Choosing gear for pike perch in Astrakhan reservoirs

Places for catching pike perch in Astrakhan

The Volga Delta is the most popular place for catching pike perch. Here the water is teeming with fish and it is much easier to catch them. Not only local amateurs fish in the delta, but also visitors from other regions.

The home of a predatory fish resembles the shelter of a catfish, located at the bottom of a pit. Pike perch is found in clear water and hunts better in areas with active currents. The main place for hunting is the uneven bottom near the predator.

The fanged predator feeds all year round, but is not highly active in every season. The success of hunting pike perch in Astrakhan depends on the time of year. The activity of this fish, or the so-called zhor, occurs three times a year:

pre-spawning glutton;
post-spawning glutton;
autumn zhor.

The pre-spawning feast for pike perch lasts about a week or a little more. It falls in the first half of April. This is the shortest zhor of the three. At this time, large representatives of this fish species become active. Local fishermen say that the sprouting of reeds above the water indicates the activity of pike perch.

During the post-spawning period, the feeding of predatory fish occurs around the clock. During the day, pike perch can be caught on uneven and snaggy areas, and in the evening you can hunt on ruts and shallow spits. Trophy specimens can reach 12 kg.

Pike perch is a cunning and cautious representative of Astrakhan reservoirs

In October, the peak of autumn zhora begins. At this time, the fish actively grabs the bait and is successfully caught in deeper reservoirs.

During each activity period, pike perch actively absorbs bait both day and night. However, in summer it is better to catch fish at dusk, and in spring and autumn pike perch are more active during the day.

Pike-perch in the Volga can be found almost everywhere: on banks, routs and channels. Visiting fishing guests can stay, for example, at the Sazanya Bay Base in the lower reaches of the Volga.

Fishing for pike perch in spring

The beginning of spring for pike perch fishing in Astrakhan is marked by its standing in the deep layers of the reservoir. To search for a predator, use an echo sounder. Using an echo sounder, small fish are detected, which heralds the appearance of a hungry predator. Before spawning, the activity of pike perch increases significantly - in Astrakhan, the pre-spawning period begins with the onset of floods. Spawning lasts up to 2 weeks, which ends around May.

Spring time involves the use of any bait in color, shape and size. Distinguishing colors for pike perch in deep holes is a difficult undertaking. Pike perch are most often guided by their sense of smell. However, before spawning we use small-sized baits.

During the spawning period, activity remains. When pike perch moves to spawning areas, it lingers for some time in the pits. Such places are characterized by warm waters, where small fish live, which act as food for pike perch in the spring.

Any fisherman comes home with a decent catch of pike perch after fishing at the Sazanya Bay fishing base. Don't believe me? Look at the photo.

Pike perch fishing methods

Pike perch is the most popular catch for spinning and live bait fishing. Each option has its fans.

Tackle for catching pike perch should have a jig orientation. The ideal rod size is 2.1 -2.4 meters. Dimensions directly depend on the fishing location. Hunting for a fanged predator in a deep channel is carried out using a medium-sized rod, and in shallow areas the weight should be light.

The jig method is suitable for daytime fishing in the warm season. The only difference is the wiring. In spring and autumn, the classic step or pendulum method is suitable for daytime hunting of fanged predators. In summer, it is better to resort to smooth wiring.

There are many lures for spinning rods, the most popular are vibrating tails made of silicone with flavoring. This option is perfect for fishing in the lower reaches of the Volga. If the bite is bad, it is best to use a dead fish as bait. In shallow waters in summer, centrally submersible spinners will perform well.

Lead rigs are a good option for fishing for pike perch in the lower reaches of the Volga. On rolls in thickets it is convenient to use the Carolina rig, and next to the snags the Moscow rig.

The live bait fishing method is slightly less common among fishing enthusiasts in Astrakhan than the spinning method. A float with live bait is useful in conditions of an uneven bottom and snags. The best bait for pike perch in this case will be a narrow-bodied bleak.

Despite the fact that pike perch is not very active in winter, there are methods for successful hunting under the ice. In the vastness of the Volga in the cold season, the predator’s bite is good on live bait and vertical lures.

Pike perch meat is a real delicacy. The loin has a small number of bones compared to the same pike. Pike perch stands out among other representatives of the Volga expanses for its taste. Catching a toothy predator has its own characteristics, knowing which fishing will become a true pleasure with a rich catch. Having come to the Astrakhan region for fishing, even an inexperienced amateur will not be left without a catch.

Fishing for pike perch in winter

Wild winter conditions for pike perch are characterized by gathering in groups in wintering pits - these are the deepest parts of the reservoir, which pike perch occupies almost throughout the winter. The search for food is determined only by a feeling of hunger with movement throughout the entire space of the reservoir.

Catching pike perch in winter on the Volga means, first of all, searching for wintering places. The fisherman must be prepared to move repeatedly across the body of water to cover its maximum area. We collect gear during long-term good weather. For catching pike perch in winter, the most optimal air temperature is not lower than -10 degrees Celsius. Bad weather forces the predator to hide in wintering pits.

In winter, pike perch feeds in the area of rifts and edges with snags on the bottom near the river bed. In open water in winter, the mooring sites for pike perch coincide with the autumn sites. It is quite difficult to predict the activity of pike perch in winter. Cold weather does not affect fish activity. The main gear for catching pike perch in winter in Astrakhan is a donka, mugs or a float.

Fishing for pike perch in summer

In summer, pike perch is most active, enjoying the purity of warm water, which is oversaturated with oxygen. The places where pike perch prefer to feed in the summer are rifts, holes, edges and water gyres. The predator chooses a bottom with many large stones, branches and snags in front of shallow water. The behavior of pike perch is similar to that of pike. The similarities are observed in their aggressiveness and insatiability. However, hunting times differ. If pike is active during the day, pike perch operates at night. Pike perch is predominantly a schooling fish, which is typical for pike perch fishing in Astrakhan in the summer. Part of the school takes cover and waits for the rest of the school to drive in small fish.

Gathering in schools is typical for medium-sized pike perch up to 1 kg. A large predator lives separately from the pack. For large pike perch, the main drawback of summer is the heat, which is waited out at great depths or in the shade of a tree until the sun sets. A bite from an average pike perch implies a continuation. As bait we use the most active artificial or small natural ones. Catching pike perch in summer in Astrakhan is carried out mainly by trolling using noise capsules to attract the predator.

Tackle for catching pike perch

There are quite a few methods for catching pike perch. With a thorough approach, they can bring impressive results. You can catch this predator using a feeder from the shore or from an inflatable boat. Artificial or natural baits can be used as bait , and biting is possible at any time of the day.

The most popular fishing equipment are:

spinning feeder;
bottom fishing rod;
trolling;
girder;
various types of spinners.

Pike-perch is very active at any time of the year, and it is quite easy to seduce it with bait. The only exception is the spawning period, when all the fish are occupied with procreation, and catching them is strictly prohibited.

Catching pike perch on a donk

The predator is very rarely caught specifically using bottom gear, because pike perch prefers live or artificial bait. However, this method has a right to exist, especially in the summer, when pike perch is not very active, or in the winter season .

Using donkeys, predators are caught using the following baits:

leeches;
large earthworms;
maggots.

Other baits of animal origin are not as effective. That is why they are rarely used.

Fishing with a donkey is only worthwhile when fishing at night. Donka can be left on the shore, and the fisherman will wait for a bite, which can occur at any time of the night, but most often before midnight or at dawn .

Types of fishing for pike perch on the Volga

The vastness and unique topography of the bottom, as well as the depths of the Volga River, are conducive to the popularization of trolling for this predatory fish. However, we must remember that trolling is the domain of trophy fishing, and where, if not in our places, can you count on a record catch? Fishing for pike perch on the Volga can provide fishermen with trophies up to 1 meter long and weighing more than 12 kg. These are very worthy specimens that will add to the list of your records. At the same time, periodic analysis of publications about fishing and reports of the fishermen themselves on Akhtuba and the lower reaches of the Volga allows us to conclude that the trophy catch in these places is not isolated.

Considering the size, habitat and specific feeding habits, the most suitable predators for trolling are pike perch and large pike. There are also a lot of representatives of the fish fauna in the river, but they are concentrated, as a rule, in the coastal zone, so trolling for pike perch is considered the most effective and successful.

Thus, the most promising methods remain:

trolling;
jig;
bottom fishing.

In the first case, very serious and expensive equipment will be required, so this method is not available to all fishermen. Fishing using a spinning rod is much more democratic and affordable. Even an excellent jig spinning rod is inexpensive and quite accessible to all categories of fishermen. In addition, the low cost of silicone baits and other consumables make this type of pike perch fishing one of the cheapest.

Lures that are used for jig fishing, as a rule, are much smaller in size than for trolling, and the fishing depth is much lower. Therefore, spinning gives excellent results in terms of quantity, being inferior to the first method in quality (that is, the size of the trophies).

Catching pike perch with live bait

Fishing with live bait from the shore is the next most versatile and effective after using a spinning rod. Unlike spinning fishing with jigs and other lures, this type of live bait fishing can be considered passive. Therefore, fishing for pike perch with fry is not popular among most fishermen, however, in terms of the quantity of catch, it is very effective. You can fish with live bait at any time of the year. In summer, float feeders, summer girders, bottom fishing rods and other types of gear are used. In winter, fish are caught on girders with fry, and at night it is better to use homemade baits for predators.

As live bait, it is worth using small fish with a narrow body, which the predator consumes throughout its life. Usually the live bait is the following fish:

roach;
perch;
gudgeon;
ruff.

Also, pike perch is very fond of live bait from silver bream and white bream. In winter, small crucian carp are often used to catch predators, because they can live on a hook for a long time and remain mobile for a long time.

Fishing for pike perch in autumn

A significant increase in the bite in autumn in Astrakhan is observed in early September and throughout the month. At this time, the task of pike perch is to accumulate fat reserves before wintering. Fishing for pike perch in the fall at the beginning of the period is characterized by the use of jigs. The jig fishing method allows you to prevent pike perch from going to depth by luring it with bait. In October, fish are also active in search of food.

The bite subsides in November, and before the freeze-up it intensifies again. Most often, pike perch in autumn in Astrakhan lives in pits.