Pike biting in July
Some fishermen consider fishing for pike in July a useless activity. The fact is that by mid-summer the water in reservoirs warms up greatly, and the predator cannot tolerate the heat. The pike becomes lethargic and loses interest in hunting and bait, which adversely affects the catch. However, to satisfy her hunger, she still rises from the cool depths to hunt for small fish. And therefore he gets caught.
If you know the secrets of such fishing and prepare for it correctly, you can get an excellent result. The main thing is to choose the right place and time for the event.
Bait selection
In addition to all of the above, it is important to know what bait to offer the pike this month in order to increase the chances of a bite. And the main rule for choosing a July bait is its size.
In July, you need to catch pike only with small or medium-sized baits. After all, large predators are practically not caught this month, and small pike up to 3 kilograms, although they continue to feed, still prefer not to waste energy chasing large prey. The predator does not need a lot of food now; one small fish a day is enough for her to satisfy her appetite.
Poppers and spinners work very well now when fishing in a pond overgrown with algae. A popper is a floating bait and when retrieved, it goes near the surface of the water, above the algae. The spinners used are small, the retrieval is carried out at a medium or fast pace so that the bait goes at the upper limit of the water. Below the article you will find a video about catching pike on turntables in July.
When searching for pike in deep holes, use oscillating spoons or deep-sea poppers, twisters and vibrotails.
In principle, pike can bite on any bait in July, the main thing is that its size is small. Only with the arrival of autumn do large baits begin to work and the likelihood of a bite from a large predator increases significantly. And in the middle of summer, pike are absolutely not interested in large baits.
July is a difficult month for fishing, but after reading this article, you already know enough to successfully catch a predator at this time of year. If gear is not important to you, then the website ryba4ok.ru would recommend fishing with mugs this month. Usually, mugs bring good results even during this unfavorable period for fishing. Live bait and the coverage of a wide fishing area play a big role in the success of using circles.
Well, if you are a fan of exclusively spinning fishing, then a very interesting video has been prepared for you. All the necessary conditions for pike fishing in July coincide here - weather, choice of location and size of bait. Watch and gain experience.
Where to look
Due to the specific behavior of pike on hot days, the choice of area where fishing will take place must be approached with special attention. First of all, it is worth considering the type of reservoir: in stagnant and running water the predator behaves completely differently.
When looking for a place for July fishing, you should focus on a fragment of a reservoir with suitable oxygen and temperature conditions. Experienced fishermen consider the following places to be promising:
- openings in coastal aquatic vegetation;
- boundaries between dense grass and clear water;
- reed islands;
- bottom depressions and gullies near the shores;
- places with springs gushing out of the ground;
- hydraulic structures supports;
- underwater ridges strewn with stones.
In hot weather, pike ignore silted areas and places where flooded snags accumulate, as they are repelled by the carbon dioxide released during the decay process.
Hunting for predators in shallow rivers significantly increases the chances of a catch. Despite the small thickness of the water layer, these reservoirs have many places ideal for pike habitat.
Photo: July on the river
Search for promising pike sites
When determining a promising location, you should understand how increased air temperature affects the presence of oxygen in water. Stakes without a current during the heat experience oxygen starvation, which is negatively visible in its inhabitants. Accordingly, the activity of fish in the water area is also less. In this regard, rivers are less susceptible to fluctuations in the oxygen saturation of water due to the constant mixing of the environment.
Lakes and reservoirs
The biting activity of predatory fish in these places during the summer solstice is significantly reduced. The prospect of capture arises during the examination of deep holes. In similar places, the water takes a long time to warm up, which gives the spinning angler hope to feel the bite. Early in the morning, after a night-time drop in high temperature, the fish goes hunting to the shore, where it will lie in ambush among the reeds, near dense vegetation.
Rivers
Pike fishing in July with a spinning rod shows consistently strong results on the river. Running water is always saturated with oxygen; temperature parameters depend on the flow. Therefore, the striped predator actively hunts both in the morning and in the late afternoon, during the day.
Favorite habitat is dense vegetation
You should look in places where there are:
- flooded trees, snags - in this area the water encounters resistance to movement: it boils, swirls, which saturates it with oxygen to a greater extent;
- holes formed by changes in terrain elevation;
- bridge supports;
- areas of confluence of channel branches, forming a seething anomaly;
- trees tilted over the water, forming shade;
- riffles formed from large stones.
The July heat has the least impact on the bite in small rivers; predatory fish in such reservoirs actively feed regardless of weather conditions. The exit locations are determined by the bottom topography and splashes of the hunting predator. Therefore, preference when choosing a place for productive fishing in July should be given to such places.
Features of July fishing
Pike is a twilight-daytime predator that prefers to hunt during daylight hours, as well as in low light conditions. At night she looks for shelter, where she stays until the morning. The ideal time for fishing is before 10 am (morning bite), in the evening you can fish until dark.
You need to plan your fishing for the time when the pike goes hunting, since it is quite difficult to lure it out of its hiding place. Whereas during activity, the predator rushes at every object that reminds it of food. In July, the pike is in this state for no more than 2 hours. During the calm period, bites are observed much less frequently.
On sunny days, it is easier for pike to find prey closer to the surface of the water, where small fish swim at this time. In rainy and cloudy weather, small fish leave the coastal zone, so you should look for pike in places with a depth of 1.5 to 2 meters. After the rain, small fish return to the shallows located near the shore, followed by pike. In this case, the predator gets stuck in a thicket of algae.
July pike fishing is quite an interesting event. With the right approach, you can get good results.
Best fishing time
So, July, as mentioned above, is a rather difficult month. At this time of year, the predator experiences discomfort from the summer heat, tries to hide from the sun and, it would seem, does not think about food at all. But, if you choose the right day and place of fishing, then pike will be caught no worse than in spring or autumn.
Ideal day for pike fishing in July:
- cloudy sky or partly cloudy;
- Rain has a very good effect on the bite;
- the threshold of a thunderstorm, the approach of a cyclone in the weather forecast - it’s time to go after pike.
That is, any movement towards worsening weather, namely a decrease in heat, activates the predator. Even cloudiness, which will cover the reservoir from the rays of the summer sun, is already a favorable factor and a signal of a possible active bite.
Fishing time is also an important factor that can determine the success of fishing. In July, pike are most active in the morning. As soon as it begins to get light, she goes out hunting and this needs to be taken advantage of. Starting at 4 am, there is at least 3 hours of time for successful fishing. Usually, pike continue to bite until 8:00, and sometimes, if the weather is suitable, until 11:00.
During the day, the pike completely stops activity and gradually resumes it starting at 15:00. After 3 o'clock in the afternoon you can try to fish until dusk, and sometimes it pampers the angler even at night.
It’s better to try to come fishing at the very beginning of the bite, that is, so that by 4:00 you can already make your first casts.
Firstly , this is usually the best time to catch a toothy predator, secondly , the pike has not yet eaten and the likelihood that it will be attracted by your bait increases, and thirdly , you will have more time to pick up optimal wiring and bait.
So, you can catch a small pike at least every day, but if you are counting on a more significant trophy or at least the possibility of biting it, then you should focus on the weather. By the way, giant pikes in July may hardly eat or go out hunting only once every few weeks, so if you are hunting for a catfish larger than 8-10 kg, then July is the least suitable month for this activity. To hunt for such a trophy, you will have to wait until September, then it’s time to hunt for such “river monsters”.
The fact that a small pike can bite at any time should not disorient you. Whatever one may say, the weather and fishing location are still important factors even for catching pike up to 1 kg. The better the day for fishing and the fishing location, the greater the chances of catching.
This is interesting: Catching pike in the spring with live bait
Summer heat
There is an opinion that pike fishing in July is not as good as in other summer months. After all, the pike bite is negated by the summer heat. In addition, in the hot weather of July, pike, like most other fish, goes to cool depths, and in shallow waters it tries to hide in algae. Therefore, fishing for pike in July is more about catching pike up to one kilogram; large pike in the heat ignore any fisherman’s bait. Pike only go out in search of prey in the early morning or evening.
However, we should not forget the old folk fishing tradition: pike fishing in July can radically change for the better during a sharp cold snap or before a thunderstorm, which the predator senses in advance and begins to greedily grab the bait offered to it.
July is characterized by the fact that the fisherman’s luck largely depends on his patience and perseverance. Indeed, often in search of the desired trophy, a fisherman has to walk more than one kilometer and try more than a dozen spinners until he finds the only one that can seduce the picky pike.
Fishing tactics
Firstly, when catching any fish, you must maintain silence, and pike is no exception. This applies to both bottom fishing at a considerable distance and when fishing near the shore.
Having chosen a suitable place, you need to start exploring it. To begin with, it is worth determining the nature of the bottom of the reservoir. A jig will help with this. Using a jig head, you can find out whether there is a lot of grass at the bottom, whether there are any ledges, and also find holes.
Having determined the nature of the reservoir, you can install a wobbler with the appropriate depth. Wobblers attract pike the most in July, so it’s best to start with them. Then, if you wish, you can continue fishing with a wobbler or switch to other baits.
Pike bites in the heat are usually sluggish and reluctant, so the hook should be done more sharply. Fishing for pike in July varies. One pike resists very strongly, and it takes a lot of effort to pull out even a small pike.
Sometimes the situation is completely opposite. Last year, I was fishing on the lake, and grass was constantly clinging to the spoon. During the next cast, there was a blow, I hooked, and nothing happened. No jerks, no blows, just a heaviness that seemed to be clinging to the grass.
Having dragged the spoon to the shore, in addition to the grass, I also saw a small bee-eater, which did not even move, and showed signs of life only when I took it in my hand.
Fishing with live bait
When fishing with live bait, you should choose a convenient place where you can put a bucket with live bait in the shade, and where you can swing a long rod.
Another feature of fishing is that live bait dies very quickly, as it is hot. The condition of the bait can be monitored by the tip of the rod or the float.
If the live bait does not show signs of life, it must be replaced as quickly as possible. The dead baitfish will begin to decompose and the pike may leave the area.
Depending on the bait of the bait, you need to maintain a pause between the bite and hooking. If the bait is placed behind the back, you should wait a little while the pike swallows the bait. If you put a hook through the gills, it is better to hook it right away, before the pike realizes that something is wrong with the bait.
I guess I'll end my story here. I hope this article helped you in choosing gear and lures for pike fishing in July. If you have any questions or suggestions, write them in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe to new articles. See you again, dear friends!
Fishing gear in July
Giving any recommendations on gear is a useless exercise, but still the main aspects are worth mentioning. In July, pike are inactive, and catching them with a spinning rod alone is not effective.
You also need to pay attention to live bait gear, such as a donk and a float.
If we talk about spinning, then the rod must have a fast action. In July there is a lot of vegetation in the water, and only a quick formation will help you get into the area of open water.
It is better to use monofilament as fishing line. As we all know, in July there is a lot of poplar fluff in the water, and the braided line will collect it very quickly. Of course, it will stick to the monofilament line, but the main part of it will linger on the tulip.
You can learn about the main aspects of equipment from the article “spinning for pike”
Bottom fishing
Bottom fishing with live bait is very good because we can cast to holes that are usually located far from the shore.
You need to choose the appropriate rod. If fishing is carried out on a river, it is important to choose a long tackle so that by placing it vertically, it will eliminate the influence of the current. Depending on the flow, it is worth choosing a test.
For fishing line, I recommend the same monofilament, and again this is the cost of July fishing, as fluff floats.
The donk should be equipped based on the type of reservoir. If the reservoir is stagnant or there is a slight current, installation with an upper float is suitable.
If there is a significant current, you need to put a sliding weight and place the float at the end of the main line.
In the article bottom fishing with live bait , you can get acquainted in more detail with all the intricacies of fishing and diagrams of various equipment.
Float fishing
Fishing with live bait using float tackle is carried out mainly in stagnant, shallow reservoirs. Everything is very simple here. Fishing is carried out in windows among vegetation, so you can’t do without a long rod.
Although using a reel is not necessary, it is still better to equip your rod with one. When there is a bite, the reel will help you pull out the fish and, if necessary, tire it out.
It is better to use monofilament fishing line with a diameter of up to 0.25mm. The bite is tracked by the float, so there is no need to use braid. The float should hold the bait well in the water column and not allow it to go to depth
Depending on the size of the live bait, different equipment is used. If you are fishing with fry or small live bait, the usual classic equipment will do:
When using large and active live bait, such as rudd, it is better to use a semi-bottom mount:
