The article talks about how to properly prepare for spring pike perch fishing. What gear and bait are used. What you need to pay attention to when choosing a place to catch pike perch in the spring. How to catch pike perch in the spring.
Many people believe that pike perch are successfully caught only in the fall. It is wrong to think so, since this predator is well caught all year round, in particular in spring and even summer. However, only fishermen who responsibly approach the issue of choosing equipment, location and bait can count on a good catch, for example, in the spring. What is important to know when going to catch pike perch in the spring. Let's consider all the nuances.
Beginning of pike perch activity in spring
The most difficult time to catch pike perch is during the period after the ice melts and before the flood begins. During this period, the predator can feed both at depth and in shallows. It is possible to catch him only by using an active search.
Approximately after the peak of the flood, pike perch begin their pre-spawning feast, which occurs at the beginning of April and lasts about two weeks. Before spawning, pike perch is excellently caught, and bites can occur not only in the evening and morning, but also during the day in cloudy weather. After spawning, the pike perch regains its appetite and actively feeds for about a week.
Let's return to the flood, it is important to note that if the water level rises or falls sharply, the pike perch may stop coming out. Pike perch can be caught well in high water if the water level does not change for at least a couple of days. After the peak of activity, when the water level begins to gradually decrease, the water becomes lighter and the activity of the predator increases.
Note that the spring migration of pike perch to spawning grounds begins around mid-March and continues until the first half of April. This period is considered the most promising for spring pike perch fishing.
Features of catching pike perch in May
The result of catching pike perch in May depends on the climatic conditions of the region. In the southern regions, feeding may begin after spawning, and in the northern regions, pre-spawning activity may be observed at the beginning of the month. If spawning and the period of post-spawning passivity occur in May, then there are several days left for fishing for predators.
Important! In May, many species of peaceful and predatory fish spawn. During this period, amateur fishing is limited in terms of the number of hooks, types of gear, use of a boat with a motor, etc.
When catching May pike perch, you should take into account the peculiarities of its behavior. After spawning, fish do not return to their usual habitats simultaneously. Large males remain in spawning grounds to protect future offspring. Only after the appearance of the larvae do they return to their normal life. This is the best time to catch trophy walleye.
After spawning and 10 days of inactivity, the voracious predator begins to feed intensively. It bites day and night on different baits. Sometimes it gets caught on bait intended for bream. Pike perch does not prey on bream, and the habitats of these fish often coincide.
So, fishing for pike perch in the spring can bring a lot of unforgettable positive emotions from fighting fiercely resisting large fish. The main thing is not to miss periods of high predator activity during the calendar spring. It is useful to know that the seasonal behavior patterns of pike perch are repeated from year to year.
How to choose the right tackle for catching pike perch in the spring
Particular attention should be paid to the fishing rod. So, the length of the spinning rod is determined in each case individually. So, for fishing from the shore, it is recommended to buy tackle 2.7-3.1 meters long; for fishing from a floating craft, a rod up to 2.4 meters long is suitable. Regardless of the length of the rod, the blank must be sensitive and powerful if you are going to fish in a body of water with a current. A good choice for catching pike perch would be one of the spinning rods offered below:
- Nautilus Magnet – length 8.4 meters, test 21 grams. The rod is perfect for fishing using medium-weight jig heads, as well as wobblers weighing from 10 grams.
- Maximus Dreamer – length 2.7 meters, test up to 35 grams. The tackle is perfect for fishing from the shore.
- Extreme Fishing Panache length 2.1 meters, test 18 grams. The rod is an excellent option for fishing from a boat.
Now, as for the coil. On the selected spinning rod you can install: a multiplier or a spinning reel. Professionals choose:
- Okuma CeymarC-35 FD is distinguished by its reliability and quality of line laying. In addition to 35, sizes 30 and 40 are offered, classification according to Okuma.
- Okuma RTX-35 has good traction characteristics; the proposed reel is an excellent option for catching pike-perch and perch.
For fishing, it is recommended to use a braided cord; its advantages are zero stretch, which increases the sensitivity of the tackle as a whole. Note that a braided cord with a small cross-section can withstand heavy loads; for example, a cord with a diameter of only 0.1 mm has a breaking load of slightly more than 10 kg. For spring fishing, such a cord is quite enough.
If there is a possibility of snags in the fishing area, then the diameter of the braid can be increased to 0.14 mm.
Lures for pike perch in March
The fanged predator is caught in March using a spinning rod both from the shore and from a boat. Fishing from the side of a small vessel provides the spinner with greater opportunities compared to his colleague fishing from the shore. The greatest effect is achieved by the jig method of catching pike perch using a spinning rod. The weight of the jig head is selected according to the depth and presence of current in the place where fishing will take place. For example, at a depth of three meters and with a current of medium strength, a head weighing 8–10 grams is suitable for fishing; at greater depth and current, the weight of the jig will need to be increased accordingly.
Anglers have different opinions about the color of the bait: some believe that the color does not matter at this time, others believe that bright colors should not be used. According to supporters of dim baits, in early spring nothing is growing at the bottom, and bright colors of baits will look unnatural.
When choosing bait for a spinning rod, you should take into account that in early spring the belly of a pike perch is filled with caviar, and the predator does not reflexively attack larger fish, which is why small baits are chosen.
Both twisters and vibrotails are in use. Preference is given to baits up to 7 centimeters in size; larger sizes are used after the pike perch has spawned. Silicone baits from Manns Predator in dark colors performed well in the spring.
Pike perch can be easily caught in March using the following silicone baits:
- DeepPearl 100;
- Ballist;
- Joco Shaker;
- lucky John Tioga.
When going spinning fishing for pike perch in March, they take with them not only twisters and vibrotails, but also other baits. Lures such as spinners perform well when catching fanged predators:
- vibrators;
- Mandula.
In open water at any time of the year, the fanged predator is caught using narrow, elongated, oscillating spoons. In early spring, you need to give preference to not too large and elongated spoons (remember: the belly of the pike perch is filled with caviar...). The structure of the spinner is so simple that the manufacturer has to manage to create a completely ineffective spinner, therefore, if you don’t have extra money in your pocket, then we buy domestic products. Pike perch are caught very, very well with domestic lures.
In the spring, pike perch are best caught with mandulas when they begin to move out into shallow water. Many fishermen prefer homemade foam rubber baits for catching pike perch in the spring. Preference is given to baits of dim colors, capable of fishing in the middle layers of water (up to 2-3 meters deep).
Read also about catching fangs on:
- balance;
- ratlins;
- spinner.
Choosing bait for spring pike perch fishing
In the spring, when fishing for pike perch, you can use various types of bait, the choice of which depends on the fishing conditions and the activity of the predator. Most often, anglers use: wobblers, jig baits, oscillating and rotating spoons. Each of the proposed options has its own characteristics. Let's look at each type in detail.
Wobblers. The advantage of this type of bait is that it allows you to retrieve at a slow speed, which is especially beneficial when the activity of the pike perch is low. When fishing, sinking models of wobblers are predominantly used, since most often pike perch hunts at the bottom. The best choice for catching pike perch in any period is a crank.
Jig baits. The group of these baits, which includes twisters, vibrotails and foam fish, are used most often. Any of the baits in this group can attract the attention of pike perch and provoke it to attack. The undeniable advantage of jig baits is their low cost. When fishing in areas with snags or other underwater obstacles, the bait is equipped with an offset hook, which completely eliminates the possibility of snagging.
Spoons. The choice of spinners depends on the depth of the fishing area. Thus, rotating spoons are recommended to be used if the depth does not exceed three meters, rotating ones - up to 5 meters. The size of the bait, regardless of its type, should be within 5-8 cm in length; it is preferable to choose a narrow shape.
Read about catching pike perch in early spring with jigs and balancers here.
Fishing for pike perch in April
In April, pike perch actively bites throughout the day. Increased gluttony is observed before the upcoming spawning. Pre-spawning zhor is determined by stabilizing the water temperature within +8-10 degrees. Spawning of pike perch begins after the water warms up above +11o.
Where to look for pike perch in April
It should be taken into account that the migration of pike perch to spawning grounds is hardly noticeable. Predators move to shallow water areas with a depth of 1 m or more in groups of 3-4 individuals. Usually one female is accompanied by several males. Before spawning, pike perch can be found above the bottom surface at a depth of 1.5 m. Fishing for pike perch in April can be successful in areas with the following features:
- No silt at the bottom. You should choose areas with a rocky (pebble) and sandy bottom surface;
- The mouths of tributaries, where small fish accumulate in large numbers: gudgeon, bleak, small roach, etc.;
- Slopes behind rifts;
- Slow flow areas;
- Bottom boulders or other obstacles;
- Sharp changes in depth and the presence of edges.
When moving to spawning grounds, the predator can enter shallow water areas during the daytime.
Catching pike perch in April is possible with different gear, using all available baits and lures.
Choosing a place, what to pay attention to?
Where do pike perch feed in the spring? So, it is worth noting that the main source of food for pike perch is small fish, so you should always look for a predator only next to a concentration of fry. In early spring, schools of bleak and roach rush to the edges that form in the coastal zone; following the small fish, pike perch and pike perch approach these areas. Let's note the most promising areas on the reservoir for catching pike perch in the spring:
– eyebrows; – boundaries of the main and reverse flow; – snags and other underwater shelters; – depth changes.
It is important to note that pike perch loves clean water. This predator will ignore areas with a muddy bottom; it prefers a clayey, sandy or rocky bottom. You should also not look for this predator in thickets of underwater vegetation, especially among last year’s grass.
His favorite places
When pike perch bite in the spring, time flies, but before casting a tackle, the angler must first determine the place where he is.
In the first spring days, when the ice has not yet melted, you should look for it at the junction of different rivers or eriks, at the edges of the ice, near places with a sharp change in depth. As a rule, in such places there is no ice, or it is very thin, the water is more saturated with oxygen, and in addition there is a noticeable flow of water.
During the period of ice drift and the beginning of high water, small and medium-sized pike perch are not difficult to find in places where fry gather , their main object of hunting. And these, as a rule, are shallows and other shallow open places , usually near the shore, which are well warmed up by the spring sun. All the little things rush here, and behind them the fanged predator. Therefore, catching pike perch from the shore in the spring is often very successful.
Later, as the water warms up, pike perch, in search of food, captures increasingly larger territories, but still often hunts near the coastline, where its main target also remains small animals. Catching pike perch in the spring with a spinning rod from the shore using a variety of artificial baits is almost always effective.
The most promising places to search for this predator after spring weather sets in are:
- Flooded snag.
- Places where streams and small eriks flow into a river or another, larger body of water.
- Steep banks on the border with a fast current.
- Places with reverse currents and various whirlpools.
- Underwater boulders.
Due to the passing flood and increased current during this period, fishing for pike perch on the river in the spring is almost always done from the shore . This must be taken into account when deciding what gear to use and how to catch pike perch in the spring.
However, it is worth noting that large specimens of the fanged fish rarely come close to the shore. They prefer to stay in the depths, near the bottom, in holes and near flooded trees, where they can hide while waiting for their prey. Therefore, catching trophy pike perch in early spring from the shore is unpromising , however, as at other times of the year.
Factors influencing the activity of pike perch
When going to catch pike perch in the spring, it is important to know that the activity of the predator will depend on the following factors:
- Atmosphere pressure; - weather; – transparency and water level.
Note that a sharp change in the water level causes it to become cloudy; in such conditions, the activity of pike perch is reduced to zero. If the water transparency drops below 15 cm, you should not count on a good catch either. But with transparency above 25 cm, the activity of pike perch will be good and, provided that you can choose the right place, you can count on catching several trophies of decent weight.
Walleye activity will always be high if barometric pressure remains stable or increases slowly. When atmospheric pressure drops, the bite worsens or stops altogether.
Methods and tactics for catching pike perch in spring
Catching pike perch can be problematic, even if promising points on the reservoir are well known. It is difficult to find pike perch - this is explained by its constant movement, especially when the water level changes sharply. There is no need to count on promising summer or autumn points; pike perch is most often not found there in the spring. Let us note that predator bites can occur in places that, by all rules, can safely be classified as unpromising.
Success is guaranteed only if you actively search for fish, so you should not linger in one place for more than 15 minutes. Catching the selected point is carried out in a series of 10 casts. Note that the chances of success also increase if the bait is changed frequently.
In spring, it is best to use jig baits, especially if fishing is carried out in an area with a depth of more than five meters. At a depth of up to 3 meters, you can try to catch pike perch using sinking wobblers.
Responsibility for illegal hunting
Summer gear review
What is important to consider when planning to catch pike perch in the spring
The pike perch leaves for spawning after the water in the reservoir warms up to +12 degrees; before it begins, the predator migrates to the spawning grounds. Spawning of pike perch takes place in areas of water with a hard, uneven bottom, where the depth is within 1-1.5 meters. One female and 2-3 males participate in the process. After the female lays eggs, she leaves, and the males remain for some time to guard their offspring.
Before spawning, about a week before this process, pike perch begins to eat. The activity of the predator increases, the fish does not particularly understand objects and begins to attack everything that floats half a meter away from it. The first phase of zhora begins at the end of March and can last until mid-April. It is best to catch pike perch half an hour before dark; at other times, bites also occur, but not so confident and frequent.
IMPORTANT! During spawning, fishing for predators is prohibited in almost all reservoirs of our country. Therefore, it is recommended that before going to the reservoir, you find out the period of restrictions on catching a predator.
Spawning, depending on weather conditions, lasts 2-3 weeks, after which the fish rests for 3-5 days and only after this time gradually begins to become more active. The second phase of zhora begins in the middle of the first half of May. It is important not to miss this period, because after its end, pike perch returns to the summer lifestyle, begins to feed rarely and is mainly active in the dark (pike perch is a nocturnal predator).
Read: Catching pike perch using a balance beam
Note that in the spring, the most promising areas for catching pike perch are areas below the rifts and places in the water area with snags. The predator prefers a hard bottom with sudden changes in relief. This point must be taken into account when choosing a fishing site. Pike perch avoids places with a muddy bottom or where there is a large amount of underwater vegetation.
In mid-spring, pike perch is more often found in the shallows, but you should not avoid areas with great depth, especially if there is a transition from the depth to the shallows. The predator will be here constantly, the question of biting will be determined only on the basis of its activity, which depends on weather conditions and other factors.
Catching a predator will have its own characteristics, depending on the spring period. Therefore, we will further consider the behavior and activity of fish in different spring months.
