Every angler has dreamed of catching pike since childhood. For many domestic fishermen, this fish is rightfully considered a symbolic trophy, identifying the skill, ingenuity and luck of its owner. The secrets of pike fishing are not hidden information and most hunters of this predatory fish will be happy to share the nuances of fishing with novice pike fishermen. But real success comes only from the practical component of the process, developed over years of regular trips and experiments with equipment and bait. The popularization of pike fishing is added not only by the wide distribution of this type of fish in our reservoirs, but also by the opportunity to fish throughout the year.
Toothed, compared to other freshwater predators, is active in all seasons of the year and with well-developed tactics, fishing for pike rarely remains zero and without results. New fishing technologies, provided with modern equipment and accessories, are regularly added to the classic and ancient methods of fishing. Modern rod materials and advanced baits make hunting more efficient and productive, but the cornerstone of success remains the knowledge of the fisherman and the experience accumulated by observations and analysis in the behavior of a predator and the relationship of this phenomenon with weather changes, the result of which is a change in fishing conditions. Based on the presented factors, you have to choose the right hunting method and the most suitable bait.
Our material will help you figure out how to properly catch pike in various types of reservoirs throughout the year, select the most promising places for installing rigs, and supply the appropriate bait for catching a trophy. An addition to the main criteria for tactical planning will be coverage of the most famous methods of pike fishing techniques with a description of the structure of the gear used.
Fishing Features
The peculiarities of catching pike consist in taking measures to ensure the safety of the tackle cords from cuts on the sharp teeth of the predator. It is no secret that catching large pike is not only a pleasant and exciting moment, but also a responsible and dangerous undertaking. The fish is powerful, distinctive and unpredictable . In addition, having a mouth with razor-sharp teeth, it can cause serious injuries to a careless and arrogant fisherman.
Important! To ensure the integrity of the cords, regardless of the methods of catching pike, in all cases it is necessary to install leashes made of metal or modern Kevlar analogues of this accessory.
Installation of rigs often takes place in cramped conditions, which are caused by the presence of dense vegetation on the surface of the water area and snags on the bottom. Knowing the natural aggressiveness of the predator and some of its carelessness, the fisherman has the right to complete and assemble rougher but reliable equipment from thick fishing lines and heavy rods. This feature undoubtedly brings success when fishing a trophy from water thickets and snags.
Since pike are found in water areas of different reservoir structures, it is justified and would not be superfluous to have a swimming device that helps more accurately deliver bait to the fishing zones. And rest assured that catching pike from a boat will not frighten the predator at all, but rather, on the contrary, will attract its attention with additional noise and movements. After all, it was noticed more than once that inactive fish began to peck after obvious careless actions of the fisherman, which provoked the curiosity of the catfish and subsequent access to the bait.
Particular attention should be paid to the sharpness of the hooks used in the equipment. A bony mouth pierced with teeth easily prevents hooking with blunt hooks, and even if the lure for pike arouses increased interest among predators, the result will constantly elude with escapes and idle bites. An experienced pike fisher considers the presence of a file in his arsenal to be a necessary auxiliary tool, as well as a yawner with pliers for removing hooks from the mouth of a caught fish.
Conclusions on catching pike in the edge of clear water
Strange as it may sound, it is unsuccessful or difficult fishing trips that teach an angler. Naturally, someone can say that if a person picked up a spinning rod for the first time and for several fishing trips did not even see the tail, then it is quite possible that he held a spinning rod in his hands for the last time in his life. But we are not talking about beginners in spinning fishing. We are talking about those whose “spinning” disease has long been advanced and cannot be treated.
There were many conclusions, both subjective and quite objective, that were drawn as a result of this trip. I will voice some of them: - The talk of many experienced fishermen that in a particular body of water only a bait of a certain color can work, has a right to life, which I confirmed from my own experience. Most often you should experiment with color when fishing in a body of clean water. It should also be remembered that the cleaner the water, the more demanding the fish will be even to the shades of the color of the bait. — Fishing on an unfamiliar body of water always requires the angler to be fully equipped. You should never quit what you started halfway. It is quite possible that the fish in the reservoir have their own schedule, which the non-local fisherman does not know. The feeding time can be short-lived, so you should not waste it fishing. — The more different fishing methods and different types of baits a fisherman uses on a pond, the greater his chances of success, but when conducting certain experiments, you should always be tied to a specific reservoir, to the situation, and not come with “homemade preparations.” Preparing for fishing in advance is good, but premature preparation is not a canon, but just the foundation for successful improvisation on a pond. - The size and shape of the bait can be very important. Especially in reservoirs where active pike are regularly “caught” with live bait gear. No spinning bait in the world can compare with the catchability of a real live fish, which a predator feeds on in a reservoir every day, so when fishing in such reservoirs you should always focus on what kind of live bait the local predator prefers and try to copy as accurately as possible the size and behavior of the bait in the water . — In reservoirs with clean water, pike often see the fisherman from afar and try to hide from him. If the spinning pressure is high, then the predator rarely grabs the bait if she has already seen the fisherman who owns this bait. You should move as quietly as possible, fishing areas at the maximum distance from the boat. At shallow depths, you should also remember that a strong splash from the bait falling on the water can also scare away the fish. — Advice from regulars at the pond will be of invaluable benefit. They certainly know more than you how and where to fish here, even if they don’t have complex spinning techniques or encyclopedic knowledge of the subject. Local fishermen visit their favorite reservoir very often, and at different times of the year. They can tell a lot about the character of a wide variety of fish in different periods and different weather. — Well, for lovers of sea fishing, I advise you to rent yachts, but preferably with a captain who is a fisherman. Then, of course, with maximum comfort while you are on the yacht, you will not be left without fish.
Seasonal Fishing Guide
Each pike fishing season in the annual cycle of changing times is characterized by varying degrees of fish activity. This is caused both by changes in weather factors and by the physiology of the fish itself. By comparing the facts that influence fishing conditions, you can find pike in a reservoir and catch it throughout the year. In order to give directions in the development of hunting tactics, we present to the reader a brief guide to seasonal catfish fishing, specifying the main points of influence on the conduct of successful fishing sessions.
In the spring, when the ice cover disappears from the reservoirs, the spawning period begins for the fish. The spawning is preceded by a short-term weekly glutton. It is during this period that pike fishing in the spring is most productive. Pike can be successfully caught using both live bait and artificial bait. Zhor ends with the beginning of the two-week spawning cycle, when the feeding activity of the fish comes to naught. After spawning, the second phase of feeding begins, which will last two weeks and closer to May, the activity of the fish will begin to subside. Fishing for pike in shallow water during this period of time was characterized by particularly frequent bites, but now the predator will begin to move into the thickets, sitting in its summer quarters, and the bite will noticeably weaken.
In summer, pike fishing moves to water areas overgrown with algae. During the hot season, the predator is capricious and goes through grub. After all, the food supply is varied and accessible. There are plenty of fry throughout the reservoir and there is no reason for the fish to migrate. July is the hardest time to get a trophy. Only precisely placed live bait, as fishermen say right under their breath, can guarantee success.
Autumn cooling of water gives predators a signal to prepare for the winter hungry season. The closer to the freeze-up, the more intensely the fish begin to feed. The autumn feeding period of pike is long and can last for months. The summer habitats of pike are abandoned, and the fish disperse in search of prey throughout the reservoir. The time for catching pike in the autumn months is limited only by daylight hours.
Important! Cloudy days with small ripples on the surface of the water are considered ideal weather conditions for pike fishing.
The beginning of winter and the first ice are considered one of the most promising hunting seasons. The surge in activity is associated with changes in the hydrology of the reservoir. The first ice lasts for a week, after which the activity of bites subsides and the season turns into deep winter - a certain lull in pike fishing. Pike bites in the dead of winter are rare and not always effective. Fishing for pike on a river with an oxygen-enriched current is more promising than hunting in stagnant waters.
Important! Thaws can provoke a surge in the activation of fish feeding; strong, persistent frosts, on the contrary, adversely affect the well-being of predators.
The increase in daylight hours in February and the rise in temperatures to positive values brings the fish to the beginning of the preparation phase for the spawning period, and the first thawed patches introduce the fish to the zhor.
The best time of day for pike fishing
Pike is a diurnal predator; like perch, it feeds during daylight hours, hides in shelters at night and stays in them until dawn. The best time for fishing is early in the morning before 10 o'clock, and in the evening a few hours before dark. Trophy pike are caught precisely at this time, but small pike fish can, under favorable conditions, be active throughout the daylight hours.
When planning a fishing trip, it is important to know the approximate time when pike most often comes out to hunt. Of course, there is a possibility of luring her out of an ambush, but you will need to use all your skill. There is a greater chance of catching a predator at the moment of its activity, when it greedily rushes at everything that resembles a food object. In summer, pike activity lasts no more than 2 hours, after which there will be a lull. Bites will occur, but not as often as at the time of its mass release.
It is important to know that in sunny weather it is easier for pike to find food, since schools of peaceful fish swim freely in the upper layers. But cloudy and rainy little things leave the coastal zone before favorable conditions arrive, so more attention should be paid to areas with a depth of 1.5-2 meters. However, as soon as the wind subsides and the rain stops, the small fish return to the coastal shallows, and the pike comes after it; you need to look for it near the thickets of underwater vegetation. The predator will not stand in clean areas.
What is the best way to catch pike?
A clearly expressed predator, both in terms of body shape and aggressive behavior, it feeds on purely animal food. The toothy food base is small fish of all types of fish, including its own smaller representatives of the pike breed. During periods of intensive feeding, the victim becomes a waterfowl chick, a small rodent such as a mouse that has fallen into the water, and a frog that has gaped in the attack zone. The small-sized catfish will not disdain the bait with a worm or maggot.
Live and artificial baits are used as bait for catching trophies. It is more convenient to catch pike at depth with artificial baits. These include oscillating and rotating spoons, wobblers of various types of structure and silicone baits. For ice fishing, balancers, vertical spinners and rattlins are used. Fishing for pike in the thickets in summer is promising using poppers, spinnerbaits and unhooked spinners. All of the above artificial baits have various modifications of their structure, have different masses and are painted in a wide range of colors.
Live bait is used as natural bait.
Important! For the most part, live bait is selected based on the composition of the predator’s food supply in the fishing reservoir.
Familiar food does not cause suspicion and increases the number of bites. Crucian carp is considered the classic bait material, but minnows, roaches, loaches, and small carp are also successful. These types of fish are the most tenacious in rigs and are familiar to predators in most of our reservoirs. No less productive in results can be the use of perch, rudd, silver bream and bream as live bait. These fish are not so tenacious, but being the basis of the diet of predators in a particular body of water, they may look preferable to the previously given examples.
Frogs are considered a specific, but in no way occupying a weak position, bait bait. Catching pike in a pond with a high population of this amphibian is a common occurrence for an experienced pike fisherman who knows the intricacies of catching catfish. Bleak, redfish, ruff, minnow and dace are classified as live bait with a low degree of endurance. These types of fish quickly disappear on rigs formed on the fastening of bait material using direct baiting methods on hooks. But the use of this type of live bait material, under certain fishing conditions, is justified using rigs based on attaching fish to hooks using rubber rings.
Where to catch pike
The extensive range of this species of predatory fish became possible due to its high degree of adaptability to various living conditions. Toothfish can successfully live and reproduce in both standing and flowing waters. This aggressor is not frightened by the frequently changing conditions of the oxygen balance of the reservoir. In addition, fish can inhabit both clean and densely vegetated water areas of reservoirs. But still, to select promising areas of the reservoir, fishermen identified the main criteria that should be guided by when planning fishing sessions.
Important! Pike places are determined by the presence of vegetation in the warm season and by the presence of bottom anomalies during periods when the reservoirs are not yet overgrown with algae.
Thickets of water lilies or lotuses with windows of free space, the adjoining of coastal reed walls to areas of clean water are always included in the field of view of the pike in the summer and autumn months. Areas of the reservoir with smooth changes in depth and the presence of snags, dead wood and artificial, often abandoned building structures at the bottom are also promising areas for pike fishing. Catching pike in the current meets the expectations of the fisherman at the boundaries of flowing and still water, where the predator constantly guards the small fish, tired from fighting the fast stream. Hydrological structures, dams, dams, and bridges attract predators due to the presence of secluded places for ambush hunting. Overhanging crowns of trees that create shading of the water surface are included in the rank of promising places due to the frequent approaches of fish in search of food at these points during the hot period of the year and especially on sunny days.
In winter, when fishing from ice, they focus on reed thickets, because hunting for pike in reeds on first ice is considered one of the most productive methods. In the dead of winter, pike move to the deepest holes in reservoirs, looking for catfish on its edges, where it collects hungry fish that have emerged from wintering holes. And the oxygen reserves in these places allow the fish to feel much better than in the bottom fields of aquatic vegetation in the shallows, rotting from lack of lighting. When the ice melts, the lines along the coastal thawed patches of already free water attract predators following the small things that come out into warmer and oxygenated waters.
Where to look for pike in troubled waters
On rivers, the water becomes most turbid along the entire channel part and near the bottom. Therefore, the pike moves closer to the shore or rises to the middle and upper layers of water . This is where you need to catch her.
In spring , the predator often stands on flooded areas of the shore above the grass. Areas behind flooded bushes are also promising. The water flow slows down in such places; a lot of fry gather here, which pike prey on.
Also, fish can often be found at the border of direct and reverse currents . In such places, areas of clean water usually form.
To find pike sites in muddy water in the coastal zone, you need to pay attention to the behavior of small fish. The fry often give themselves away by splashes that are visible on the surface. Pike usually stay nearby. When the water becomes cloudy, there are not many places in the reservoir that are comfortable for fish, so predators and their prey usually gather in the same spots .
How to catch pike
A variety of techniques allow production to be carried out in almost any conditions on water bodies. Regardless of the strength of the wind and precipitation, roughness on the surface, the presence of open or ice-covered water, as well as the depth and size of the reservoir or the structural features of its bottom, the fisherman has the opportunity to plan fishing based on the choice of his method. The well-known techniques themselves can be divided into two branches: fishing for pike from the shore and the need to use them for installing and monitoring the installation of a swimming device. For some methods, you will need a fishing rod, with the help of which the rigs are fed into the hunting zone and the trophy is fished out.
Fishing using rods is divided into two methods:
- spinning;
- float
To carry out hunting in other ways, devices are used, the combined structures of which are at the same time storage of fishing lines and bite alarms. These areas include floating circles, zherlitsy, winter rates, better known as flags, and kolybakhas. Bottom fishing is carried out using a classic donka, the basis of which is a cord with leashes. Its modification with an elastic band contributes to greater fishing comfort and less noise from the fisherman’s activities in the fishing zones. We will consider the basic methods of catching trophies in more detail, emphasizing the important nuances of technology and equipment of fishing devices.
Spinning fishing
Spinning fishing is one of the youngest and most progressive types of catfish hunting. A specialized fishing rod, called a spinning rod, is equipped with a reel with a main cord to which the bait is tied. For the most part, the spinning method of hunting uses artificial bait in the form of various modifications of spinners, wobblers and silicone fish.
The selection of a spinning rod can be made according to its various performance characteristics, which are influenced by the bait used for hunting, and in particular, its weight and the principle of animation, the depth of the reservoir and the place where the bait is supplied, because for boats it is more convenient to use short forms. The technique of fishing for pike with a selected bait also differs in its method of execution. Twitching, jigging, casting, and trolling methods of presenting bait are fundamental technologies in spinning fishing. Each technique has certain styles of bait, depending on the conditions prevailing during the extraction of the trophy. You can use a spinning rod to catch pike from the shore and from a boat.
Important! In particular, trolling or trolling is only possible from a swimming device.
The very principle of spinning fishing is based on casting bait using a rod and then moving the simulator at different speeds and along different trajectories. The species is dynamic and requires the angler to constantly move, forcing him to look for pike on a river or lake. Spinning is used by anglers during the open water season, from early spring until late autumn. Spinning fishing for pike in troubled waters is very productive. By manipulating bright baits with noise chambers, spinning baits provoke even passive fish in conditions of reduced visibility of spring polluted and melt water.
Live bait fishing rod
Quite a dynamic and interesting way of catching catfish. To a greater extent, its effectiveness is manifested for catching pike on a small river, with a high intensity of overgrowing of the riverbed with underwater and floating vegetation. The summer season is the most favorable time to use this fishing method. Live baits of small fish are used as bait, which are caught directly at the pike fishing site. The basis is a telescopic fishing rod, the size of which allows the fisherman to cast the rig into openings and windows free of vegetation. Live bait is placed in the middle water horizon for five to seven minutes.
If there is no bite during this period of time, the angler moves to another promising place, periodically returning to the old points. They try to make summer rigs more subtle, since the finicky and capricious predator is suspicious of negligence in summer rigs. The float is immersed up to the antenna so that when biting the fish does not feel its weight or resistance at all. Fluorocarbon leaders that are invisible in the water will increase the likelihood of an attack. Single hooks are used, with a long shank, no higher than number eight.
Fishing with mugs
Mugs are hunted using a swimming device.
Important! For fishing, there are two main strategies: when mugs are placed in backwaters with standing water in thickets, and when devices are launched with the flow or with the help of the wind over promising pike anchorage points.
The circle itself consists of a foam or wooden reel and a rod, with the help of which the equipment is installed and the bite is recorded. The method is ideal for catching pike on a lake where there are both clean and promising water areas overgrown with aquatic vegetation. Live bait is caught locally and mounted on double hooks, placed at half-water or forty centimeters from the bottom, subsequently unifying all gear to the horizon in which bites occur more often. The installed gear is constantly monitored, tracking possible bites. They swim up to the created circle carefully, trying not to frighten the fish that took the bait. They collect the loose cord that has been wound out into the boat, and when they feel the heaviness, they make a hook and begin to fish for the caught trophy. Having brought it to the boat, the fish is taken into the landing net and placed on the kukan, lowering it over the side of the boat. Pike are caught in circles throughout the open water season, but the time of autumn catfish feeding is considered the most successful time for hunting.
Zherlitsa
Zherlitsa is the most ancient method of hunting pike. Anglers use similar bait fishing techniques for summer and winter conditions. In open water, using a jig is convenient for catching pike in the grass near the shorelines. The tackle is a reel, mostly a wooden flyer, on which the assembly is wound. The flyer is put into working position by lowering the live bait into the water on a fishing line and attaching the flyer to a natural object in the form of a branch of a bush or tree, a bunch of reeds or reeds above the water. If there is no fastener, install it on the bank of a pole or pole. A piece of fishing line on which the live bait is mounted is clamped into the slot of the flyer.
When a pike grips, the force of the blow causes the line to fall out of the slot and drop freely into the water. The fish, suspecting nothing, swallows the bait and kills itself. The fisherman determines the bite by the cord unrolled into the water. The winter bet or flag bet works on a similar principle. Only instead of a flyer they use an inertial reel, and the bite indicator is a bright flag thrown out when the fishing line is pulled from the reel. Winter pike hunting with flags is rightfully considered one of the most spectacular ways of catching catfish. Classic girders are effective in the summer and especially on overgrown reservoirs. Flag rates apply throughout the freeze-up period.
Tackle for catching pike in summer
There are a lot of ways to catch pike in the summer - spinning, float tackle, mugs, girders. Therefore, we need to dwell on each in more detail.
Spinning
Fishing for pike in the summer with spinning is more common and more effective than with other gear. It is important to choose the right rod here. Professionals have in their arsenal a whole range of gear suitable for certain conditions. If you don’t have such an opportunity, I suggest choosing a universal option.
In principle, both for catching pike from a boat and from the shore, you can purchase a spinning rod 2.5-2.7 meters long.
The weight of baits used for summer pike fishing usually does not exceed 10-15 grams, so focus on a spinning rod with a weight of 10-30 grams. The spinning rod's action should ensure reliable hooking; in the case of pike, it should be medium or fast.
A reel with a metal spool that can withstand increased loads, since pike, especially large ones, can offer quite serious resistance. Coil size 2000-2500.
For fishing with wobblers and spinners, a monofilament line is used; for jigging, a braided line is used, because it helps you feel the bait better. Be sure to use a metal leash.
In summer, the following spinning baits are most preferred for pike:
- Spinners
- Wobblers
- Poppers
- Silicone baits
Select bait based on fishing conditions. In summer, the predator turns out to be quite picky, so sometimes you have to experiment for a long time. However, there are some universal tips.
- For fishing in heavily overgrown areas, anglers successfully use poppers, which, due to their design, move in the upper layers, while provoking the predator with their non-standard game.
- In relatively clear areas, use spinners. In the summer, it is the spinners that are sometimes significantly superior to the oscillating spinners in terms of catchability.
- The size of baits should not exceed 10 cm, because in summer, pike are not so hungry as to rush at large prey.
A separate topic is catching pike by trolling, which requires completely different preparation and gear. More durable rods with appropriate equipment and reels of 3000-3500 and larger sizes are used here.
Multiplier baits are considered the ideal option for trolling. The fishing line is best braided, with a breaking load of at least 10 kg. Wobblers are most often used as bait.
They fish from a moving boat on bodies of water of suitable size, releasing the bait at a distance of 20-30 meters.
Float tackle
It is mainly used for catching pike in ponds and lakes, where the current is weak or completely absent. The rod equipment is as follows:
- Durable fishing rod, 5-7 meters long
- Reel, size 2500-3500 with fishing line with a diameter of 0.3 mm
- Metal leader, sinker and hook
- The hook most often used is double or triple hook No. 5-10.
Fish familiar to pike are used as bait:
- crucian carp
- Plotvichka
- Rudd
- Bleak
- Okunek
The tackle is thrown into gaps among aquatic vegetation, at the borders of thickets and clean water, near holes and pools. Catching pike in this way involves waiting for a long time in one place.
Important: in still water, roach and spike bait are best used as live bait for catching pike.
Zherlitsa
Catching pike in the summer with girders is the second most effective method after spinning. This gear is easy to make and does not require any special skills.
It is an ordinary slingshot, the lower part of which, with two branches, serves as a reel. And a rope is tied to the upper part, with the help of which the girder is fixed to the shore. A tee is attached to the fishing line, and a sinker is attached a little higher.
Mugs
In summer, pike are caught with mugs in large reservoirs with a weak current, a flat bottom and sufficient depth, at least 2.5-3 meters. It is most convenient to place the mugs from the boat, placing them in a row of several pieces, at a distance of 8-10 meters from each other.
The depth is adjusted so that the bait is located approximately in the middle part or slightly closer to the surface. At the moment of a bite, the circle will turn over, letting the angler know that it’s time to hook.
To catch pike on rivers with strong currents, a stationary circle equipped with an anchor is used. The tackle is thrown into the places where the predator is expected to appear and left for a long time, letting the line go some way so that the circle can move within the specified limits.
- rotating and oscillating spoons
How to catch a big pike
You can get a significant trophy even despite the size of the reservoir. In a small pond with a large food supply, the predator can grow to a significant size, exceeding five kilograms and dominate over the rest of the fish in the reservoir, keeping them in constant fear.
When planning to catch a large pike, you should take care of the reliability of the gear and, first of all, install extended leashes exceeding a length of 30 cm, which is difficult for even a massive-sized fish to bite through. The fishing time is chosen at the beginning of dawn. It is early in the morning that large fish are the first to go around their territories in search of food. The larger the pike specimen, the more wary the fish and suspicious of careless installation, twisted leads and massive weights, the use of which is excluded from the equipment. Large live baits are used as bait for trophy fish. In particular, a five-kilogram pike will easily catch a two-hundred-gram crucian carp.
Artificial baits should also vary in size. Silicone vibrotails 15–20 cm long should not confuse the fisherman, and wobblers of the same proportions will be tough for a trophy specimen. The best way to catch trophy pike is considered to be trolling in channel holes on large rivers.
