch of bloodworms is used as bait. It is recommended to crush one larva, so the smell will quickly attract bream.
4. When biting, the fish lifts the arm of the rocker arm, as a result of which the float rises. It is at this time that you should do the hooking.

Attention: If you need to sit on one hole for a long time, it is recommended to have a tent with you; it can protect you from frost and other troubles.

A visual video about catching bream in winter on a rocker: search, presentation, tactics and fishing technique:

Groundbaits

You should feed the fishing spot. It is best to use long-lasting bait, since the smell of bait can significantly increase the concentration of fish in the fishing area. You can buy ready-made bait, or you can prepare it yourself. The feed mixture must be fresh. The following components of complementary feeding are common:

• cereal grains;
• wheat crackers;
• seeds;
• boiled potatoes;
• worms, maggots;
• special mixtures.

After the components have been selected, it is necessary to mix them dry in a container and dilute them with water from the reservoir, and the viscosity of the bait should be controlled.

Fishing technique and tactics

When ice fishing for bream using a rocker, a simple fishing technique is used.

After choosing a fishing location and drilling holes, starting feeding is performed. Bait is dropped to the bottom of each hole. After 30-40 minutes, you can begin examining the feeding holes.

For fishing, 5-7 bloodworm larvae are attached to a sharp hook. The first bloodworm should be crushed with your fingers so that the smell attracts the attention of the fish. Then she will notice the bait faster, and the bite will happen earlier. When biting, the fish does not feel the resistance of the tackle, lifting one arm of the rocker. At this moment, the nod of the tackle straightens, and the float floats to the surface of the water. It is important for the fisherman not to miss the moment of hooking. Not only can you pull the fish onto the ice, but you can also unhook the hooks when caught on the lower edge of the ice using a simple hook.

Tactics for catching bream in winter using a rocker

The tactics of catching bream in winter using a rocker are even simpler than making it yourself.

We attach several bloodworms to each hook (it is better to press one of the bloodworms with your fingers so that a specific, attractive aroma appears). You can have maggots, or you can have both for each sting. The tackle sinks to the bottom and waits for a bite.

When the bream has sucked in the bait, it rises from the sides of the rocker - this is a signal to hook.

For greater sensitivity, you can hang a sliding olive sinker just above the main equipment.

Useful and interesting: Non-tricky tips on how to fish in February!