Amphipod fishing in winter: video, fishing features, tactics and technique

Description of the bait

In fact, amphipod is a metal horizontal spoon in the form of a small fish with the following features:

a tee soldered into the tail or a single hook;
wool tassel edges;
the presence of a hole in the center of the body;
displacement of the center of gravity relative to the central axis;
one side of the bait is flat, the other is convex.

The latter circumstance makes it possible for the bait, gliding down, to roll from side to side. This is what led to the name “amphipod”.

Interesting! Our artificial bait has nothing in common with the amphipod, a popular bait in some places.

Additionally, the amphipod is equipped with a hanging tee, often equipped with a plastic droplet made of light-accumulating material.

Amphipod for winter fishing

In winter fishing, the Amphipod (Osa) spinner is more often used for catching pike perch and pike. Sometimes burbot is caught and large perch are caught. Amphipods for perch are also used in the form of a jig of the same name.

Amphipod shape and color

The amphipod is made of metal, most often cast from tin and lead. In shape it resembles a fish, one of the sides of which is more convex. Hooks decorated with plumage or a tuft of goat hair are mounted in the tail of the bait. During installation, an additional triple hook is used.

Winter amphipod is most often a bait 4-6 cm long and weighing up to 20 grams. There are light models for fishing in shallow water and heavier ones for fishing in deep water and in the presence of currents. The heaviest Wasps are used for vertical fishing from a boat during the summer fishing season.

Amphipod "Tyulka"

The color of the amphipod does not play the first role, but it is also important. Amphipod for pike perch is most often a light-colored bait similar in color to the color of the fish that are the target of pike perch.

There is no strictly defined and generally accepted classification of amphipods by species. Therefore, we divide them according to types conditionally.

Varieties of amphipods:

Classic symmetrical;
Asymmetric amphipod (Wasp).

Any fisherman or manufacturer can apply their own classification and names of these baits.

Amphipod catchability

In the hands of an experienced fisherman, he can “throw” a balance beam and any other bait into his belt to catch a predator. The catchability of an amphipod is determined by two things:

The ability of the amphipod to produce the desired game for the fish;
The ability of the fisherman to give the bait the correct action.

Not every amphipod that is on sale or made with your own hands will be catchy, however, like, for example, a balancer and a vertical spoon. Only half of the baits from the counter, after being tested on the pond, are sent to the workers. But the right amphipod, in terms of catchability, may be the only bait “that will bite today.”

Amphipod game - wiring

The amphipod has a unique game - unlike the balancer that describes the figure eight, its game is more varied. The wasp walks in a circle or along a curve, draws spirals, figure eights, can “dance” on its tail and roll from side to side.

However, the amphipod itself does not play; this game is given to it by the fisherman, and for this you need to know the wiring options. If the game of balancing (toss - pause) can be mastered immediately by any beginner, fishing with a wasp is more variable and will require more experience and skills.

Options for playing amphipods:

Balanced - (toss - pause - toss) the bait moves in a figure eight or in a spiral;
Jig - swinging the bait, the amphipod stands on its tail, turning around its axis, “dancing”;
Smooth rise, dropping to the bottom with a step.

Varieties

Amphipods for winter fishing differ in the following characteristics:

type of soldered hook;
size and weight;
coloring

A single hook is used when fishing for pike perch in winter using amphipods in strong places, for example, in snags. On a clean bottom, a bait equipped with a tee is chosen as a more hooky option.

The size of the bait is selected according to the expected size of the trophy: for smaller perch - up to 50 millimeters, for larger pike and pike perch - from 70 millimeters and above.

The weight of the bait used depends mainly on the depth of the fishing point; the deeper, the heavier, so that the bait sinks faster into the working horizon at the bottom.

As for color, many experienced fishermen tie it to the air temperature - the colder it is, the darker it is:

in severe frost - copper, reddish, other dark colors;
in average cold – yellow, golden tones;
in the thaw - light, silvery, natural.

Your arsenal should include baits of different shapes, sizes and colors.

How to make amphipod with your own hands

The use of handmade baits will help you increase the percentage of bites, and at the same time the level of your skill.
By and large, super abilities are not needed here, but diligence, accuracy and love for your work will definitely be needed. For this you need:

Preparation of the future shape (it is better to choose as a material: brass, copper, stainless or galvanized steel);
Filling molds with lead;
Soldering the hook into the tail part;
Drilling a hole for attaching the bait;
Artistic surface treatment (polishing, painting, varnishing);
Production and design of the “tail”.

It is most convenient to decorate the tail part with fabric, natural or synthetic threads even before soldering it. It makes sense to equip the tail hook, like the one that will be on the fishing line, with colored beads. It is better to equip the central hole with a cambric. This will protect the line from abrasion.

Catching pike perch in winter using amphipod bait is not only an active recreation. Thanks to the capabilities of this device, you will have no reason to return from fishing without a catch. Well, take the fact that in addition to pike perch there will suddenly be pike or perch in it - take it as a bonus for your choice of this particular bait.

Tackle used

To catch predators using amphipods, the same winter lures are used as for balance fishing. This is a short fishing rod up to 80 centimeters long with a hard elastic whip, equipped with a modern multiplier or small spinning reel.

Choosing a good reel can make all the difference in your fishing experience. After all, a high-quality model can be easily adjusted by adjusting the clutch to suit any trophy.

The fishing line is mainly monofilament, fishing from ice on braid is problematic, it freezes faster, and you can’t do it without special impregnations. The diameter depends on the weight of the bait and the size of the intended predator.

Typically, a line with a diameter of approximately 0.14 millimeters is used for perch, and 0.18–0.25 millimeters for pike perch.

Installation features

To assemble catchy gear for using amphipods, you will need simple fishing elements.

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of fishing rod. If the rod has a straight design, then it is better to take models with a rigid, inflexible whip. The length of the fishing rod is 50-60 cm. Some fishermen prefer gear with a curved handle. This shape of the fishing rod allows you to make a reliable hook with a wrist movement. In this case, the whip is chosen to be soft.
The choice of reel and line depends on the angler’s preferences and the size of the average predator. A monofilament with a thickness of 0.18-0.25 mm looks optimal.
A metal or fluorocarbon leash is installed only if there is a large population of pike in the reservoir. Its length should be between 30-50 cm.

Installation of the amphipod to the main line occurs in several ways. However, there is one important nuance.

After correct orientation, the fishing line is pulled into the hole. Then a bead is attached, which protects the knot from destruction. Next, an additional three-piece with colored cambrics is tied with a clinch knot. We looked at how to properly tie amphipods to pike perch, pike perch or pike perch.
How to tie an amphipod correctly to a pike if an additional tee is not used. In this case, you will have to additionally install a swivel at the end of the main line. It will prevent the line from twisting while fishing. A fluorocarbon or guitar string leader is threaded through the hole in the bait and then attached to a standard hook. All that remains is to connect the leash to the swivel, and the amphipod rig is ready.

Photo 3. Fishing rod for fishing at shallow depths with light models.

Mounting the bait

Unlike a spoon, balancer or jig, which are attached directly to the main fishing line, amphipods are mounted differently.

The fishing line is passed into the central hole of the bait. In this case, the convex side of the amphipod should be located on top.
After the amphipod, a bead is placed on the fishing line to protect the knot.
Tie a tee. It, in turn, is decorated with cambrics, wool, lurex or light-accumulating drops.

Important! When fishing for pike with amphipods, it is not a bad idea to use a metal leash. It is mounted between the main line and the tee. Recommended length 30–50 centimeters.

The tee can be tied to the fishing line not directly, but through a winding ring or swivel.

Amphipod - spinner for catching pike perch

Amphipod is a spinner of a subspecies of balancers, designed for catching predators (pike perch, pike, bersh, perch) in the horizons of the water depths. The amphipod artificial bait has a shifted center of gravity, but unlike an ordinary balancer, its discount is designed for not so distant horizons.

Design features of amphipod

The amphipod spoon is equipped with two tees: on the tail there is a stationary tee (tail tee), framed with goat hair; on the body of the bait is removable, tied to a fishing line passed through the hole in the amphipod’s body.

The hole for passing the fishing line is always located in the upper part of the body of the bait, the result is a strong lateral roll relative to the working fishing line, which, incidentally, determines the style of play, similar to the work of a balancer, but in less limited space and a circular movement, which makes the amphipod imitate the likeness of a wounded fish .

The amphipod's range of capabilities is much wider than that of a balancer. Its movements in the water vary from smooth lateral sliding to sharp jerking combinations, when its tilt changes, leading to an arbitrary turn.
The adjusted profile geometry of the amphipod spinner causes it to spin around its axis with a slight twitch of the fishing rod, jump in place, and slightly “tremble” even in the absence of a current.
The design features of the amphipod allow it to perform such complex somersaults when fishing that other vertical baits are not capable of.
Fishermen have long noticed that bait that moves sideways is attacked by predators much more readily, especially pike perch and pike perch. The central tee not only reduces the number of “idle” grips, but also actively vibrates during lifting, providing an additional fish-attracting factor.

Fishing with amphipods allows you to achieve from the bait the movement of the balancer and the planning of the spoon at the same time, and several light jerks of the fishing rod up and to the side for active jig play.

Playing and guiding amphipods

The amphipod imitates a wounded fish, which certainly attracts a predator. Correct wiring is considered 8x8. For each hole, 8 swings are performed, with a pause of 8 seconds. after each one.

The amphipod descends into the hole, stops 15 cm from the bottom, then smoothly rises to 40 cm, then sharply drops to a 15 cm level.

There follows a pause of 8 seconds, rise again, reset again and in a “circle” (50% of pike perch bites occur in the 2nd pause, 25% in the 3rd, 20% in the 4th).

Two tees will provide reliable, trouble-free serifing. When catching pike with amphipods, a leash is a mandatory condition of the equipment, otherwise the amphipods will be cut off by it.

How to tie an amphipod

In order to tie amphipods, you should use two correct methods.

On the side of the bait where the line is threaded wider, a tee is tied onto it.
A corkscrew is installed on the fishing line, a tee is wound up, and another corkscrew is wound up. The end of the line is threaded through the bait and attached to the tee like a jig.

Amphipod for pike perch

The amphipod bait is literally “tailored” for pike perch fishing, and catching pike perch in winter with amphipods is even more successful than with balance beams. In winter, pike perch regularly leaves riverbed areas for watering in search of schooling “white” fish. If the pike perch does not feed, it stands somewhere in the riverbed and forcing it to become active is unsuccessful, with the exception of small pike perch.

In reservoirs, winter pike perch is usually dispersed and all its activities are tied to one area, so school hunting is not a relevant topic for it. Everything happens in a limited area chosen by the zander, so he is very picky about the bait offered to him and its animation. And the smooth, unhurried waddle of the amphipod, which does not go far, allows the pike perch to keep it in sight.

Fishing for winter pike perch with amphipods allows you to use a pause range of 1-10 seconds or more. In this case, it will be useful to periodically play along with the spoon during pauses; it is precisely this movement of the amphipod that pike perch often responds to. If you decide to use amphipods for pike perch, then fishing will definitely be marked as a catch even on non-biting days.

Fishing objects

Most of our usual predators are caught using amphipods; peaceful fish are caught exclusively in bycatch, and even then, for the most part, they accidentally turn purple.

Perch

In terms of effectiveness of use on the river robber, the amphipod competes on equal terms with the balance beam. The perch also grabs it actively and greedily. The only problem is that one of the tees becomes heavily swallowed, but with the help of the appropriate tool the fish can be easily freed.

Zander

The fanged predator mainly travels in packs during the period of first ice or last ice. At this time, the choice of bait is not so important; the pike perch grabs everything with the same greed:

and a spinner;
and balancer;
and amphipod.

But during the deep winter, when the flock is dispersed over a vast territory, it is the play of the amphipod that best tempts the pike perch to bite.

Attention! The absence of a front hook in amphipods often results in empty bites. This means that the pike perch hit the head of the bait.

Bersh

Bersh, unlike his cousin pike perch, is better seduced by slow retrieval, and he stands closer to the channel edge. All this must be taken into account when catching this fish.

Pike

Pike responds better to slow retrieval of amphipods with a slight inclination. In this case, you need to use a smooth fluorocarbon or metal leader, which easily slides inside the bait, but at the same time protects the line from the teeth of a predator.

The pike in the reservoir is higher than the pike perch and bersh, so most often it attacks behind the soldered tee.

What it is?

The bait received its name because of its resemblance to the amphipod crustacean, also known as gammarus, also known as mormysh, but not because of the external similarity, but due to the trajectory of movement, since both living crustaceans and our artificial object swim sideways.
The amphipod bait is a rather heavy structure for ice fishing, having an original shape, with an oblique suspension to the main fishing line passing through the body of the spoon. If the amphipod has the correct proportions and is properly equipped, it is capable of performing the following movements:

circulate around a vertical axis with a slight movement of the tip of the fishing rod;
“cut” circles when swinging, imitating a fry trying to escape from a predator pursuing it;
perform specific movements in the longitudinal plane.

All this is possible thanks to the original shape of the body and the point where the through hole is located.

Expert opinion

Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich

Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.

The body shape is designed with technological subtlety - the center of gravity is slightly shifted, causing the bait to fall on its side.

A typical “amphip” has a soldered tee at the back with a edging of goat hair. A triple hook with a drop is usually attached to a fishing line passing through the middle part of the amphipod, but not rigidly, but with the ability for the bait itself to slide along the fishing line.

According to the accepted system of winter baits, the amphipod is considered a horizontal spoon.

Fishing tactics

What lures to use for pike on a spinning rod

First of all, upon arriving at a reservoir, you need to examine the most likely fish sites. During the first ice, pike and perch are searched for in the coastal zone, where they rise, following the fry.

Pike perch and bersh do not stand still, but constantly follow schools of white fish, which move along a closed curve. Here the tactics can be twofold:

Moving behind the moving schools of pike perch, marking the next stop site with catches. From the outside it seems that the mass of fishermen is moving chaotically across the water area, but this is a consequence of the movement of the fish.
Waiting at the catch point. Such places are located at a fracture or bend in the underwater relief, near snags, at the border of underwater shell rock or vegetation.

In mid-winter, fish should be looked for in places with running water or underwater springs. Any predator moves to an area of oxygen-rich water.

On the last ice, points with an influx of spring meltwater, carrying oxygen under the ice crust, work best. These are again shallow waters, the confluence of streams and tributaries.

Attention! A modern device - an echo sounder - will help you find a school of fish of interest. It will eliminate the need to drill a large number of holes to determine the depth of the reservoir and its topography.

There are also different fish activity levels during the day:

Early morning is considered optimal for catching bersh and pike.
Over time, by midday the perch become active. And a second wave of pike emergence is also observed.
Evening is mainly the time for pike perch to bite.

The given recommendations are very conditional; the given data can vary greatly on each specific reservoir and during different periods of winter.

In order not to be left without a catch, you sometimes have to fish from dawn to dusk.

Tackle and equipment for catching perch with amphipods in winter

For catching perch with amphipods, the same fishing rods are used as for fishing with conventional spoons and balancers. This gear should look something like this:

a fishing rod 20-40 cm long, equipped with a small plastic or metal inertial reel for storing fishing line (the fishing rod and reel are not used when fishing);
monofilament with a diameter of 0.15-0.25 mm as the main line;
a leash made of monofilament or fluorocarbon with a breaking load 15-25% less than that of the main line; you can also use a leash resistant to pike teeth made of steel, thick fluorocarbon, titanium or Kevlar if there is a high probability of this predator biting.

There is no definite answer to the question of whether a nod is needed when catching perch with amphipods. Some fishermen prefer to use it, others do without this element of gear. The advantage of the nod is that it shows even the most cautious and sluggish bites of the perch. It also makes the amphipod play smoother. On the other hand, this is an additional element that complicates the equipment, which means you should think carefully about whether it is necessary to put it on the fishing rod.

This video explains how to properly rig an amphipod:

It is also useful to read: Bait for winter fishing for perch

Fishing technique

Having found the optimal depth difference, we begin fishing. The technique of fishing with amphipods is in many ways similar to that with a balancer. Since pike perch are mainly caught with this bait, we will describe the game with bait for it, noting that smaller movements are made to catch perch, and when fishing for pike, wider and smoother movements are made.

So, to catch pike perch, we do this:

We lower the bait into the bottom horizon and place it 5–10 centimeters from the ground.
We make a sharp stroke with the brush until the fishing rod is almost vertical, then sharply lower it to its original position.
We pause; most often the bite occurs precisely at this phase. Its duration ranges from five to thirty seconds, depending on the activity of the fish: the more passive the pike perch, the longer the pause. While waiting, you can lightly play along with the tip of the spoon, making smooth swings with an amplitude of one or two centimeters.
After making 5–7 repetitions, we raise the bait by 25–30 centimeters and again do several repetitions. Having reached the edge of the ice, we repeat the same thing in another hole.

Some of the catchiest amphipods are the baits of the Lucky John company.

The above recommendations are not dogma; any animation should always be modified and some additions made to it:

make movements smoother;
shorten or lengthen throws;
move the amphipod from side to side;
make jig steps.

Making amphipods for perch with your own hands

When making amphipods with your own hands, you can not only save money, but also get bait, as they say, “for yourself.” You can make an effective lure for perch, either according to your own considerations, or on the basis of already finished products. It can be cast into a mold or use a method of joining two metal plates by filling the space with solder.

Materials

Amphipods for perch can be made in two ways using different materials:

A small fragment of foam rubber or polystyrene, a sharp hook and a lead pellet with a diameter of 4 mm, preferably dark in color.
A piece of foam plastic, a hook, lead, a piece of wood, paint. Necessary equipment: scissors, brush, ruler, stationery knife, tape.

Making bait

To make amphipod for winter perch according to the first option, you must adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

Process the future workpiece. The optimal thickness of the bait is no more than 2–3 mm.
Place the workpiece on a hook size 1...5.
Pull the thread.
Trim off excess line.
The perch bait is ready for use.

If the second manufacturing method is chosen, then the technology is as follows:

Make a drawing and sample of an amphipod from a piece of polystyrene foam.
Wrap the prepared block of wood with tape.
Prepare a mixture of alabaster.
Pour the composition into the mold.
Spread the workpiece with a soap solution.
Once dry, place into mold. But at the same time, the alabaster cannot be allowed to dry out completely.
Use a sharp knife to make two holes in the spoon.
Pour in alabaster, having previously treated it with a soap solution.
Make two openings for mounting hooks.
Improve the appearance by cutting through the scales after the bait has completely dried. This will make her much more attractive to a predator.
Paint the spoon in different colors, preferably green. So, where there is no hook, it is recommended to use bright colors for successful fishing at serious depths.
Make a hole, using a ruler to determine the center of gravity.
Create an attractive ponytail. You can use different wool.
If desired, add a tee to eliminate cases of bait loss in hard-to-reach places.

Read: Where and who is being caught now

Amphipod in winter - video

What baits can be used instead of amphipods? If fishing with amphipods does not bring a catch, you can try fishing with a winter spinner, with a balancer, or with a bulldozer. When fish don’t take large artificial baits, this usually happens in the dead of winter, a jig always helps out!

We try to fish without a bait with a devil, a carnation, or a Uralka. If a reelless reel doesn’t help, we switch to fishing with a micro-jig made of tungsten.

If the fish on the other hand bites well, we enlarge the bait, thereby increasing the fishing speed and weeding out small fish. For example, after making sure that pike perch responds well to amphipods weighing 8 grams, we set it to 12 and compare.

From large to small or vice versa - this is a successful tactic for changing baits in winter fishing.

Types of amphipods

To catch fish in winter with such an interesting bait as amphipod, you need to choose the right model.

Structurally, a distinction is made between cast and soldered products, with a triple or single hook. Variants with treble hooks are used in clear waters, and analogues with single hooks have proven themselves well in snags.
The shape of the bait, as well as its weight, should be selected based on the fishing conditions. Externally, the amphipod should imitate the food item of a predator, and its weight increases as the depth increases or the current intensifies. The body can be made with a convex or concave surface, which is especially convenient for river fishing.
As for the color scheme, soldered baits most often have one of the metallic shades. Cast analogues have a wider palette.

What kind of fish can you catch?

Amphipods are most often used for winter fishing, although fishing from a boat and in open water is possible. It is possible to purposefully hunt for predatory fish, although the by-catch includes quite peaceful representatives of the carp family, for example, bream or carp. You should expect to catch the following types of predator from the ice.

1. The perch grabs the bait very greedily and confidently. The amphipod is in no way inferior to the balancer, except that it is more difficult to pull the tee out of the fish’s mouth.

2. Slow play with a side tilt has a fascinating effect on the pike. A toothy predator often cuts off a fashionable bait if the angler has not installed a metal or fluorocarbon leash. But here another problem appears. Since the leash passes through the body, and the predator is caught by the tail hook, the leash is deformed. After several fishing, the string or cable frays, which leads to the breakage of the bait. And the fishermen think that a big pike grabbed it and cut off all the equipment. 3. In winter, pike perch likes to follow the laundry to water. Here it can be caught using any active bait (balancers, rattlins, spinners). But when the fanged predator is dispersed and inactive, then fishing with amphipods will be successful. In the absence of a large pike population, small models without a leash are used. Often the pike perch hits the head when biting, which is why there are empty hooks. But the fisherman will definitely not be bored.

4. When hunting for pike perch, there is bersh as bycatch. This fish likes to stay in the riverbed area. The diet of this predator in winter consists of dead or weakened sprat. Therefore, slow retrieval of baits such as amphipods or balance beams becomes a realistic imitation of the behavior of the natural food item of the bersh.

Installation features

To assemble catchy gear for using amphipods, you will need simple fishing elements.

1. Particular attention should be paid to the choice of fishing rod. If the rod has a straight design, then it is better to take models with a rigid, inflexible whip. The length of the fishing rod is 50-60 cm. Some fishermen prefer gear with a curved handle. This shape of the fishing rod allows you to make a reliable hook with a wrist movement. In this case, the whip is chosen to be soft.

2. The choice of reel and line depends on the preferences of the angler and the size of the average predator. A monofilament with a thickness of 0.18-0.25 mm looks optimal.

3. A metal or fluorocarbon leash is installed only if there is a large population of pike in the reservoir. Its length should be between 30-50 cm.

Installation of the amphipod to the main line occurs in several ways. However, there is one important nuance.

After correct orientation, the fishing line is pulled into the hole. Then a bead is attached, which protects the knot from destruction. Next, an additional three-piece with colored cambrics is tied with a clinch knot. We looked at how to properly tie amphipods to pike perch, pike perch or pike perch.
How to tie an amphipod correctly to a pike if an additional tee is not used. In this case, you will have to additionally install a swivel at the end of the main line. It will prevent the line from twisting while fishing. A fluorocarbon or guitar string leader is threaded through the hole in the bait and then attached to a standard hook. All that remains is to connect the leash to the swivel, and the amphipod rig is ready.

Fishing tactics and techniques

Fishing for amphipods begins with searching for the habitat of the predator. Having arrived at an unfamiliar body of water, you should find promising water areas for fishing. These are changes in depth, channel edges, snags, shallow plateaus in the middle of deep areas. Perch and pike can also hunt in the coastal zone, hiding from their prey in the remains of vegetation. When fishing on first ice, sharp bends in the bottom and places where rivers turn are good fishing spots. In the dead of winter, fish look for water areas where the water is saturated with oxygen. She leaves holes without a current. Along the last ice, the predator follows the linen to the coastal shallows, where melt water penetrates.

The feeding period can vary significantly among different predators. This feature must be taken into account by the fisherman, then the catch will be good.

1. Early morning is a good time to catch bersh and pike.

2. Closer to noon, the perch becomes active. During this period of the day there is a second wave of activity in pike.

3. Evening is the element of pike perch. Although in different months of winter the fanged one can actively manifest itself during the daytime.

To find promising areas on an unfamiliar body of water, you will need an echo sounder. Otherwise, you will have to drill many holes in the ice every 10-15 m. When a difference in depth is discovered, the distance between the holes will have to be further reduced to 5 m. At a promising point, holes are drilled at a distance of 2-3 m. In each hole it is necessary to make about 10 -15 postings.

1. It is best to start studying the hole from the bottom layer. To do this, the bait is lowered to the bottom, after which it rises to a height of 5-10 cm. A sharp upward movement of the fishing rod is made with the hand, and the tackle immediately returns to its original position. In this state, there is a pause lasting from 5 to 30 s. While waiting, you can lightly play along with the tip of the fishing rod, making smooth swings with an amplitude of 1-2 cm. Having repeated the amphipod retrieve five times, you need to raise the bait to a higher horizon of 20-30 cm and repeat the cycles again. Having reached the surface, you can go to the next hole. 2. Animation can be performed in a different rhythm. First, the rod is raised smoothly to a height of 30-50 cm. Having reached the top point, the tip of the rod is sharply lowered to its original position. After a pause, the wiring is repeated.

Amphipod is not a magic bait that will help any angler come home with trophies. Success largely depends on correctly assembled gear, well-executed wiring, and accurate determination of the predator’s habitat. If luck smiles, fishing will become a memorable event.

Source: www.fishlovlya.ru

Fishing stores offer a huge range of artificial baits for ice fishing. Amphipods for winter fishing occupy a special place among them.

Thanks to this behavior, it is possible to fish around a significant area of water under the hole. What is this unusual artificial fish?

This bait has one design trick. The center of gravity is slightly shifted to the side, due to which the body falls on its side. In the tail section there is one fixed tee and a wool tassel edge.

A distinctive feature! There are no hooks in the front part of the bait.

Types of amphipods

To catch fish in winter with such an interesting bait as amphipod, you need to choose the right model.

Structurally, a distinction is made between cast and soldered products, with a triple or single hook. Variants with treble hooks are used in clear waters, and analogues with single hooks have proven themselves well in snags.
The shape of the bait, as well as its weight, should be selected based on the fishing conditions. Externally, the amphipod should imitate the food item of a predator, and its weight increases as the depth increases or the current intensifies. The body can be made with a convex or concave surface, which is especially convenient for river fishing.
As for the color scheme, soldered baits most often have one of the metallic shades. Cast analogues have a wider palette.

What kind of fish can you catch?

1. The perch grabs the bait very greedily and confidently. The amphipod is in no way inferior to the balancer, except that it is more difficult to pull the tee out of the fish’s mouth.

Installation features

To assemble catchy gear for using amphipods, you will need simple fishing elements.

2. The choice of reel and line depends on the preferences of the angler and the size of the average predator. A monofilament with a thickness of 0.18-0.25 mm looks optimal.

3. A metal or fluorocarbon leash is installed only if there is a large population of pike in the reservoir. Its length should be between 30-50 cm.

Installation of the amphipod to the main line occurs in several ways. However, there is one important nuance.

After correct orientation, the fishing line is pulled into the hole. Then a bead is attached, which protects the knot from destruction. Next, an additional three-piece with colored cambrics is tied with a clinch knot. We looked at how to properly tie amphipods to pike perch, pike perch or pike perch.
How to tie an amphipod correctly to a pike if an additional tee is not used. In this case, you will have to additionally install a swivel at the end of the main line. It will prevent the line from twisting while fishing. A fluorocarbon or guitar string leader is threaded through the hole in the bait and then attached to a standard hook. All that remains is to connect the leash to the swivel, and the amphipod rig is ready.

Fishing tactics and techniques

The feeding period can vary significantly among different predators. This feature must be taken into account by the fisherman, then the catch will be good.

1. Early morning is a good time to catch bersh and pike.

2. Closer to noon, the perch becomes active. During this period of the day there is a second wave of activity in pike.

3. Evening is the element of pike perch. Although in different months of winter the fanged one can actively manifest itself during the daytime.

Source: www.fishlovlya.ru

Fishing with amphipods in winter video

Amphipod for pike perch

As we have already said, pike perch is the fish that is most often caught using amphipods. Any amphipod for pike perch is a bait that catches it while others are “resting.”

Pike perch on amphipod

What is typical is that catching pike perch on amphipods occurs in the correct way - strictly in the mouth; there are practically no cases of the fish turning purple. A pike perch bite on it can be felt as a clear blow, toss, or pressing down. Sometimes small poking or pinching is felt; in this case, hooking most often does nothing.

When searching for pike perch with amphipods, do not spend a lot of time fishing holes. Here, an 8 by 8 balancing wiring is suitable - eight strokes with a pause after the reset of up to 8 seconds. If there is a pike perch nearby, he will take it.

How to properly attach amphipods

This bait is mounted as follows:

you need to pass the fishing line through the hole in the body of the spoon so that the convex side of the bait is closer to the tackle;
put on a bead or silicone damper - this element should protect the knot from being broken by bait;
tie a tee to the fishing line.

Thus, the amphipod attached to the tackle has a fairly large degree of freedom, which contributes to good play. The damper may not be used - the thicker the line and the lighter the bait, the less relevant it is.

Reference! You can also attach the amphipod “upside down” - that is, run the line from the back side of the bait, so that the concave side is located closer to the tackle. In this case, the play of the spoon will be less sweeping and active, which may come in handy when catching sluggish fish.

How to properly mount amphipods is shown in this video: