TOP 7 best wobblers for catching pike perch – features of choice, technique and fishing tactics

To catch pike perch using artificial bait, you should study its habits in order to know exactly when to go out to hunt this fanged “beast.”

Pike perch belongs to the perch family and lives in the rivers of the Black, Azov, Caspian, Baltic and Aral seas. This fish is also found in lakes, for example, large numbers of pike perch are found in Lake Issyk-Kul and Balkhash.

Pike perch is a predatory fish that can reach a weight of more than 15 kg. This fish feeds mainly on fish fry, so artificial bait, which is shaped like a small fish, will always bring big catches.

Pike perch lives in the warm season at a depth of 2-5 m, the fish is very sensitive to the oxygen content in the water, and also does not tolerate heavy pollution, so this breed of fish does not live in swampy reservoirs.

Pike perch prefers reservoirs with a sandy bottom, and likes to choose snags for its hunt, so the chance of catching a large predator near trees fallen into the water increases many times over.

This fish feeds both day and night. At night, pike perch can be found close to the shore; during the day, it goes into deep holes and tries to stay deep throughout the daylight hours.

A fisherman who starts hunting for a fanged predator using wobblers should know that due to the anatomical structure of its mouth, it is capable of eating only narrow-bodied fry of sprat, perch and other fish with an elongated body.

To effectively catch pike perch, wobblers should also be used in an elongated shape.

This fish spawns at the end of April, beginning of May, when the water warms up to more than +12 degrees.

After spawning, pike perch begins to eat, at this time the fish rushes to any bait that seems edible to it, artificial fish are no exception, so during this period pike perch catches can be very significant.

Fishing calendar by fishing season

In summer, pike perch is caught very well, this fish can be caught throughout the day; at night, pike perch comes out to shallow parts of the reservoir to hunt, so in these places it should be caught with a wobbler with fluorescent lighting.
At dawn, this fish begins to really eat, which lasts about 0.5 hours.

Small pike perch are caught with a dung worm in the summer, but if you want to catch a trophy specimen, then you need to use live bait or a small wobbler as bait.

In autumn , pike perch fishing is most effective in mid-October. At this time, you can catch more than one trophy fish. Pike perch are caught exclusively with bottom gear, so sinking minnow wobblers are used for this purpose.

In November, the fishing intensity of this fish decreases, but the probability of capturing trophy prey is quite high.

Winter fishing for pike perch is interesting because you can fish from the ice, but, unfortunately, the use of wobblers in such conditions is impossible.

In March, pike perch can be caught using a wobbler only before the flood begins. When the rivers overflow their banks, it is useless to catch this fish even with the most catchy baits.

Very often, after a flood, pike perch begins to spawn and during this period there is also no opportunity to catch this fish. After spawning, in mid-May, pike perch begins to eat and at this time the fisherman can expect a very intense bite both with natural baits and with spinners and wobblers.

Features of catching pike perch with a wobbler: catchable places

To catch pike perch with a wobbler, you need to choose the right place. Pike perch loves to hunt in places where there are artificial hydraulic structures; this fish is well caught below dams, in areas of the reservoir with a rocky bottom.

Fishing will be productive in deep places littered with snags, but you should fish carefully so as not to break the tackle.

Pike perch behave completely differently at night.

This fish comes out into shallow water and hunts for fry. For effective fishing, small artificial fish with an elongated shape are suitable, the color of the bait does not matter much, but it is better to use light-colored wobblers.

The wobbler must be equipped with a very high-quality and perfectly sharp hook, which will allow you to hook the fish in the first seconds of the bite.

The bait must be placed at a considerable depth, so sinking models of wobblers are the most catchy. Wiring should be done at a slow pace with short stops.

Good results can be achieved if you use slow-sinking wobblers. At the moments when the bait sinks to the bottom, more bites from this fish occur.

Catching pike perch throughout the day is not uniform, but if you hunt for pike perch often, you can experimentally determine when this fish bites especially actively in a given body of water.

Wobblers for night pike perch

Pike perch is a crepuscular predator-driver. Even if in some place you managed to catch it during daylight hours, then this is already a reason to return here at night. Shallow-water spits, riffles - any shallow-water places with a hard bottom and shell rock within the casting reach of a coastal spinning rod. Although... It is probably unlikely to be advisable to sort out such a broad topic as catching night pike perch. No one can tell you the exact recipe for 100% catching a fanged one, as well as the exact choice of fishing zone. Sometimes you can meet a predator in such places that absolutely all stereotypes in your head are broken. And, even more so, when it comes to night fishing with baits such as wobblers.

Of course, every night hunter will eventually have his own unconditional favorites - this is an indisputable fact that can probably be attributed to absolutely every type of bait. But, nevertheless, when it comes to such expensive “plastic toys” today, you really want not to collect a collection of things that may be useful “but later”, but to make the right choice that will help you feel your first long-awaited bite. That's why I decided to share not only my own observations, but also a list of some of the best. So, let's get started!

EverGreen M-1 Inspire

In general, all the gear produced under this brand is not only quite recognizable, but is also replete with the virtual absence of negative reviews, and this is certainly a huge plus. When and under what circumstances this model appeared in my box, to be honest, I don’t even remember. But, nevertheless, from year to year, the “ever-green” shows the most stable results for pike perch, outperforming its competitors quite seriously, not only in the number of tails, but also in their quality, while being, in the meantime, probably one of the most advertised wobblers. The wiring, by the way, as on many models, is extremely uniform, but there is one “but”. Specifically for this model, with quite good success, you can easily add a twitch to the wiring: After another slowdown and pause, it’s worth making a small jerk with the rod - sometimes such a maneuver really helped out on the worst trips.

Duo Tide Minnow 75

For a split second, I can partially imagine your surprise at seeing this name on the list. Yes, what can I say - I myself would be surprised if I saw a typical pike shallow-water wobbler from some night pike perch hunter! But, nevertheless, the fact remains, and this model has become a real discovery of the current season, in this type of fishing. Well, why not? In fact, it fits perfectly into the stereotype of searching and fishing for shallow riffles and works on the most common “dying” wiring. In addition, if you believe the descriptions on the websites of all kinds of fishing online stores, the wobbler continues to vibrate even at a stop, thereby depicting a frightened fry, which should certainly only be in favor of the upcoming attack. As a result, the Tide Minnow not only became the leader in one of the trips, but also began to deliver results very consistently, which firmly secured it in my box.

Lucky John Basara 90 SP

The first wobbler from the updated series once made a real splash on the fishing market. The model is quite simple not only to use, but also to understand the necessary wiring, and its excessive quality and affordable price for the common fisherman have long secured this model in the boxes of spinning anglers in our vast country. However, we are talking about night fishing for pike perch, and the Basara does not fit into this list a little for one simple reason - the working depth of this model is about a meter, and sometimes with such fishing this can lead to the bait breaking off. But, nevertheless, it is possible to survive the maximum from it during night hunting; for this you just need a little understanding of the relief in the place of fishing. The boundaries of shallow areas, with a smooth difference in depth, are exactly what we need. If pike perch, for one reason or another, likes this place, then it will definitely come here after half an hour of darkness. And the presence of a current and an acoustically noisy wobbler will only spur a hungry predator to attack, and isn’t that exactly what you need?

Kosadaka Costa 80

Kosadaka has long been known for making lures that are not only of high quality, but also with excellent knowledge of the country's fishing market. The thing is that the basis for this model was the famous Dead Float wobbler from the Jackson company, which in the literal sense of the word is now simply impossible to find. And the Kosadaka company has had it for quite some time. The key element of Costa's game is the indescribable swaying of the sides, which drives not only pikes crazy, but as it turned out over the years, pike perch too. With all this, when paused, this model hangs in the water at an angle of 45 degrees, hiding the bulk of the body under water. In this case, the wiring should begin with a sharp acceleration, followed by a deceleration, and the first traces of the attack of a fanged predator will not be long in coming.

Lucky Craft Blue Buster 80 S

Yes, this model probably should have been placed a little higher, but do not forget that the degree of buoyancy here is “sinking”, and unfortunately, using this will not always be relevant. The wobbler, to be honest, was bought by me only last year, and its purpose was to specifically catch asp on strong, fast-moving riffles. In addition, it is worth saying that the model is absolutely silent, which is quite a rarity, at least for store shelves in our city. But, nevertheless, he appeared in the box, but never saw his treasured fish, and was forgotten for almost six months, until “His Majesty chance” helped. This season, on one of the trips, everything was slowly and surely heading towards absolute failure - the place was new, with a fairly strong current, which not all models could cope with. There is a predator, and there are many of them, but it was impossible to find the right key until Blue Buster flew into the water out of hopelessness. The current from medium to higher is its true element. The model holds the stream perfectly and gives the angler the opportunity to experiment with different vibration amplitudes, which, with passive biting, can greatly save fishing. Well, when the desired pace of retrieving is found, then the hungry fish that liked your wobbler will instantly respond again and again. I highly recommend, if not purchasing, then at least paying attention to it.

conclusions

It is possible that many have not seen such well-established hits as SideStep from EverGreen, ZonerMinnow from Major Craft, and the same Dead Minnow from Tsuribito - believe me, all these models are included in the unconditional top ten, but still the top ten, which will have much more differences with the reader's opinion. In addition, I would like to note that the models described just above not only cannot coincide with the opinions of many, but may also be completely different - I just shared my own observations, which depend entirely on my own arsenal of baits used. The only thing I would like to wish is: experiment and the result will definitely come! The main thing is to understand how to achieve it!

Thank you for your attention! No tail, no scales for you!

Classification of wobblers

Wobblers differ in shape, color, weight and degree of immersion in water:

1. Minnow . This bait has an elongated shape that resembles a fry or a small long-bodied fish. A plate is installed in front of the wobbler to deepen it when wiring. The bait is applied only in stages, otherwise the wobbler will not attract predatory fish. During pauses, the probability of a pike perch biting is highest, so the fisherman must react sensitively to any deviations in the behavior of the bait at this moment.
2. Shad . In its shape, this bait resembles a perch; the body is not as elongated as that of a minnow, and slightly flattened on the sides. For wiring, you can use twitching, but catching pike perch is quite effective even with even wiring. Shad has a very sweeping game of its own, so it is able to attract the attention of a predator even when the fish is not hungry. There are a huge number of models of this bait, which differ in color, buoyancy, and number of hooks.
3. Popper. A surface bait that lacks blades and has a cup-like depression in the front of the wobbler. Popper is carried out using the twitching method, while the bait makes popping noises that attract the attention of predatory fish.
4. Walker . Surface bait for catching predatory fish. To effectively catch a predator, it is necessary to jerk the walker, in this case the bait plays sweepingly at the surface of the water. These baits are available in various sizes and colors to suit every fish taste.
5. Crank . A very catchy bait that can be successfully used for hunting large pike perch. The nature of the game of this bait is swinging; when retrieved, it creates vibrations that irritate the side line of the fish, which forces the predator to rush to the crank. Cranks for catching pike perch are used only in small sizes, this is due to the rounded shape of the wobbler. Even with a slow, even retrieve, the bait has an attractive action of its own, which allows even novice anglers to successfully fish with a spinning rod.
6. Fat . The bait is made in the shape of a drop and has a height at which too large baits are too tough for pike perch. Therefore, the optimal size of bait for catching this predator is 2 – 3 cm. Fat has an attractive game, but in order to catch fish at a sufficient depth, you need to purchase a deep-sea model that can be easily deepened from the first seconds of fishing.

Fat

Minnow

Popper

Shad

Walker

Crank

Types of wobblers for catching pike perch

You can count on a good catch of pike perch only if you use wobblers with the following technical characteristics:

• Oblong body.
• The size of the bait should correspond to the size of the intended prey, that is, to catch a small predator, choose a medium-sized solid-bodied fish.
• The use of spaced equipment (leads, drop-shots) will significantly increase the speed at which the bait sinks to a specific depth.
• A catchable bait should have a small angle of attack, which will allow it to enter the water layers of the reservoir as realistically as possible, like a real fish.
• To be more attractive, the artificial fish must have active play, both when moving slowly and evenly.
• The most profitable option for catching a predatory individual during a driven fight (the entire flock moves closer to the surface of the water) is considered to be the use of baits that imitate wounded victims - wobblers for twitching.
• The optimal depth of pike perch wobblers should not exceed 2.5 m. If the target is located at the bottom, it is recommended to use a bait with slow penetration. You need to do it slowly, attracting the attention of the pike perch and luring it closer to the surface of the water. If the movements are too sudden, it will only scare away cautious fish.

Wobblers for night fishing for pike perch, features of night baits

It is more effective to go out hunting for predators at night, and you need to have with you the following types of fish:

• Minnows are in the form of oblong “sticks” equipped with small blades. The depth of the minnows is no more than 1.5 m, which is the optimal indicator for fishing at night. The wobbler should not be twitched too sharply in order to create the illusion of a half-asleep fish.

For information! It is better to catch pike perch at night using baits 6–10 cm in size and brightly colored.

• Deep minnow. These are similar models to the minnow, the only difference is greater depth and the presence of an enlarged blade. They are effective for hunting on sand spits and snags in water bodies.
• Shads. The baits have a large blade and a thick body, which is very convenient for fishing deep-sea edges.
• Cranky. The products have an attractive game, they are also called “short fat ones”, and are most suitable for night hunting on riffles.

Winter lures - rattlins

Rattlins are vertical baits designed to catch representatives of the predatory category of fish. They are not equipped with blades; these models have a top mount for fishing line.

Initially, wobblers in this design were developed for winter trolling; now these products are actively used in the summer. The main distinguishing features of rattlins are:

• bladeless body;
• diving due to its weight (sinking type of bait);
• top mount;
• equipped with two tees, very rarely there may be models with one or two hooks;
• built-in rattle;
• versatility of use, regardless of the fishing season.

Difference between wobblers by degree of immersion

The following types exist:

• Floating . This category includes wobblers with a depth of up to 2.5 m. This category of bait is the most catchy among artificial fish used for catching pike perch. Retrieving a floating wobbler should be done at a slow pace with frequent small twitches of the rod.
• Suspenders . After casting, such baits are immersed in the water and hang in it, which allows you to catch fish that live in the water column. These baits are successfully used for catching pike perch. Suspenders can be divided into slowly sinking and neutral buoyancy.
• Slowly sinking . This type of bait has proven itself well in reservoirs with a small current; fish bites occur at the moment when the wobbler stops during the retrieve.
• Drowning . These baits are often used for catching large pike perch in the autumn. The bait sinks to a depth of several meters, and with proper placement, attracts any predatory fish that feeds at a significant depth at this time of year.
• Sinking quickly . Wobblers of this type quickly sink into the water and can be used to drag bait along the bottom of a reservoir. This method of wiring attracts predatory fish because a cloud of turbidity is formed, which attracts a predator at a great distance in the clear water of the reservoir.

1LiveTarget Shad Baitball Crankbait

The ranking of the best wobblers for pike perch in 2021 is headed by a very unusual floating model.
It consists of three fish connected to each other with a total length of 6 cm. Live food fish often gather in small schools when they are threatened by predators such as pike perch or pike. And it is precisely this feature that the bait manufacturers tried to imitate. The wobbler has a decent weight - 17 grams. and dives to a depth of 2.5 meters. Wiring options: uniform or twitching. Color options: 805 Pearl/Bronze or 807 Metallic/Green. How much can you buy for: 1058 rubles.

Criteria for choosing wobblers

Wobblers are selected according to the following criteria:

1. Size . The size of the bait should match the size of the pike perch. If a mine wobbler is used, then usually the length of the bait is 6 - 9 cm. Shads are used with a length of no more than 7 cm. Other types of wobblers are ineffective for catching pike perch, and a fat wobbler can only be used in a very small size of 1 - 2 cm, and the number of bites will be less than when fishing with minnows.
2. Color . The most catchy wobblers for catching pike perch are silver models. If there is a large amount of aquatic vegetation in the reservoir, then good results can be achieved by fishing with bait of greenish tints. For night fishing of this fish, luminous models of surface wobblers are used. Such baits work great in shallow water where pike perch come out to feed at night.
3. A game . An artificial bait in the shape of a fish must play attractively, otherwise the predator will not bite. To catch pike perch, step-by-step bait placement is most often used. Good catches with a wobbler are possible if you imitate the behavior of a sick or stunned fish.
4. Form . To catch pike perch, you should use oblong-shaped lures; minnow wobblers are beyond any competition. Wiring walkers at shallow depths gives good results.
5. Various effects . Predatory fish catch their prey with a highly sensitive lateral line, so baits that create noise during the retrieve have an additional attracting effect. Many wobblers for catching pike perch have a chamber inside the body that contains glass or metal balls. This “rattle” allows you to attract fish to the wobbler at a distance of several hundred meters.

Tackle for catching pike perch with wobblers

For the gear you need:

1. Rod . Pike perch can reach a weight of 20 kg and provides significant resistance when fishing, so the rod must be selected based on the maximum possible breaking load. If fishing for pike perch is carried out from a boat, then a short form 2.1 m long is sufficient. When fishing from the shore, you will need to purchase a stick with a length of at least 3.5-4 m. To catch pike perch, baits that are too massive are not used, so the rod test is selected within 10-30 g. It is better to use a fast action in order to sense the bites of a predator in time. The rod should be made only from high-quality composite material; the guide rings should not bend even under heavy load.
2. Reel _ This product should not be a “weak link” in a well-balanced mechanism for landing powerful fish. Therefore, a high-quality device with a size of 4000-6000 with steel bearings can be used for fishing for “nibbles”.
3. Fishing line . To catch pike perch, a braided line with a diameter of 0.25 mm is used. Despite well-developed fangs, this fish is not able to fray the fishing line, but often its food competitor in the pond is pike, which can easily fray even thick braided fishing line.
4. Hooks . Only high-quality hooks can be installed on wobblers for pike perch, otherwise, when trying to hook a fish, the hook may not penetrate the predator’s mouth. Expensive products are equipped with hooks that can even handle trophy pike perch.
5. Stand . Necessary for setting up fishing rods when fishing, usually used when using several fishing rods.

Fishing tackle

To get a good catch it is recommended to use:

1. High quality spinning rod. The tool must have a hard and sensitive tip, a length of 2 m and a test load of 40 g. The best option is a fiberglass fishing rod.
2. As a good reel, choose inertia-free models equipped with a brake clutch and a baitrunner (spool 2500 - 3000).
3. Considering the powerful resistance of pike perch when fishing , it is recommended to use a strong fishing thread, in particular nylon fishing line with a cross-section of 0.40 mm.
4. Hooks No. 3 – 5 are perfect for catching predators.
5. A stand will come in handy here. As an option, you can choose a genus-under device.

Rating of the best wobblers for pike perch

Let's look at the most popular wobblers:

1. Yo-Zuri L-minnow 44 is a small, catchy wobbler that is excellent for catching perch and pike perch in reservoirs with a small current. A special feature of this “baby” is its long-distance casting system, which allows you to throw a very light bait a considerable distance from the shore. The bait can be made in different colors; the most suitable for fishing for pike perch are green baits.
2. PONTOON 21 Greedy-Guts – this Japanese wobbler is ideal for hunting large predators. This bait exhibits maximum catchability during a jerk retrieve. For fishing in clear water, it is better to use silver-colored models that closely resemble the behavior of fry in the water.
3. Salmo Hornet - this bait has a very active game of its own, and is popular with anglers who specifically hunt for pike perch. The disadvantage of the wobbler is its short range, so the Salmo Hornet is completely unsuitable for long-distance casting.
4. Daiwa TD Shiner 1062 SP is a classic shad-shaped bait with excellent action. A high-quality body made of wear-resistant plastic will allow the fisherman to get trophy pike perch for a long time. Thanks to a unique system that increases its flight range, this bait can be used to catch pike perch at a considerable distance from the shore.
5. Rapala Barra Magnum is a deep-sea wobbler from the Finnish company “Rapala”. The bait is made of abashi wood, which allows it to sink to a depth of more than 5 meters. Fishing using the Rapala Barra Magnum is especially effective in the fall, when pike perch follow the food base into the depths. The bait is one of the best for trolling pike perch on rivers with strong currents.
6. Haka Hils Master - for catching pike perch in the summer, this bait has no equal. This floating wobbler has excellent flight characteristics, thanks to which the bait can be thrown quite far from the shore, despite its low weight.
7. Rapala Shad Ra p - thanks to the elongated front blade, the bait is capable of going deep up to 4 meters, so autumn fishing for pike perch with a wobbler is always effective. The versatility of the Rapala Shad Rap allows it to be successfully used both on rivers with strong currents and in reservoirs with standing water. Thanks to its peculiar game, this bait always brings high catches.

Daiwa TD Shiner 1062 SP

Haka Hills Master

PONTOON 21 Greedy-Guts

Rapala Barra Magnum

Rapala Shad Rap

Salmo Hornet

Wobbler Yo-Zuri L-minnow 44

4Reef Runner Rip Shad

This six-centimeter sinking wobbler with a depth of up to 3 meters was designed and tested in the USA.
It differs from other wobblers in its rather thin body. Its main advantage is its active and stable play, which accurately imitates the behavior of small fish. Excellent for catching pike perch on rivers with strong currents. Effective wiring technique: twitching. Effective bait color: 08 Yellow Perch or 05 Chrome Black. Costs 540 rubles.

Techniques and tactics for catching pike perch with a wobbler

For those fishermen who have never caught with this type of artificial bait, it will not be difficult to master catching pike perch with a wobbler within 1 hour.

To fish with artificial bait, first of all, you need to choose the right place. Pike perch should be looked for in areas of the reservoir where there are significant differences in depth and whirlpools.

In snags, there is also a high probability of encountering a “nibbler,” but leaving a new wobbler on some underwater snag poses a great danger.

Throw wobblers with a sharp swing of the rod. If you need to cast a bait long-distance, you should choose a bait that has a special balancing system installed that allows you to shift the center of gravity of the wobbler when casting.

If it is possible to use a boat to catch pike perch with a wobbler, then this will be the best option for catching the predator on wide rivers.

After casting, depending on the model of bait used, it is necessary to reel in the fishing line.

For catching pike perch, step fishing with short stops is usually used. Most often, the fish grabs the bait when it is in the pause phase or in the first fractions of a second from the start of the movement, so if the fisherman feels the blow of a predator, he should immediately hook.

Using a braided line does not require a sweeping hook, due to its low stretchability, but the rod should be swung at the moment when the fish grabs the wobbler.

Fishing for large pike perch should be done with great care, slowly bringing strong fish to the shore or boat; if you use a forceful method of landing fish, you can be left without tackle and without a trophy.

Tips and tricks

Note:

1. You can catch large pike perch in places where there is a danger of the bait getting caught and breaking, so when fishing in snags, you should properly prepare the wobbler. In order to minimize the likelihood of snagging, small pieces of edible rubber are put on the tip of the tee; in addition, you can install a double instead of a standard hook, and also leave only 1 tail hook if there are 2 tees.
2. Only high-quality baits are able to withstand the stress of playing for predatory fish , and also reliably hook prey, so you should not save money and purchase cheap and low-quality products made in China.
3. Choose the color of the bait based on the actual fishing conditions ; in turbid water, intense colors should be used; if hunting for pike perch is carried out in clear water, silver-colored baits will be most effective.