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Pike fishing is one of the most exciting types of fishing, giving a surge of adrenaline and a storm of emotions from fighting a toothy freshwater predator.
This process requires skills, dexterity and knowledge about your potential prey. Videos help you find out how a pike attacks, see its behavior live, and understand what ultimately attracts the predator. There are a lot of videos on YouTube - both just a pike attack, filmed by ordinary fishermen from a boat or from the shore, and underwater footage of a pike attack on a live bait or wobbler. It is very exciting to watch what is happening, both out of simple interest and by making certain “notes” for yourself in terms of how best to imitate the natural behavior of a pike “victim”. So, let's start watching. The first video is carefully compiled from 5 different moments of a pike attack. Moreover, these are not episodes of fishing, but unique moments of hunting of a toothy predator in natural conditions. The quality of the image is reminiscent of the good old VHS days, but this does not diminish the entertainment value.
The next video shows us the behavior of a pike that was “presented” with an imitation of a slowly swimming wounded fish. We can observe how a predator studies its potential prey, and not from one angle, but from several at once. This underwater video will end with a lightning-fast attack of pike on such a unique “live bait”.
Video No. 3 from the same channel “Underworld Ireland”. In it we will learn how pike behaves during more active fishing, as well as what color (and shape) of the bait it prefers. Here underwater life is more active (even though the region is the same - Ireland), so it will be spectacular:
And here’s how pike attacks in a body of water with a current. Either running water motivates the fish to take more active action, or the predator really liked the bait used. One way or another, in this underwater shooting the number of pike attacks is noticeably higher. Unique shots are obtained by combining underwater photography and video from the water's edge - this is what happens when you hear a loud splash, and then only have time to see powerful circles spreading out on the water surface:
No. 5 – another compilation of some episodes. Here you can see underwater photography, a pike attacking ducklings at the surface of the water, and an attack on a cat, which was already present in this review. But some replays are worth going through for unique shots: have you seen how a pike swallows a fellow almost the same size as itself? What about pike in the aquarium? Would you like to have a similar “pet” for yourself?
Video No. 6 simulates a rather unusual situation. You already have a good idea of the behavior of pike when guiding a wobbler/vibrotail or live bait - i.e. reaction to bait in motion. What if the “live bait” is practically static, but at the same time quite active? How is this even possible and how did this result in a video of a pike attacking live bait - see below:
In video of pike attacks on YouTube No. 7, we will touch upon such an unpleasant topic as cannibalism. Yes, pikes are not averse to feasting on their own relatives. This is how it is - the harsh and dangerous world of freshwater depths - even the presence of sharp teeth does not guarantee your survival!
Our selection has not yet included filming of a pike attack underwater in winter. How does she react to the bait lowered from the hole? What does this “under-ice kingdom” even look like? In video No. 8 there will be a hole, crucian carp using live bait as bait, and large pikes as the main characters. Camera - motor:
Continuing the “under the ice” theme – a real thriller. It did not receive hundreds of thousands of views, but it was decided that this video must be present in our review. A three-minute action-packed short film entitled “Who Turns Off the Bite” is presented to your attention. The video would ideally be accompanied by some disturbing soundtrack from a thriller or horror film about a huge and dark monster. In this case, the monster of the depths will be “she”:
Notes on fishing for pike with a spinning rod
To successfully catch pike with a spinning rod, you need to select a different key for each bait. The bait will only be catchable if it is carried out properly. Before the bait chosen in the store begins to catch, you need to break it in and gain experience with it.
Only after mastering the wiring technique can a fisherman consider a new product to be in the category of used or best. But this does not mean that this specimen will be the same for another angler.
No need to immediately reject new baits
Without proper action on the part of the spinning angler, the bait remains a piece of metal or plastic. Therefore, any advertising slogan that promises huge catches actually implies that the bait will become such if it is used correctly. Only after understanding the specifics of its use, and mastering the technique and tactics required for this bait, does the spinner get a chance to see these same catches. It happens that the chosen fishing bait did not bring the expected result. The fisherman sends her to the far corner of the box and tries not to think about her again, rather due to psychology - he doesn’t want a repeat of the troubles.
But with new baits it’s worth overcoming your fears and experimenting again and again in different conditions. It is likely that an understanding of the bait and a style of handling it will soon be found, and it will still bring good results, especially if it is an expensive and advertised bait.
Bait selection
From the ocean of pike baits, you need to choose a suitable drop for yourself. The general criterion for choosing bait for catching predatory fish is quite simple. Slow-playing baits are preferable for pike, mid-frequency baits for pike perch, and fast high-frequency baits for perch.
Thus, when choosing, for example, a jig for pike fishing, you should pay attention to wide-bodied and harsh, and therefore low-frequency baits. The conditionality of this preference is obvious, because when fishing, pike can be caught even with a carrot or a shiny trinket. But, as they say, it is better to start armed with some kind of rule than to act chaotically. Lethargy and slowness - mainly for spoons and jigs. But along with leisurely action, the pike also needs a powerful impulse.
Twitching
Slowness and impulse are combined in surface baits such as poppers or, for example, minou wobblers. For the latter, twitching wiring is needed, which can be done either with pauses or by creating short, quick jerks without pauses, or can be performed with longer (up to 1 meter) but extremely leisurely jerks. You see, what a variety there is for one wobbler.
There is no doubt that pike like twitching wiring. But to create your own wiring, imagination is not enough; you need constant practice. Moreover, depending on the wobblers used, minou can be caught literally under the surface and at a depth of 4 - 5 meters.
By color
The color of the bait is not as decisive as its action. However, when choosing baits, it is worth making the following preferences.
- For light and clear water, use bait in calm tones and natural colors - brown-green, bluish, etc.
- For muddy water, you should try baits of bright and aggressive colors - purple, lilac, poisonous yellow.
Fast pike loves slow bait
How pike hunts - slow prey
Why does pike prefer slow retrieve? After all, it would seem that the aquatic predator is very fast, and that’s what it lives on, or rather, that’s why it feeds. The fact is that pike hunts exclusively from ambush, never runs long distances, but overtakes its prey with one quick throw. The typical prey of pike is a sluggish, gape-swimming fish. A small fish running away and rushing from side to side is clearly not what a pike wants to see.
Also, the pike usually rushes at the fish from the side, and not from the tail, while moving in a straight line, or making one quick turn. Therefore, the faster the bait moves, the greater the likelihood that the pike will miss. And having missed once, she no longer resumes the chase and returns to her trap, with the exception of slow-moving and very annoying (Popper) baits. It is known that a pike can move after a fast-moving bait, but as a rule it either misses or completely stops the chase halfway.
Pike bite - hook
It happens that fishermen confuse the pike bite with the hook of the bait. Indeed, the first impression of a pike’s grip is that it simply slows down the bait without obvious jerks. This happens because the pike, having grabbed the prey, does not make turns, but continues to swim slowly in the direction of its attack, thus creating the impression of weighting the bait.
Consequently, at the slightest “hook” it is necessary to hook so that the predator, recognizing the catch, does not have time to throw the bait out of its mouth. Hooking a pike must be forceful, since the hard pike mouth and the bait clamped in it create a lot of resistance.
Retrieving a pike is slow
Now a few words about actual fishing situations. As already mentioned, slow and varied movements of the bait increase the chances of catching a pike with a spinning rod. For example, you can use the following method.
- A bait such as a spoon or jig is lifted from the bottom to a small height with a short reel, then again allowed to lie on the bottom. The bait moves at the bottom as if jumping, floating up and slowly falling. Usually pike rushes to a slowly sinking bait.
To reduce the likelihood of snags, you can try not to let the bait lie on the bottom, but try to “jump” it in the bottom layer of water. At the same time, the number of winding revolutions is maintained at each jump. Having lifted the bait from the bottom for the first time, they count the time it takes for the bait to sink to the bottom again. Then, lifting it again, they count again, but begin winding by counting one - two less. This way the bait will not reach the bottom and will head to the surface again.
Pike fishing is possible along the reeds
Catching pike in the grass
The summer “dead” period for pike fishing can also be successfully used. Summer pike are usually difficult to catch in clear water, but they stay in dense thickets of grass, where there is a lot of oxygen and there are many secluded places for ambush.
But fishing in the grass has its own characteristics.
- Firstly, it is necessary to track the place where the predator is fighting and place the bait very close to this place - the pike will not climb through the thickets two meters to the side after the bait pushing through the grass. It’s good if the pike also takes within one meter of its site.
- Secondly, you will definitely have to use a braided cord here, since monofilament will be too vulnerable to use in the grass, especially if you have to drag the pike through the thickets. One annoying cut of the fishing line with the stems along with a five-kilogram trophy - and the next day you will come to the store to choose braid.
The manner of placing baits in the grass
Jumping through the grass with a jig or spinner, with changes in depth when retrieving, is one of the productive ways of fishing in the grass. If the grass is not continuous, and this happens more often, then you can jump over the islands with a non-tackle, pulling the spoon out of the grass and letting it sink freely in a clean place.
Again, such immersion has a positive effect on the pike’s bite. You can also provoke a pike when you lift the spoon. Making a steady jog towards an island of grass, you can speed up a little in front of the obstacle, preparing to jump over, and wait for the pike to bite on the surface. In this case, the pike is apparently provoked by an attempt to escape from the direction of the bait.
Also, pike usually do not stand in the middle of dense thickets, but set up their ambushes on the borders of clear water, so bait maneuvers with surfacing and diving, on the borders of clear water, give a greater chance of finding a pike site if it was not detected by splashes of pike in advance.
Application of surface baits
Fishing with topwater lures is very exciting. The pike attacks the bait walking along the surface in front of the angler. In addition, popper fishing is very productive. In grass thickets, with great caution, you can use a popper equipped with a top hook (less chance of getting caught) or a popper designed for fishing in grass with protected hooks.
It will not be possible to set up a special game in the grass. If possible, you can plan on clear areas and jump over the grass, with a slow retrieve and the sharpest twitching and creating maximum sound and splashes. Pike in shallow water react well to a popper; it happens that they rush at it several times during one retrieve.
Fishing for pike along the reed wall
In summer, pike also like to ambush along the reed wall. But throwing the bait very close to the reed thickets at a decent distance is still problematic - the slightest inaccuracy and the bait will have to be found hanging on the plants or impossible to pull out at all.
But the closer the wiring is done to the border of continuous thickets, the greater the likelihood of combing pike sites in the area. You can cast from the center of the reservoir from a boat, and aim at a distance so that the bait splashes down on the “water line” of the reeds. All this is achieved with a certain skill and experience in fishing with a specific rod with the available baits. True, tricks are possible here too.
Instead of casting - a boat
Some fishermen, who did not have a boat, but had an electric boat, demonstrated the technique by bringing bait 70 meters from the shore along the gaps between the reed thickets in order to fish the center of the swamp with a wobbler. We pulled out a 3 kilo pike along with a reed caught on another hook. Therefore, experimentation can achieve a lot.
Fishing for pike in winter from ice
As winter approaches, fishermen begin to actively hunt for predators, including pike. The richest catches occur in the autumn, but the onset of the ice season complicates the fishermen’s task in catching the toothy predator, which requires a lot of patience and endurance.
How to find pike in winter
Winter fishing for pike begins with searching for this predator, which is quite a difficult task. During the entire freeze-up, pike has the habit of changing its habitat, which depends on the presence of small fish suitable as food for it. When searching for pike, you need to take into account many details, because if there are no small fish in the fishing areas, the result may remain zero.
On the river
If it is a large river , then you should look for pike in snags or coastal bays, where the water is not so cold. In deep winter, pike most often stay at a depth of 1-2 meters, and towards the end of the cold period they begin to move closer to the shore.
In small rivers, snags, thickets of reeds or fallen trees can become the most catchy areas for pike hunting.
In winter, it is best to catch pike in the morning and evening at dawn, although you should not discount day and night fishing. Often, active biting that begins in the morning can turn into a daytime hunt for a predator.
Video: Catching pike in winter with ratlins
On a pond, lake
Fishing for pike in a pond is somewhat different from hunting on a river or reservoir. On a pond, pike usually do not swim long distances. In order to more accurately determine its location, it is necessary to study the so-called “pike trails”. If the pond has deep cliffs on the banks, then most often the pike will be located in the roots of coastal trees, where it is convenient for it to catch small prey. If it is a body of water with a relatively flat depth level, then the predator will not concentrate in certain areas, which will complicate the fisherman’s search task.
On the lake, pike most often gather in schools, waiting for prey in ambush with dense vegetation. In winter, pike can be located in deep dumps, which provide the best feeding areas for predators. More experienced fishermen are usually aware of such places, so it will not be difficult for them to find pike.
Photo: Pike in winter
At the reservoir
The reservoir is considered the most successful place for pike fishing in December, with the onset of the ice season. At the same time, it bites best on live bait rather than on artificial bait.
During this period, there is a current between the forested areas of the reservoir, in which there are enough small fish to attract the attention of predators. Pike also bite well during the thaw period, as it confuses the spring and winter seasons and begins to bite especially actively.
If we talk about the reservoir, it should be noted that with the onset of cold weather, pike do not stay in coastal waters. Even wooded and shallow areas rich in snags do not attract fish. Although during the thaw period and first ice, such zones are quite promising for a rich catch. On cold days, there is less oxygen in these places, algae die off, old remains of stumps rot at the bottom, and there is almost no current.
That is why pike and other predators often leave these places, gradually moving to the waters of large rivers, where even when the flow stops, large roach appear, which attracts predators. These areas are considered the most optimal place for winter pike fishing.
Predator feeding and spawning
Any small living creature that finds itself in the predator’s field of vision can become its prey: perch, roach, minnows, ruffs and other fish. On occasion, he does not refuse small bream, silver bream, ide, small pike. More than once, villagers noticed that large predators attacked birds and small animals living in the water. Ducklings, mice, frogs, and muskrats can become targets of attack. There are no restrictions for her - she will happily feast on any living creature that is smaller in size.
To learn more:
Fishing bow: crime and punishment
Pike spawning begins soon after the final ice melts, when the water warms up a little. Early spawning is observed in small pikes; large specimens spawn several days or weeks later. Females begin to throw at the age of four, and sometimes three years, males mature a little longer. A shallow place is chosen as a spawning ground - 50-100 cm, where the water warms up faster, which means that the fish will be more active. Here the female lays eggs and the partners fertilize them.
One pike per season can spawn from 20 to 200 thousand eggs - the specific number depends on age and size. Large (up to 3 millimeters in diameter) fertilized eggs have a slightly sticky surface, making them easily stick to objects. But after a few days, the stickiness decreases and they fall to the bottom, where they subsequently grow. The process goes through several stages:
- the egg is not active, develops due to the supply of nutrients;
- The larva hardly moves. It receives everything it needs for life from the yolk sac attached to the stomach;
- The fry swims confidently, feeds on the smallest organisms, gradually turning into an adult.
During spawning, the predator develops a strong hunger, but fishing is not allowed - fishing is poaching and is strictly punishable by law.
What you need for winter pike fishing
The optimal fishing location and good bait have a great influence on the quality of the catch, but special attention also needs to be paid to the angler’s equipment. As already noted, gear for pike fishing in winter must be especially strong and reliable, since ice fishing requires considerable skill.
Tackle (rod, line, reel)
To catch pike you will need the following gear:
- A rod for catching pike should be strong enough, more than 30 cm long. A nod for pike is not required, but a small hard nod may be needed for a small predator.
- For pike, it is better to use monofilament fishing line, the thickness of which depends on the size of the fish; on average, its diameter should be 0.2-0.4 mm. The bite of large individuals is also possible, so the strength of the fishing line is of no small importance. Some people prefer to use braided line, but in winter water it becomes noticeable and can cause a poor catch.
- The reel can be any type; a reel is most suitable.
- Any type of hook is suitable for pike fishing, the main thing is their strength and suitable size.
- It is better to use metal leashes, for example, made of tungsten.
The best lures and baits
The choice largely depends on the time of year and conditions. Let's look at different options. Pike almost always willingly take the bait. Perch, roach, bleak, gudgeon and other small fish, preferably live, are suitable as live bait. The predator is not very fond of the dead fish and bites on it reluctantly. It is better to hook it behind the back, under the fin, carefully so as not to damage the spine, but so that the tee (double) penetrates the muscles and does not stick to one skin. The rest of the treat offered by the fisherman consists mainly of spoons and other imitators of live prey: frogs, mice and various fish. Don’t forget about twisters and other types of silicone baits; an experienced fisherman has quite a large number of them.
Pike readily takes red baits, but in cloudy weather it can switch to light ones - yellow, white. They should also vary in size - today medium ones will help, and in the next days small ones will help.
To learn more:
Catching chub in October with a spinning rod
The influence of weather on pike biting in winter
Pike is considered one of the most weather-sensitive freshwater fish. Its activity can be affected not only by magnetic storms, but also by changing phases of the moon, wind direction and many other weather parameters.
Pressure
The pike shows maximum activity when the pressure remains stably at the same level for several days. It doesn’t matter whether it is high or low. But sharp jumps (from 5 mm Hg or more) do not contribute to a good bite, as well as its prolonged increase or decrease, which lasts for three or more days.
Temperature, wind, precipitation
In strong winds, pike practically stop feeding, so even the slowest baits will not be able to tempt it. Low temperatures also negatively affect the activity of the toothed predator, since a slow metabolism allows them to consume less food. Light snowfall does not have a significant impact on the quality of fishing, but severe and frequent frosts are considered an unfavorable period for fishing.
Optimal weather for pike fishing in winter
The most favorable conditions for pike fishing are cloudy weather with weak wind and stable atmospheric pressure.
Features of winter fishing by month
Although the Russian climate is not considered the most comfortable, winter nevertheless opens up wide scope for ice fishing for fishermen. In winter, fish not only change their behavior, but also their habitat, so fishing methods need to be adjusted to these indicators.
December
December is the most optimal month for winter predator hunting. This time is characterized by greater freedom of movement, especially on large bodies of water. From shallow waters, fish move to deep places. However, the ice in December is still transparent, so you should move on it with extreme caution, and fill the holes with snow. The best times for catching large pike are the first 3 weeks of December.
January
Experienced fishermen note that at the end of January and throughout February, the release of pike practically stops, since the dead winter or dead season for fisherman begins in many reservoirs. During this period, you need to constantly change your fishing methods and make efforts to lure half-asleep fish.
What to use to catch pike in January
Fishing in January brings more disappointment than catch, but the catch is especially valuable. In January, pike continue to be caught using spoons and jigs.
February
In the last month of winter, fish hibernation still continues, so possible prey is caught with the thinnest gear. Pike can be caught during the thaw, in the early morning hours and in the evening. The first half of February is considered the least suitable period for winter pike hunting.
