Fishing for pike perch in December: read on Catcher.fish

In December, pike perch still bite quite energetically, so as soon as the first ice begins to appear and there is still enough air in the reservoir for the fish to be active. In order to find pike perch, you will need to regularly move around looking for schools. Since sitting in one area, you will have very little chance of finding a pike perch in December. This is due to the fact that a school of pike perch regularly moves in search of food.

There are specific zones in which the probability of pike perch being there is very high. These are changes in depth, edges, and a snarled bottom. These are areas in which the fry usually tries to feed, and the pike perch follows it. Therefore, it is very important to understand the bottom landscape in order to effectively catch pike perch in December.

⚓ Fishing with artificial bait

At the beginning of winter, a strong winter fishing rod with an elastic tip up to 80 cm long, supporting 2-3 kg, is used to fish for fanged predators. Sports tackle is not suitable for such fishing, because pike perch is a strong fish that can tear a thin fishing line or break a soft tip. The fishing rod is equipped with a reel, which greatly facilitates the process of searching and directly fishing at great depths. You need to put on it the required amount of monofilament with a diameter of 0.25-0.30 mm. The specific thickness is selected taking into account the expected size of the fish and the weight of the bait. Preference should be given to monofilament fishing line. Compared to a cord, it has many advantages.

First of all this:

extensibility, thanks to which the jerks of a stubborn predator are absorbed;
Ice does not freeze on the monofilament so much (if ice does appear, it can be easily cleaned off);
In the cold, monofilament does not “cut” your fingers, which cannot be said about braided line.

This alone is enough not to doubt your choice.

You can fish for pike perch in December using a winter spinner or a balance beam. First, about glitter. Today, in specialized stores there is a huge selection of winter lures, but, as many years of practice have shown, not all of them are capable of provoking a fanged fish to bite. In order not to find out the reasons for the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of individual spoons, we will simply name the most catchy ones (according to the majority of winter fishermen).

? Catching pike perch with a spoon

Sudachya. From the name it is clear what kind of fish it is intended for, although some anglers claim that such a spoon also works well for trout. It is a flat cupronickel or brass plate weighing 7 g and 6.5 cm long. If you learn how to control such a bait, you can “feed” it to the predator with a smooth movement forward, to the side or in an arc.

Nurse. Another long narrow spoon with bends (longitudinal and transverse), which showed itself excellently when catching pike perch in December at the reservoir. Its weight is as much as 17 g, which greatly simplifies fishing at great depths. Even with a short, smooth stroke of the rod, the nurse goes far to the side, imitating the movements of a small fish.

Boat. The spoon is so named due to its slightly oval shape. Made from a thin metal plate. Weight – 7 g, length – 9 cm. For proper play, it requires active action on the part of the fisherman. Most often, a predator attacks her when she walks along a curve and suddenly changes direction.

The scheme for catching December pike perch using a spoon is as follows:

the bait sinks to the bottom;
rises smoothly to a height of half a meter;
freezes for 5-7 seconds;
drops sharply and moves away from the vertical.

It is this behavior of an artificial fish that most often makes a predator want to attack. A pause at the top point is mandatory, since pike perch does not always feed in the bottom horizon; it can stand higher. It is important to avoid too sudden movements of the bait, otherwise it will not interest the fanged one, but will alert him or even scare him away.

? Catching pike perch on a balance beam

An equally effective bait for catching pike perch in December is considered to be a balancer - a fairly accurate copy of a forage fish. Nowadays, anglers have access to a wide range of balancers, differing in shape, color, weight and, of course, game. Some of them are equipped with fur tassels in the tail, others with plastic stabilizers.

The shape and size of the bait do not play a special role when catching fanged fish; the color is selected experimentally, but special attention is paid to presentation (game). It is important to choose such movements so that the predator has no doubt that this is a real fish. The following presentation can be used as a basic one: the bait must be lowered to a depth, raised above the bottom surface to a height of 30-40 cm and twitched with the rod, making short pauses. It is important that the balancer “freezes” gradually, making low-amplitude movements. It is during such long stops that most bites occur. But what if this technique doesn’t work? You'll have to experiment with the game or look for a hungry predator in other places.

This is interesting: Fishing for pike perch in April

A little about spinning as such

Spinning is traditionally considered one of the simplest gear. It is very light, comfortable, and also versatile: it is convenient to fish with it both from the shore and from a boat. And, in general, the choice of gear is determined by several factors, which we will tell you about now.

The rod should be 2.1 – 2.4 meters long for fishing from the shore. For boat fishing, you need to take a little longer - 2.4 - 2.7. It must be strong to withstand fishing for pike perch at different depths and in different currents, and also sensitive to work with jigs. As for the reel, they usually choose a spinning reel, as it is considered more convenient.

We need a braided fishing line because pike perch is a big fish, so we need this kind of fishing line to avoid stretching. The preferred diameter is 0.12 - 0.14 millimeters. As for leashes, their choice is optional: you can fish even without them, because pike perch does not have such sharp teeth that can bite the net. However, if you decide, remember that you need to take metal leashes.

Pike perch in the first ice

Whether fishing for pike perch on the first ice will be successful or not depends entirely on local conditions, the speed and time of ice formation. The predator is active, but its feeding and parking spots can be reached everywhere. For example, even if the river is not completely frozen, you need to fish on the edges in those places where the deep channel comes close to these areas. Although access to the lower edges themselves is still limited, you can catch the fanged one on the approaches to them, where it goes out to feed.

If the reservoir is completely frozen, all possibilities for finding and catching fangs open up before the fisherman. In principle, all the gear works. Pike perch, like perch, actively fattens its mass. However, depending on the specific conditions of the reservoir, it can stand in different places, and feed according to a schedule.

Occasionally you can get caught up in a meal - but this is more luck than a trend. You need to look for fish. If a flock is found, there are usually no difficulties with catching it. Therefore, ice fishing for pike perch is a constant movement and search, just like for perch, only on a larger scale.

Search

In order for catching pike perch on the first ice, as in other periods of winter, to be successful, you need to rely not on zhor, but on your own legs. The more points you go through and check, the more likely it is that luck will smile on the fisherman. Unlike perch and pike, the main habitats of pike perch are mainly found in large bodies of water, large rivers and reservoirs.

In such vast expanses, pike perch sticks to strictly defined places that need to be looked for. Experienced pike-perch fishermen carefully hide their treasured spots. The fanged fish, especially in large reservoirs, lives in the same places year after year, and goes out to feed along the same paths. Therefore, successfully worked points need to be remembered, for example, recorded in a GPS navigator.

Where to look for pike perch on the first ice

Standard pike-perch spots work:

Steep bottom breaks, edges, drops, entrances and exits from pits.
Snags, deep spits and shell rocks.
On a homogeneous topography there are areas with uneven bottoms and colonies of shells.
On rivers, when the depth gradually decreases on one bank and there is a sharp drop on the other, the pike perch will always adhere to the steeper slope, being in its lower part.
The lower part of the cans and navels, rising above the depths.

If in reservoirs the determining factor for pike perch is the bottom topography, then in rivers the current is also added to it. The fanged one will not stand on the stream itself - it will choose a point nearby, on a quiet one, if it is convenient from the point of view of the relief. There is no need to look for pike perch in flat, deep-water areas - there is nothing interesting for the fanged fish there. But the edge of the pit, especially with uneven bottoms and irrigation with thickets nearby, are interesting. The predator will settle in the depths and come out ashore to hunt.

For the first ice, it is often necessary to check not the deep-sea points themselves, but the shallower water areas adjacent to them. Walleye are active now and can feed in relatively shallow water all day.
On large rivers and reservoirs, schools of pike perch can move significantly during the day following schools of silver bream, blue bream and other fish. Hence the driven methods of fishing for fanged fish. Pike perch in reservoirs on the first ice should be caught in large areas around their usual winter habitats.
The predator is active and can move a considerable distance away from its parking points while hunting. So, if the strategic location of the fanged fish is known, we catch and check the entire area around a promising dump or edge, from the shallow side. The fanged one in the first ice can be anywhere in this zone.

General subtleties of catching pike perch in December

The return of winter cold significantly affects the behavior of all inhabitants of the depths, reducing their activity. But if small fish species continue to bite almost all winter, then large predators, such as pike perch and pike, behave completely differently. They abandon their previous way of life, go deeper and try not to lose precious calories until the reservoir completely freezes. But even during the low-biting period, there is a chance to catch a trophy pike perch.

It is no secret that the fanged one is a nocturnal predator that hunts preferably in the dark. But since the nights are extremely cold in winter, it is better to go to the reservoir at sunrise or late in the evening. Small and medium-sized pike perch try to stick to a school, but real trophies lead a solitary lifestyle.

Read: A good nod is a bag of fish

Before ice forms, the predator places high demands on the quality and nutritional value of its prey. During this period of time, he is only interested in large, and only affordable food. If there are no obstacles in the form of pieces of ice on the surface of the water, you can use a boat and an echo sounder to search for the fanged one. If the pond is already frozen, but the ice is not strong enough, it is better to postpone fishing for a few days and wait for frost.

The most promising place to find pike perch in December is an area with a relief bottom and depth changes, edges and mounds. Having identified such an area on the reservoir, you can begin trolling. Also, at the beginning of winter, fish can be found right off the coast among thickets of reeds, reeds and other vegetation that has not yet rotted, where it pursues small prey. The optimal depth for casting bait is 3 meters (if the depth of the reservoir is only 5 meters), or 7 meters (if the reservoir is deep, up to 20 meters).

Fishing tactics

The route fishing method is used in large water areas with many possible habitats for pike perch. You need to think about where to go in advance. Holes are drilled only in promising places so as not to waste time. A good fall can be checked more thoroughly by drilling holes at a distance of 7-10 meters to check the entire area. You can walk 10-15 km in a day like this. When the ice gets stronger, a snowmobile or motorized dog helps in this matter.

If it is not known for certain that there are definitely pike perch here, you don’t need to spend a lot of time on the hole. A dozen moves of a spinner, balancer or rattlin - and we move on.
The driving method works if there are a lot of anglers on the ice and the fish are constantly moving. Where pike perch appear in such towns is immediately noticeable - anglers begin to fish in a specific area. There is no need to collect belongings and rush to them in a herd. It’s better to take a closer look, determine in which direction the bite is moving, quietly gather and sit in that direction, and wait for the fish.
An experienced fishing group will never run to a lucky comrade and drill him from all sides at the same time - this will only scare away a school of fanged fish, and no one will catch anything. You need to move into the working area one by one and quietly, drill carefully without pumping one at a time, so as not to frighten off a school of pike perch that is easy to climb on the first ice.
The driven method works when installing vents on a mass scale. But this is only possible if all fishermen in the group act together. The drains are installed on dumps and shallow water areas overlooking them. Anglers move 100 meters away from this zone (if on a river, downstream), drill holes and play with large pike lures. The pike perch is frightened by the massive drilling and strong vibrations of a dozen spinners, rises higher along the edge, and stumbles upon the girders. He will grab live bait not out of hunger, but out of aggression. Then everything is repeated, but at the next section upstream.

Tackle for catching pike perch

Pike perch is a fairly strong fish and reaches impressive sizes, so the tackle must be serious. The fishing rod must have an elastic tip that allows it to lift a load of 2 kg. The fishing rod should be from 60 to 80 cm long. The fishing line used for catching pike perch in winter should be 0.25-0.35 mm in diameter, it will allow you to catch fish weighing more than 3 kg. The fishing rod used to lure must be equipped with an inertial reel, the working diameter of which must be 80mm. Also, the fishing rod must be equipped with an elastic nod.

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When going to catch pike perch in December, don’t be lazy to additionally equip one more fishing rod. Sometimes it happens that the bite begins suddenly and lasts a short time; it would be a shame to spend this time tying the spoon.

As always, for successful fishing you must first decide on a place to catch pike perch in December. It’s worth saying right away that when fishing for pike perch this month you will need to move around the reservoir quite often. Since pike perch, as already written above, does not stand still but moves around a body of water, per day a pike perch can travel more than 10 km. Therefore, before going out, especially to an unfamiliar body of water, it is necessary to study it, namely, find out where the channel runs, what other depressions there are in the bottom topography, where there are dumps and spits, and of course it is worth watching the local fishermen, who know exactly the favorite places of pike perch . And so you should look for pike perch at depth, along the river bed, on the border of a sharp change in depth. In places with reverse flow. Pike perch also loves places with a winding bottom with sharp rises and holes.

Upon arrival at the fishing site, you must immediately drill holes in promising places and fish them throughout the day.

What lures are best for catching pike perch? Currently, you can find a wide variety of spinners for catching pike perch in fishing stores. It can be very difficult to choose a lure that suits us. Now we will look at the types of spinners that can be successfully used for catching pike perch in December.

To catch pike perch you need to use narrow and long spoons. They are usually either bronze or steel in color. The spinners that we use to catch the same pike are not suitable here. The most important thing in a lure for pike perch is that it must be equipped with a treble hook; if you have a single hook on the lure, you cannot avoid derailments. The length of the spinner for pike perch is from 5 to 10 centimeters. A smaller bait size will be ignored by pike perch. And the width of a spinner for pike perch should be no more than 1.5 centimeters. Often, spinners for pike perch are equipped with additional hooks in the upper part of the spinner; this is done in case a pike suddenly bites; it almost always hits the upper part of the spinner. The photo below shows the types of spinners that you should focus on when looking for a spinner for pike perch in a store. So to speak, these are standard options.

The gear for catching pike perch is easy to assemble.

1.You need a fishing rod from 40 cm to 70 cm long, preferably with a flexible whip.

If the whip is not flexible, then it is recommended to use a nod, an ordinary spring one.
The fishing rod needs to be equipped with a reel; it will only be needed to reel in the fishing rod and adjust the depth.
The fishing line for pike perch must be strong, usually used with a diameter of 0.25-0.35 millimeters.
Leash. In fact, the pike perch itself will not bite through the fishing line and it seems that a leash is not needed, but in the reservoir, in addition to the pike perch, there is almost always a toothed predator that can also feast on your lure. Therefore, it would be better to equip our tackle with a leash.

What can you say about fishing technique?

The technique is as follows: you freely lower the spoon to the bottom, then tap the spoon several times on the bottom, then lift it 10 centimeters from the bottom and make a sharp wave with your hand, and let the spoon calmly fall to the bottom, wait 5 seconds, lift the spoon, and after 1-2 Seconds we wave our hand again. This is what the whole fishing technique is all about. It is not recommended to stay on one hole for a long time. If you haven’t had more than one bite for about 15 minutes, then you need to move on to the next hole.

Well, that's all for today.

What to use to catch pike perch in winter?

The effectiveness of catching fish depends on the correct choice of bait. Most often, fishermen use spinners, jigs, jigs, balancers, etc. Let’s take a closer look.

For the spinner

This is the most common type of bait for catching winter pike perch. Often they choose a small or medium-sized spoon, narrow in width and silver in color. In this form, the bait resembles fry - the favorite food of this predatory fish.

If the current is large, the lure is equipped with a sinker, which is selected depending on the depth. For large pike perch, choose a spoon 7–9 centimeters long, and for small ones 4–6 cm long.

To the balancer

The balancer is a type of bait that appeared in the arsenal of fishermen not so long ago. Therefore, there are few professionals in winter fishing for pike perch who use this method of fishing.

On the one hand, even a beginner can master fishing with a balance beam. The main thing is to always put bait (a small piece of fish) on it.

On the other hand, there are many different subtleties that also need to be paid attention to. These include the amplitude and speed of the swing, the duration of the pause, varying the bait, etc.

On the jig

This method of fishing came to us at the beginning of the last century. Therefore, it has been sufficiently studied and widespread. Tungsten jigs are perfect for winter fishing for pike perch.

Since it is good in areas with currents and deep places. It should also be with large hooks and have an additional hook for better fixation of the fry.

Despite the fact that this type of fishing requires patience, the end result cannot but please you.

To the zherlitsa

If you decide to fish for pike perch this way, then you need to take more fishing line for this case in order to study the behavior of the fish. The question is that this predator swims another thirty meters after capturing the bait

Therefore, equip the reel with a line brake. Install the reel itself so that it is raised about ten centimeters from the ice surface.

Let's celebrate! You can use any bait, but the most suitable option is one with one hook, which is guaranteed not to spook the fish. The suitable weight of live bait is 25–25 g. For convenience, take a small hook with you when fishing to catch the pike perch that appears in the hole.

On the ball

This bait consists of a weight suspended at the end of a fishing line and two hooks with red beads. It sinks to the bottom, then the fisherman knocks on it. Hooks oscillate in the water, luring fish.

That is, the process consists of raising and lowering the bait with smooth, sweeping movements. The main thing to consider is that the bait must be made symmetrically.

This is interesting: Fishing for pike perch in spring

Catching baits and fishing tactics

A wide variety of baits are used to catch pike perch in December. Among them:

Helicopters.
Vibrating tails.
Twisters.
Balancers.
Amphipods.

But many experienced fishermen prefer narrow spoons, up to 9 cm long. It is advisable to use models made of white metal or brass, which are equipped with a tee with scarlet hairs.

When engaging in winter trolling, it is important to develop tactics and bring the movements to automaticity in order to feel the play of the bait and eliminate random dangling. To attract passive fish, you must adhere to the following tactics:

First you need to lower the spoon into the hole to a depth of 10-50 centimeters from the bottom. Next, you should perform a smooth swing of the fishing rod with slight acceleration, but without sudden movements. If the spinner is at its maximum height, you can release it, pause and pull it back. Such a game arouses extraordinary interest in the fanged animal, causing it to curiously pounce on the bait.

Read: Secrets of fishing with a balance beam. How to catch perch?

The process of landing pike perch in December is a real art of fishing. And although the fish cannot resist for long, after being hooked, it makes incredible jerks, spins and jumps out of the water, trying to free itself. But after a few minutes it gets tired and the fisherman calmly takes it to the surface.

Great bite!

What gear do you need to catch pike perch?

Pike perch is quite a powerful fish and reaches impressive dimensions, for this reason the fishing rod must be serious. The fishing rod must have a flexible top that allows you to lift loads of 2 kilograms. The fishing rod must be from 60 to 80 cm long. The fishing line used for catching pike perch in the winter must have a diameter of 0.25-0.35 millimeters, it will make it possible to catch fish over 3 kg. The tackle used for fishing must be equipped with an inertial reel, the working diameter of which must be 80 mm. In addition, the fishing rod must be equipped with a flexible nod.

To catch pike perch in December, you can use a variety of baits, including twisters, vibrotails, balancers, and helicopters.

Zherlitsy and postavushi

Passive methods of catching pike perch on first ice work if the approximate water area where the fanged fish lives is known for certain. Such fishing for pike perch on the first ice is also possible along the edges, close to the feeding areas of the predator. Both ordinary fishing rods with live fish and fishing rods with a nod to a dead fish or sprat work.

Naturally, the equipment for pike perch is different from that of pike. In addition, you need to take into account depth and current. On rivers, equipment with an end weight and a diversion leash is used. The same equipment is installed on supplies. The difference is in the bite tracking mechanism. On fishing rods it is determined by the nod. It’s more convenient to work with a fishing rod; if it doesn’t take you to a standstill, you can come up and play along with bait. Article about winter fishing for pike perch with girders

My YouTube channel RYBAFAN on fishing:

Experienced amateur fisherman. Popularizer of amateur fishing and practices. With a fishing rod in hand from an early age. Founder and author of the fishing websites Podlednik.ru and Rybafan.ru, as well as the YouTube channel RYBAFAN

‼ Useful tips

An echo sounder will be an excellent assistant in finding winter pike perch sites. With its help, you can not only calculate promising areas, but also detect the fish itself.
Sometimes it is useful to tap the bait on the bottom or raise it higher and fish the middle horizons. Such experiments are relevant when standard methods do not give results.
A mandatory element of equipment for a pike-perch fisher in winter is a hook. This tool will help you get the prey out of the hole if it turns out to be too stubborn (or very large).