Peculiarities of behavior and nutrition of the predator in the summer
May has ended and with it the period of post-spawning pike feeding.
The predator ate and moderated her appetite. During the summer, periods of gluttony can also occur, but they are closely related to weather conditions. It should be understood that in summer the main factors influencing the pike bite are water temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind and precipitation. If changes in atmospheric pressure can directly affect the behavior of pike, then water temperature usually acts indirectly. High temperatures combined with calm weather lead to a decrease in the concentration of oxygen dissolved in water, which has a depressing effect on pike.
Expert opinion
Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich
Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.
It is believed that in summer pike prefers to hunt small fish. Based on this, baits are selected.
June
Although there is still a saying among fishermen: “When June comes, don’t give a damn about the fish,” in most regions of the country you can count on a stable pike bite.
In June, pike can be evenly distributed throughout the entire reservoir. Depending on the angler’s preferences, the predator can be caught in shallow water, in the grass, and in the depths using a jig.
July
The further south the region is, the hotter the weather there in July.
Therefore, where the air temperature reaches +40 degrees, pike can leave shallow water and move to depths. At the same time, pike almost never leave the “toad beds”, although its bite is greatly influenced by weather conditions.
In July, small baits are also a priority. In some reservoirs, pike stop responding to artificial baits, although they continue to bite regularly on live bait.
August
In August, autumnal traits begin to appear in the behavior of pike. She is more willing to bite on large baits and begins to periodically emerge from the depths into shallow water.
Pike fishing in early summer
The activity of pike in June depends on the fishing region: for example, in the south the water column at this time is already warming up quite significantly and the fish are leaving the surface layers, and in regions of temperate climate, where there are not so many hot days, this predator is just finishing up their spawning and the period of active feeding begins.
Just this week and a half, you can get a wonderful pike catch and a lot of positive emotions from good fishing. Experienced fishermen living in the middle zone focus on the first week of June when going fishing for pike. They also noticed that cold snaps often occur in June, and the day or two preceding them is also an excellent time to go after this beauty.
Also, important criteria for successful pike fishing in early summer are a variety of types of bait and a well-chosen location; In addition, you must remember to bring with you a positive infusion and patience.
What gear do you need?
Spinning
Spinning is the main gear for catching pike in the summer. The power, length and action of the spinning rod are selected based on the fishing conditions.
Fishing from a boat may be more promising. The banks are often overgrown with impenetrable grass as tall as a person, and approaching the shore can be difficult. On a boat, you can always find an interesting place for fishing in any body of water - be it on a large river or in a “toad spot”.
Mugs
Mugs are an effective tackle for catching pike. Places with uniform depths and no snags are suitable for fishing with circles.
Zherlitsy
Zherlitsy are not as popular in summer as in winter:
- firstly, you have to cut out stakes, which can be difficult to stick into a hard bottom;
- secondly, in the summer it is more difficult to preserve live bait.
However, even in the summer there are fans of fishing with girders, both installed in the coastal zone and anchored at depth.
Donkey
Fishing with donkeys in summer can be effective if you throw the equipment into pools and holes. You can fish both with simple donks with a reel, and with tackle with a rod and reel.
Float
Float tackle for catching pike in summer should be powerful , i.e. include a large rod, a reel and a large, easily visible float. You can fish with float tackle both in still waters and in the current.
Trolling
Fishing for pike by trolling in the summer can be very productive, since the predator, especially the large one, often stays at considerable depths in the summer. When hunting for large pike, you can use large baits and tackle with multiplier reels.
Expert opinion
Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich
Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.
Any equipment for pike must end with a leash. Materials that can withstand pike teeth are metal and thick fluorocarbon.
Methods for catching pike in summer
In this matter, avid fishermen do not have any special restrictions, so they use a whole variety of methods for catching pike in the summer of this capricious beauty in the summer season:
- fishing rods with floats,
- girders,
- spinning,
- mugs,
- trolling.
- Float gear.
This method is best used if you go after pike to bodies of water where the current is not very developed: ponds, calm rivers, lakes, reservoirs.
The most convenient and suitable option would be a long rod (5 -6 m), with a flexible and durable tip. A reel of 2500 and a fishing line from 0.3 mm, as well as any float and hook (you can use any - double, triple, single) - from five to ten and a leash (preferably metal), a sinker.
Zherlitsy
This method of catching pike in the summer is loved by anglers for its economy - you can make it right on the shore. To do this, you will need an improvised slingshot made from a branch (the kind you made in childhood), its horns should be approximately 12 - 15 cm long. After this, it must be thoroughly cleaned of knots and bark, one of the horns must be slightly split.
The slingshot is equipped with a thick fishing line or cord - they are tied to the short end with a recess pre-cut in it, making short and long (8-12 m) ends. The long end must be wound in a figure eight around the horns of the slingshot and secured so that the fishing line does not slip. A weight is attached to it (from 5 to 20 g, depending on the current) and a leash with a hook.
Before fishing begins, the girder is securely fixed on the shore or in the bushes, after which live bait is placed so that it is about 50 cm from the bottom of the reservoir. Pike likes to peck at the girder early in the morning, and in the summer also at night.
Spinning
Perhaps the most popular tackle. The choice of spinning rod for hunting this predator depends on where you will be casting from - from the shore or from a boat. If from the shore, then it is better to purchase a long spinning rod for good casting correction, and if from a watercraft, then for convenience it is better to take a short length.
Mugs
For this method of catching pike in the summer, it is better to choose lakes, ponds or calm rivers with a flat, good bottom and decent depth. In addition, this method involves casting circles from a boat in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 5 - 6 m from each other. so that when diving it is 30 - 50 cm above the bottom.
When a predator attacks the bait, the circles turn over - after which all that remains is to swim to the place of the bite, hook and get your trophy.
Trolling
The trolling method is moving bait using a spinning rod from a moving boat. This method is best used from a motor boat. It is used mainly for fishing large ponds, lakes, and rivers. For such fishing you need to purchase a special spinning rod.
And if you are planning to fish a small reservoir, then you can use a regular spinning rod with a weight of up to 50 grams. Any fishing line and reel can be used; the main thing is that the reel is at least 3000, and the line can withstand a break of up to 9 kg. Fishermen release baits in this way in different ways: the maximum here is up to 40 m.
Lures: what is better to fish with?
For pike fishing today, an angler can choose what, in his opinion, will correspond to the mood of the predator and the fishing conditions. The choice is limited mainly by financial capabilities, and in the provinces also by the range of fishing products in stores.
Artificial
Spinners
Many anglers began their acquaintance with pike fishing with spinners, although those who fished at a time when spinning reels were not available used spoons as their first baits.
You should choose a spinner for pike based on the fishing conditions:
- So, for fishing in the current, baits with a heavy core and a petal like Aglia Long are suitable. It is better to fish at depths greater than 3 meters with the same spinners.
- In reservoirs where there is no current, you can also fish with spinners with a regular core and Aglia and Komet petals.
- For fishing in the water layer above thickets of vegetation, unloaded spinners like Mepps Lusox are effective.
- If you have to catch pike with a jig, then front-loaded spinners can replace silicone. True, they are too prone to snags.
For pike fishing, spoons No. 3-No. 5 are mainly used.
Hesitating
For fishing in shallow water, fairly wide, light spoons are used; for deep and current fishing, narrow and heavy ones are used. Some spoons catch fish not only on a uniform, but also on a stepped retrieve.
For fishing in the grass, non-hooking spoons are used. Spoons can be equipped with various devices to protect against snags, namely:
- single wire;
- two wire mustaches;
- wire loop.
Expert opinion
Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich
Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.
You can attach a twister: single-tailed or double-tailed to a single unhooked hook. This improves the performance of the spinner and allows it to play attractively on the fall.
Wobblers
Wobblers have long been the favorite bait for many anglers. Since the advent of wobblers for jerking and twitching has become available, their popularity has grown even more.
Wobblers for pike fishing are divided into those that do not require any effort from the angler - they can simply be cast and dragged at one speed or another, since they have a pronounced game of their own. Such wobblers include all cranks and almost all shad-shaped lures.
Many minnow-shaped wobblers require jerking, with periodic pauses. Mastering twitch fishing is not so easy and requires specialized gear.
Wobblers vary in degree of buoyancy. The following options exist:
- floating wobblers;
- sinking wobblers;
- wobblers with neutral buoyancy or suspenders.
There are also intermediate options - slowly floating and weakly sinking wobblers.
In addition, wobblers differ in the degree of depth, which depends on the size of the nose blade of the bait and on the angle at which it is located in relation to its body.
Expert opinion
Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich
Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.
The size of wobblers for pike fishing starts from 60 mm. The largest ones are 150 mm long. Wobblers that have their own game can be successfully used not only for casting fishing, but also for trolling.
Topwaters
Topwaters are floating baits that move along the surface of the water. Poppers, walkers, crawlers and torpedoes are used in clear spaces. Among the grass, the Croatian Egg popper-like bait and various frogs are effective. True, the percentage of bites sold when fishing with the latter is very low.
Silicone
Silicone lures when fishing for pike can be used as follows:
- As a bait on a jig rig.
- As a bait on a spaced rig. Of the “spaced out” rigs when fishing for pike, the most effective can be considered the Texas rig, used when fishing in snags and grass.
- As a bait on an offset hook (including a loaded one) when fishing in “toad beds”.
- As a bait on a weki rig when fishing in grass windows.
Silicone baits for pike fishing are twisters and vibrotails, less often worms and creatures. The size of lures depends on the activity of the pike and its size and can range from 2 to 8 inches.
Rattlins
Rattlins often replace jig baits, increasing fishing efficiency. To catch pike, you should use noisy baits, i.e. namely rattlins (rattlin' – rattle), and not silent VIBs.
Artificial flies
For pike fishing, craftsmen make special large pike flies , often with wire protection against snagging. Flies can be fished with fly fishing or spinning using a bombard or a retractable leash.
Spinnerbaits
Spinnerbaits were invented for bass fishing, but it turns out that our pike are extremely partial to them. Spinnerbaits are used for fishing in thickets of grass, since they are considered non-snagging, although no wire protection is provided. It is best to use spinnerbaits when fishing among sparse thickets:
- reed;
- reeds;
- horsetail, etc.
Natural
Natural bait for pike fishing is usually live bait. The following fish are used as live bait:
- crucian carp;
- perch;
- roach;
- silver bream;
- dace;
- gudgeon;
- loach etc.
Expert opinion
Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich
Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.
Pike bite better on live bait caught in the body of water in which it is caught. If you bring live bait with you, then they must belong to the type of fish that lives in this reservoir. On the other hand, crucian carp is considered a universal bait fish, even if it is not a resident of the reservoir in which pike is caught.
Fishing spots
Rivers
Small
In small rivers, pike can live anywhere. The most attractive are river bends, whirlpools and areas under overhanging tree crowns, as well as places next to flooded snags.
Large
On large rivers, typical pike sites are the following:
- pits;
- exits from pits and entrances to them;
- channel edges;
- places with reverse flow;
- entrances to and exits from the riffle, and where the current loses its strength.
In addition to the indicated places where the main fishing method is jig, pike can be caught near coastal thickets, in various:
- backwaters;
- estuaries;
- spills.
Stagnant bodies of water
- Lakes . In large lakes, except for the coastal zone overgrown with grass, pike can most likely live on rocky banks and in holes. In small lakes, pike can be caught anywhere.
- Ponds . Since ponds usually do not have a pronounced relief, you can methodically fish the water area, changing baits in accordance with changing conditions.
- Reservoirs . Reservoirs almost always contain snags, in which you should try to catch pike. Areas near the main channel can also be promising for pike fishing.
Weather and daily biting patterns
Pike has a negative attitude towards fluctuations in atmospheric pressure.
With stable pressure, the pike bites well, no matter whether the weather outside is cloudy or the sun is shining brightly. Sharp cold snaps can reduce the pike bite to nothing. The best conditions for fishing are considered to be moderately warm, cloudy weather with little wind and occasional drizzle. Fog is contraindicated for pike fishing. Before and after a thunderstorm, outbreaks of predator activity may occur.
In clear weather, it is better to catch pike in the morning and evening , and in cloudy weather, also during the day. At night, pike do not bite on active gear, but sometimes they catch it on passive gear such as girders and donks.
Expert opinion
Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich
Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.
Pike are characterized by short-term bursts of activity, the so-called “exits.” They are not as clearly expressed as in pike perch and perch, but in some reservoirs you can fish for hours at a time.
Tactics and technique: how to catch good prey?
From the shore
The tactics for catching pike from the shore is to search for promising places and select the right baits. Moving along the shore of a reservoir, the fisherman pays attention to everything that may indicate the presence of pike. Indirect signs of this are:
- a sharp drop into depth;
- steep bank;
- a sharp turn in the river bed;
- driftwood sticking out of the water;
- accumulations of aquatic plants located near the shore.
If bursts of a hunting predator are observed, then any doubts about its presence can be cast aside.
The fishing technique depends on the chosen method:
- sometimes it makes sense to methodically fish one area, periodically changing the bait;
- in another case, it is much more effective to move around without staying in one place for a long time.
From the boat
When fishing at depth, an echo sounder can be a great help. With its help, they search for areas that are promising for fishing. At depths they are more often caught using jigs.
Visual observation is important for fishing the coastal zone. Various vegetation can be a refuge for a predator. Anglers should be aware that pike have a positive attitude towards some plant species, while avoiding others. Therefore, knowledge of the basics of botany is welcome.
Lures for catching pike in summer
For the most common type of pike fishing in the summer using a spinning rod, most fishermen choose bait depending on their own preferences and experience in this type of fishing.
It can be:
- wobblers,
- poppers,
- vibrators,
- twisters,
- walkers,
- turntables
and many other inventions of bait manufacturers.
For example, spinners or spinners have been tested by the experience of our fathers and grandfathers - fishermen, so there is no doubt about their effectiveness. The main thing when using them is to choose the optimal area for fishing - without snags and plants in which the bait can get stuck.
For catching pike in the summer, it is better to choose small-sized spoons (1 or 2) and calculate the speed of the retrieve, because these baits tend to increase the rotation speed when retrieved quickly.
But silicone twisters or vibrating tails have gained popularity among fishermen quite recently - beginners like to use them in this type of recreation. What is especially convenient is that such bait can be used in seaweed (and this is a frequent hunting ground for pike) and, therefore, increases the likelihood of catching a trophy.
Very similar to live fish, wobblers rarely leave pike indifferent if it notices such bait. For summer, it is better to choose proppers or stickbaits from surface wobblers; and for large predators it is worth purchasing jerkbaits. When choosing these types of baits, you need to pay attention to the color and depth characteristics - these are also important factors for an excellent catch.
