We catch pike in winter using spinners and balancers - top rating of the best, catchiest spinners and balancers

Finding a fishing spot

Finding a “pike camp” is difficult, since pike in winter are most often busy moving around the reservoir, therefore, it is necessary to find a place where it hunts for fry. Since pike hunt for fry from shelters, it is necessary to drill holes near snags, or near thickets of grass near the shore. If there are none, then you should drill above the expected location of the edge (6-20 meters from the shore).

Advice: You need to drill holes 11-13 at once, because if there are no bites on one of the holes within 5-7 minutes, then they are unlikely to be in the future, so you can move on to the next one. It is necessary to drill holes at a distance of 4-5 meters from each other. The process is labor-intensive, but always worth the effort.

Almost all pike in winter are closer to the surface of the water, since there is the most oxygen in the upper layers. When hunting for fry, pike often go into shallow water. Often pike can be found on the so-called “navels” - places of transition from one hole to another.

How to catch pike in winter

In winter, pike behavior is characteristically different from summer. In the warm season, attacks are more active than in winter. But even in the summer it is not so easy to catch pike. In cold weather, activity decreases, but does not disappear. The fact is that as the water temperature drops, the activity of almost any fish decreases. The fish move less and are increasingly standing in wintering pits or near them.

When the first ice forms, the pike experiences some discomfort for some time, but over time it adapts to such conditions and goes hunting again. Again he begins to comb vast territories in search of food. As you know, pike goes out in search of food twice a day, but it is very difficult to catch these moments since it does not feed regularly. It is generally believed that there is a greater chance of getting a good trophy with the first warming or in cloudy weather. It has been noticed that on gloomy days the bite is somehow better than on clear days.

There is an opinion that during some winter periods the pike begins to eat. But this is not at all true; it is impossible to say exactly the time when the toothy one begins to actively hunt, since the country is large and the reservoirs are different everywhere. But such periods still exist and they happen differently everywhere. You can get to the end of the autumn feast on the first ice. Pike also take well in the dead of winter when reserves become scarce and oxygen deficiency affects them. On the last ice, during the period of heavy thaws, there is a chance to run into great activity.

There is an opinion that at certain moments it is better not to go to a toothy one because her teeth change. No one knows the exact month since the teeth change throughout the winter and throughout the year, but most often this period can occur after spawning.

Tackle for catching pike with a spinner

It is best to use rods about 30 centimeters long.
If the spinner is light, you need to use a nod of medium hardness, which will allow you to play better with the spinner. If the spinner is light, then you can do without a nod. The bite will be felt well in both cases. The fishing line must be monofilament, elastic, so that it does not freeze like braided line. It should be at least 0.40 mm thick, in case a large pike bites.

A leash is necessary in any case, since the pike will bite through ordinary fishing line. For more bites, the leash must be made from the main fishing line, tying a surgical-type loop at the end. The leash should be at least 20 centimeters long, in case the pike takes the bait deeply. For greater confidence, you can also attach a metal leash, but in this case the number of bites will be significantly reduced.

The coil is selected as follows: after making a sharp turn, it should make 5-6 turns without any effort. You don’t need a lot of space for fishing line; 20-25 meters is enough.

Attaching the fishing line and leash

fishing line

Winter monofilament: Salmo Hi-Tech Ice Sinkin, Salmo Hi-Tech Ice Red, Salmo Hi-Tech Ice Yellow. “Sinkin” means that the line floats and sinks well underwater.
The fishing line is attached to the reel with a loop and is additionally secured with a double knot. The loop is made surgically: 30-35 centimeters are measured from the end of the fishing line, after which the end from which the measurement was taken is applied to the marked place so that a ring is formed. Now you need to step back from the edge of the fishing line attached to the main fishing line 6-7 centimeters and wrap the tip into the previously formed ring 3 turns, then thread it through the resulting 3 turns and tighten.

The resulting loop must be fixed on the reel using a regular double knot. To do this, you need to wrap the fishing line around the reel with a loop 2 times and tie a knot. With this fastening, the line will never slip off the reel if it (the line) unexpectedly runs out.

Watch a video with a detailed analysis of winter fishing rods:

Leash

If the fishing line is 0.40 mm thick, then by making the same surgical loop out of it, you can use it as a leash without worrying about it breaking or being bitten by a pike. If a metal leash is used, then it is attached to the same loop using a fastener located at one of its ends.

Choice of spinners

A spoon for catching pike in winter should be light, as it plays more attractively in the water for pike. Wide, which will allow for significant vibrations under water, to which the pike reacts very quickly. The color of the spinner should be copper, cupronickel or brass. The spoon must be made of appropriate materials; it is even possible to combine them. If such lures become dull, they can always be polished.

Rating of the top 5 best and catchiest winter lures

The most successful lures for pike fishing are:

1. Williams Wabler;
2. Hopkins Hammered spoon;
3. Abu Garcia Toby;
4. Daiwa Silver Creek Masau;
5. Atom (Russia).

Let's consider them separately.

1.Williams Wabler

2. Hopkins Hammered Spoon

3. Abu Garsia Toby

1. Williams Wabler is an American spinner that has a very attractive appearance for pike. She plays excellently. The main play of the spinner does not occur during reeling, but at the time when it is lowered. At this moment, the spoon, waddling and swaying, moves away from the stopping point to the side, which significantly increases the chances of catching a pike.
2. Hopkins Hammered Spoon is a hand forged spinner. All spinners play a little differently, but the bite on them is excellent; the Williams spinner is slightly inferior. A good bite is ensured by a well-chosen color shade and an excellent combination of weight and size of the spoon.
3. Abu Garcia Toby - the spoon has proven itself to be excellent for catching medium and smaller specimens of pike. Due to the uneven movement of this spinner, you can catch almost all the pike within the range of the spinner. Large pike cannot be caught with it, due to the design features of the spoon.
4. Daiwa Silver Creek Masau is a single-hook spoon, neat in execution. You won’t get any trophies from it, but there will certainly be constant bites. The spinner benefits from a well-chosen silver-blue iridescent color. The spinner is light, there are no special features when playing.
5. Atom – the domestic spinner was also included in the top 5, because it was designed only for pike. Most likely, the pike takes it only due to its simplicity. At first glance, one even gets the impression that it is literally made from a spoon, but this judgment is deceptive. The spoon has proven itself very well in the reservoirs of Russia and the CIS countries. You can buy Atom spinners from the official website of the manufacturer (this is not an advertisement).

4. Daiwa Silver Creek Masau 5. Atom

The influence of weather on the choice of spinners on pike in winter

Advice! In bright sunshine, it is better to use lures of dark and natural colors. When it’s cloudy - multi-colored or “acid” (yellow, green, red). How to understand what winter weather is “pike”?

Weather plays a significant role when fishing for pike, especially in winter. And therefore it influences the choice of spinner - its shape, color, size. Worth remembering:

• No matter how frosty the winter may be, any warming, even slight, can significantly improve the bite of pike, which reacts to any change in temperature in one direction or another;
• The sunnier the weather, the more active the pike;
• It is best to fish for pike with stable pressure. If it is higher or lower than normal, then the pike becomes lethargic and inactive.

Balancer selection

When choosing a balancer, you need to pay attention to small models. Pike in winter are not so mobile, which means they only take what swims nearby and is not large, so as not to waste a lot of effort on catching. Thus, the balancer must be taken in small and medium sizes (4-8 cm). The number of hooks does not play a big role. The color scheme of the balancer will vary depending on the fishing location. If the place is in silt, in thickets of grass, or the water in the chosen place is dirty, then you need to take a bright balancer. In clear water, using balancers of natural colors will be productive.

One of the most catchy balancers for pike

Top 5 best fishing balancers for winter pike fishing

The five most catchy balancers include the following companies:

1. Rapala Jigging Rap;
2. Scorana ICE Crystal;
3. Kuusamo Tasapaino 75;
4. Nils Master – Jigger;
5. Nils Master – Baby Shad.

Let's look at it in more detail.

1. Rapala Jigging Rap

2. Scorana ICE Crystal 3. Kuusamo Tasapaino 75

1. Rapala Jigging Rap - the balancer is not large, but it catches well due to its color. Rapala Jigging models have balancers of other colors, but this one has the most suitable color for Russian reservoirs. Pike usually bite after 3-4 strokes.
2. Scorana ICE Crystal is a slightly larger balancer, but not heavier. Has high catchability due to playing underwater. Underwater strokes look quite massive, which perfectly attracts the attention of pike.
3. Kuusamo Tasapaino 75 is a shallow balancer, perfect for shallow water. In the water it blends well with the “local” fry. 75 – means length, 75 mm.
4. Nils Master Jigger and Baby Shad - both balancers are characterized by a large number of pike, but were placed in fourth and fifth place, respectively, due to poor hooks. Apparently they are made from poor alloys, since they cannot withstand heavy loads and break. Therefore, when purchasing these balancers, it will be better to immediately replace the hooks with them. But these balancers still make it into the top 5 due to the large number of pike caught on them.

4. Nils Master – Jigger

5. Nils Master – Baby Shad

Tackle

Tackle for winter trolling for pike should be durable, reliable and comfortable. It consists of the following elements:

Rod

Pike fishing rods consist of a handle and a whip. The handle should be made of materials that are considered “warm”: cork, neoprene or foam. The whip can be made of carbon or fiberglass. The length of the rod can be from 0.5 to 1 meter.

Coil

A simple inertial coil will be the best choice. A very necessary option is a ratchet , which performs the same function as the clutch of a spinning reel, i.e. when hooking, it releases a certain amount of fishing line, preventing it from breaking. When fishing with such a reel, fishing is done by hand.

But some fishermen, imitating their Western colleagues, catch pike from the ice using small spinning reels or multipliers. In such cases, an angler can get the same pleasure from fishing as during summer fishing, but longer rods are used for such fishing.

fishing line

The fishing line used is monofilament with a diameter of 0.25 mm. It is better to use a stiff line because it is less tangled. You can also fish with fluorocarbon, but only because it is less stretchable, since its invisibility does not play any role when fishing for pike.

Nod

A hard metal nod is used only when catching passive, cautious pike; in other cases, the bite is clearly transmitted “to the hand.”

Leash

A leash is required when fishing for pike. It must be soft, so either braided metal leaders or those made of fluorocarbon are used.

Criteria for choosing a spinner

What distinguishes winter spinners for pike from those for perch and pike perch is that when dropped they should not fall like a nail, but should “crumble ,” i.e. have a longer damping time. Therefore, the following types of spinners are usually used:

Summer spinners

Not all summer lures have the required characteristics, i.e. play attractively on the fall. Typically, relatively wide, lightweight spinners have the required properties.

Winter spinners

When choosing winter vertical spinners, you should pay attention to the following characteristics:

1. Size.

When fishing for pike, spoons should be relatively large: up to 120 mm long. Only in reservoirs where exclusively small pike live can you fish with 5-6 centimeter baits.

2. Form.

Spoons for pike fishing should have a characteristic “sprinkling” action, therefore various “diamonds”, “sleepers”, etc. are not entirely suitable for such fishing, although it is quite possible to catch a pike with them.

3. Material.

Spinner baits without lead or tin soldering are usually made of non-ferrous metals or their alloys. Weighted winter lures also have one side made of non-ferrous metal, onto which tin or lead is soldered. There are also bimetallic spinners.

4. Color.

The color of a spinner for winter pike fishing can be anything: from natural to “acidic,” which depends on the preferences of the predator in a particular reservoir and fishing conditions.

Expert opinion

Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich

Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.

Attention! Winter lures for pike are always equipped with a triple hook.
For greater effect, a fly made of red wool thread or lurex is knitted on the tee.

Techniques for catching pike in winter using lures

The fishing technique is simple - we drill holes, take out the tackle and lower the spoon into the water. Since fishing is done with a spinner and not with live bait, it can be lowered to the maximum depth. By gradually moving the spoon to the hole, you will be able to remember the depth of the pike’s strike and not lower the spoon below it, as this will not give any advantages.

Watch a video on the technique of catching and playing the spoon:

The pike confidently takes the lure from one of the sides, so it’s difficult to miss a bite. The main thing is to hook it in time, since in winter the pike may feel that it has been deceived and spit out the spoon. If a hook occurs immediately after the strike, the fish will not go anywhere. By following the above equipment instructions, you can fish for pike up to five kilograms without thinking about moving it, knocking its strength out, etc.

Spinner game

The game of spinners in winter is different from summer. In winter, the spinner must be brought in 2-3 turns of the reel, and then lowered by about half. So all the way to the top. In principle, it is better to play with all spinners in winter this way, because according to the design features of many of them, it is stipulated that during the descent the spinner should deviate slightly to the side from the ascent trajectory.

DIY winter lures for pike

And, of course, we couldn’t ignore the anglers who love to make their own lures. Although homemade spoons cannot always compete with purchased ones, they still usually cope quite well with catching pike. And sometimes, even fishermen with expensive purchased baits envy the owner of a homemade pike spoon. Yes, sometimes, homemade spoons turn out to be incredibly catchy and help their owner not to be left without a catch even on the worst day. Such spoons are simply unique and fishermen value them very much.

We invite you to watch a video on how to make a winter lure for pike with your own hands. This is quite simple to do and the spinners are of excellent quality. Happy viewing.

Fishing technique and tactics of placing on a balance beam

The balance beam is lowered into the water and from about half a meter you need to slow it down, wait 2-3 seconds and release it again to let it play, as it plays during the descent.
Thus, it is necessary that the balancer reaches the bottom. Then you need to lift it. After which you should either change the hole, or change the balancer and fish on the same hole. Usually the pike takes the bait after 2-3 swings of the balancer, if it is in place. If you feel a blow, you must immediately hook the pike. If the hooking was unsuccessful, you need to swing the balancer 1-2 times, and then change it to another model. It often happens that pike are caught immediately with the second bait.

Features of winter pike fishing

The main feature of pike fishing in winter is its low activity, which makes catching a large specimen more difficult, and therefore more interesting. Also, if a pike in a hole has just been caught, the next one will not attack the spoon or balancer soon, no matter how much you would like it to happen. Playing with bait is very different from other seasons, since the wiring is vertical, not horizontal.

Video about catching pike in winter on a balance beam on the Volga:

Pike fishing in December

December is the opening time of the winter fishing season. This is the first ice. The ice thickness for safe fishing is 12 centimeters. More is better. In December, it is easiest to find a pike place, since for two and a half weeks the pike is still holding on to the same places. During this same period, the pike still remains active. The most productive places will be edges, river mouths, pit crossings, and natural shelters.

Pike fishing in January

January pike fishing should begin with fishing holes. This is the coldest period, which means the fish don’t want to leave warm places again. Only hunger compels. The weather for successful fishing should be cloudy with some snow.

Specifics of pike trolling in winter

How does this fish behave when frost sets in? Why do its habits change on a body of water after it becomes covered with ice? Knowing the answers to these questions, it will be easier for you to understand where and how to catch pike with a spoon in winter.

1. Firstly, this fish ceases to be as active as in the summer. If in open water it happily wanders throughout the entire water area in search of food, then on winter days it stays in the same places, cruises and feeds within a specific point. The predator practically does not make long swims. Attacks with quick and short bursts. The angler’s task is to understand where the pike is in order to place the bait as close to it as possible. Therefore, if there are no bites, do not sit in one place - move around the reservoir, drill more holes, fish for new points.
2. Secondly, in winter the behavior and feeding activity of the “toothy” depends even more on weather conditions. The worse they are, the weaker the pike bite. In severe frosts, of course, she does not stop feeding, but she does this rarely and as if lazily. When it is cloudy and relatively warm (the thermometer is above -15 °C), this fish has a better appetite. Also, days that are more favorable for fishing are those on the eve of which there were no surges in atmospheric pressure that affect pike fishing in winter. Therefore, carefully study the barometer readings and the weather forecast before you go winter pike fishing with a spoon.
3. Thirdly, the fish becomes very shy. Even perch and pike perch are much easier to catch in winter than pike. It happens that you drill a hole, and the toothy one, frightened, swims away from this place and does not return at all during the day. In the best case, it arrives after half an hour or an hour. Therefore, the fisherman should behave silently, do not make sudden movements, and drill holes immediately.