Donka for pike: pros and cons of bottom tackle with live bait

Any fisherman who has managed to catch a large pike at least once will confirm that this is an unforgettable event that remains in the memory for many years. When fishing, a toothy predator fiercely resists and careless movement with a fishing rod or spinning rod is fraught with breakage of the tackle and loss of fish.

The difficulty of fishing only increases the value of catching a trophy pike, so it has become the cherished dream of many fishermen. The effectiveness of pike fishing depends on a lot of nuances, and the correct choice of equipment is one of the main ones. Not only is spinning used when catching predators, but the donkey for pike is very effective and helps to achieve results.

Advantages of donkey when fishing for pike

When catching any fish, the choice of gear depends on the characteristics of its behavior, food preferences and activity, and this also applies to pike. Pike are caught with a spinning rod from the surface and in the water column, but also in the bottom layer, especially during periods of gluttony, it looks for food, and in this case it is the bottom that helps to interest the fish with a tempting bait.

The toothy predator is capable of waiting for a long time and looking out for its next victim, including those that prefer to hide in holes or stand near undercuts. Unlike active spinning, the use of bottom gear refers to passive fishing, but there are situations when it is more effective in both short and long sessions.

The advantages of catching pike on a donk are that:

with the help of this gear, if necessary, long casts are made;
effective fishing in the current, at great depths;
you don’t need to monitor the tackle all the time; when a fish bites, the alarm goes off and all you have to do is hook the fish and bring it to the shore;
the bait is in the same place and waits for the voracious pike.

Unlike spinning fishing, the use of a donkey allows you to fish the far reaches of a reservoir, regardless of whether it has a current or a lake with standing water.

Properly tied equipment flies far and it is easier for the fisherman to throw it to the designated fishing point. This, of course, is not a carp rod with a filigree, precisely selected rig that flies at a distance of 100 meters and further, but the pike rod also has good flight characteristics.

If you have a watercraft, boat or raft, then pike fishing is simplified, but the casting tackle is quite long-range, and its use does not require constant movement around the reservoir with oars or a motor.

When fishing on rivers with strong currents and at great depths, bottom rigs for pike are more effective than spinning rods. Thanks to the use of a heavy sinker, the bait on the hook is delivered to a given point, regardless of how deep it is. When the depth at the fishing point is 2–3 meters, spinning baits show their best sides.

But if the depth is greater, and there is also a strong current, the donka catches the spinning rod and has clear advantages. In such cases, the correct selection of the sinker, or rather its weight, is very important, because you need the bait to be at a given point and not be washed away by the flow of water. On the other hand, a sinker that is too heavy makes fishing difficult and alarms large pike, so you have to look for a “golden mean.”

To cast a load that is too heavy, you will need a powerful rod, and the tackle becomes coarser, which will affect the fishing results.

Important! Select a sinker such that it holds the bait at a given point, but when a predator bites, it does not create obstacles for fishing. The tackle must be sensitive and this depends on the correctly selected load.

Another advantage of the rod for pike is that it does not require constant attention from the angler and you only need to pick up the rod when the alarm indicates a bite.

After casting the bottom tackle to the pike, the rod is installed on the stands, and the fishing line is fixed with a signaling device and all that remains is to wait for the bite. Due to the fact that the rod does not require constant attention, anglers place 3-4 donks, thus increasing the chances of a qualifying catch.

Pike don’t bite on the bottom every five minutes, and sometimes you have to wait at least an hour for a bite, so there’s enough time to service all 4-5 rods. When fishing with 5 donks, it is possible to fish several promising areas and look for fish, expanding the fishing sector, which gives an advantage over spinning anglers using only one rod.

Changing bait or bait on the bottom takes 5–7 minutes, so the fisherman never gets bored. On the other hand, when fishing with a spinning rod, the angler needs to constantly recast the tackle, and also work with the reel, reeling in the fishing line or cord. Not everyone can do this tedious task, but using bottom gear when fishing for pike does not require constant physical effort.

It is easier for older fishermen to catch pike on donkeys, and they take advantage of this equipment, both on rivers and at stakes. Even if there is a sudden bite from a predator, thanks to the correctly configured friction brake of the reel, the angler always has time to react and hook the fish.

Another advantage of the donkey for pike is that after casting the tackle is in a calm state, and there are no factors that deter large trophies. Before attacking the bait, the pike carefully observes its behavior and if something alerts the predator, it will choose another target.

But in the installation of the donkey there are no elements that can frighten or alert the predator, and the bait is in a natural position, so the likelihood of biting and catching fish increases significantly.

Tackle composition

Casting for pike is quite a catchy tackle, but in order to assemble it you need to select all its components correctly. You must first consult with knowledgeable people or look for information in another way; for a beginner, choosing good tackle will be problematic. Each component must be of high quality and meet the necessary characteristics.

The basis

Successful pike fishing with bottom tackle depends on a properly selected base. There can be two options:

monofilament;
braided cord.

It is preferable to take the second option, it is stronger and has smaller thicknesses. Fishing line is also often used, here the choice depends individually on the preferences of each angler.

The thickness of the base should be decent, because you will need to throw a sinker of no small weight. And there may be a trophy of considerable size on the hook, which will offer strong resistance. The selection of diameter depends on the expected catch:

for small lakes, fishing line is more often used, its thickness is usually 0.3-0.5 mm;
large bodies of water will require stronger tackle; if you use a fishing line, then at least 0.6 mm thick, since larger individuals may be caught here, and a cord of 0.28 mm is sufficient;
for large rivers and reservoirs you will need a stronger base, the cord is chosen up to 0.35 mm thick, but fishing line can be used even 0.7-0.8 mm in cross-section.

Victoria Leshchenko

I've been working hard in the fishing tackle department for the past six years. I can help you assemble almost any gear.

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You can make a universal version; for this purpose, use a 0.28-0.3 mm thick cord as a basis.

Leash

It doesn’t matter what kind of bait will be used to lure a predator, a leash must be installed. The best option would be a steel one; many people make it for pike with their own hands. The material for this can be steel guitar string or wire of the same quality.

The length of the leash can be different, but not less than 35 cm. The most optimal would be 50 cm.

Sinker

For donkeys, sliding types of weights are most often used, but swivel versions are also used no less often. For casting a pike, the best option is a sliding view, but the weight depends on the place where you plan to fish:

cargo weight	where is it used
20-40 g	on small lakes, in river pools without a current, in ponds with standing water
60-80 g	on reservoirs with a small current, along bays
80-120 g	on the river with the current

It is advisable for the sliding weight to have a slightly flattened shape, this will fly better, enter the water when casting, will lie perfectly on the bottom, and will dampen the jerk a little when hooking.

Rubber shock absorber: yes or no

At the request of the fisherman, the tackle may include a rubber shock absorber. For some it is an important part, while others consider it unnecessary. It is not always worth asking more experienced comrades for advice on this matter, since not everyone has seen and felt it in their work.

The shock absorber performs the following functions:

dampens trophy jerks;
softens hooking;
helps to carry out the fishing process more gently.

Using a shock absorber will help protect your tackle when hooking or when catching a particularly large fish.

Hooks

You can put different types of hooks on hooks, some like self-hooking hooks, others prefer to equip the hook with sharp tees or doubles. But this element also requires selection:

for dead fish or pieces, more self-hooking ones are used;
live bait is placed on a double or tee.

Using a regular hook will require constant attention to the hook. The tackle is installed so that a bell signals a bite. As soon as it rings, the fisherman urgently needs to run there and make a sharp hook.

Victoria Leshchenko

I've been working hard in the fishing tackle department for the past six years. I can help you assemble almost any gear.

Ask a Question

For night fishing, self-hooking options are more suitable.

The size of the hook depends on the size of the bait used; for small live bait, hooks of the appropriate size are chosen, most often this is a tee No. 6-8 according to current qualifications. Single versions are used for pieces of cut fish; it is better to take serifs No. 8-10.

All the tackle is usually wound on a reel; you can take purchased plastic ones or cut it yourself from wood. A good option would be the option for self-resetting gear. Additionally, you will need swivels and carabiners, with the help of which the components are connected to each other.

Flaws

But, despite the fact that pike donks have undoubted advantages, they, like any other tackle, have drawbacks. These shortcomings are offset by the catchability of bottom gear, but they need to be mentioned so that fishermen consciously choose equipment for catching predators.

So, the disadvantages of donkey for pike:

The mobility of the tackle is low and both the float rod and the spinning rod clearly outperform the donkey in this regard.
When fishing with a live bait bottom, the freedom of movement of the bait is limited by the length of the leash, but the float tackle gives more freedom and the live bait behaves more naturally, attracting pike.
When reeling out the gear, snags occur on bottom obstacles, snags, stones and flooded trees. The hooks become dull or simply come off, forcing the fisherman to waste time retying the rigs.

When fishing for pike with a spinning rod, the angler moves along the shore of the reservoir in a given direction and fishes large areas. If a fish is found, then the tackle is cast to one point until the bites end.

After the bite subsides, the fisherman moves further along the shore and there is no need to move rod racks with alarms, chairs on which the fishermen sit and a bunch of other belongings necessary for fishing. Spinning fishermen are mobile and travel several kilometers a day in search of fish. Bottom fishing limits the mobility of the fisherman and this is of course a big disadvantage.

Therefore, you should carefully select the place on the shore for fishing and the points at which the sharp-toothed predator will be caught. Those who have several rods fish large areas of the reservoir, but when using 1-2 rods this is not possible. In the absence of a bite, it is much more difficult for bottom fishers to move to another point in search of fish and this is a serious drawback of bottom gear.

When catching crucian carp or crucian carp on a bottom, the fish are attracted to the fishing point with the help of a starting feed and retained by regularly throwing bait into the swim. This will not work with pike, since it does not respond to standard baits and the best bait for a predator is considered to be live bait, a small fish that has a seductive appearance and a smell that spreads over a large area.

Live bait on the bottom is a wounded fish that seeks to hide behind some kind of shelter at the bottom of the reservoir and the vibrations of its fins and tail are also caught by the predator. Pike will not pass by such bait and will definitely be tempted to bite.

But if there is no predator fishing in the area where fishing is taking place, it is very difficult for an angler with 4-5 donkeys to move to another point and try his luck in a new place. It turns out that waiting for many hours does not bring results and the fisherman is left without trophies.

Hooks for pike fishing must remain sharp, otherwise the hook will be unreliable and the fish will fall off the hook when fishing. Pike is one of those opponents that actively resist and try in every possible way to get rid of the hook.

Therefore, the fisherman must be confident in the reliability and catchability of his gear and hooks, this concerns first of all. And when reeling out the equipment to check the bait, or playing for fish, the hooks become dull on stones and bottom debris, and you have to re-tie the rigs.

Pike is caught using several types of donks, but the live bait version is considered the most catchy. However, the movement of live bait in the water column is limited by the length of the leash and this also narrows the angler’s capabilities, and therefore reduces his catch. But a living fish at least moves in the water, but fishing is also carried out on dead fry, and in this case the attractiveness of the bait is significantly reduced.

Features of the tackle

Zakidushka is the simplest version of donka. Such tackle consists of a piece of fishing line leashes with hooks and sinkers attached to it .

It also includes a reel on which all the equipment is wound.

The zakidushka has significant advantages:

it does not require the constant participation of the angler in the process of hunting for pike;
materials for its manufacture are inexpensive;
This donkey is easy to use.

Each angler can make several hooks or even several dozen such gear and use them at the same time . In this case, it covers a larger area of water, and the chances of a good catch increase .

Donka has an advantage over other gear when fishing takes place at great depths and in strong current conditions. They are well suited for fishing in cold water - early spring, late autumn and winter. It is during these periods that pike prefers to stay at depth , where it is not always possible to reach it with a float rod and is often inconvenient to catch with a spinning rod.

that is passive in cold water is well fish lying motionless on the bottom or live bait tied to one point by a sinker lying on the bottom.

But this gear also has disadvantages :

due to the lack of a fishing rod, it is not easy to cope with a good-sized trophy;
in most cases, the zakidushka is inferior to other amateur gear in terms of effectiveness;
Fishing with such a bottom is inferior in its sportiness to fishing with a spinning rod or a float rod.

When fishing with bait, you can use live bait as bait , as well as whole or cut dead fish. Live bait turns out to be more attractive to a predator, but it can bury itself in the bottom, becoming inaccessible to a potential trophy. In addition, live fishing is a relatively complex activity that presents more difficulties.

Varieties of donks for pike

It is believed that three options for donkey are suitable for successful pike fishing:

classic installation on a reel;
donk with a rubber shock absorber;
Donka spinning rod with live bait.

The first two options for donks have significant drawbacks and should not be seriously considered as catching tackle specifically for pike. When catching crucian carp or bream, and bottom fishing, elastic and classic bottom rigging are much more effective and this is due to the characteristics of the oral apparatus of these fish.

Pike has sharp teeth, with which it can gnaw even thin wire, not to mention monofilament fishing line or braid, from which leashes for classic donks and elastic bands are knitted. Therefore, it is recommended to use a donka with a spinning rod, equipped with metal leashes for pike and hooks with live fish.

This is the option that attracts both small and trophy pike, and there is plenty of evidence of this in the form of trophies caught. Tying a donkey for a pike with a spinning rod with your own hands is not at all difficult, and every angler can learn how to do it quickly and easily.

Fishing with hooks

Fishing with hooks, despite the simplicity of this gear, is by no means simple and varies greatly depending on where it is carried out and what kind of fish is its object. Moreover, some types of fish require some changes in equipment. This is all worth considering in detail.

Fishing in still waters

As a rule, it is carried out on ponds and lakes, as well as in oxbow lakes and river branches. Main fishing objects: large roach, bream, crucian carp, carp, tench, large perch, pike perch, pike.

Fishing with hooks in still waters is often carried out where there are quite extensive thickets of underwater vegetation. In order for the equipment to catch less algae, a round or pear-shaped sinker is used.

Bream

When catching bream using hooks, use the standard version of the tackle. A worm or bloodworm, collected in a bundle with a nipple ring, is used as a nozzle.

Casting is carried out to deep places, best of all - to the dump of a flooded riverbed. Fishing time is morning and evening, and it makes sense to leave the gear at night.

Often, catching bream with hooks is carried out in places where the bottom is solid silt, in which the sinker with bait often sinks. In order to avoid this misunderstanding, the leash of the tackle is equipped with a floating element, which is half an ordinary wine cork, as well as a small pellet that will prevent the bait from floating up too high.

Rice. 5. Hook for muddy bottom: 1 - hook with nozzle; 2 - pellet; 3 - piece of cork; 4 - sinker, sank in the silt.

A small nuance: the weight of the pellet and the size of the piece of cork are selected in such a way that, together with the hook, the entire structure sinks as slowly as possible.

To secure the cork to the fishing line, no special tricks are required. To do this, a cut is made in it with a knife along its entire length to approximately the middle of its thickness. The fishing line is threaded into the slot and, having bent through the cork in one turn, is threaded again - so that there is an overlap of the turn in the slot. Now the cork holds firmly enough on the fishing line and does not fly off if it is pulled.

Rice. 6. How to attach a cork to a fishing line for a cast with an “unsinkable” rig.

Carp

Carp is caught better than all other pond fish using bait. Both standard equipment and special carp equipment, that is, hair equipment, are suitable for it. You can use anything as a bait - from corn with undercooked potatoes to boilies.

Rice. 7. Casting for carp with a hair rig: 1 - round sinker; 2 - a hook tied with a knot with an increased number of turns - for fixing a hair loop on the forearm; 3 - potato.

Pike

In the case of pike, the zakidushka is a natural bottom vent. Such gear is thrown into places where the toothy predator is most active: near snags and thickets of underwater vegetation. The tackle performs especially well in the spring - in muddy water.

For pike fishing, the hook is equipped with a tungsten leash and two treble hooks, one of which is attached to the end of the leash, the other a little higher. It is also possible to fish with a rig with one hook, which will be discussed below in the section on river fishing (casting for burbot).

Rice. 8. Casting for pike: 1,2 - tee hooks; 3 — tungsten leash; 4 — fastener; 5 - round sinker; 6 - method of placing live bait on a leash with two hooks; 6 - a method of placing live bait on a leash with one hook.

Regarding how to attach live bait. If the leash is equipped with a leash with two hooks - the first of them clings under the pectoral fin, the second - behind the back. If the leash is single-hook, it is quite possible to unfasten it and pull the bait through the mouth, leading it out through the gill slit, and then fasten it to the equipment. In the second case, the live bait will last longer.

Zander

The situation with pike perch is somewhat more complicated than with pike, because in reservoirs it prefers greater depths, usually located far from the shore. However, if it is possible to throw a stash into its habitat, success will be guaranteed.

Pike rigs are used to catch pike perch.

Fishing on rivers

The main objects of river fishing with hooks are the same large roach, bream, ide, chub, asp, pike, perch, burbot, catfish, and sturgeon. You can fish at any time of the year, but in the spring - in muddy water - baitfish reveal their maximum potential, especially for such predatory fish, which during this period are almost not caught with other gear.

When river fishing with hooks, one nuance related to the current should be taken into account. The fact that it is not a hindrance for this tackle (especially when using a good, heavy sinker) is a fact. However, we should not forget that at times the river carries all sorts of garbage such as grass, algae and other elodea. So, if the bait is abandoned, as they say, “in the stream,” and is not checked and cleaned for a long time, in the end the fisherman will not pull out a fish, but a hefty garland of that same garbage. Which, hanging on a fishing line, increases its windage, and therefore, sooner or later the current pulls it and carries it away.

That is why, when river fishing with baits, fishermen try to throw them in places where the current is quieter, but at the same time the main stream is located nearby.

By the way, a special flat-shaped sinker has even been developed for the river version of the tackle. It lies flat on the bottom and does not float in the current, and when pulled out, it does not twist the rig. Such a sinker can be easily cast at home on a gas stove in an ordinary aluminum spoon.

Photo 3. Homemade sinker for river fishing.

Chub

Catching chub with bait is usually carried out during those periods when this fish feeds in the bottom areas of the water. This is almost the entire spring, the very beginning of summer, its end, and also autumn until freeze-up. A frog or gudgeon is used as a bait. Worms and other baits (for example corn) also work, but somewhat worse.

The time for catching chub with bait is twilight and night. It is especially successful in the morning. However, it makes sense to leave the tackle abandoned during the day, especially in cloudy weather, when the chub can bite all day long.

Throwing gear is best done in places with a quiet or no current. As a rule, this is a coastal zone or river reaches. The main thing is that there is a roll or tug nearby. The chub, as you know, stays behind or in front of such places. In the spring, fishing depth is not particularly important, but the closer it gets to freeze-up, the better the pits begin to “work.”

Asp

In the summer, biting an asp on a bait is most likely an exception to the rule. However, in the spring - in muddy water - this fish periodically catches live bait, which can be a gudgeon, a small minnow or a bleak. After spawning, the asp may well peck at a dung worm or crawler.

If you want to purposefully catch an asp in the spring by casting, know that at this time the fish tries to stay closer to the shores - where the current is not as strong as on the main stream. This is where you should throw the bait.

Burbot

Any kind of bait for burbot is not suitable - it requires special equipment. Firstly, a fairly long tungsten leash is required, and secondly, the ability to quickly replace it is necessary. As you know, the burbot’s teeth resemble a grater, and it swallows the bait quite deeply. Therefore, if it is caught, it is much easier to unhook the swallowed leash and quickly hook up a new one instead, than to deal with removing the swallowed leash from the belly of the fish.

Rice. 11. Throwback for burbot - equipment with the ability to quickly replace the leash (and hook - if necessary): 1 - clasp; 2 — swivel; 3 — tungsten leash; 4 — fastener; 5 - double hook.

Suitable baits for catching burbot: a bunch of dung worms or crawlers, but the best ones have proven themselves: crucian carp, gudgeon, ruff (large burbot especially loves it), or a piece of some fish (for example, crucian carp or carp bought in a store) . Besides everything else, nothing prevents the fisherman from chopping the same gudgeon or ruff. By the way, if you are supposed to fish with a piece of fish, a single hook is quite enough.

They catch burbot in quiet places of the river. Ural fishermen strongly recommend doing this from a steep, washed-out shore. According to them, here catching burbot with hooks is always the most successful.

The time of year when burbot bite well on bait is spring (especially immediately after the rivers open), or autumn before freeze-up. The colder the weather, the better the bite will be. Well, it goes without saying that you should put up the covers only at night.

Sterlet

And now, gentlemen, readers, it’s time to talk about catching fish like sterlet, which lives in many Siberian rivers and lived (and according to some information, still lives) in some rivers of the Urals. By the way, its fishing is prohibited in the Urals, but in Siberia it can be caught under a license.

Since ancient times, Siberians have been fishing with hooks, and in this way they catch not only sturgeon, but also other types of fish. As for sterlet fishing, it is usually carried out in pits and in the adjacent water area. However, this fish does not always stay at depth. Sometimes the sterlet goes out to the main current, and sometimes it wanders in shallow water. Moreover, it is completely unknown at what time of day where she will be. Therefore, the best tactical technique when catching it with hooks is to fish both the hole itself and the exit from it, as well as the shallow places bordering it.

Siberians consider a worm to be the best bait for catching sterlet. Moreover, it doesn’t matter which one - crawling, or red dung. The sterlet takes both the first and the second for sure.

It does not require any special tricks in the equipment - “standard” tackle will do, although some experts in catching sterlet with casts recommend using a hook with a long shank. This one, according to Siberian fishermen, is easier to pull out of the peculiar mouth of this fish.

Rod

A rod for pike must be able to withstand heavy loads and have the flexibility necessary to fish for a trophy. Hooking a pike should be quick and precise, and the tip of the spinning rod, which has rigidity, is responsible for this. Some anglers use carp rods designed for catching 10+ kg trophies, but this is not necessary.

There is no need to buy expensive equipment for pike fishing; a titanium spinning rod or a budget telescopic fishing rod made of carbon fiber will do. Rod length from 2.4 to 3.0 meters, test 2.5 Lb and above. If there is a possibility of catching a trophy pike weighing 5 kg or more, the rod must withstand such a load, this must be taken into account.

A little about gear

There is nothing special about the equipment for pike fishing in the fall. Catana Dx Spinning 240m (test 10-30 g) is ideal for beginners. The main rule is that the tackle, as in any other direction of spinning fishing, must be balanced.

A fishing rod for pike should: • allow forceful fishing of a toothy pike, • absorb the jerks of a predator well, • have sufficient sensitivity, • be light and fit comfortably in the hand.

There are also no special requirements for the coil. The only exception is a twitching reel, which, in addition to its main functions, must lay the line evenly on the spool during jerking movements, in order to avoid dropping loops or the formation of a beard on subsequent casts. Nowadays, many spinning anglers use only braided cord. It has minimal stretch, is strong and gives good sensitivity to the tackle. You can’t do without a cord when jig fishing for pike or twitching. In all other cases, the use of monofilament fishing line is allowed. On the contrary, it is stretchable and absorbs jerks well. Also, in clear water, monofilament is less noticeable to pike, and it attacks the bait more often. Of course, when catching a toothy fish, we must not forget about the presence of a leash. It is best to use steel “twisting”, which can be easily made at home at minimal cost. Fluorocarbon leaders are also suitable. However, although the number of bites increases with fluorocarbon, the likelihood of cutting increases and this must be taken into account when choosing material for the leash.

Coil

For catching pike on a donkey, a spinning or carp reel with a spool of 3000 and above is suitable. The larger the size of the spool, the faster the line is reeled out and when fishing at long distances, reels with spools of 4000 and above are used.

When fishing coastal areas with bottoms, they use reels with 3000 and even 2500 spools, the main thing is that they are equipped with reliable and functional friction brakes with fine tuning. When fishing for pike with a bottom, the angler does not need to hold the rod in his hands all the time, as is the case with spinning anglers, so the weight of the reel does not play a big role.

It is desirable that the reel be protected from moisture and sand getting into the middle and be equipped with 3 or more bearings.

Fishing technique

The main tactics when fishing with hooks involves installing several - usually from 10 to 20 - gear in the selected water area. The more donks are spaced, the higher the chances of ending up with a good catch . a hard sandy are best suited for fishing with this tackle .

When the rig is cast, the line is secured to the shore, usually using wooden pegs stuck into the ground.

If active fishing is expected, after setting each hook, a bell is put . Having heard the ringing of such a bite alarm, you need to run up to the triggered tackle as quickly , make a hook and start fishing.

When fishing passively, pike with hooks rely on self-hooking . In this case, you just need to check the gear every hour or less. Donks can also be left overnight . In this case, there is a high chance of catching a real trophy , which, under cover of darkness, can come out from the depths to the shore in search of prey. Pike actively searches for food in the dark in reservoirs with stagnant water, and on the river the chances of a night bite are lower .

Making a cast for pike is not at all difficult ; the technique of fishing for it is also simple. Donka can be used as the main tackle or as an additional one during float, feeder or spinning fishing. It can bring excellent catches , so everyone who has not yet tried catching pike on a donk should do so. With the right approach to the matter, the results of such fishing will certainly please you .

More articles: how to clean a pike, at what pressure it bites, yawner, favorite colors, pike biting according to the phases of the moon.

fishing line

As already mentioned, when biting a pike, the hook must be clear and accentuated, and the stretchability of the monofilament line in this case is a very negative factor. As a result, a braided cord with a diameter of 0.25 and above is used as the basis for pike donkey.

The thicker the cord, the more reliable the tackle, but when making long casts (which is what the donkey is actually intended for), the diameter of the cord should be as small as possible. Therefore, you should not use too thick cords for the base, so that the tackle does not lose all its advantages. It is recommended to use high-quality braided cords, and not Chinese fakes, which are enough for 1-2 fishing trips.

It is wrong to save on the cord, because this is an important element of equipment. In addition, cheap lines shed in water and lose their natural color, unmasking the entire tackle. By purchasing a high-quality cord, the angler is sure that he has solved the problem for at least the fishing season, although such braids are usually used to catch donka for more than one year.

Important! It is allowed to use monofilament fishing line as a base, but its diameter must be at least 0.4-0.5 mm.

Choosing a promising location

Catching pike on a donk is possible both in the current and in still water. To install the bottom, places with bottom anomalies are selected, which include various depth differences, slopes from the edge to depth, the border of aquatic vegetation with clean water, and snags in the river. These unusual features in the reservoir provide shelter for a predator waiting for its prey.

Read: Bream tackle for fishing from the shore and from a boat

An installed donkey requires a free corridor, allowing the pike that took the bait to move a couple of meters away from the bite site, but no more. To do this, of course, it is better for the fisherman to know the bottom in advance using markers or an echo sounder. Otherwise, the close location of snags or dense aquatic vegetation will allow the pike to reliably hide with the swallowed bait, while tightly entangling the tackle.

The shore where the donk is installed is selected to be flat, without tall thickets and trees adjacent to the water. All these objects, not taken into account when installing the tackle, will become serious obstacles when casting and landing caught fish.

Hooks

It is unnecessary to remind that the hook is the element of the tackle that is in direct contact with the fish and is responsible for its reliable hooking. The hook should always be very sharp and its shape should be convenient for baiting bait.

Doubles or trebles are considered ideal hooks for pike donks and they are attached to metal leashes that are “not afraid” of the sharp teeth of a ferocious predator. The rigidity of a metal leash reduces the attractiveness of the bait, as it prevents it from moving naturally.

But here you don’t have to choose, because the sharp pike teeth will cut any other material, so metal leashes, in fact, have no alternative. In the last 3–5 years, fluorocarbon predator leashes, which are rigid and resistant to abrasion, have become popular among anglers.

The undoubted advantage of fluorocarbon fishing line is its “invisibility” in water, as well as its abrasion resistance. But the strength of a metal leash is still much higher and the tackle with it is more reliable. So it is recommended to use fluorocarbon leashes when the fish are biting weakly and after hooking you need to force the predator to reel in to prevent it from biting the leash.

Complete set of zakidushki

Hook.
The market has plenty of this product and accordingly one should choose the right one. There are some numbers written on the packages, which is even more puzzling. But the good thing about the trick is that you don’t have to rack your brains. It is enough to know what a hook is. The main size is the width of the hook. But when choosing it, you also need to take into account the manufacturer. There is a difference between Russian and International classification. It is the width of the hook that determines its number.
Fishing line.
What an abundance of hooks in the store, so many fishing lines. Their difference lies in the manufacturing method and type of material: monofilament and braided cord (braid). For the “old-fashioned” method, a monofilament with a diameter of 0.6 to 0.9 mm for the main line and 0.2-0.6 mm for the leads is sufficient. The main selection parameter depends on the desired result (fish).
Cargo.
For a sinker, either a store-bought product of 100-150 grams, or a piece of brick/crushed stone of a suitable size/volume, which can be found on the shore, is suitable. Pay attention to the shape of the sinker. For fishing in currents, the shape is preferably flat so that the load does not roll along the bottom.

The hooks are simple.
For ease of installation, the main line is immediately wound sequentially on the reel, and the attached leads should be wound in the opposite direction.

And here's what you need to know: Fishing on the Volga River

A figure-of-eight loop 10-20 cm long is made from one end of the main line, depending on the size and method of attaching the sinker (using a swivel or carabiner).
At a distance of 60-80 cm (in the future, this distance is taken as a step between leashes), a 20-40 cm leash is tied, followed by tying the hook.
The number of leashes can be from 3 to 10, depending on the nature of the reservoir and the adjacent shore. For predatory fish, one is usually enough.
Figure-eight knot when connecting hooks to fishing line
Tying hooks and leashes is done with a figure-eight knot, depending on the shape of the hook head (eye or blade). In fishing practice, various knots and loops are used. The above are used on bottom gear as the most common of the simple and no less reliable methods of tying knots.
When tightening, it is recommended to wet the knots and loops to avoid thermal jamming of the line.
The connection of interchangeable leashes is carried out using the “loop-to-loop” technique, having previously made figure-of-eight loops on the main fishing line.

Installation of live bait for pike

To install a live bait bait on a pike you will need:

double or tee hook on a leash 30-50 cm long;
swivel;
bumper;
sliding sinker;
a piece of fishing line with a diameter of 0.4-0.5 mm, a length of 30-40 cm.

Using a sliding sinker increases the sensitivity of the tackle, and after a bite in the first seconds, the pike does not feel the weight of the load. Only after the sinker rests on the knot is the predator caught under its weight, and then the angler makes an additional hook, depriving the pike of the opportunity to get off the hook.

We mount the donk on the pike:

Make a loop on the fishing line to connect to the base.
Place a sliding sinker on the fishing line.
Place a stopper on the line.
Tie a swivel to the free end of the fishing line.
Attach a leash with a hook to the swivel.

This version of the donkey is used in cases where it is necessary for live bait to swim almost along the bottom and in close proximity to it. The height of the fish's rise is limited by the length of the leash, but it is not a fact that the live bait will want to swim straight up.

Therefore, if the task is to catch pike in the water column, the rig is equipped with a float that raises the live bait to the required height. The bumper is needed in order to protect the connecting unit from impacts with a sinker, and the swivel, which rotates freely around its axis, prevents the tackle from getting tangled during fishing.

The design of the donkey is very simple, but this is the most catchy option. You should not complicate installations on a predator, because this will only interfere with fishing. If a fisherman experiments on a pond and tries to fish with different rigs, there are no problems, no one forbids this.

But if you want to maximize your chances of catching a trophy pike, you don’t need to invent anything, because there is gear that has been tested by time and many fishing trips.

DIY pike hook

To make simple snack you will need:

the fishing line that will be used as the main one is usually monofilament with a length of 30 to 70 m and a diameter of 0.3-0.7 mm;
leader line, the thickness of which should be 0.1-0.3 mm less than the main one;
one or more metal leads;
a sinker, the weight of which can be from 10 to 100 g - its size must be selected based on the fishing conditions and the baits used.

Thin fishing lines can be used to make a hook if you plan to catch medium-sized pike in areas with a free bottom.
If you have to fish in snags or near thickets of grass , you need to take thicker monofilament.

Metal leashes , which are an integral part of any pike fishing tackle, can be made independently from a guitar string or steel wire of a suitable diameter.

The lightest sinkers are used when fishing with dead fish or cut fish meat in the coastal zone of lakes and reservoirs. The weight of the cargo must be increased if live bait is used as bait.

In the manufacture of tackle, swivels and carbines , but you can do without them , since the simplicity of the design is one of the main advantages of the classic hook.

To make such a tackle, you need :

tie a loop at the end of the main line to which the load will be attached;
half a meter above it, mount a leash made of fishing line about 20-30 cm long;
tie a metal leash with a double or triple hook to it;
secure the sinker in the loop.

It is convenient to store such tackle on a reel , which can be made of wood or foam. When transporting donuts, the sinkers are easily removed , after which it is more convenient to transport such donks.

How to bait live bait

Baiting with live bait is also an important point when preparing donkey for fishing. The predator attacks the bait only if it considers it safe. A protruding hook unmasks the installation, so the leash is passed through the gill openings and released into the mouth of the baitfish, after which a tee or double is attached to it.

After pulling the leash, the hook penetrates the soft tissue of the baitfish’s lips and becomes invisible to the pike. Usually the predator takes the bait by the head, and not from the tail, and after the fish enters the predator’s mouth, it is caught by the sting of the hook. The installation performs its functions perfectly, and the live bait has a “marketable appearance” for a long time.

How to attach live bait

Pike grabs its prey crosswise, so it is best to place live bait on the hook under the dorsal fin. This must be done very carefully, trying not to damage the fish too much. Otherwise, it will be immobilized and will not attract the attention of the predator.

If the hook is not inserted deep enough into the body of the bait fish, the bait may fly off when casting, which is also unacceptable. Understanding the correct mounting comes quite quickly in practice.

The pike grabs its prey crosswise, and then turns it with its head towards its mouth and begins to swallow it. That is why, when a double is used in the rig, the fish must be baited in such a way that the hook points are turned towards the tail of the baitfish.

When the bite is sluggish, the pike can hit the bait, but not swallow it. In this case, it is better to place live bait on a tee.

Where to get live bait

If 5-7 years ago finding live bait was really a problem, now small fish are sold in many fishing stores. In addition, many fishermen themselves harvest live bait before fishing. In order not to suffer with float tackle, use a regular three-liter bottle for preservation.

Several pieces of corn are placed inside the bottle and, going knee-deep into the water, the fisherman immerses the container in the water. It is important that the neck of the bottle is directed with the flow, because the fish moves in the opposite direction. Attracted by the smell of the top, a small fish swims into the jar and cannot swim out of there, because it does not swim with the current.

After waiting 10-15 minutes, the fisherman just has to go into the water and pick up the bottle with the top, in which small fish will already be swimming - ready-made bait. Within an hour, you can catch live bait in this way on several fishing trips, and solve the problem of bait without financial expenses. Well, unless you have to spend money on a handful of powder and a bottle.

Live bait is stored in containers specially designed for this purpose, which are also sold in fishing stores. As a last resort, you can store small fish in a glass container, away from the sun.

Catching pike on a donk is a very interesting process that will not leave anyone indifferent. The gear is simple and inexpensive, and such fishing is available to every fisherman who wants to compete and outwit a seasoned predator.

Choosing the right bait

The predator's diet includes various food items of animal origin, including small fish of various species. When choosing live bait for fishing, you need to give preference to the fish that live in the same body of water as the pike. A similar bait for pike is more preferable than one caught in another body of water.

When fishing for pike in various bodies of water, especially those without current, the best option for live bait is a small crucian carp. It is believed that crucian carp is the most suitable because:

The fish is quite tenacious because it is not sensitive to lack of oxygen.
Crucian carp is not difficult to catch in any body of water. Such fish can be bought at any fishing store, although in this case you will have to think about where to store it.
The crucian carp is easily and without problems placed on the hook.

In reservoirs with stagnant water, it is permissible to use small tench as live bait, although this fish is not easy to catch, and it is not found everywhere. Therefore, such types of fish as roach, rudd, perch, etc. are also suitable. For pike fishing, fish from 5 to 30 cm in size are suitable, depending on the expected size of the prey.

It is important to know! To catch a trophy pike, you will have to use a fairly large live bait, the size of your palm and no less.

When fishing on rivers, it is permissible to use fish such as blue bream, bream, silver bream, etc. as live bait. In short, any fish that can be caught on the river, such as perch, gudgeon, goby, ruffe, etc., is suitable as live bait.

In order not to waste precious time while fishing, it is better to prepare live bait in advance, but then you will have to resolve the issue of its storage and transportation.

HOW TO CATCH PIKE with LIVE LIFE from the SHORE using a FLOAT RODS on PRESSED RESERVOIRS