Pike fishing tactics from the shore and boat at different times of the year

Every angler has dreamed of catching pike since childhood. For many domestic fishermen, this fish is rightfully considered a symbolic trophy, identifying the skill, ingenuity and luck of its owner. The secrets of pike fishing are not hidden information and most hunters of this predatory fish will be happy to share the nuances of fishing with novice pike fishermen. But real success comes only from the practical component of the process, developed over years of regular trips and experiments with equipment and bait. The popularization of pike fishing is added not only by the wide distribution of this type of fish in our reservoirs, but also by the opportunity to fish throughout the year.

Toothed, compared to other freshwater predators, is active in all seasons of the year and with well-developed tactics, fishing for pike rarely remains zero and without results. New fishing technologies, provided with modern equipment and accessories, are regularly added to the classic and ancient methods of fishing. Modern rod materials and advanced baits make hunting more efficient and productive, but the cornerstone of success remains the knowledge of the fisherman and the experience accumulated by observations and analysis in the behavior of a predator and the relationship of this phenomenon with weather changes, the result of which is a change in fishing conditions. Based on the presented factors, you have to choose the right hunting method and the most suitable bait.

Our material will help you figure out how to properly catch pike in various types of reservoirs throughout the year, select the most promising places for installing rigs, and supply the appropriate bait for catching a trophy. An addition to the main criteria for tactical planning will be coverage of the most famous methods of pike fishing techniques with a description of the structure of the gear used.

Fishing Features

The peculiarities of catching pike consist in taking measures to ensure the safety of the tackle cords from cuts on the sharp teeth of the predator. It is no secret that catching large pike is not only a pleasant and exciting moment, but also a responsible and dangerous undertaking. The fish is powerful, distinctive and unpredictable . In addition, having a mouth with razor-sharp teeth, it can cause serious injuries to a careless and arrogant fisherman.

Important! To ensure the integrity of the cords, regardless of the methods of catching pike, in all cases it is necessary to install leashes made of metal or modern Kevlar analogues of this accessory.

Installation of rigs often takes place in cramped conditions, which are caused by the presence of dense vegetation on the surface of the water area and snags on the bottom. Knowing the natural aggressiveness of the predator and some of its carelessness, the fisherman has the right to complete and assemble rougher but reliable equipment from thick fishing lines and heavy rods. This feature undoubtedly brings success when fishing a trophy from water thickets and snags.

Since pike are found in water areas of different reservoir structures, it is justified and would not be superfluous to have a swimming device that helps more accurately deliver bait to the fishing zones. And rest assured that catching pike from a boat will not frighten the predator at all, but rather, on the contrary, will attract its attention with additional noise and movements. After all, it was noticed more than once that inactive fish began to peck after obvious careless actions of the fisherman, which provoked the curiosity of the catfish and subsequent access to the bait.

Particular attention should be paid to the sharpness of the hooks used in the equipment. A bony mouth pierced with teeth easily prevents hooking with blunt hooks, and even if the lure for pike arouses increased interest among predators, the result will constantly elude with escapes and idle bites. An experienced pike fisher considers the presence of a file in his arsenal to be a necessary auxiliary tool, as well as a yawner with pliers for removing hooks from the mouth of a caught fish.

Lures for large pike

We found out where to look for the large toothy predator. So let's move on. You need to understand how to attract the attention of a trophy individual. There are several options.

You can catch large pike using silicone baits

However, it is important to note that catching large pike is successful only if you choose the right bait. What should it be and what should you pay attention to?

1. Priority is given to large and voluminous baits. The fact is that a decent-sized pike does not waste its energy chasing after every little thing. After all, this is how excess energy is spent. She prefers to stubbornly wait for large prey, after catching which she can easily get enough. Based on all this, you should take baits 15-30 cm long. No less. Otherwise, only one or two kilogram pike will bite.
2. Don't forget about jig baits. Large pike are often caught using silicone. Therefore, you should master and actively use jigs. Lures in the form of twisters and silicone fish remind pike of easily accessible and low-active food, which it rarely refuses. However, we must not forget that “silicone” does not create vibrations or noise. Therefore, jig baits are able to attract a predator only if they fall into his field of vision.
3. Have a couple of vibrators and turntables in your arsenal. Spoons are one of the most popular lures for pike. Including the big one. Therefore, fishing with various spinners and spoons is also promising. Just remember that they must be large. The optimal option is a length of 9-10 cm and above.

   
   Using large jerkbaits is also effective for fishing for large pike

4. Be sure to use unusual baits. After all, adult and large pikes do not hesitate to attack rats, muskrats, and waterfowl. They love to eat frogs and inhabitants of rivers and lakes. Therefore, you should not limit yourself only to baits that resemble fish. Don’t be afraid to use wobblers, twisters and poppers in the shape of a toad, butterfly, crayfish, mouse, etc.
5. If you want to catch a trophy, then fish with live bait. True, such a bait must be noticeable in order to seduce a heavy pike. Therefore, it is better not to use gudgeon, top melting fish, or galyan. The optimal size of live bait is a fish with a length of 10-12 cm. So, small crucian carp, roach, small bream or perch are well suited for this role. Also, some anglers say that large pike can be caught on “their own kind.” Ichthyologists also confirm this. Therefore, when using pike cannibalism, it is permissible to use small “laces” as live bait.
6. Fish with jerkbaits (13-20 cm long). This bait is somewhat reminiscent of wobblers. True, her “game” is specific. Simulates a wounded fish. Jerkbaits are capable of cutting off bites from small pike. This is extremely important when catching trophy specimens.

Spoons can help in catching large pike

Seasonal Fishing Guide

Each pike fishing season in the annual cycle of changing times is characterized by varying degrees of fish activity. This is caused both by changes in weather factors and by the physiology of the fish itself. By comparing the facts that influence fishing conditions, you can find pike in a reservoir and catch it throughout the year. In order to give directions in the development of hunting tactics, we present to the reader a brief guide to seasonal catfish fishing, specifying the main points of influence on the conduct of successful fishing sessions.

In the spring, when the ice cover disappears from the reservoirs, the spawning period begins for the fish. The spawning is preceded by a short-term weekly glutton. It is during this period that pike fishing in the spring is most productive. Pike can be successfully caught using both live bait and artificial bait. Zhor ends with the beginning of the two-week spawning cycle, when the feeding activity of the fish comes to naught. After spawning, the second phase of feeding begins, which will last two weeks and closer to May, the activity of the fish will begin to subside. Fishing for pike in shallow water during this period of time was characterized by particularly frequent bites, but now the predator will begin to move into the thickets, sitting in its summer quarters, and the bite will noticeably weaken.

In summer, pike fishing moves to water areas overgrown with algae. During the hot season, the predator is capricious and goes through grub. After all, the food supply is varied and accessible. There are plenty of fry throughout the reservoir and there is no reason for the fish to migrate. July is the hardest time to get a trophy. Only precisely placed live bait, as fishermen say right under their breath, can guarantee success.

Autumn cooling of water gives predators a signal to prepare for the winter hungry season. The closer to the freeze-up, the more intensely the fish begin to feed. The autumn feeding period of pike is long and can last for months. The summer habitats of pike are abandoned, and the fish disperse in search of prey throughout the reservoir. The time for catching pike in the autumn months is limited only by daylight hours.

Important! Cloudy days with small ripples on the surface of the water are considered ideal weather conditions for pike fishing.

The beginning of winter and the first ice are considered one of the most promising hunting seasons. The surge in activity is associated with changes in the hydrology of the reservoir. The first ice lasts for a week, after which the activity of bites subsides and the season turns into deep winter - a certain lull in pike fishing. Pike bites in the dead of winter are rare and not always effective. Fishing for pike on a river with an oxygen-enriched current is more promising than hunting in stagnant waters.

Important! Thaws can provoke a surge in the activation of fish feeding; strong, persistent frosts, on the contrary, adversely affect the well-being of predators.

The increase in daylight hours in February and the rise in temperatures to positive values ​​brings the fish to the beginning of the preparation phase for the spawning period, and the first thawed patches introduce the fish to the zhor.

Tackle for catching pike in the river

When we go river fishing, we need to focus on the maximum size of the fish we want to catch. The river pike we catch is usually from 1 to 3 kg. Occasionally, crocodiles are caught, but this does not happen often. We will start from this, since unlike lake fishing we will still have to walk. Pike fishing on small rivers has its own characteristics. With a maximum river width of 20 meters, an 8 foot rod will already be too long. I would recommend choosing a 7ft rod with 7-20g cast. The action of this rod is Fast. We'll take a smaller coil. I recommend limiting yourself to models 2500, 2508. We equip them with braided fishing line according to the recommendations on the spool.

Uncoupling

Before we move on to analyzing baits, I want to mention such an irreplaceable thing as a release. When fishing in a small river, it is not necessary, but when fishing on a lake and deep river places it will come in handy. It’s hard for me to say why, but many people forget about such an important fishing accessory. Fishing with expensive wobblers and spinners without unhooking is too wasteful.

There are two types of uncouplings: “breaker” and “hooking”. The first ones hit the bait with their weight and at the moment of impact they detach from the obstacle. They are ineffective when fishing with wobblers; they are suitable for winter fishing, when we fish with balancers and spoons. “Hooking” ones operate on a different principle; they have a dozen metal loops in their design, the task of which is to “catch” a free hook. Almost all wobblers have a pair of tees, which means that you have a much greater chance of hooking it. In the process of releasing the bait using this method, sometimes the tees become unbent, but you must agree that replacing the tee is not replacing the bait. When going fishing, take a cutter. This will save a lot of time and nerves.

Don't believe me? Find a video online. It couldn't be easier to use!

What is the best way to catch pike?

A clearly expressed predator, both in terms of body shape and aggressive behavior, it feeds on purely animal food. The toothy food base is small fish of all types of fish, including its own smaller representatives of the pike breed. During periods of intensive feeding, the victim becomes a waterfowl chick, a small rodent such as a mouse that has fallen into the water, and a frog that has gaped in the attack zone. The small-sized catfish will not disdain the bait with a worm or maggot.

Live and artificial baits are used as bait for catching trophies. It is more convenient to catch pike at depth with artificial baits. These include oscillating and rotating spoons, wobblers of various types of structure and silicone baits. For ice fishing, balancers, vertical spinners and rattlins are used. Fishing for pike in the thickets in summer is promising using poppers, spinnerbaits and unhooked spinners. All of the above artificial baits have various modifications of their structure, have different masses and are painted in a wide range of colors.

Live bait is used as natural bait.

Important! For the most part, live bait is selected based on the composition of the predator’s food supply in the fishing reservoir.

Familiar food does not cause suspicion and increases the number of bites. Crucian carp is considered the classic bait material, but minnows, roaches, loaches, and small carp are also successful. These types of fish are the most tenacious in rigs and are familiar to predators in most of our reservoirs. No less productive in results can be the use of perch, rudd, silver bream and bream as live bait. These fish are not so tenacious, but being the basis of the diet of predators in a particular body of water, they may look preferable to the previously given examples.

Frogs are considered a specific, but in no way occupying a weak position, bait bait. Catching pike in a pond with a high population of this amphibian is a common occurrence for an experienced pike fisherman who knows the intricacies of catching catfish. Bleak, redfish, ruff, minnow and dace are classified as live bait with a low degree of endurance. These types of fish quickly disappear on rigs formed on the fastening of bait material using direct baiting methods on hooks. But the use of this type of live bait material, under certain fishing conditions, is justified using rigs based on attaching fish to hooks using rubber rings.

Where to look for large pike

Large and trophy fish are selective in choosing a place to live and feed. It is unlikely to encounter it at shallow depths. Therefore, you should not try to catch a large pike in shallow water and areas where the distance to the bottom is less than 1.5-2 m. An experienced predator will definitely look for depth, and also:

• pits and whirlpools;
• channel ditches (one of the deepest areas in the river);
• deep creeks;
• places where tributaries flow;
• crevices at the bottom;
• snags;
• sunken trees and logs;
• stones and rocks (for example, bordering vegetation) and many others. etc.

You can only find large pike at depth

At the same time, remember that pike is a loner. Especially the big one. Its presence together with “pencils” and young individuals is rare. She also feeds with them infrequently. Therefore, if the bait is attacked by a small predator, then you should change the place of fishing.

Keep in mind that the chances of meeting a large pike are much higher if you select a large and deep-water area. It doesn't matter if it's a river or a lake. Whereas in a small pond, where the depth generally does not exceed 2-3 m, it is difficult to catch a decent-sized pike. There is a poor food supply and insufficient places to hide or hunt. Therefore, pike grows slowly and rarely reaches a weight of even 4-5 kg.

This means that when trying to find a large specimen, be sure to fish in large bodies of water with a good food supply! Remember also that you can only catch truly trophy pike at great depths. As a rule, these are more than 3-4 m, or even sections with transitions of 5-6 and even 8 m.

Where to catch pike

The extensive range of this species of predatory fish became possible due to its high degree of adaptability to various living conditions. Toothfish can successfully live and reproduce in both standing and flowing waters. This aggressor is not frightened by the frequently changing conditions of the oxygen balance of the reservoir. In addition, fish can inhabit both clean and densely vegetated water areas of reservoirs. But still, to select promising areas of the reservoir, fishermen identified the main criteria that should be guided by when planning fishing sessions.

Important! Pike places are determined by the presence of vegetation in the warm season and by the presence of bottom anomalies during periods when the reservoirs are not yet overgrown with algae.

Thickets of water lilies or lotuses with windows of free space, the adjoining of coastal reed walls to areas of clean water are always included in the field of view of the pike in the summer and autumn months. Areas of the reservoir with smooth changes in depth and the presence of snags, dead wood and artificial, often abandoned building structures at the bottom are also promising areas for pike fishing. Catching pike in the current meets the expectations of the fisherman at the boundaries of flowing and still water, where the predator constantly guards the small fish, tired from fighting the fast stream. Hydrological structures, dams, dams, and bridges attract predators due to the presence of secluded places for ambush hunting. Overhanging crowns of trees that create shading of the water surface are included in the rank of promising places due to the frequent approaches of fish in search of food at these points during the hot period of the year and especially on sunny days.

In winter, when fishing from ice, they focus on reed thickets, because hunting for pike in reeds on first ice is considered one of the most productive methods. In the dead of winter, pike move to the deepest holes in reservoirs, looking for catfish on its edges, where it collects hungry fish that have emerged from wintering holes. And the oxygen reserves in these places allow the fish to feel much better than in the bottom fields of aquatic vegetation in the shallows, rotting from lack of lighting. When the ice melts, the lines along the coastal thawed patches of already free water attract predators following the small things that come out into warmer and oxygenated waters.

Peculiarities of behavior of lake pike

Water in closed reservoirs warms up faster, so it happens that the predator goes to spawn even before the lake is freed from the ice cover. Pike spawning takes place in the coastal zone in places with last year's vegetation.

After spawning, the fish “get sick”, and from mid-April full-fledged lake fishing for pike begins. During this period, the predator occupies shallow water areas and readily responds to minnows, wide-bodied spinners, silicone baits on light jig heads and spinners.

Advice! Many lakes have a spawning ban in the spring. This needs to be clarified in advance so as not to have troubles with representatives of the fisheries department.

In the first half of May, the activity of the spotted beast decreases. Now she behaves non-aggressively, moving through baits, and does not attack any object that comes into her field of vision. The next surge in appetite occurs at the beginning of the summer period.

From June, lake pike switches to a summer feeding regime. Its activity shifts to the morning and evening hours; during the daytime, the number of bites is reduced to a minimum. The exception is on cloudy days with light rain and light wind.

During the summer, pike fishing in lakes is carried out using surface baits - poppers, propbaits and walkers. Fans of twitching achieve good results. You can use rotating spoons, lightly weighted rubber, and subsurface cranks. In heavily overgrown areas, where it is not possible to place classic baits, non-clinging rigs and options such as gliders and the like are relevant.

In the second half of September, the autumn feeding season for pike begins. This is the most favorable time for hunting this underwater inhabitant.

On some days, the fish can grab any bait, and if it misses, it continues to pursue it, making a second attack. If you find yourself in a body of water during such a period, you can catch it very successfully.

Pike fishing in late autumn on the lake is carried out in deep areas. The predator rolls into pits and settles down on dumps. In these places, peaceful fish are concentrated, serving as a food source for the toothy beast, so it follows it.

At the end of autumn, the predator can feed all day. Before the freeze-up, there is a final burst of activity before winter. Pike fishing in November on the lake during this period is carried out in deep places with narrow-bodied weighty spoons, rattlins, deep-sea cranks and jig baits.

On the first ice, the pike emerges from the holes into the nearest shallow water. It often occupies the coastal edge, the upper part of slopes, and local hills. At the beginning of winter, vertical trolling turns out to be productive, although many people prefer fishing with winter live bait gear - zherlits.

By mid-winter, there is less oxygen in the lake, the predator withdraws to the depths and closes its mouth. They catch it with live bait with varying success. During this period, it is advisable to go to rivers or reservoirs, where the oxygen regime is much more favorable and does not affect the behavior of the fish.

At the end of winter, on large lakes where death phenomena are not observed, pike can become more active. Mostly it is caught using live bait. In shallow, enclosed reservoirs, you can’t count on a spotted beast biting.

How to catch pike

A variety of techniques allow production to be carried out in almost any conditions on water bodies. Regardless of the strength of the wind and precipitation, roughness on the surface, the presence of open or ice-covered water, as well as the depth and size of the reservoir or the structural features of its bottom, the fisherman has the opportunity to plan fishing based on the choice of his method. The well-known techniques themselves can be divided into two branches: fishing for pike from the shore and the need to use them for installing and monitoring the installation of a swimming device. For some methods, you will need a fishing rod, with the help of which the rigs are fed into the hunting zone and the trophy is fished out.

Fishing using rods is divided into two methods:

1. spinning;
2. float

To carry out hunting in other ways, devices are used, the combined structures of which are at the same time storage of fishing lines and bite alarms. These areas include floating circles, zherlitsy, winter rates, better known as flags, and kolybakhas. Bottom fishing is carried out using a classic donka, the basis of which is a cord with leashes. Its modification with an elastic band contributes to greater fishing comfort and less noise from the fisherman’s activities in the fishing zones. We will consider the basic methods of catching trophies in more detail, emphasizing the important nuances of technology and equipment of fishing devices.

Spinning fishing

Spinning fishing is one of the youngest and most progressive types of catfish hunting. A specialized fishing rod, called a spinning rod, is equipped with a reel with a main cord to which the bait is tied. For the most part, the spinning method of hunting uses artificial bait in the form of various modifications of spinners, wobblers and silicone fish.

The selection of a spinning rod can be made according to its various performance characteristics, which are influenced by the bait used for hunting, and in particular, its weight and the principle of animation, the depth of the reservoir and the place where the bait is supplied, because for boats it is more convenient to use short forms. The technique of fishing for pike with a selected bait also differs in its method of execution. Twitching, jigging, casting, and trolling methods of presenting bait are fundamental technologies in spinning fishing. Each technique has certain styles of bait, depending on the conditions prevailing during the extraction of the trophy. You can use a spinning rod to catch pike from the shore and from a boat.

Important! In particular, trolling or trolling is only possible from a swimming device.

The very principle of spinning fishing is based on casting bait using a rod and then moving the simulator at different speeds and along different trajectories. The species is dynamic and requires the angler to constantly move, forcing him to look for pike on a river or lake. Spinning is used by anglers during the open water season, from early spring until late autumn. Spinning fishing for pike in troubled waters is very productive. By manipulating bright baits with noise chambers, spinning baits provoke even passive fish in conditions of reduced visibility of spring polluted and melt water.

Live bait fishing rod

Quite a dynamic and interesting way of catching catfish. To a greater extent, its effectiveness is manifested for catching pike on a small river, with a high intensity of overgrowing of the riverbed with underwater and floating vegetation. The summer season is the most favorable time to use this fishing method. Live baits of small fish are used as bait, which are caught directly at the pike fishing site. The basis is a telescopic fishing rod, the size of which allows the fisherman to cast the rig into openings and windows free of vegetation. Live bait is placed in the middle water horizon for five to seven minutes.

If there is no bite during this period of time, the angler moves to another promising place, periodically returning to the old points. They try to make summer rigs more subtle, since the finicky and capricious predator is suspicious of negligence in summer rigs. The float is immersed up to the antenna so that when biting the fish does not feel its weight or resistance at all. Fluorocarbon leaders that are invisible in the water will increase the likelihood of an attack. Single hooks are used, with a long shank, no higher than number eight.

Fishing with mugs

Mugs are hunted using a swimming device.

Important! For fishing, there are two main strategies: when mugs are placed in backwaters with standing water in thickets, and when devices are launched with the flow or with the help of the wind over promising pike anchorage points.

The circle itself consists of a foam or wooden reel and a rod, with the help of which the equipment is installed and the bite is recorded. The method is ideal for catching pike on a lake where there are both clean and promising water areas overgrown with aquatic vegetation. Live bait is caught locally and mounted on double hooks, placed at half-water or forty centimeters from the bottom, subsequently unifying all gear to the horizon in which bites occur more often. The installed gear is constantly monitored, tracking possible bites. They swim up to the created circle carefully, trying not to frighten the fish that took the bait. They collect the loose cord that has been wound out into the boat, and when they feel the heaviness, they make a hook and begin to fish for the caught trophy. Having brought it to the boat, the fish is taken into the landing net and placed on the kukan, lowering it over the side of the boat. Pike are caught in circles throughout the open water season, but the time of autumn catfish feeding is considered the most successful time for hunting.

Zherlitsa

Zherlitsa is the most ancient method of hunting pike. Anglers use similar bait fishing techniques for summer and winter conditions. In open water, using a jig is convenient for catching pike in the grass near the shorelines. The tackle is a reel, mostly a wooden flyer, on which the assembly is wound. The flyer is put into working position by lowering the live bait into the water on a fishing line and attaching the flyer to a natural object in the form of a branch of a bush or tree, a bunch of reeds or reeds above the water. If there is no fastener, install it on the bank of a pole or pole. A piece of fishing line on which the live bait is mounted is clamped into the slot of the flyer.

When a pike grips, the force of the blow causes the line to fall out of the slot and drop freely into the water. The fish, suspecting nothing, swallows the bait and kills itself. The fisherman determines the bite by the cord unrolled into the water. The winter bet or flag bet works on a similar principle. Only instead of a flyer they use an inertial reel, and the bite indicator is a bright flag thrown out when the fishing line is pulled from the reel. Winter pike hunting with flags is rightfully considered one of the most spectacular ways of catching catfish. Classic girders are effective in the summer and especially on overgrown reservoirs. Flag rates apply throughout the freeze-up period.

Lures for catching pike in the river

Pike fishing on small rivers is a more dynamic activity than fishing in a lake. On the river we can always visually determine where fish stay. A fast river fills the water with oxygen, which has a positive effect on the behavior of fish.

For river fishing, we have certain favorites - wobblers. Having spent more than one day fishing and testing hundreds of baits every year, I have developed a certain list.

Let's list:

1. DUO Spearhead ryuki 80S
2. Megabass X-80 Trick Darter (sp)
3. Fishy Cat TomCat 80 SP-SR
4. Megabass Live-X Leviathan (sp)
5. Lucky Craft Bevy Shad (sp)
6. Jackall DD Squirrel 79 (f)

Please note that all wobblers are either suspended or sinking. When entering the water, the bait must immediately occupy the desired water horizon, otherwise it will be carried away by the fast current and we will not fish the area we need. I use the DUO wobbler in whirlpools. It sinks quickly, and the bite occurs precisely at the moment the wobbler falls.

I do not insist that only these wobblers will work; you can choose similar ones in parameters and sizes - they will probably shoot.

The second most popular bait is the spinner. Regular spinner No. 3 Mepps Comet Black Fury. No matter in whose hands this spoon is, the result is excellent. Sometimes you may not have wobblers, but you need to take such a spoon.

Silicone also works. The same silicone that we used in the lake on the same rig. Sometimes in the middle of summer a pike hides in the grass and stands there. Our silicone bait will help you catch it in the thickets.

Necessary equipment for pike fishing

Finishing the story about pike fishing, I would like to mention the much-needed things for fishing, which we cannot do without.
And which make life much easier. Take with you:

• yawner and extractor. It can be very difficult to pull out a double or tee that is stuck in the depths of the mouth.
• Sunglasses
• Uncoupling
• Navigator. If you find yourself on a sandbank in the middle of a huge lake, it is best to mark such a place

For novice anglers, we have prepared a number of tips that will help you complete your fishing arsenal.
In general, remember, for successful fishing you need a good mood and desire. The rest will come!

We are waiting for your visit. Come!

Read further about the inhabitants of our reservoirs: chub, ide, grayling, perch.

How to catch a big pike

You can get a significant trophy even despite the size of the reservoir. In a small pond with a large food supply, the predator can grow to a significant size, exceeding five kilograms and dominate over the rest of the fish in the reservoir, keeping them in constant fear.

When planning to catch a large pike, you should take care of the reliability of the gear and, first of all, install extended leashes exceeding a length of 30 cm, which is difficult for even a massive-sized fish to bite through. The fishing time is chosen at the beginning of dawn. It is early in the morning that large fish are the first to go around their territories in search of food. The larger the pike specimen, the more wary the fish and suspicious of careless installation, twisted leads and massive weights, the use of which is excluded from the equipment. Large live baits are used as bait for trophy fish. In particular, a five-kilogram pike will easily catch a two-hundred-gram crucian carp.

Artificial baits should also vary in size. Silicone vibrotails 15–20 cm long should not confuse the fisherman, and wobblers of the same proportions will be tough for a trophy specimen. The best way to catch trophy pike is considered to be trolling in channel holes on large rivers.

The main methods of catching pike on the lake

You can hunt for pike on lakes using different gear. The main ones are:

• spinning;
• mugs.

Spinning fishing can be done from the shore or boat. They fish with mugs only with the help of watercraft, placing them at promising points. Both options are effective, but are very different and have their own characteristics.

Spinning

Today there are many who like to fish for pike using artificial bait. On lakes it is caught with different models of spinners and wobblers. The most common are:

• back-loaded rotating spoons;
• wobblers;
• oscillating spoons.

Turntables are used with wide petals that have a rotation angle of about 60 degrees. They can be carried out as slowly as possible in the place of potential pike parking. The spinner should work on the verge of failure, then it will be most effective and will be able to seduce even a sluggish predator.

Photo 3. Pinwheel with a wide petal.

Wobblers can be anything. The most popular are minnows. They should be driven with a jerky animation, giving the bait an attractive action that imitates a wounded or fleeing small fish. Cranks and shad are not as effective, but they are much easier to fish with. Topwaterers traditionally work in the upper horizons in summer.

Advice! The size of baits should be selected based on the potential weight of the predator inhabiting a particular body of water.

Wide-bodied vibrators are used. They have a wide game and are most productive in still water. Such spoons can be cast super-slowly, forcing them to remain in the pike’s field of vision for a long time, prompting the toothy predator to grab.

In Russia

The record holder in the vastness of our Motherland was a beauty from Lake Uvilda, which is located in the Chelyabinsk region. How much did the largest pike in Russia weigh? The giant pulled as much as 56 kilograms. And its length just slightly exceeded the meter mark, but this was enough for a very impressive photo of the fisherman.

You can easily catch a giant pike if you know the details of its behavior.

The north of Russia is generally famous for trophy fishing. On lakes Ilmen and Ladoga we often caught monsters whose weight exceeded 30 kg and length - 1 meter. So, in Karelia, not far from the town of Sortavala, an old pike was caught that had fattened up to almost 50 kg. She was caught using the most ordinary spinning rod. Or rather, first they caught her smaller relative, weighing exactly 10 times less. And this five-kilogram “little beetle” caught a record-breaking fish, the photo of which went viral on the Internet.

Several factors help predators from northern waters reach such outstanding sizes. The first secret is that the crystal clear waters have a lot of food for pike - herbivorous fish and crustaceans. The second point is that there are few, and sometimes even no, competitors for the toothy one; it stands at the top of the food chain. And the third component is that since these places are quite remote and sparsely populated, the fish population does not suffer too much from mass fishing.

Although, large specimens can also be found in the south of the country - in the Volga delta in the Astrakhan region, industrial pike fishing is carried out. But it is precisely because of this that the maximum trophy you can count on when fishing is a predator weighing 10-15 kilograms. This is very good - and excellent photos can be posted on social networks, and pickles can be prepared for the whole family or a large company. And if you also come across a female with eggs, it’s generally just a royal gift.

We told you where to go for a large pike, so no tail, no scales for everyone who dreams of fishing for a toothy trophy.