Jig for pike perch on the Gulf of Finland

Population and behavioral characteristics

Let us note right away: the pike perch of the Gulf of Finland does not have any pronounced behavioral features. If you are familiar with the habits and preferences of this fish, then there can be no secrets for you here. You can read about the description of the habits of this fish and its way of life in this section. Separately, we note that in the Gulf of Finland a ban on pike perch fishing is introduced annually; it is usually valid until June 15. The ban falls during the spawning period.

Previously, pike perch had commercial importance, and it still does, but not on such a scale. Although this fish is found quite often, it is worth recognizing that commercial fishing, as well as poachers, have had an extremely negative impact on the pike perch population in the Gulf of Finland.

Today it is extremely rare to catch a pike perch weighing more than 3-3.5 kilograms, and catching specimens weighing more than five kilograms is considered a great success. But small pike perch, up to 1.5 kilograms, is found quite often.

Where to catch walleye in the Gulf of Finland?

Every experienced fisherman has his own places that he will tell few people. It is known that when fishing for pike perch, an echo sounder can be of great help, as it will show the bottom topography and help you find this fish. By the way, we have a separate section about echo sounders, where there is a lot of interesting information. However, there are known areas that are best for walleye fishing.

Vyborg Bay

It is considered one of the best places (as is the adjacent water area). There are often changes in depth, shallows, and pitfalls - pike perch loves such places. And he has a sufficient food supply here. But here you need to look for pike perch; in the Vyborg Bay it rarely stands in one place, actively moving in search of prey. That is, if you find a catchable place, it is far from a fact that in a week (or even the next day) there will be a good catch here.

It lives at depths of 10+ meters, but in the hottest months it can approach the shore to depths of up to 5 meters. At the end of the summer it moves to deeper places, and by mid-autumn it is already being searched for at depths of more than 15 meters.

Resort area

Here pike perch are caught by trolling at depths of about 5 meters. You need to look for areas of the bottom with rocky soil. However, large specimens are quite rare here. Here you also need to actively look for pike perch.

Dam

It is also caught in the area of ​​the dam of the Gulf of Finland, and the great depths allow it to be caught directly from the shore. They use bottom fishing rods and spinning rods. Objectively speaking, the places for catching pike perch here are not bad, but very popular. There are always a lot of fishermen here.

Islands

There are quite a few islands in the Gulf of Finland; you can read about the most interesting and largest ones in this section. The largest pike perch are caught near the remote islands, the only problem is that they are remote and it is not easy to get to them. It definitely won't work on a rubber boat.

You can find maps on the Internet that show good places, but, in our opinion, you shouldn’t trust them too much.

Features of catching pike perch in the Gulf of Finland

> What to catch > Other fish > Features of fishing for pike perch in the Gulf of Finland

Any fisherman knows for sure that successful fishing, in principle, depends on the correct selection of gear and the correct choice of place for fishing.
Catching pike perch
also depends on this .

Every fisherman has a personal approach to these two factors, but the general principles are still the same for everyone. Basically , fishing for pike perch in
the Gulf
is not much different from fishing in other bodies of water. However, there are also some peculiarities here. So, according to existing rules, fishing for this fish in the waters of the Gulf of Finland is prohibited until June 15.

Such dates are tied to the spawning of pike perch, which begins to spawn when water t0 reaches +150. As a rule, pike perch spawns in early June. And after June 15, you can begin successful fishing for this predatory fish. All experienced fishermen who practice fishing in the Gulf of Finland know the pike perch spots in this body of water very well.

Basically, flocks of spawned pike perch approach Repino and then move towards Komarovo, Vyborg and Primorsk. It happens that the route and movement of schools of pike perch change to some extent, but basically it moves in this direction.

Successful fishing for pike perch in the Gulf of Finland

as noted above, it largely depends on the correctly chosen gear. For example, fishing for pike perch on the track is optimally carried out with a spinning rod with a length of 2.5 to 2.7 m, with a test weight of 15-50 g.

A necessary condition for such gear is to be equipped with a sensitive tip that allows you to control the game of the bait. It is most practical to paint the top in bright colors; this allows you to notice, even if visibility is not very good, the wrong bait or a bite. Also, the spinning rod must have sufficient rigidity to ensure high-quality hooking. Since pike perch has a very bony mouth. As for reels, there are no special requirements for catching pike perch using the track method, but it is better to use a spinning reel; it allows you to make high-quality long casts.

Long casts during trolling fishing save a lot of time for the angler. Considering the peculiarities of pike perch in that it has a narrow throat, the prey of even very large individuals is fish no more than 10 cm. Therefore, baits for fishing for pike perch should not exceed the size of 10-12 cm.

Also, when choosing gear for fishing for a fanged predator, you must take into account that depending on the weather, time of day, water temperature, it can hunt in different layers of water and can react differently to different types of wobblers or other baits.

If the water is clear and there is good lighting then fishing for pike perch

will be more effective on wobblers that have a natural color, simulating fish that are the main prey in the reservoir of its habitat. These are, as a rule, golden, pearlescent, silver, with greenish or dark backs. But if visibility in the water is poor, then pike perch more actively bites on baits of bright, unnatural colors with orange or red backs.

For trolling at shallow depths, it is better to use wobblers with depths of up to 1.5 m, wobblers for fishing at medium depths should have a depth of 3 m, and wobblers for fishing at great depths with a depth of 5 m. As for the color of the bait, they must be selected according to water transparency conditions.

Having such a kit at hand, you can always count on successful fishing for pike perch in various conditions and at various depths. Even the largest individuals of pike perch, with rare exceptions, are found weighing no more than 10 kg. Therefore, when choosing a fishing line for equipment, you should give preference to a fishing line with a diameter of no more than 0.4 mm. This is due to the fact that thick fishing line affects the depth of the wobbler and reduces the quality of wiring.

Fishing for pike perch in the Gulf of Finland has its own

. Many experienced fishermen claim that this predator hunts in the bay throughout the day and prefer night fishing. However, the most active pike perch bite occurs at dawn. And when the white nights season comes, as a rule, pike perch is very active all night. However, with the approach of autumn, fishing for pike perch can be divided into two parts - morning and evening. This is due to the fact that on cold autumn nights pike perch are rarely active.

As for novice fishermen who do not yet know where there are good zander spots on the bay, it is best to fish where other fishermen are. Over time, however, they will develop their own favorite spots and become well acquainted with the walleye's movement patterns.

As for the tactics of catching pike perch from a boat, it is not difficult. Catching pike perch can be done both alone and with a partner. And if some skills are required to fish the lane alone, then fishing with a partner is much easier. The fishermen take turns using oars, and the fisherman, free from rowing, spreads the gear on the sides as wide as possible from each other and thus prevents the gear from getting tangled with each other. When fishing for pike perch is carried out on the path

, then you don’t have to make casts at all. They simply release the brake from the reels, then the boat moves away from the bait about 40-50 meters. Next, the coil is fixed, and then the wiring itself begins.

At the first stage of fishing, it is better to start catching a predator using wobblers with which you can make retrieves at various depths. Having caught several individuals at approximately the same depth, then you can equip both spinning rods with wobblers having the same depth for fishing at a promising depth. Taking into account the fact that pike perch is a schooling fish, the place where at least one individual was caught should be caught again without fail. In order not to forget such a place, it is best to place a buoy there.

You also need to approach the buoy from the same side, and at the same speed as during a successful bite. If fishing for pike perch

happens at night, you need to have a buoy with a light-absorbing coating. Sometimes you have to go out to such a buoy several times at night and catch the next prey. When the bites disappear in a certain place, you need to move on to the next intended place.

When fishing for pike perch, perch and even large bream are often interested in the play of a medium-sized wobbler; pike also bite a little less often. Fishing for pike perch in the Gulf of Finland

, with good knowledge of its habitats and movements, can often be very successful.

Published: 02/21/2015

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What to use to catch pike perch?

Pike perch is caught using various baits, the most popular being oscillating spoons and wobblers. Vibrating tails, jigs and balancers are also used. There is no single recipe for success here; it is recommended to have different baits in your arsenal. But judging by the reviews, wobblers show the best results. On the forums you can even find the top 10 wobblers for pike perch in the Gulf of Finland, however, all these ratings are very arbitrary.

It is worth taking into account the diet of this fish and selecting bait that matches this diet. In the Gulf of Finland, pike perch feed mainly on ruff, gudgeon, and bleak. If we summarize all the opinions about the best artificial baits for pike perch, we get the following picture:

• The optimal size of wobblers is from 6 to 8 centimeters;
• You should choose long and narrow spinners, up to 10 centimeters;
• The color is better monochromatic, but depends on the type of bottom.

In addition, a lot depends on the depth at which you catch walleye. If the depths are more than 10 meters, then you should choose bright baits, perhaps even with fluorescence. Sometimes such baits with “acid” colors give excellent results when fishing for pike perch in the Gulf of Finland. But they are worth using when traditional ones do not produce results. According to all reviews, it is monochromatic baits that give the best results.

Here is a list of good wobblers and spinners, which, according to reviews, are good for catching pike perch in the Gulf of Finland:

• Yo-Zuri Hardcore;
• Mikado Trython;
• Kuusamo Professor.

As we mentioned above, having a fish finder dramatically increases your chances of success. Many fishermen who want to catch pike perch can often spend 90% of their time searching for a good place. But when they find it, all the time spent on the search is more than paid off with an excellent catch.

When to catch pike perch in the Gulf of Finland?

Fishing in winter

For pike perch in the Gulf of Finland, special rules apply when fishing in winter. If in summer it is found almost throughout the entire water area, then in winter the picture is completely different. At this time of year he prefers to stay away from the coast. Yes, sometimes it approaches the shores, but in certain places. These could be areas near the southern coast or the northern one; there is no particular point in indicating them, however: Repino, Sestroretsk, Old Peterhof, Sterna, Cape Gray Horse, Komarovo, Vyborg Bay. However, keep in mind that the picture may be different every winter. If you have success catching walleye in a certain area off the North Shore one winter, don't be surprised if they aren't there at all the next year.

By experience, winter fishing enthusiasts have determined the most catchy winter lures for pike perch in the Gulf of Finland. Here is a list of the most catchy ones (according to reviews):

• Kuusamo Tasapaino;
• Kuusamo Tasapaino Silver;
• Scorana Ice.

When winter fishing for walleye, the most important thing is to find a good spot. To do this, be prepared to walk on ice. There is no point in sitting at the first hole and waiting for fish.

Fishing in spring

Please note that from mid-May there is a ban on catching pike perch. In general, spring is not the best time to catch this fish. In early spring it can be caught from the ice, but after the ice melts it may experience a decrease in activity. At the end of April, he begins to develop an appetite - pike perch actively hunts before spawning. At this time you can catch it during the day, evening, morning and even at night.

Fishing in summer

There’s not much to say about summer fishing for pike perch in the Gulf of Finland; we’ve written a lot about this above. The best time is morning from 4.00 to 8.00 and evening from 21.00 to 2.00. During the white nights, you can also fish late at night.

Fishing in autumn

Again, as we wrote above, in the fall pike perch goes to deep places, at which time catching it from the shore gives very poor results. You will definitely need a boat. The further into autumn, the deeper places you need to look. By the end of October these may be depths of more than 20 meters.

We also recommend reading the article: Fishing in the Gulf of Finland

VIDEO fishing for pike perch in the Gulf of Finland near the dam

Fishing for pike perch in the Gulf of Finland

Spinning rods Magista and Teuri

Plug-in spinning rods made of carbon – Akara Magista HMF and Akara Teuri HS

We chose the Akara Magista HMF (10-56) and Akara Teuri HS (21-56) for a number of reasons. First, we chose the 10-56 gram test. Because We fish in the current, we need to use large weights. The current here is large, and it can be of different strengths. The current may be weak, then you will need to throw 10-12-14 grams, or it may be very strong. Spinning with the selected test allows you to close various options in such a current.

Because we will fish from a boat, we chose relatively long spinning rods, we can throw baits far enough so as not to interfere with each other.

Magista HMF and Teuri HS spinning rods differ in construction . I have a smoother action of Magista, you can see how the stick bends under the weight of 45 grams, how the tip bends. My colleague Maxim fished with a more classic Akara Teuri HS stick (10-56). His build is extra.

And it is clear that with the same weight of 45 grams, the tip bends much more strongly on the Magista than on the Teuri, which Maxim used.

The Akara Teuri HS spinning rod is more suitable for heavier weights, let’s say from 30 grams and closer to the upper level 56 grams.

The Magista HMF spinning rod is more suitable for softer and lighter lures up to 30 grams , but it has a margin of safety to catch lures up to 56 grams and even higher.

Silicone baits – rippers and twisters from Akara

I also want to say about the bait. I liked it very much. Interesting cute shape and coloring. She is two-color. Reaper Eatable Rude and Akara Eatable Best Shad . There is light, there is the so-called watermelon. Also a good bait. The size is perfect. Suitable for catching small pike perch, but I think large pike perch can also covet this bait.

Akara ripper baits for zander – Eatable Rude and Akara Eatable Best Shad

Today we caught a small pike perch. We started with a jig. We caught 37 grams, 40, 45 grams with a classic jig.

There were bites, but, unfortunately, there was no hooking rate. Therefore, we switched to a retractable leash in the same weight categories. Fish is passive. Sunny, day. We started fishing during the day. During the day, the fish are not very active. So I had to persuade her. And the best way to persuade is, of course, a retractable leash.

They caught it in the current. The current is serious. We also rejected the jig because it had a lot of hooks, but the retractable jig, using a classic stick, did not give so many hooks and coped with the task quite well.

A little about hooks . Today we used Maruto spinning hooks of the Spin Pro 3.0 4.0 series; we used number 5 on long worms for large baits. Why exactly like this? Our baits are small today. Hook size 3.0 is quite suitable for fishing with rippers, as well as for fishing with worms. For fishing with large baits such as worms we use 5.0. Short hooks, namely the same shape, because the pike perch is quite greedy, it caught up and not only pulled the tail of the worms, but also completely captured the bait up to the hook.