The moon is an assistant to a good spinning player
Catching pike-perch at night
As practice has shown, night-time pike-perch fishing can often be more productive than daytime or morning fishing. This predator is especially voracious during the full moon (5 days before and 5 days after).
As the water temperature drops, the “fanged” one begins to hunt at shallow depths (up to 2.5 meters). There he is caught using a wide variety of wobblers. At the same time, it is not at all necessary that they copy living fish one to one. The main thing is that the baits are larger, longer and have “eyes” on which the pike perch concentrates its blow.
The steeper the cliff, the larger the pike perch
If you are lucky enough to find a deep edge not far from the shore, then be sure to stay longer on it. It is here that there is a high probability that pike perch will ambush small fish passing by.
To successfully catch “fanged” fish, take a jig head weighing 10 g and a twister or vibrotail from 7 to 10 cm long. They try to lead the bait so that it “knocks” on the bottom right in front of the nose of the lurking predator. Naturally, such impudence will not go unnoticed by the pike perch, and it will certainly attack. And the greater the depth difference, the better.
You can catch pike perch here not only with jigs, but also with diving wobblers. The “fanged one” will also bite well on live bait - a worm, a leech, and live bait. A piece of caught fish in the form of a strip (peritoneum), planted instead of silicone bait, can catch better than any edible rubber.
What do pike perch bite on in the fall?
Of the artificial baits, the jig version works consistently, where experts prefer edible silicone.
At this time, the predator’s diet is varied. It’s understandable: zhor. The fanged one can be caught using natural bait: live bait, frog or worm. Of the artificial baits, the jig version works consistently, where experts prefer edible silicone.
The shape of the bait is important. Lures should be placed oblong. It will be easier for pike perch to grab a narrow fish than a wide bream.
Vibrating tails and twisters are not far behind in popularity. It should be borne in mind that when the water temperature drops, they work a little worse. Autumn is a favorable period when passive models are also connected to active baits:
- Rubber worms.
- Slugs.
- Cancers and so on.
When choosing bait, you need to take into account that the fanged one has a narrow throat and a small mouth. Models up to 100 mm long work better. As for colors, you need to experiment. Working colors are considered to be: orange, yellow, light green and brown in light colors.
When fishing in the fall with a spinning rod, foam rubber fish and mandulas are often used. These baits work both on a regular jig head and on its modernized versions (jig rig, Tokyo rig). Trolling enthusiasts specialize in autumn on elongated spinners and wobblers: the minnow variant.
We recommend reading: Catching pike perch in a vertical line: preparation and methods of fishing
Fishing in September
When fishing from a boat, fish are looked for by the concentration of seagulls.
Preparing for winter stagnation, pike perch actively attacks the fry, losing vigilance. During the day, the predator stands in the depths, and at dusk it goes out to hunt, closer to shallow water.
You can catch pike perch in September from the shore, at a bend in the river where there is no current. When fishing from a boat, fish are looked for by a cluster of seagulls. The favorite stopping places for this ambush predator are stone ridges, depth changes, large boulders, and flooded trees.
What to fish for in October
In the fall, pike perch responds not only to artificial baits, not depriving live bait and even dead fish of attention.
This month is the best time to catch pike perch. The reason for this is the predator's gluttony. You can catch pike perch in October day and night. This month the predator’s bite is quite stable, with only a short-term weakening. In mid-autumn, almost any fishing method begins to work. The fanged one takes on jigs, lead rigs, plumb from a boat, on a donk from the shore, etc.
In October, the probability of catching a qualifying specimen increases significantly. In search of a trophy, moving around a body of water will certainly bear fruit. The pike perch does not stand in one place; it is now busy searching for wintering holes.
Features of fishing in November
If in October the fanged one is still swaying, then closer to winter the peak of activity begins.
First of all, this is observed in reservoirs and large rivers. The end of October and November is the upper limit of the zander’s zander. This is the last opportunity to accumulate nutrients before wintering. For the most part, at the end of autumn the predator stands at depth. And only when the temperature rises, it occasionally comes out closer to the surface.
It is better to catch pike perch in November with a hard spinning rod. This type of tackle makes it easier to perform aggressive retrieves. The length of the rod depends on the fishing method and is selected independently. Accelerated wiring is important here, as well as a hard, lightning-fast hook.
Balancers, bottom spoons and rattlins are sometimes used as bait when fishing from a boat. In already quite cooled water, trolling and the so-called “predatory feeder” work well for pike perch.
Recommended reading: Respiratory system of fish: structure of gills and auxiliary respiratory organs
Fishing with bottom bouncer (ballerina)
Bottom bouncer for pike perch
Our American colleagues successfully fish with a bottom bouncer rig, which is an L-shaped rocker made of wire with an olive weight attached to the long end (its weight depends on the depth - there should be at least 10 g for each meter). In our country, such equipment is called “ballerina”.
A leash with a hook or bait at the end is tied to the short end of the rig. Bait: large crawler, leech, small fish. It is advisable that the angle between the fishing line and the water when fishing is about 40 degrees, otherwise there may be many empty bites.
When the pike perch is sufficiently active, natural bait in the bottom bouncer rig is successfully replaced with artificial bait. This could be a silicone worm or twister, a small spinner, or a combination of both. For example, a spinner + a large natural worm on a hook.
About baits and rigs
As for the choice of baits, all types of modern silicone are used in autumn fishing: twisters, vibrotails, as well as foam fish. In addition to these popular species, often when the activity of the pike perch is weak, and sometimes in the fall the predator’s bite weakens, a mandula, a homemade bait made from foam, weights and tees, is used.
As for the installation of gear, pike perch can be caught in October using almost any of them. The use of specific equipment depends on the fishing conditions. So, on a clear bottom, combined options work well, and when fishing in difficult places, spaced options work well.
Autumn is the time for fast wiring
Trolling with a ballerina rig (bottom bouncer)
The colder the autumn water becomes, the more intense the retrieve should be. Especially when catching pike perch by trolling. It is advisable to accelerate your vessel to a speed of 3-3.5 km/h. In addition, at high speed you can fish a significant area of water and quickly find a hidden predator.
Jig spinners
Spoons for vertical fishing
Jig spoons are one of the types of baits for vertical spinners. These could be jigs of suitable weight, some other vertical-type spoons, or even winter balancers.
Stand on a boat over a school of walleye and start pissing it off with a moving bait. A spinner gliding up and down will certainly be caught by a predator, who will not be able to remain indifferent for long to the nimble “fish” that has decided to frolic near its ambush site.
Thickets of underwater vegetation
In autumn, most of the algae die and sink to the bottom, scaring away picky fish with their unpresentable appearance and smell. However, this does not apply to all vegetation. Some types of algae can live until late autumn.
For example, green algae with wide leaves. Next to them, you can successfully catch pike perch using a float rod with a leech as bait or using wobblers.
Choosing gear for catching pike perch
How to properly catch pike perch using a spinning rod, what are the main methods and what gear to choose? The main and basic direction in pike-perch fishing is jig. Today this method is not a secret to anyone. Much has been written about it, and the fishing market is saturated with specialized rods and lures, suitable reels and lines.
You can hunt fangs either from the shore or using a boat. Both options are fun and, when done properly, produce consistent results. In general, the selected spinning set should provide maximum sensitivity when retrieving and fixing a bite, and also allow you to powerfully hook the fish and fish it out in a forceful style.
How to catch pike perch using a spinning rod from the shore, with what gear:
- Spinning rod – 2.70 meters long, fast or medium-fast action.
- Reel size 2500–4000, power with a reduction of about 1:5.0.
- A cord with a diameter of 0.10–0.18 mm with sufficient breaking strength, good abrasion resistance and a smooth structure for long-distance casting.
The abrasive resistance of braid is important, since you often have to fish in snaggy places or on the bottom densely strewn with shell rock. The last couple of meters of the cord are constantly in contact with underwater obstacles, losing strength, which can lead to breakage when landing even a small specimen. Therefore, many seasoned pike-perch fishermen use a steel, or less often fluorocarbon, leader. Pike perch fangs are not capable of significantly damaging the fishing line, but the leash will save it from chafing when it comes into contact with flooded branches and shell rock.
The kit for catching fanged fish from a boat does not differ significantly from shore-based gear. The choice of spinning rod should be based on the fact that long-distance bait casting is not required here. The fishing rod is selected with a length of about 2.10 meters of fast action with a large reserve of power for forced pumping out of pike perch when fishing in difficult conditions.
When fishing for pike perch using other methods and methods, the use of a jig kit is allowed. For example, such gear is suitable for fishing with spaced rigs or with minnow wobblers during night summer forays onto the river. For crank wobblers, it is more advisable to take a medium-action rod, which will allow you to work better with lures of this class.
The installation of baits is determined by the fishing conditions.
Rocky reefs are a stopover for large pike perch
It is worth looking for trophy specimens of the “fanged one” in the area of rocky reefs, at great and medium depths. At half-water you can fish with wobblers, and from the bottom - with a jig head with a crawler on the hook. The wiring is stepped, with tapping on the bottom.
It happens that the worm is eaten by annoying gobies, who also like to hang around among the stones. In this case, it is advisable to attach a dark-colored wobbler instead of a jig and as similar to a bull as possible. Most likely, the pike perch here is accustomed to hunting it.
Farewell to summer. How to catch pike perch in the fall
Even on the coldest autumn days, it makes sense to try to find places with warm water, where a wide variety of fish will rush to warm up and say goodbye to the past summer. And pike perch is no exception to the rule. Where to catch pike perch in the fall?
If there is a pipe on a reservoir from which warm water flows into it, then that is where you should look for fish. If the pipe is not visible, then you can stay close to grooves and channels, the water from which can raise the temperature of the coastal waters by several degrees.
Also, don’t discount the seagulls that will circle over the accumulations of fish gathered in places with warm water. You can fish here with all kinds of bait - both artificial and animal.
And remember that fishing for pike perch in the fall is most effective until November, and in the northern regions until the end of September. Don’t miss the moment of the autumn zhora, because next time you will only be able to catch pike perch well from the ice, or you will have to wait for the new season of open water.
How to catch pike perch for beginner anglers:
Where to look for pike perch
Now you need to look for pike perch in the reservoir in pit holes. And these are most often flooded river beds, the Volozhka, the edge of a channel hole next to the fairway. On the Volozhkas - former channels and branches of the river that are under water - pike perch is sometimes caught even not far from the shore. This, of course, is a conditional measure of distance - nearby. On the Cheboksary Reservoir, Volozhka is located about a kilometer from the coastline of the left bank. This, one might say, is close, since fishermen have to go many kilometers from the shore along the water towards the distant right bank, and in winter they also have to fall through the damp snow.
As a rule, on the Volozhka or on the main bed of a flooded river, among still or almost still water, there is some current and the bottom topography here is uneven, with slopes and pronounced edges (how to find an edge), which greatly attracts pike perch and other predators to such places. Why? After all, pike perch’s favorite places are holes near the fairway.
The fact is that on these edges there are a lot of different small fish, since very close there is a flat plateau with stripes and islands of aquatic vegetation: reeds, water lilies and hornwort. Just recently, silvery minnows were simply teeming here, but with the cold weather they moved closer to deep places, and this is the bed of the Volozhka. Here, on the edges, life also boils in the form of vegetation, shellfish and insects. But at the same time, very close by there is a hole with shelters where the fish can spend the winter. Therefore, pike perch often stays here in the cold season, right up to freeze-up and until the last ice.
