Zander
Pike perch is a large fish. The largest dimensions of pike perch: length 120-130 cm, weight – up to 20 kg. But in commercial catches, pike perch is no more than 35-60 cm and no more than 3 kg.
Pike perch is the largest representative of the perch family. Typically, pike perch weighing more than 4 kg are considered a very good trophy these days.
Pike perch, whose meat is of high quality, is especially valued by fishing enthusiasts. Pike perch is a predator. At a very early age, pike perch feeds on planktonic crustaceans, but having already reached 20-30 mm, tiny pike perch move to the fish table and begin to prey. At this time, only larvae and the smallest fry of other fish are available to pike perch.
Grown-up pike perch (weighing over 500 g) feeds mainly on small fish. However, pike perch does not mind grabbing a large worm, crayfish and other aquatic life. Adult pike perch are more voracious and predatory than even pike and perch. It eats a lot of bleak, dace, minnows and other low-value fish. Interestingly, to increase weight by 1 kg, pike perch must eat an average of 3.3 kg of fish.
Young pike perch live in schools. The larger the pike perch, the smaller the school. With age, pike perch switches to hunting alone. In favorable conditions, pike perch can reach a weight of more than 1 kg in 2 years. Young pike perch feed mainly on zooplankton, partly on insect larvae and fish fry. Adult pike perch is a voracious predator that, unlike pike, actively pursues its prey. The pike perch is not able to swallow large fish through its small mouth and pharynx. Therefore, pike perch feeds on fish such as roach, bleak, gudgeon, and ruff (in summer, it does not disdain frogs).
What does pike perch look like?
The body of the pike perch is elongated, covered with small, tightly fitting scales (with jagged edges. The scales cover the gill covers only in their upper part. The snout of the pike perch is pointed, and the length of the head is greater than the height of the body or equal to it. The pike perch has a large mouth, there are fangs. The remaining teeth of the pike perch are small, and there are spines on the gill covers. The open mouth of the pike perch resembles that of a pike. It is just as wide and just as toothy. The back of the pike perch is greenish-gray (less often brown), the belly is white. In young pike perches it is easy to notice 8- 10 indistinct stripes on the sides of the body; in adult fish they are barely noticeable.
Pike perch has a dorsal fin with very hard and sharp rays, between which a film with dark specks is stretched. Other fins are gray with a dirty yellowish tint. The eyes of the pike perch are convex, violet-blue in color. In a living or recently asleep pike perch, they seem to glow. It is interesting to note that pike perch caught in winter and immediately frozen can emit a faint glow in the dark.
Two subspecies of pike perch
There are two biological forms of pike perch: sedentary (freshwater) and semi-anadromous. Semi-anadromous pike perch rises to spawn in the upper reaches of rivers (in March-April), and after spawning (in April-May) it moves to the lower reaches or desalinated areas of the seas. Externally, both forms are almost identical, but the sedentary pike perch grows more slowly than the semi-anadromous one.
Description and lifestyle of pike perch
Pike perch
Pike perch is the largest representative of the perch family. Pike perch can reach impressive sizes - up to 130 cm in length and 20 kg in weight, but usually pike perch rarely exceeds 60-80 cm and 3-5 kg. In the catches of amateur fishermen, pike perch weighing more than 4 kg is considered a valuable trophy. The body of the pike perch is elongated, covered with small, tightly fitting scales with jagged edges. The snout of the pike perch is pointed, the length of the head is greater than the height of the body or equal to it. The pike perch has a large mouth, elongated strong jaws with large, sparsely set fangs, between which there are many small sharp teeth. The open mouth of the pike perch resembles that of a pike: it is just as wide and toothy. There are sharp spines on the gill covers of pike perch.
Pike perch in the river
Pike perch in the river sticks to deep holes, whirlpools, and steep yars. Pike perch in the river especially loves cluttered places, snags, where they can hide. Pike perch in the river stays near the bottom, especially in those places where the depth changes sharply. Pike perch prefers a gristly or sandy river bottom. Small pike perch in the river often stand in shallow places. In the river, pike perch lives in deep places near snags. But for hunting, pike perch goes to shallow sections of the river covered with sand. On quiet evenings, river pike perch sometimes rises to the surface of the water.
Techniques for catching pike perch in a river, lake, or reservoir have their own characteristics. On the river, in order to find a good place for catching pike perch, people float a boat downstream. The bait is sent to deep places with slow currents.
Finding pike perch habitats
Pike perch is a fairly large fish, which means it is not afraid of currents or deep places in reservoirs.
Habitats:
- The fish lives only in large deep rivers, deep lakes or reservoirs.
- Pike perch are sensitive to dirty water, so they can only live in the cleanest bodies of water.
- This type of fish is in constant motion. So you shouldn’t look for it in the same body of water in the same place.
- Pike perch is a predator. So often its location (for a while) is large stones, river mouths, especially if there are depressions or rocky ridges nearby.
- If there are large holes in the river - at the entrance/exit of them.
Where you won't find fish:
- “Dead zones” are areas heavily covered with silt.
- Places where water stagnates.
- Shallow waters (up to 1.5 m deep).
- Deep places with a flat bottom.
Pike perch in the reservoir
In the reservoir, pike perch stick to the slopes into the flooded river bed, where they sometimes migrate due to the movement of schools of small fish and changes in the oxygen content in the water. Pike perch prefers a sandy bottom and avoids areas overgrown with aquatic plants. Being a bottom-dwelling fish, pike perch usually lives at depth. Only at dawn and in the evening does the pike perch in the reservoir go out into shallow water, where it hunts for small fish.
In the reservoir, pike perch are caught in areas of the flooded river bed, former ravines and quarries, in deep holes littered with stones, sticks and snags.
Fish perch
Pike perch is found in the basins of the Black, Azov, and Caspian seas. There are significantly fewer pike perch fish in the Baltic Sea basin (Neva River, etc.). North of 64′ northern latitude, pike perch fish are rare. Pike-perch fish live in large numbers in large rivers: the Volga and the Urals. Oka, Don and others, but is also found in small rivers. There are a lot of pike perch in lakes, for example in Lake Seliger, in the reservoirs of the channel named after. Moscow. On sale there is pike perch fish (commercial catch) of very large weight - up to 10-12 kg; the weight of an ordinary pike perch does not exceed 3-4 kg.
The main condition for the existence of pike perch is clean running water from rivers, lakes and ponds. In such lakes or ponds, where there is no running water, springs or springs flowing into the reservoir, there are no pike perch. Pike perch is very sensitive to water pollution. The water is purest during spring floods or heavy rains. Summer water pollution with silt or industrial waste (especially harmful to it) causes, at best, the pike perch to slide downstream or quickly move upstream, and at worst, cause its mass death.
Pike perch is more voracious than pike. Pike perch is agile, strong, greedy and especially persistent in the pursuit of prey. The pike perch does not stop chasing until it overtakes its victim or loses sight of it. It happens that in the heat of pursuit of a bleak, pike perch jumps out into very small places, and sometimes right onto the sandy shore. In the latter case, after floundering, the pike perch rolls back into the water, but often falls into the hands of a person instead of water or, exhausted, falls asleep on the shore.
How to Choose the Right Place Where Pike-perch is Found?
Choosing a good place for fishing is the key to good luck and an active bite, so when planning fishing in an unfamiliar place, it is worth finding out from local fishermen about the most “pike-perch” places.
As a rule, these are shallows where bleak lives, as well as exits from underwater edges and holes. For fishing in open water, it is better to use rotating and oscillating spoons.
In the warm season, the fish prefers to be in the bottom layers of water, so it bites well on foam rubber bait.
During the schooling period, which occurs in mid-July, pike perch prefers shallow water. This is explained by the fact that in hot weather there is a lack of oxygen in the bottom pits, and the fish are forced to move to more comfortable depths.
Two or three times a day it comes to the surface of the water in search of food, and then it goes deeper again. The best place to find large pike perch is the shore.
An area with sharp changes in depth is ideal. Usually in such places the current slows down, and a reverse current forms near the shore. You should not expect an active bite on sandy shores where there is no vegetation.
Pike perch avoids such places - there is no shelter from predatory fish, no food.
Fishing for pike perch
Fishing for pike perch is of industrial importance. Pike perch can weigh up to 30 kg. But usually pike perch are caught weighing no more than 4 kg.
Pike perch are fished in large rivers, reservoirs and lakes. They also catch pike perch in desalinated areas of the seas, near the mouths of large rivers - the Volga, Don, Dnieper, Kuban, etc. Fishing for pike perch in muddy, polluted, oxygen-poor water will not bring results.
Pike perch are caught in deep, clean places with a rocky, pebble or sandy bottom. Good fishing for pike perch in holes with a steep, very uneven bottom with depths of at least three meters. Pike perch avoids algae. By filling the stomach with food, the pike perch stops being caught. At this time, pike perch rests in shelters near the edges of stones and in snags.
Large pike perch is a very careful fish. Pike perch is not caught with a large spoon. The best way to catch pike perch is with a rig with minnows or small white fish. Although it is considered a nocturnal predator, pike perch is also caught during the day.
Pike perch are caught twice a day. The first fishing for pike perch begins at dawn (or rather, still dark) and continues until sunrise. Afterwards, fishing for pike perch stops until dawn. After sunset, pike perch fishing continues until 12:00 at night. They catch pike perch before sunrise and in the evening hours. Then he can come close to the shores, and even jump out of the water in pursuit of prey. At dawn, pike perch emerges onto rocky ridges, pebble and sandbanks, moving along steep slopes and slopes of a flooded riverbed. Sometimes pike perch goes to shallows 1.5-2 m deep.
With the onset of darkness, the pike perch bite weakens, but does not stop, and in the fall it can be good. At dawn, the pike perch bite intensifies, weakening slightly with sunrise. Sometimes large pike perch again goes into the depths, and small pike perch continues to be caught at mid-water and at the surface until 12-14 o'clock.
The process of feeding pike perch is interesting. It begins with a characteristic “fight”, sharply different from the “fight” of other fish. During the “fight,” which lasts 20–30 minutes, the pike perch, as if on command, amicably and violently chase the bleak throughout the entire river or lake (in the upper layers of the water). Exclusively at night and at dawn, pike perch are caught in the shallows off the coast, where small fish collect. At this time, it can be detected by the “judgment fight”. But during the day, pike perch stands in holes among shelters, from where it can make throws for prey quietly, without a fight. The sounds of a zander fight are very characteristic - it is a loud splash, as if a stone was thrown into the water. During the battle of small fish, the pike perch does not take bait, but immediately after the battle, fishing for pike perch begins. The effectiveness of catching pike perch depends on the abundance of food in the reservoir. If there is little food, pike perch can be caught during the day.
Pike perch does not sit in ambush like pike, but moves along edges and steep slopes into the depths. From a flock it is possible to catch only three or four pike perch, although there are many more of them in it. The pike perch simply stops being caught. Fishing for pike perch is good below rapids and dams, where it hunts for fish that have weakened in the fight against the current. They also catch pike perch in cluttered pools and holes adjacent to rocky, pebbly or sandy shallows. In reservoirs, pike perch is caught near slopes in flooded river beds and ravines. On lakes, pike perch moves after schools of small fish. Pike perch is very active and often changes cover.
Pike perch are caught from the bottom. Pike perch comes to the surface only during hunting, in pursuit of small things. Unlike perch, pike perch does not slurp when it grabs its prey. The best time to catch pike perch is shortly after spawning, which usually begins when the water temperature in the spawning areas reaches 18 - 20 degrees Celsius.
Pike perch are caught throughout the year. Fishing for pike perch deteriorates in the middle of winter, before and during spawning. Good pike perch fishing occurs at the end of winter and improves as the snow begins to melt. Pike perch fishing resumes after spawning, with oak leaves blooming (on rivers) and willow blooming (on lakes and reservoirs).
They catch pike perch using a spinning rod, a jig, or a heavy castmaster-type spoon, casting towards the shore. Often, several (3–5) hooks are tied above the spoon on 30-centimeter leashes with small twisters (preferably white) or tassels made of thread or feathers. The pike perch gets the impression that the spoon is chasing the hooks, and wanting to get ahead of the “competitor”, it attacks the hooks. Or they catch pike perch using bottom fishing with live bait. At depths of more than 5 m, live bait can move vertically - under the boat, then the sinker is tapped on the bottom. At depths of less than 5 m, live bait is placed in front of the boat by 10-12 m or more. There is no point in catching pike perch at a depth of less than 2 m.
Having caught a pike perch, they return with the side above the place where the bite was, and repeat the swim. You need to notice the place of the second bite in order to anchor, continuing to catch pike perch in this place. Or get out of the boat and continue fishing for pike perch from the shore. Next time you can catch pike perch here with a rubber band. Frequent boat passages can alert pike perch.
Ways to catch pike perch
Lures for pike perch
The pike perch bite is uneven. The bite begins in spring, but pike perch is especially active in the first half of June and then when the water gets colder - in the fall, in September. The best time to catch pike perch is shortly after spawning, which usually begins in late spring - early summer, when the water temperature in the spawning areas warms up. At this time, pike perch can be found even in the shallows.
In the spring, the shallows are a place where many fish find ample food in the form of vegetation, plankton and a variety of different protozoa. Naturally, during this period, almost all peaceful fish visit the shallows, followed by pike perch, a typical deep-sea predator.
Catching pike perch using a spinning rod
According to many anglers, the type of bait (spoon, twister, vibrotail, wobbler, as well as their color and size) is not of fundamental importance when fishing for pike perch in the shallows. Knowing the fishing spots, as well as having a good understanding of the fishing technique, you can catch pike perch more or less successfully using any of the listed baits. Of course, there are certain subtleties in choosing artificial bait, knowledge of which can affect the size and quality of the catch.
Which bait to use on a given body of water at a given moment - a spinner, a twister or a wobbler - depends on the mood and behavior of the pike perch. In general, the problem of choosing an artificial bait is established experimentally. Sometimes a sinking wobbler can be the most effective. A sinking wobbler buried in the bottom with a slow step-by-step retrieve is very similar to a fish burrowing at the bottom. This bait and style of wiring are good at attracting even particularly passive predators. At the same time, many anglers believe that silicone baits (twisters, vibrotails) are more versatile for catching walleye than a wobbler.
The spinning fishing season begins in March, as soon as the river is free of ice and schools of pike perch begin their movement to the spawning grounds. The spawning routes of pike perch are not constant, they change from year to year, and it is not easy to fish in muddy water, but still there are many who like this type of fishing. As a rule, in the spring jig baits are used - vibrotails, twisters, sometimes worms and slugs, best of all - flavored ones.
Catching pike perch with a jig head
The main way to catch schooling pike perch is fishing with jig baits. Most often, small vibrating tails are used, 7-8 cm in size. The color of the vibrating tail is not very important, but its shape, action, as well as the weight of the jig head used are very important.
There have been cases when replacing a vibrating tail with an active game (for example, MANNS Predator) with a bait with an inactive game (like BASS ASSASSIN) brought success. And sometimes excellent results are brought by “passive rubber”, that is, worms and slugs that do not have their own game, and are flavored and made from “edible” rubber.
The weight of the jig head must be selected depending on the depth and speed of the current in the fishing area. The choice is considered correct if, when throwing the bait, the speed at which it falls to the bottom is 1-2 seconds. Sometimes small weights of baits bring benefits, when the bait literally “floats” above the bottom.
However, it happens when pike perch refuses light baits and takes heavy ones with a jig head weighing 20-30 g. The wiring, as a rule, is ordinary, stepped. Hinged mountings have proven themselves to be quite good, when a twister or vibrating tail is movably attached to a Cheburashka weight.
In the place where one specimen was caught or at least there were bites, it is worth dropping anchor. Pike perch is a schooling fish, and there is a high probability of hooking a couple more fish. If the found school is at a depth accessible to wobblers (no more than 5-6 meters), you can use deep-water wobblers. Pike-perch wobblers are deep-water wobblers with a minnow geometry and a length of 7-12 cm, both sinking and floating.
The best places for catching walleye on a jig are changes in depths as well as deep-sea holes.
- On rivers - pike perch should be looked for on channel edges and exits from channel holes
- On the lake there are channel holes and deep-sea rocky “tables” with uneven terrain.
- On the reservoir, the most attractive are flooded river beds
Float rod for live bait
Catching pike perch with a bottom fishing rod and live bait
Catching pike perch with a bottom fishing rod can be successful, especially in reservoirs where it is impossible to use a float fishing rod. It should be noted that pike perch takes bait lying on the bottom much more readily. Apparently, it looks more natural, and the fishing line is less noticeable.
Fishing with a bottom fishing rod is especially effective in the spring, when the water is still very cloudy and the pike perch sticks to the bottom. In general, pike perch is a bottom predator, and catching this fish with a bottom fishing rod is also advisable in the fall before the onset of cold weather.
Fishing for pike perch with a bottom fishing rod is possible from any shore, as well as from a boat. When fishing from the shore - steep or flat - the advantage of a donkey over a float rod is that the bait can be placed at a significant (30-40 m) distance from the coastline and to any depth. This is important when catching such cautious fish as pike perch, which bite more readily away from the shore.
Fishing with a float rod using live bait
It is common to catch pike perch with a float rod using live bait, put on the upper lip (when fishing in the current) or behind its back, under the upper fin (in quiet water). In a fast current, the pike perch bite is more energetic: the float immediately goes to the side or against the current, and then goes under the water. In this case, you need to let go of the line a little and only then hook.
Catching pike perch using a spinning rod
Fishing for pike perch using a spinning rod has fewer fans than fishing for pike, but it still has its own peculiar charm.
The negative aspects of fishing for pike perch using a spinning rod are as follows:
- The best fishing for pike perch using a spinning rod begins only in the evening
- good morning fishing for pike perch on a spinning rod occurs in the pre-dawn darkness, after dawn the bite worsens
- darkness makes it impossible to cast correctly with a spinning rod and catch pike perch
- The time for catching pike perch using a spinning rod is very limited
For catching pike perch with a spinning rod, the most suitable are heavy spoons that have an elongated and narrow shape, for example “kas. Pike perch can be caught well with deep diving wobblers. But the best way to catch pike perch is with a jig.
Pike perch is a schooling fish. Therefore, having caught one, you should still “leave” the spinning rod in the same place. Pike perch begin to be caught using a spinning rod immediately after the “fight” on the surface of the water. During the “fight” it is almost impossible to catch pike perch. All attempts to catch pike perch using a spinning rod during a fight will not be successful. “Fight” only serves as an indicator of the future start of pike perch fishing. The techniques for catching pike perch using a spinning rod are the same as for catching pike.
Pike perch in summer
In summer, pike perch almost always chooses places with a sharp difference in depth. In summer, pike perch likes to stand near bridge supports and near breakwaters. In summer, pike perch is often found under rapids and dams - where a rip current forms. Pike perch is caught in the summer in the morning at dawn, often at night, which is different from perch, which is not caught in the dark.
Pike perch is a nocturnal predator; it grabs prey by chasing it, rather than lying in wait from behind an ambush, like a pike. During the day, pike perch in summer is mostly at rest. Catching pike perch in the summer during the day still cannot be considered typical. However, in summer, cases of pike perch biting during the day when fishing in pits occur quite often. In summer, pike perch are caught on the rifts. The presence of stones, piles, snags and driftwood at the bottom contributes to the success of catching pike perch. On lakes and reservoirs, fishing for pike perch in summer with mugs is very effective. In well-known sites, from the shore it is possible to catch pike perch in the summer with a bottom fishing rod. To successfully catch pike perch, you need to know the reservoir well; it is unwise to occasionally go to the reservoir, hoping to catch pike perch the first time. A little rain does not degrade pike perch fishing in the summer. The places where you can catch pike perch in the summer are quite constant. But the search for such places requires endurance, perseverance and perseverance from fishermen.
About catching pike perch
When catching a fanged predator, different fishing methods, bait and bait are used, the choice of which depends on the time of year, as well as the preferences of the fisherman. When spinning fishing, jigs are definitely the most productive baits. But wobblers, spinners, and spinners are in great demand.
The type, size, and color of the lures or lures chosen by the fisherman are often not the most important thing for successful fishing. You can “rinse” a beautiful wobbler or vibrotail in a pond as much as you like without seeing a single bite.
Therefore, questions arise: where and at what depth to catch pike perch, depending on the time of year, day and weather conditions? Perhaps all of the listed factors do not affect the successful catching of fanged fish and it is randomly dispersed throughout the entire area of the reservoir, regardless of depth?
Pike perch in autumn
In autumn, pike perch stands in the quietest and deepest sections of rivers with a rocky, pebble or sandy bottom. Pike perch avoids the muddy bottom in the fall. In the fall, pike perch gathers in schools to move to winter camps, which coincides with the yellowing of birch leaves. Deep areas of the reservoir serve as a winter stop for pike perch. During the autumn migration to wintering pits, pike perch forms significant aggregations.
Fishing for pike perch in the fall using bottom fishing rods using live bait or dead fish is very productive. Bottom fishing rods allow you to catch pike perch in the fall from the shore. Fishing for pike perch with a rubber band is very suitable for this purpose. However, successful catching of pike perch in the fall can be done in well-known places where it stops. Lures for pike perch - fry and live bait. If in the summer pike perch is caught with linen, then in the fall - with ruff, but better than gudgeon. There is no rush to hook, giving the pike perch the opportunity to swallow the bait, hooking after the pull. Found places suitable for catching pike perch in the fall must be marked on the diagram, indicating permanent landmarks. Such patterns will be useful when fishing for pike perch in winter from ice, when finding pike perch is difficult.
Fishing for pike perch in the fall begins to improve in August, reaches particular intensity in September and lasts, slightly weakening, until mid-October. Then pike perch fishing deteriorates sharply or stops altogether. At best, fishing for pike perch in the fall lasts until early November. The best period for catching pike perch in the fall in different bodies of water may not coincide in time of day. In some, pike perch is caught well from sunset until dawn and is not caught at all during the day. In others they catch pike perch until 9-10 am. Still others catch pike perch in the middle of the day.
Pike perch in winter
Catching pike perch in winter is best with a large jig with a sprat attached to it. It is common to catch pike perch in winter using a spoon or balance beam. Pike perch are inactive in winter. The most important condition for catching pike perch in winter is determining where it will stay. In winter, pike perch likes to stand on the edge with a difference in depth.
To find pike perch in winter, holes are drilled from the shore into the depths, first at intervals of 10-20 meters. Depth is determined by a depth gauge, echo sounder, or simply a jig. Having discovered a difference in depth, they begin to drill holes in this interval every 1-3 meters. When fishing for pike perch in winter, you need to start in the hole where the most significant change in depth will occur from shallower to larger.
Pike perch is not afraid of noise. Does not affect fishing for pike perch and drilling holes. On the contrary, anglers have noticed that the noise from the ice auger improves fishing for pike perch in winter. In winter, pike perch do not go out to feed for a long time, hiding in their cluttered, snagged wintering pits. At such times, the pike perch does not show itself in any way and does not respond to bait.
During the first ice and winter, fishing for pike perch does not bring many trophies. The bite of pike perch in winter is uneven, but on a clear and frosty day you can count on successful catching of pike perch. A caught pike perch must be quickly pulled out and the bait immediately returned to the hole. If you hesitate, a school of pike perch may leave. Collective winter fishing for pike perch helps matters. A large number of spinners playing can keep pike perch in the fishing area for a long time.
When catching pike perch with a spoon, the pause between retrieves should be 5-7 seconds. The technique itself for catching pike perch in winter with a spoon is common, but there are also some peculiarities of some techniques. The spoon should be near the bottom, 5-10 cm from it. The rise of the spinner is smooth - 20-40 cm, the first 5-10 cm of the rise begin with acceleration, gradually reaching normal speed. In addition, small swings with the tip of the fishing rod are used after stopping the spoon, and during the pause, continuing the swings for up to 20-25 seconds. You can put the spoon on the bottom and move it. Then slowly raise it by 5-10 cm. During this rise, pike perch bites occur.
You should start catching pike perch with a spoon an hour before dawn from shallow places. Gradually move to holes closer to the drops in depth. When fishing for pike perch at shallow depths (up to 4 m), it is better to sprinkle the holes with snow or ice chips. Fishing for pike perch in winter is improved by attaching a fry or piece of fish to the hook of a spinner. Blizzards, snowfalls, changes in water level, fluctuations in temperature and atmospheric pressure in winter do not contribute to successful fishing for pike perch.
As the snow begins to melt, trickles of meltwater penetrate under the ice. The pike perch perks up and begins to emerge from the holes to hunt for small things. The pike perch approaches the shores. It is here, at the exit from the holes in the shallows, that you need to drill holes for catching pike perch. The best time to catch pike perch is in winter.
Time and place to catch pike perch
In the spring, knowing the exact time and place of fish release is a key factor in determining fishing success. In other warm seasons, in each hole, in places with snags, difficult entrances and exits from the holes, there are a couple of fish, ready to swallow what the fisherman offers. Spring is another matter - many such places are silent due to the absence of a popular predator in them. The reason for this is the preparation of fish for spawning. The easier it is for pike perch to get from a certain place to the spawning ground, the more promising it is for the fisherman. In recent years, in the spring, reservoirs are less deep than in the past. Therefore, pike perch concentrate in specific areas. At first glance, it seems that knowledge of such points guarantees enviable catches. In reality, things are often different. For example, yesterday the pike perch boldly took the bait in the hole, but today it is not here. A couple of days pass, and the pike perch makes itself known again.
Pike perch in spring
In the spring, pike perch hunts for fry, for which they come out of their holes. During the spring period, pike perch is easy to catch, but difficult to find. With the beginning of snow melting and settling, when the first trickles of melt water fall under the ice, pike perch fishing in the spring improves. In the spring, pike perch comes out of the holes to the shores, where there is a current and a depth of 3-4 m; pike perch are also caught in the shallows. During high water, pike perch picks up prey that is carried into the depths of the main reservoir by streams and flowing rivers. Then pike perch is caught at the mouth at a depth of at least 3 meters with a rocky, pebble or sandy bottom.
Zander spawning
Sedentary (freshwater) pike perch does not carry out noticeable spawning movements. It spawns in May-June at a water temperature of 13-15 0 C. Usually, pike perch spawn in shallow areas that warm up well: on sandbanks, in thickets of reeds and cattails, on rocky ridges. Unlike most fish, pike perch spawn in pairs. First, the male pike perch makes a nest, clearing the area of silt with his abdomen and fins. Then the female pike perch lays sticky eggs in it. Below you see a photo of a pike perch nest in the lake.
Pike perch spawning occurs in the morning, evening and night. A male pike perch guards the eggs. Fertilized pike perch eggs develop within 10-15 days. Pike perch fry that are born grow very quickly: at the age of 1.5 months they are 7-8 cm long, and by autumn - 14-17 cm. Pike perch shows some care for their offspring. It spawns in floodplains. Pike perch lay eggs on the root parts of plants. Pike perch clears them of soil and silt, forming so-called nests. After laying eggs and fertilizing them, the female pike perch leaves the nest, and the male guards it until the larvae appear. By moving its fins, pike perch helps clean the eggs from silt and creates a favorable oxygen regime. It has been noticed that when a “guard” pike perch dies, another male guards the eggs. The male guard aggressively greets other fish, including pike perch, approaching the nest. With its fins and gill covers spread out, the pike perch rushes at the enemy. Pike perch usually have many enemies. Pike perch larvae are eaten not only by predators, but also by peaceful fish. Perch, pike, catfish and other predators feed on young pike perch. However, most of all it is destroyed in the early stages of development by invertebrate animals, especially cyclops.
The first spawning of pike perch occurs at 4-5 years of age. Pike perch go to spawn in schools, usually of the same age. The duration of spawning for pike perch is 10-20 days. In bad weather, the spawning of pike perch is delayed. The duration of a strong bite after spawning of pike perch is 8-12 days, after which it weakens.
Fishing for pike perch
With the pike perch's grip, which is usually not very sharp and resembles the grip of a pike, it is necessary to make an energetic hook. Pike perch are mostly caught in the bony jaws, less often in the cavity of the mouth, and very rarely swallow the bait. The pike perch does not fight for freedom for long. Usually, at the first moment after hooking, the pike perch reacts violently, spinning in one place, vigorously jerking and shaking its head. If the pike perch is moved from its place, it expresses all its resistance in attempts to rest against the bottom, which it sometimes achieves.
A pike perch brought close to the shore will struggle violently for a short moment. But as soon as the pike perch’s body is at least halfway out of the water, it will immediately calm down. A pike perch taken out of the water onto the shore hardly flinches. A pike perch taken off the hook and placed in the water quickly falls asleep, while one left on the shore falls asleep within a few minutes. Closer to autumn, pike perch on kukan can live for several days. You should remove the pike perch from the hook carefully, avoiding punctures on the sharp rays of the fins and the points of the gill covers.
