How to properly catch pike perch in winter using balance beams

In winter, many fishermen prefer “passive” fishing - a striking example is the well-known girder. There are also people who prefer “active” methods such as jigs, spinners, rattlins, and catching pike perch in winter using a balance beam is no exception. In the article we will tell you how to choose the right bait for pike perch, according to what criteria, and present the TOP of the best products from different manufacturers. We will also talk about choosing a place, at what time our predator is most active, how to collect tackle and equipment, and also talk about fishing techniques.

How to choose bait

Balancers are a bait equipped with two built-in single hooks in the tail and head area. Outwardly, it resembles a small fish, painted in a variety of colors, and has a tee hanging on its abdomen. This bait is designed for catching predatory fish, including pike perch. The balancer may have a special blade in the tail part - a fin, which is needed for the bait to “play” in the water column, imitating a sluggish fry.

Unlike winter wobblers (rattlins or vibs), the product is heavier, since a quick dive to the bottom is important here. Yes, such baits are designed for catching active predators, when they are literally ready to grab everything they see in the water column.

The balancer for pike perch is selected according to three criteria:

• colors;
• mass (or specific gravity);
• size and shape;
• plumage (presence, absence of blade).

The most interesting, of course, is the last one, but we will talk about each criterion. Be sure to look at the hooks - they must be very sharp so that the bait can pierce the tissues of the predator’s oral cavity.

Balancer color

The catchable colors are the same as for perch, these are red, yellow, and blue. At great depths, the predator sees rather poorly - there it focuses on the lateral line, sensing even micro-oscillations well. In this case, experienced fishermen advise hooking baits whose colors resemble those of ordinary local fish. Silver, golden. At night, they use bright winter balancers for pike perch, made in “poisonous” colors.

There are also so-called “phosphorus” models that can glow in the dark. By the way, a striking example is the products from the Spider company, the manufacturer presented a whole line, there are many colors of balancers, and among the ordinary products there are about five luminous baits.

Specific gravity

One of the common mistakes of novice fishermen is the incorrect selection of bait based on its weight. A strong current can “throw away” the balancer from the working horizon, which will ruin the whole “game”. Therefore, a knowledgeable person always focuses on the fishing conditions, this is both the current itself and the depth.

In general, in the arsenal of fans of winter fishing for predators there should be several products from 12 to 20 grams, but for areas with a strong stream, balancers weighing from 20 g are taken. In the current, a heavy balancer will retain the “game” and will not go anywhere from the working horizon.

Size and shape

Here the fisherman is guided by the body size of the expected catch. The size of the balancer for pike perch should vary between 5-12 cm, and you should know that lures 10-12 cm long are intended for catching trophy predators.

As for the shape of the product, pike perch feeds only on narrow-bodied fish, since the biological structure of the pharynx does not allow it to swallow either bream or crucian carp. Therefore, before choosing a balancer, focus on the oblong shape, reminiscent of bleak, gudgeon, loach.

Plumage

In total, there are three categories of baits for ice fishing according to the type of plumage:

• blade products;
• models with fluffy feathers;
• combined baits.

Models with plastic blades create original animation, which often attracts our predator - lures with a wing work well on the first and last ice, when pike perch are most active.

Bladeless balancers are equipped with fluffy “feathers” (fur or hard threads); such baits are designed for a less active predator and have a low-amplitude “game”. In general, this is a catchable balancer for deep winter conditions.

Combined balancers for pike perch in winter have also appeared on the fishing market - they combine a plastic blade and a tail made of thread or wool. Surprisingly: these lures were developed for catching perch, but “something went wrong”, and the combined models turned out to work quite well for pike perch!

Lure size

The recommended size of the balancer for pike perch is 7–10 cm. To catch bersh, use baits 4–6 cm long, because this smaller fish and a large balancer will not attract its attention.

When catching bersh with small baits, the by-catch often contains the ubiquitous perch, and it is unlikely to be caught. But who would refuse additional fish like perch as by-catch, even if the hunt is purposefully conducted for bersha. Trophy pike perch also does not disdain small baits, but there is a problem, because due to their size they sink more slowly (especially in the current). On a fine, clear day, pike perch rises to the surface of the water while hunting, and in such conditions it is more effective to catch it with balance beams 4–5 cm long.

When conducting targeted fishing for trophy pike perch at a depth of 6–8 meters or more, use only large baits that can quickly reach the bottom. During the dive, a light balance beam will become prey for a small predator like a perch, and the set goal will not be achieved.

Rating of the best balancers for pike perch

Balancers were invented relatively recently and, in general, domestic fishermen were skeptical about them for quite a long time, not parting with traditional spoons. Fortunately, the bait showed itself well on our reservoirs; more and more people began to buy it, which made it possible to analyze reviews and compile ratings of the best models.

So, TOP 10 balancers from different manufacturers, let’s start from the last place - it’s even more interesting:

• “Usami Dansa Zander Special” – a line of models from a manufacturer from Japan! This bait is capable of performing a figure eight and is suitable for catching predators at great depths with intense currents. Length – 75mm;
• The Taiwanese “Strike Pro Strike Ice 50” will not leave a chance for even the laziest pike perch and not only him - these lures also work on perch. The Chinese managed to create a model with a special way of “playing” with touching the bottom! The “50” in the name refers to the length of the bait;
• in eighth place was a balancer from Russia, this is the fairly famous (and affordable) “Aqua Hopper”! Fishermen say that the balancer is capable of provoking a low-active predator, although it works at depths of no more than 3 m;
• “Nils Master Jigger 1.5” from Finland won 7th place as the most reliable model and became popular all over the world! I would give it the title of the most universal balancer, because it works on zander, pike, and perch. The bait is even used at sea;
• “Lucky John Pliant” – made in China, developed in Latvia. Excellent lures for passive predators, suitable for both beginners and true professionals! It is noted that it is this model that often “pulls out” trophy individuals;
• 5th place again goes to the Finns, “Nils-Master ROTINKAINEN” with the possibility of vertical wiring. This is the best balancer for catching snags;
• “Kuusamo Tasapaino X-Pro” takes 4th place, corrugated body, natural “game”, successful colors - this is how a catchy balancer appeared, which is suitable for both currents and calm waters. Yes, it's the Finns again;
• The bronze medalist was a model from the States. “Scorana Ice Crystal Mark2 80”, however, is produced in China. The balancer was perfect for vertical fishing and even became popular among sport fishermen;
• "LJ Pro Series Mebaru" "received silver" as the best trophy hunter. Very stable game, you can choose the depth (holes on the fin). It is noted that the pike is very fond of this balancer;
• “Rapala Jigging Rap” is the first place, according to Russian fishermen. An amazing game, a passive predator can’t resist, it’s worth paying attention to the 5 cm long model. So the rating of balancers ends with a Finnish development, however, this bait is produced in Estonia.

In general, over all these years, so many balancers have been produced for winter fishing for pike perch and other fish that it is impossible to count! It is absolutely not necessary to purchase only “top” models - you never know, and the cheapest product can turn out to be quite catchy and bring decent catch.

Advantage of the balancer

My partner and I discovered one advantage of the balancer, which more than outweighs all the disadvantages of this bait. This advantage, of course, is quite controversial and “slippery”, but was deduced on the basis of our diary entries, recording all the nuances of zander lures: the balancer very often causes the grip of a passive pike perch faster than a vertical spoon.

Using numbers arbitrarily, one can draw the following parallels. If the balancer causes a grip on the fifth or tenth cycle of the game, then the vertical in the same conditions only on the eighth or thirteenth. How important this is when actively searching for sluggish fish settling in their sites can be easily calculated, knowing the number of hours of a short winter day and the number of holes required for a successful search.

But in recent winters, pike perch have been sluggish for most of the season due to extremely unstable weather. This winter, the fish quite rarely came to their crowning places of fat: exits from pits, edges of the riverbed in reservoirs and underwater mounds. Usually they found fish in completely different areas: fairly flat plateaus with depths of 5-7 m. However, upon detailed study of the bottom in such areas, they discovered that bites on such plateaus were near certain “anomalies”: a small groove-depression, a single writhe or poorly readable pit.

But pit is a strong word. It’s just that on a plateau with depths of 5.5-6 m there was a vast, insignificant oval depression of the bottom up to a maximum of 6.5 m. And the bottom of this depression was completely flat. In such areas, only one pike perch was taken from a fishing hole, very rarely two.

Maybe the pike perch was simply flying across the plateau for small change and our paths accidentally crossed? It’s unlikely, because almost all the raised fish were covered with leeches, which indicates that the pike perch was defending itself. I had to look for fish in all directions, and rather haphazardly, knocking out pike perch with the number of holes drilled.

Read! Choosing fishing line for winter fishing

Fishing time

Although pike perch is a relative of perch, its lifestyle is significantly different from its counterpart. The best time for fishing here is at night. During the day, the toothy one stands in its hiding places, and even if it sees a bait that is too far from it, it will not attack. During daylight hours, fishermen manage to catch the predator by getting close to its mooring site.

Fishing at night is excellent because now the pike perch is ready to attack from afar! The “working” area of ​​1 hole expands several times. The predator is most active during the first ice and last ice, and in the dead of winter its activity decreases significantly. So, before catching pike perch on a balance beam in winter, you need to either clearly know where it is, or organize a night trip.

Gear selection

Despite the apparent simplicity of the tackle for pike perch fishing on balance beams, certain requirements are imposed on it:

• hard fishing rod;
• sensitive nod;
• inconspicuous but strong fishing line;
• lightweight reel with extra line;
• absence of swivels, fasteners and other unnecessary parts.

Unlike a balance fishing rod for perch, for catching pike perch, choose a durable fishing rod with a hard whip . This perch bites gently and timidly, and to see such a bite, you need a highly sensitive nod. With pike perch, everything is simpler; its bites are confident and powerful, even with inactive bites. On the other hand, catching trophy fish happens often and the angler’s equipment (in particular the fishing rod) must be reliable in order to confidently lift fish weighing 3–5 kg or more from the hole.

It’s very disappointing when a qualifying trophy is caught on the balance beam, but the strength and rigidity of the fishing rod’s blank is not enough to cope with the prey and offensive failures occur. When fishing for a trophy, you have to let out the fishing line and its supply should be enough to tire the fish. A standard reel with a line 50 meters long on a light inertial reel is quite enough.

The diameter of the fishing line is selected depending on:

• bait weight;
• water transparency;
• the presence of a current in the reservoir that creates additional resistance.

Thin transparent fishing lines are hardly noticeable, but their strength should be enough to catch large fish. The recommended diameter is 0-18-0.22, and let’s say, “Ovner” winter fishing lines are perfect for the task. The use of fluorocarbon lines, which are practically invisible in water, is also justified, but their strength is lower than that of monofilament. Braided lines are not used on winter gear for catching pike perch.

The balancers must be tied directly to the fishing line without swivels or fasteners . Excessive metal elements of the equipment create problems when fishing, and no one needs hooks, especially if this causes the fish to break off.

Tying the bait directly to the main line creates difficulties when changing the balancer, but acquiring tying skills will help solve this problem.

Tackle for fishing with balance beams should be simple and reliable, then fishing will be more convenient.

Like perch gear, pike perch gear is also tied without a leash. This is an extra element that interferes with the execution of catchy postings. The pike perch will not be able to cut the fishing line with its teeth, and a balancer is tied to the leash only when fishing for pike.

This does not mean that using leashes or swivels with fasteners when fishing with a balancer for pike perch is prohibited, but they reduce the catchability of the gear.

Fishing places

You also need to remember that our predator cannot stand areas with a muddy bottom, and it is simply useless to look for it in stagnant waters. By the way, with the help of a balancer you can easily check the presence of silt on the bottom surface, by looking at the particles of dirt that remain on the bait.

Pike perch loves the following places:

• snags, flooded trees and even buildings. There are also sunken ships here;
• rock dumps and generally areas with a rocky or sandy bottom;
• deep shell rocks;
• pits and “nickels” (aka “tables”) are hills in the middle of lowlands;
• eyebrows.

It would be a good idea to take with you an echo sounder that can show not only the terrain, but also the fish - this way you can easily determine the exact location of the pike perch if, for example, you are going to catch it during the day.

Tackle, equipment

As for tackle and rigging, here we focus on strength, because pike perch is not only aggressive and greedy (the larger, the bolder), but also quite strong. What do we need:

• rod The fishing rod for the balancer should be of high quality, reliable, the length of the form is 70-100 cm, although there are amateurs who use simple winter fishing rods for jigs. It's up to you, but strength is the main thing;
• reel – the presence of a friction function is required;
• The fishing line is only monofilament, since braided analogues do not withstand frost well. A thickness of 0.25-0.3 mm is quite enough. We take the model for winter fishing;
• Think for yourself about the leash, you can tie the balancer to the main fishing line, but if a pike attacks, it will easily fray the thread. I would recommend adding a metal leader to the rig.

In our case, a nod is not needed; the bite will be felt like a blow to the hand. In addition, fishing with a balance beam is active fishing, the rod is always in your hands.

Tackle and bait

For fishing with balance beams in cold water, you can use a winter lure rod, a side rod or a spinning rod.

I use a winter fishing rod made of composite materials, which I have slightly modified for this type of fishing. At the top of the rod I secured a nod with cambrics - a triangular plate made of springy steel, to the tip of which I attached a wire ring. The cambrics are selected in such a way that they allow you to extend the plate to the required length, which is determined by the weight of the balancer, and tightly fix it on the whip.

The total length of the plate is 150-180 mm with a thickness of about 0.5 mm. The plate acts as a signaling device, marking the moment the bait sinks to the bottom and indicating a bite. The result is a highly sensitive rod that detects the slightest touch on the bait, allows you to play the balance correctly, and its rigidity makes it possible to hook and fish out pike perch of any size.

When fishing from a moving boat, the depth is constantly changing, and you have to increase and decrease the working length of the fishing line so that the bait is 5-10 cm from the bottom. Therefore, it is rational to equip the rod with a reel on which the fishing line will be wound.

I am used to using a small inertial coil, which in design resembles the famous Nevskaya. For this purpose, you can use any baitcasting reel of small size and weight, called a “soap box” by spinning anglers. Most often we use the WFT The Jerk reel with a fairly high gear ratio (6.2:1) and relatively light weight (210 g). Weight matters because during a multi-hour fishing trip, the walleye hunter must constantly play with the rod, which puts a lot of stress on the arm.

It is also possible to use a spinning reel, but in practice it always produces more fishing line than is needed to achieve the intended depth, and the excess fishing line has to be removed, wasting precious time.

The spinning rod must be of fast or very fast action. In this case, we chose a rod with a test weight of 30-60 g - the current on Akhtuba and the Volga is strong, we have to use heavy baits. The rod should not be long (optimally 150-190 cm), preferably made of carbon fiber (then it will weigh less than analogues made from other materials). The most suitable rods, in my opinion, for this fishing are spinning rods from WFT: Penzill Cast 1.9 m long with 12-48 g of dough and Zigzag 1.95 m long with 35-65 g of dough.

When hunting for pike perch in cold water with such a rod, you must keep in mind that morning frosts can lead to icing of the wire rings. This is not critical for fishing, but will cause additional trouble.

When fishing with balancers on reels of any design, I wind the line. Success largely depends on how well you feel the bait and the distance between it and the bottom surface.

Monofilaments, due to their stretchability, cannot provide the necessary control. But any line you decide to use should be of the smallest possible diameter to reduce the effect of windage in strong currents. In this case, I prefer the WFT KG Strong cord with a diameter of 0.08 mm with a breaking load of 10 kg. I have been fishing with this “braid” for several years now and have personally become convinced of its high quality and reliability.

I practically don’t use leash material, since pike rarely stay in the current, and then the most elastic leash affects the performance of the bait in a negative way.

True, sometimes I have to pay for my opinion with bitten off balance beams...

I attach the balancers to the main line with a clasp with a swivel or tie them with a RAPALA knot so that the bait can move freely under water, fulfilling all the “wishes” of the rod.

When we just started catching pike perch using vertical balance beams, we used models from different companies, such as RAPALA, NILS MASTER, LUMICOM, AQUA, etc. On our first fishing trips, which took place on the Volga and Akhtuba, we were faced with the task of choosing baits that were suitable in weight, so that they are not blown away by the powerful current of these rivers. Sometimes we had to install an additional sliding sinker in the shape of an olive to hold the balancer in the bottom layer. Since we ourselves are engaged in the development and production of fishing lures, we produced a test batch of heavy lead fish for our next fishing trip in the Lower Volga region. Their design and shape took into account our previous fishing experience in these specific conditions.

After practical testing, we made further adjustments to their design, and the result was a model called OSKO Classic weighing 60 g with a removable hanging hook. Now this is our favorite model, and that’s understandable.

Each new fishing season is accompanied by new discoveries, but they mainly concern coloring options. The fact is that differences in fishing catches indicate that even at a depth of more than 7 m, pike perch reacts differently to the color of the bait. According to our observations, the greatest catchability is demonstrated by those that imitate the color of pike perch food items and contrast in color with the bottom.

A good result was shown by alternating contrasting stripes in the color of the balancer body. On light sandy soil, dark and brownish colors work better, and on a clay-gravel bottom, bright acidic colors work better. But at the same time, it is necessary to take into account the general illumination, whether the weather is cloudy or sunny. Therefore, when we go fishing, we put balancers of various colors in our boxes.

On several fishing trips, we encountered the fact that the pike perch does not grab a large bait with its mouth, but crushes it with its lower jaw or throat, and if it takes it, it is caught at the very edge of its mouth. In this case, the bite can be quite active, but with many gatherings.

We are trying to combat this by tying a smaller balancer to a lead. We attach a triple swivel to the main line by the upper ring, on the lower ring we tie a piece of cord 40-50 cm long with a sinker weighing 50-60 g, and to the middle ring - a leash with a balancer, the length of the leash should be 2-3 cm less than the leash sinkers.

When fishing, we lower the rig vertically next to the side of the boat, so the leash almost never overlaps. The game of bait remains the same as with a large balancer, but the fishing efficiency increases significantly.

Firstly, the sinker, touching the bottom, raises a cloud of turbidity, which attracts pike perch, but does not cling to small twigs, shells, etc., lying on the bottom. Secondly, small bait seems more accessible to the pike perch and bites become more confident, gatherings almost stop.

The tackle should be as balanced as possible and not overload the hand. It’s more pleasant to return from fishing in a good mood, and not with pain in your arm and aching muscles.

Fishing technique

Before catching pike perch in winter using a balance beam, you should familiarize yourself with the fishing technique. A common mistake made by beginners is the opinion: “Since the bait is expensive, the predator will attack itself!”

Here are several options for wiring the balancer:

• first ice Drop to the bottom, raise 1 m. Drop again, wait 5-7 seconds and repeat the cycle;
• wilderness. Reset, but raise it no longer a meter, but 30-50 cm from the bottom. Increase the pause to 13-16 seconds;
• last ice - technique as in the first point, but you should fish closer to the surface or in the middle layers.

If the predator is passive, then jig “playing” with a balance beam, changing the amplitude or replacing the product itself will help catch the pike perch - use a model for lazy fish. Many fishermen develop their own fishing tactics, and nothing stops you from using trial and error! We hook sharply to pierce the tissues of the fish’s mouth, we pull quickly, but without sudden movements, the main thing is without unnecessary noise! In strong currents, drill holes at an angle, tilted in the direction of water movement, so that when fishing, the hooks do not cling to the lower edge of the ice.

So, dear friends, fish wisely, fish correctly - good luck with your catches and take care of yourself on the ice!

How to catch pike perch using a balance beam

After you have found a pike perch, you can lay out your gear and start fishing. One of the main components of catching pike perch on a balance beam is the angler’s ability to pause while fishing. Even if you have not fully mastered the wiring technique, if you make pauses of a certain length, then with a high degree of probability the pike perch will attack the bait.

How does this happen during winter and summer fishing? We lower the balancer to the bottom or to the beginning of the stall. We wait 10 seconds and start knocking on the bottom. Then we pause again, maybe a little longer, and repeat the small game. This tactic brings results if the pike perch is on the lowest horizon.

When fishing from a boat, you can use stepped fishing along the drop. We put the boat in this position:

And we throw it into the middle of the dump. If it is steep, then the bait will constantly fall off it. In this case, we will have to stop the fall of the balancer at a certain depth each time. How to catch pike perch using a balance beam? First, we wait for it to fall to one horizon, then we pause longer, and so on, until the balancer reaches the bottom. If the slope is more gentle, then the bait will lie on its steps, which will be signaled by the Quitertip. After swinging the rod, the balancer will come off the ground and gradually lower. The fisherman’s task is to use zander balancers, for example, the models presented above, and find the optimal game. It will be a step or knocking on the bottom, the main thing is to determine the length of pauses and jerks.

In winter, everything is the same, only there is less time to fish for pike perch. Therefore, it is advisable to have an echo sounder, an electric silent drill and spend up to 7 minutes fishing each hole.