Types of girders
Since fishing continues all year round, the girders can be used throughout the year. The only thing is that they differ structurally, depending on when it is used, in summer or winter.
Girders for summer fishing
Summer fishing greatly simplifies the entire design of the girder. It is enough to take an ordinary wooden slingshot and wind a line around it with a figure of eight. Moreover, this must be done carefully, turn to turn. On the left or right section of the slingshot, a small incision is made, about 1.5 centimeters deep. This is necessary in order to secure the fishing line, about 0.4 mm thick. On the other side of the slingshot, a recess is also cut out, which will be needed to attach the product to the cord.
The weight used in the rig must be of such weight that the bait fish can move freely in a certain area. If the load is heavy, the baitfish will quickly get tired, and if it is too light, the baitfish will be able to float to the surface or get the rig into snags or thickets of aquatic vegetation.
A metal leash with a single (or double or triple) hook is attached to the end of the fishing line. Naturally, the leash has a significant impact on the characteristics of the tackle, but when fishing for pike it is simply necessary. Fastening is carried out using a carabiner, although other options are possible.
Winter zherlitsa
Winter girders can be surface or underwater and are intended for catching predatory fish from ice:
- The design of an underwater winter pole consists of two parts: one part is a traditional slingshot, and the other part is an ordinary stick. A cord or thick fishing line is attached to a straight section of a stick, and the second part, consisting of a slingshot, is attached to this cord. The stick remains on top of the hole on the ice, and the slingshot is lowered into the water. Such designs of girders are used in conditions where the tackle needs to be left for a long time, for example, overnight.
- The surface winter vent has a completely different design. It consists of a special stand to which a reel with fishing line and equipment is attached, as well as a bite indicator in the form of a signal flag. The base of the entire structure is made of any suitable material, including metal. The result should be a lightweight and comfortable design.
The base is a kind of platform where all other elements of the gear are fixed. This can be a piece of wooden board measuring 20x20 centimeters. In the center of the site, 2 holes are drilled: one for attaching the stand, and the other for the fishing line, which is lowered into the hole. The hole for the fishing line should be located strictly in the center of the platform, and the hole for fastening should be at a distance of 5 cm from the center of the base.
The design of the stand can also be anything: it all depends on imagination, as well as on the availability of suitable materials. It is better if it is plastic, since metal freezes quickly. On the stand there is a reel with fishing line, as well as a signal flag. The flag is made of flexible wire: this is the main requirement for this element of gear.
How to hook live bait. For zherlitsy and more.
Types of winter girders
For winter, two vents are used: above-ice and under-ice. The latter are used mostly for fishing for predators at night.
Their design is quite simple and consists of a wooden or plastic platform with a horn with a fishing line attached to it, which is lowered into the water so that the base covers the hole. This is necessary to ensure that the water underneath does not freeze. If the water from above freezes, it will not affect the tackle located at the bottom. With such a design, even harsh winters are not scary. Fishing with horned gizzards can also be carried out during the daytime, but an over-ice design is preferable for this. Thanks to timely signaling, the number of accidents is significantly reduced.
There are three types of over-ice vents:
- with a flat base;
- with vertical stand;
- "Kaganok" type.
They all work on the same principle, but differ in structure and appearance.
Flat winter fishing poles for pike and perch consist of a platform and a reel with tackle located on it. The coil can be fixed in both horizontal and vertical positions. The main thing is that the fishing line can unwind with minimal effort when biting. A signal flag is also attached to the platform. Most often it is made from a clock spring with a bright piece at the top. When installing the girder, the flag is bent and installed so that with the slightest rotation of the reel it can straighten and thus give a signal to the fisherman.
Vertical models are a similar design with the same principle of operation, but with the exception that the reel with a flag is mounted not on a horizontal platform, but on a cylindrical metal stand. However, such girders are used quite rarely, as they have one drawback - they can only be used on dense snow. It is impossible to install them on bare ice.
Models of the “kaganok” type have a folding aluminum or plastic frame that resembles a tripod. They are mobile and easy to use, but are ineffective in strong wind conditions. They are simply blown away.
How to put live bait on a girder
There are several options for placing live bait on a hook: behind the back, behind the nostrils, behind the lips, behind the gills. And now about these options in more detail.
Behind the nostrils
This is probably the easiest way, just hook a single hook onto the two nostrils and that’s it, you can send the bait into the water.
And yet, this process requires some caution, otherwise there is a possibility of damaging the nasal cavity. In addition, you should select those types of fish whose nasal cavity is durable.
Despite its simplicity, the peculiarities of fishing conditions should be taken into account. This option is considered the most suitable in conditions where there is no current at all.
For the lips
This option requires prudence. In addition, you need to consider that not every fish has strong lips. For example, perch's lips are very weak. If you attach a massive live bait, it is capable of tearing off its lips if it stays in this position for a long time.
For this method of hooking, only a single hook will do. If there is a weak current, it is enough to hook the bait on the upper lip. If there is a decent current, then it is better to play it safe and thread the hook through the nostril, hooking both lips at once.
For the gills
This method of planting requires special care. If everything is done incorrectly, then live bait will not live long, and few people are interested in dead fish.
To do everything correctly, it is better to unhook the leash or use a fairly soft leash. If the leash is rigid, it will hinder the movements of the baitfish. If its movement does not look plausible, the predator may refuse to attack, suspecting danger.
Behind your back
Many fishermen practice putting it behind the back, since it does little harm to the baitfish, and its movements are more similar to real, natural ones. But caution is also needed here. If this is done incorrectly, the baitfish will lose the ability to move at all.
And here, too, there are 2 options: one involves placing it on a hook between the fin and the ridge, and the second - directly in the area of the ridge. The first method is safer for live bait, and the second is more reliable, but requires skill. As a rule, all experienced fishermen bait bait in the ridge area.
How to fish with a zherlitsa: nuances
Model of the girder. Experienced fishermen know that the success of fishing and the pleasure it brings largely depend on the correctly chosen fishing rod. If the model is unsuccessful, then what you love can turn into sheer torture. The figure above shows the type of girders that is currently considered the most successful. Perhaps, such a girder has only one drawback - it gets covered with snow. Otherwise, there are only advantages, namely:
- Does not get tangled during transportation.
- Quickly transfers from transport state to working state.
- Large plastic base. In mild frosts, it prevents the hole from freezing. And in strong conditions, it will be enough to clean the hole a couple of times a day.
- The tackle works well when biting and has virtually no resistance to the predator. Thus, he can easily swallow live bait.
- The zherlitsa quickly assembles. To understand how important this is, you need to go fishing with two dozen girders.
Leashes. When using metal leashes in the equipment of a girder, its effectiveness is reduced several times. In the middle of nowhere, this can even lead to complete failure. Practice shows that the predator is not afraid of thick fishing line, but is wary of thin metal leashes.
Installation of vents. It is more convenient to set up fishing rods together, when one angler drills holes and the second adjusts the gear. It is advisable to complete the preparation of the girders before dawn, so that in the future you do not have to walk around the fishing spot again. The holes are usually made in a straight line in several rows so that they are easy to find at dusk. The distance between holes can reach 10 meters. During the fishing process, depending on the bite, some of the girders move. As practice shows, mobility in this case is more important than the number of gears. By placing several vents near the one that has worked, you can get an excellent result in a couple of hours.
Live bait. Perch performs best as live bait. It never tangles the equipment and is a desirable prey for large predators. Roach or silver bream are suitable alternatives, but it is better to still try to catch perch.
The fish bites the line. Winter fishing with girders, as already mentioned, assumes that the hook is put directly on the fishing line. This imposes a number of difficulties on the fishing process. Often, biting of the fishing line occurs at the moment of hooking, when the fishing line lies in the toothy mouth, and the angler tugs on it. Therefore, it is worth cutting extremely carefully. When the line goes under the water and the reel unwinds, you can pause and give a stretch. The force of the fish will be enough for the hook to pierce its lip. Of course, you can pull the line a little, but without fanaticism. If the fish is successfully spotted, then there are two dangerous moments left - the beginning of fishing and the end. At first, the fish has a lot of strength to resist and will definitely do so. Here you should not put much effort into the fishing line. You should only tighten the line if the fish comes to you on its own. Otherwise, let her get tired. When the fish is already near the hole, it gets its second wind. Sometimes, in order to remove the prey from the hole, it has to be brought up to ten times.
Over time, the angler begins to feel by the behavior of the fish where the hook is stuck. If it sits shallow, the fish may squirm, shake its head and open its mouth. In this case, the fishing line will walk along its teeth, and excessive tension can create conditions for cutting. When swallowing deeply, the fish behaves more stable.
If the flag is triggered, but the reel is motionless, you should pull the line very carefully, as the fish may throw the bait in response to the tug of the line. To stimulate the predator to take active action, you can tap your foot near the hole. If that doesn't help, just put the checkbox back in place. Sometimes a low-active predator decides to swallow it within ten minutes.
What types of fish are preferable to use as live bait?
Mostly peaceful fish are used, although many anglers believe that perch is in great demand. In fact:
- Pike can be caught with almost all types of fish, but in any case, the availability of food supply in a particular body of water should be taken into account. As a rule, pike are caught with roach, crucian carp, ruff, rudd, etc.
- The most suitable live bait for catching perch and catfish may be a loach.
- Pike perch, asp and perch will never refuse a gudgeon.
- Pike-perch does not mind profiting from a goby, which prefers to be on the bottom, and is included in the daily diet of the predator.
- Perch, as a live bait, is not averse to being eaten by perch itself, as well as pike and chub. The only condition is that the perch must be small enough.
Peculiarities of catching pike with summer girders and their types
Depending on the season, girders are divided into winter and summer. In other words, gear for closed or open water, which determines their design. According to the installation method, there are floating ones (circles), on a stationary pole (postavukhs), and slingshots for fishing from the shore.
Summer to winter zherlitsa
Winter gear for catching predators can be easily converted into a summer version using sheet insulation and thick rope. In open waters, with the help of an installed signal flag, the bite is quickly detected. The effectiveness of winter girders, which are competently converted, subject to the calculations of the technical characteristics of the gear, is not inferior to their summer counterparts.
The depth of the bait should not be less than 1 meter and no more than 2 meters, since it is in these layers of the reservoir that the temperature is optimal for live bait.
Mugs (floating mugs)
The essence of this fishing method is the natural movements of the bait, which should interest and provoke the predator to attack. Correct calculation of the technical characteristics of the fishing rod will ensure a guaranteed catch, and the slightest errors and errors in the manufacture of gear will reduce efforts to zero.
Slingshot from the shore
The most ancient way of catching pike is using a slingshot. This type of summer girder is used in reservoirs with a large amount of algae, snags and other obstructions that make it impossible to use a spinning rod. The tackle is a spear with a line wound around the branches of a fork in the form of a figure of eight. Even material found on the shore - dry branches, etc. - is suitable for a slingshot.
Locations for installing vents
The summer perch is attached either to a strong tree, or to a rod or thick wooden stake driven into the bank. The winter pole is attached to a stick that lies across the hole. As for the surface vent, it is supported by the support provided by the base of the vent, which is not able to fit into the hole.
Winter bait, types, equipment, installation, bait bait
Predatory fish such as pike and pike perch prefer their favorite spots. Such places are considered:
- In places located in close proximity to the river bed.
- Promising places are considered to be areas where springs or underwater springs flow.
- In areas of the water area that are distinguished by complex terrain, where depressions and hills alternate.
- In places that are littered with rubble of trees or snags. Artificial obstacles should not be discounted either.
Stages of live bait fishing
First of all, I drill a few holes closer to the shore and feed them. I throw the bait into the hole without using a feeder. The feed mixture goes all the way to the bottom by itself. This creates a cloud of aromatic suspension, which has a great effect on increasing the concentration of fish.
This is followed by the placement of 10 piers along the planned route. After the last bait has been installed, I begin fishing the baited holes.
Recently, the soroga has multiplied in the bays, and it has become the main bait for catching pike with a girder. In addition to the sorozhnik, perch and occasionally dace are caught on the jig.
A pleasant moment is the capture of worthy specimens, with which it is pleasant to compete, but unfortunately you do not have to take them for food. The fact is that virtually all fish caught near the shore have parasites. Having “passengers” in the abdominal cavity, it cannot go to depth and cruises along the coastline. So if you want to catch “clean” bream and sorog with a jig, you have to go in search of promising places with a depth of at least 6 - 7 meters and fish with a heavy jig near the bottom.
To catch live bait I use a simple fishing rod with a thin line and a mylar nod. As a jig, either a reelless jig or a small jig with a maggot or worm attached.
Tips from experienced fishermen
- With the help of a girder, it is possible to fish a considerable area, and if you install several pieces, this area will increase quite significantly. Many who have used such gear to catch predators recommend installing the girders at a distance of at least 10 meters from one another.
- Pike are always present where there is movement of juvenile fish. Therefore, it makes no sense to look for any special places, especially if the pike is active.
