Catching perch in winter using a balance beam: tactics, gear, catchable baits

Catching large perch with balance beams in the middle of winter! Deaf winter is a period of low activity of any fish, which is associated with an insufficient amount of oxygen in the water. Perch, like any other fish, moves little and is poorly caught in the middle of winter. But there are fishermen who manage to catch a lot of perch in the dead of winter, and large ones, what is their secret? Let's figure it out.

Perch is caught using jigs, spoons, bloodworms, maggots, and of course, using balancers, which is what our article will be about. The main feature of the balancers is that when lowered to the bottom, they deviate from the vertical axis of the hole, which allows you to fish a larger area. A similar bait, capable of also deflecting and swaying well, is the winter rattlin; you can find out more about it at the link.

Content

Catching perch in winter on a balance beam - tactics, tackle and bait
Catching perch in winter. Where to look for fish?
Catching perch balancers
Fishing technique
Should I use a leash?
Video: Master class on catching perch on a balance beam in winter
How do you catch perch in winter?

In this article, we tried to collect detailed information regarding the tactics of searching for a striped predator. We recommend the best lures and talk about the technique for submitting them correctly. We share valuable advice from experts.

The best balancers for perch fishing: top 10

To choose the right balancer for perch, you should have at least some information about what types of balancers there are, their models and their manufacturers. This is necessary in order to navigate the wide variety of these baits. Among the huge variety there are the most catchy ones. Below are models of catchable balancers for perch.

Working balancers for perch: Fishing with Normund #33

Aqua Jig-2 Trapper

The bait is equipped with a tee No. 10 and can work at a depth of 8 meters. There is a holographic drop on the hook, which makes the bait more attractive. If purchased, you should pay attention to the back hook, which may not be strong, as a result of which it quickly deforms when in contact with ice. You can buy it for about 90 rubles.

Aqua Jig-1 Classic

The cost of this bait is also 90 rubles, but it is a more universal balancer, with a diving depth of up to 5 meters. This bait is suitable for catching perch in both winter and summer. In addition to perch, pike and burbot are caught on this balancer. According to some statements, the bait has one drawback - the tail often breaks.

Nils Master Jigger-2

This is a balancer that successfully catches fish at a depth of up to 14 meters. 7 cm specimens are more suitable for catching perch. The remaining sizes are designed for catching other predatory fish.

Among these models, defective products are possible, therefore, when purchasing, you need to study the bait very carefully. The cost of such a product is 400-450 rubles.

Kuusamo Tasapaino-75

It is a bait from a Finnish manufacturer, which is designed purely for perch fishing. Although many note that burbot also bites on this balancer. Equipped with a tee No. 12. This model costs around 550 rubles.

Salmo Lucky John 6

The balancer is designed for perch fishing and does its job perfectly in December or January. It is not intended for catching large specimens, but it is also interested in other predatory fish, such as pike perch or pike. The rear hook of this model is powerful enough to cope with any task. Can fish at depths of up to 6 meters. Such bait costs about 250-300 rubles.

Salmo Lucky John 5

Designed for fishing at depths of up to 14 meters. Quite often you come across perches up to 1.5 kg in size. In addition to perch, you can also catch other predatory fish with this bait. The approximate cost is in the range of 250-270 rubles.

Karismax Koko 3

The balancer is equipped with a #10 tee, as well as a colored drop. Only high-quality materials were used in production. Can work on both perch and other predatory fish. Working depth – up to 6 meters. The estimated cost is around 800 rubles, which is the only drawback of this model.

Rapala W3

Works well for medium-sized perch, weighing up to 0.7 kg. It works at a depth of about 6 meters. When purchasing, you need to be quite careful, as there are defective products. The bait is valued at 380 rubles.

Rapala W7

This is a winter balancer that is larger in size compared to the Rapala W3. At the same time, the side hooks are smaller. You can buy a similar product for 400 rubles.

Ecotechnology E35 PL

This is a domestic universal type balancer designed for catching perches of any size. In addition to perch, other predatory fish are also interested in them.

Compared to imported samples, this balancer is cheaper and can be purchased for 100 rubles.

Balancers for perch. Search balancers video

Catching perch in winter on a balance beam - tactics, tackle and bait

Fishermen usually divide perch into 2 main subspecies:

Small, “sports”, grassy. It develops very slowly and usually does not grow more than 70-100g. Forms large flocks. It feeds on small invertebrates, worms, and bloodworms.
The deep, humpback, and okovalok are a real predator. Grows in our region for 1.5 kg. Forms not such extensive flocks. The main food is fish fry. This is what we will aim to catch on the balance beam!

Perch fishing is a very dynamic activity because... perch is a schooling and lively fish. If you manage to stumble upon a cluster of fish, then you can completely unwind! The fact is that this striped robber has a very strongly developed food competition reflex, in other words, his greed knows no bounds. He is ready to attack the bait just so that his brother from the pack does not get it. This is what experienced fishermen use.

Catching perch with balance beams is a fun and interesting way of fishing. It is believed that the best time for fishing with these baits is, first of all, the first ice, when the perch is most active. There is an opinion that during the dead winter period, when the striped fish does not have a good appetite, it is better to stir it up with smaller baits: jigs, little devils, “pussies”, etc. A separate detailed article has been written about catching perch with a jig.

According to the last ice, when the fish is preparing for spawning, full of caviar and milk, ichthyologists have the opinion that perch, during this period, has much less desire to attack large baits. But on the first ice you can get ahead of the daring, active perch 100%. But, this is just a theory!

Bait selection

A balancer for perch is selected according to several criteria. The choice depends on the conditions of the upcoming fishing, the size of the expected prey and its activity. The following bait parameters are taken into account:

Size.

It is believed that when catching perch you can follow the following recommendations:

in cloudy weather, at great depths and with high activity of perch - “balances” of bright “acid” colors;
in sunny weather, in shallow water and with low perch activity - lures of natural colors.

If we take the Rapala color palette as an example, the catchy baits among the bright baits will be the colors BYR (popularly “toad”), PRT (“parrot”), CLN (“clown”), and among natural ones – GGR, SSD (popularly “ mouse"), S, G. Almost all perch colors and blue BSR are considered catchable. Form.

The higher the body of the bait, the less sweeping its game. Therefore, it is better to use humpbacked “balances” when fishing in places where there are hooks and when fish activity is low. Narrow run-through “balance sheets” have proven themselves well as “scouts”. But anglers most often use universally shaped lures, like the Rapala Jigging Rap.

Passive predator at depth: natural light colors (silver and gold, light gray)
Active perch at depth: bright and acidic colors, light natural tones (silver, golden, light gray)
Active bass in shallow depths: any shade can be effective.

Catching perch in winter. Where to look for fish?

At the beginning of winter, it is better to look for fish in relatively shallow water, in snags, near the remains of last year’s vegetation. You need to drill holes over a large area, in a checkerboard pattern every 5-7 meters. There is no point in staying on one hole for more than 10 minutes. The main thing is to find the fish and get the first bite! They start the search with small baits, and after the flock has revealed its location, they increase the size in order to catch the real trophy - the largest humpback whale from the flock.

Despite the apparent simplicity of fishing with a balance beam, there are quite a lot of nuances and small secrets. Sometimes the perch has to be “winded up” and rocked. The method is aimed at creating competition in a school of fish. Even a not-hungry perch begins to attack the bait if it sees that its comrades are trying to snatch something from under their noses.

To do this, they select the balancer by size, color and, most importantly, change the game. From sharp tossing in different water levels, pauses of different durations, to short shaking and hovering - “mormyshing”. If the plan works out, then the running “conveyor” will bring a large number of perches.

During the deep winter period, the predator moderates its ardor and becomes more passive. It is becoming increasingly difficult to provoke him to bite. Only on the most favorable days can you count on a good bite. At this time, it moves to deeper sections of the river: river bends, holes with a snagged bottom, boulders, etc. Places where it is comfortable to be protected from the current, in well-oxygenated water. In reservoirs you need to look for perch at large differences in depth, near navels, dumps near islands.

Closer to spring, schools of perch move to the shallows, where the water is more quickly saturated with oxygen from melt water. At this time of year it can be caught in 30 cm depth. Watching how the striped ones try to get ahead and steal your balancer from under each other’s noses!

There is no secret that the basic principles in any winter fishing are to move around a lot, drill, search, experiment more often with baits and methods of placing them.

What should a balancer be like for a perch?

A balancer for perch is selected according to certain criteria that facilitate the purchase of a working tool without practical experiments in its use, which is sometimes difficult to do outside a reservoir. What you should know about the balancer is that it is a winter artificial bait used for vertical trolling.

It is worth noting that this is a horizontal type spinner that resembles a small fish in appearance. As a rule, a winter lure for perch of this type is equipped with two single stationary hooks from the head and tail of the bait. And also a hanging tee in the abdomen area of the simulator in the central part of the body. More often, spoons are made of plastic or metal, covering the material with waterproof paints, highlighting the point of attack. Usually these are holographic eyes of the spinner.

What parameters are used to select a balancer for perch?

When looking to purchase a perch balancer, the fisherman needs to understand what properties the fishing tool has and what to look for first. Among the most important selection criteria are the following parameters that characterize the perch orientation of the product:

weight and dimensions of the simulator;
type of balancer and shape;
coloring and tuning of artificial bait.

In the continuation of the article, we will dwell on the consideration of each selected criterion from a detailed perspective.

Photo of a balancer with a tee without a drop

Catching perch balancers

For catching perch, balancers with a length of 3 to 7 cm are often used. For rivers and currents, choose heavier models; for lakes and the sea, you can get by with more elegant and lighter options. The most common colors are acidic and natural. Both of them should be in every angler’s arsenal. If you have teased the fish and it is active, then by and large, it makes no difference what color your bait is. Perhaps this plays a role when you need to seduce capricious fish. Then the angler changes the size, color and game of the balancer, selecting the key.

If the tee from the factory is not equipped with a bright droplet or red insulation, then it is recommended to do it yourself. It is believed that this provokes the fish and creates an attack point, focusing the fish's attention on the treble.

When biting is active, many fishermen bite off the front or rear hook of the bait, thereby, when fishing, the balancer less often clings to the edge of the ice, preventing annoying slips.

Top 5 manufacturers that have proven themselves in our water area:

Rapala
Lucky John
Strike Pro
Nils Master
Merkuri

In this forum thread, experienced fishermen compare different brands of balancers. Before you run to the store to buy, read the opinion of the masters.

Fishing for perch in shallow water along coastal vegetation

Usually the depth in such places does not exceed 1-1.5 meters and it is not possible to make full wiring with every balancer. In such conditions, it is optimal to use a bait up to a maximum of 5 centimeters in length; in the best case, the figure can be reduced to 4. The main selection criterion will be a smooth game, in which the balancer will maximize the area under the hole and create powerful vibrations to attract perch.

In addition to the striped pike, pike may also be interested in the game, so having a leash is simply necessary. However, you should not abuse the power of the material. Everything should be aesthetically pleasing. A fluorocarbon leash with a diameter of up to 0.3 millimeters, or a store-bought tungsten one will be sufficient.

In order to somehow reduce the number of snags on snags, grass and other obstacles underwater, it is better to remove the lower tee from the balancer. In shallow water, this will not greatly affect the number of effective bites. Predators at shallow depths often attack the bait not from below, but from the side.

The average color of a balancer for perch fishing can be used to indicate the color of a perch. Cannibalism in the world of predatory fish is a completely normal phenomenon. However, it is recommended to have other colors with you. External factors (lighting, surrounding vegetation) can quite seriously change the preferences of a predator.

Tips for fisherman: Flashing perch in winter, how to catch correctly - Features of choice

When fishing in shallow water, you should not clear sludge from the holes. Light penetrating underwater can cause the perch to move away.

It is also better to drill several holes at once. While you are fishing one hole, the fish, frightened by the noise, will calm down at another. And you should behave calmer on the ice. Avoid unnecessary noise.

It’s easier to play snag with a small balancer, creating different wiring options. Its deviation from the axis is often about 20-25 centimeters, which allows it to better avoid obstacles.

Fishing technique

2 years ago we wrote an excellent article in which we not only talked about choosing a balancer, but also described in detail the fishing technique. Therefore, we will not dwell on this point in detail. This article also provides practical advice from experienced professionals from our city. Be sure to check it out before you hit the ice! The most important thing is to remember that it is not the magic balancer that catches, but the fisherman’s arms, legs and head!

But what specific balancers should still be in the arsenal of every striped trophy hunter is discussed here.

What is a balancer

The balancer is a horizontal spoon for vertical fishing. The balancers are made of metal and are shaped like a fish. Fishermen are accustomed to calling them in abbreviated form - “balance”: in the phrase - catch in “balance”, caught in “balance”. In the tail part of the bait there is a tail, which can be plastic, metal or made from a tuft of wool. There is a treble hook suspended on the ventral side, and single hooks on the front and back. On the back side of the “balance” there is a ring for attaching to the fishing line. When animated, “balance” describes characteristic “figure eights” in the water.

Should I use a leash?

There is a lot of debate on the topic - should you use a leash when you hunt for perch? In our opinion, if you are catching perch in a river snag, you should use a small thin leash, because In these characteristic places, in addition to perch, pike are often bitten. It seems to us inappropriate to leave the working balancer in her mouth. The presence of a leash does not have a significant effect on the bite of an active perch. As a last resort, to “sway” a finicky predator, you can remove the leash, and after the flock has become interested in the bait, put it back and continue fishing.

It doesn’t make much sense to put a leash on the OVH. Since we have little pike in the sea, its bites are rare. The main predator is pike perch and perch!

But here everyone chooses for themselves - both with their wallet and their own experience.

Fishing for perch in shallow water along coastal vegetation

When fishing in shallow water, you should not clear sludge from the holes. Light penetrating underwater can cause the perch to move away.

The Rapala balancer is designed for sports anglers. This device is miniature in size and attracts even small perch. The length of the balancer does not exceed 3 centimeters. This type is very easy to use and even a novice fisherman can do it.