How to catch pike in winter using a spoon: fishing techniques and tactics

Time to catch winter pike with a spoon

You should go after winter pike only when the thickness of the ice cover allows you to calmly and safely move around the reservoir in search of pike places.

Typically, on rivers the ice should be at least 10 cm thick, on lakes, ponds, and oxbow lakes - at least 6-8 cm.

As a rule, the first 2-3 weeks of freeze-up are the most catchy. At this time, the water still contains a sufficient amount of oxygen, the first transparent ice allows a considerable amount of daylight to pass through, and some aquatic plants are still suitable for consumption by herbivorous fish - the main food of the toothy predator.

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When and where to catch pike in winter with a spoon?

When fishing for pike in winter using a spoon, the fisherman’s initial task is to find the pike’s camp sites. It should be noted that pike in each reservoir are caught in the same places, but at the same time they can leave these places and wander throughout the entire reservoir. If the reservoir is open and not covered with ice, then it is best to use a spinning rod to catch pike in winter.

In most cases, the locations of the toothy pike are the same:

– dumps on the reservoir should be checked;
– possible depth differences;
– places in the immediate vicinity of various islands in the reservoir;
– pike can also be located in those areas of reservoirs where there are ditches or ravines on the bottom surface;
– among other things, you should try to catch the toothy predator in winter in those areas of reservoirs where there is snag;
– you should also try to fish in those places and areas of the reservoir where vegetation is located, but not too dense.

Anglers also note the fact that pike can be found in old channels, as well as on bends and breaks in the river. The fisherman should definitely study the places where pike appear in the reservoir, because the pike will definitely return there.

Features of equipment for trolling winter pike

To withstand the strong resistance of pike, for winter trolling an elastic rod is used, no more than 1 m long, with a comfortable handle, a spacious and reliable open reel, equipped with a ratchet brake with an outer diameter of 8-10 cm. The rod whip must have several guide rings , contributing to the uniform distribution of the weight of the hooked fish when fishing it, reducing friction when unwinding and reeling in the tackle.

The fishing line used is quite thick by the standards of winter fishing - 0.27-0.3 mm, and when planning to catch trophy specimens - up to 0.4 mm. The color of the fishing line should mask it as much as possible, so it is best to take fishing lines that are dark brown, greenish, or bluish. Braid is not suitable for lure fishing - despite its considerable strength, it becomes rough at low temperatures, which has a very bad effect on the performance of the lure and the sensitivity of the tackle. The presence of a steel leash in the rig is necessary, since the pike tries to grab the prey by the head, and the absence of a leash will lead to an instant break.

Winter lures for perch

If the perch is highly active, then it can be caught using baits such as spoons. These are mainly spinners for vertical trolling. An easy-to-catch spinner, when properly cast and retrieved, is capable of catching almost the entire school located in the area of the hole. At the same time, you should take care of organizing pauses, otherwise it will be difficult to catch at least one fish.

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The most catchy winter lures are:

A three-sided spinner is a spinner with 3 edges.
Tetrahedron - similar to trihedron, but has 4 sides. Thanks to this, it has a unique game, which certainly attracts perch.
The Dovetail is a unique lure with an equally unique action.
Carnation. The interesting design of this bait allows you to catch decent-sized perch.

A fishing rod with a spinner allows you to survey a large area of water at high speed.
Having more mass than a jig, the spoon quickly reaches the bottom of the lake.
The spinner is not afraid of any weather conditions, be it frost or strong gusts of wind, its game will remain unchanged.
The catchability of a spinner is several times higher than that of a jig, and if you get caught by a school of majestic perches, you can’t avoid catching.

Selection of spinners for pike in winter

For catching pike, both narrow and elongated pike-perch spoons and large and shorter pure pike spoons are used. The sizes of the spinners used range from 35 to 60 mm. The spoon must be equipped with a sharp hook - tee No. 5-9, loosely attached with a ring. Moreover, the hook should not protrude too far beyond the edge of the spoon, otherwise it will alert the fish. If the hook is much narrower than the spoon, then the pike will easily get off it. The best option is that the hook should extend beyond the edges of the spoon by 1.5 mm.

The color of the spinner is selected directly on the spot, depending on the weather. On bright sunny days it is better to use dull spoons, on cloudy and cloudy days - bright spoons. In general, pike fish better during thaws, cloudy days with wet snow.

How to choose spinners for pike fishing in winter

What is a winter lure for pike? This is an artificial bait that has a fastening in the front part and a hook in the back. Knowing that the weather affects pike fishing, anglers use vertical fishing and, based on the characteristics of the fish, do the following:

the spoon is made of brass or copper, and if a combined material , vibrations are created in the reservoir that attract fish;
lead rations are made on spinners to increase the weight of the tackle;
the shape of the bait should be wide so that it floats in the water and catches a larger area of the reservoir;
the color should be varied, it is desirable that the bait imitates fish scales;
the size should be no more than 15 centimeters, and the weight should not exceed 30 grams.

Important! When choosing spinners, you need to take into account their supply.

Throughout the day when pike is being caught, its preference for bait may change. Therefore, having several baits of different shapes and colors with you, you can be sure that there will be a bite.

Quality is an important indicator of spinners, as well as their manufacturers. It is better to purchase a hook that is strong and sharp so that the prey does not come off during fishing.

An average size of about 10 centimeters is best for catching pike in winter using a spinner It must be wide and resemble crucian carp or roach during the game.

Another important step in fishing is the color of the bait . Bright patterns will stand out and may spook the fish, so dull colors are fine. A silver shade is suitable for cloudy weather. If there are bright spots on the bait, it’s okay, because golden baits generally have patterns.

Based on the colors that can be found on the shelves of fishing stores, choosing the best company also plays an equally important role.

Based on the preferences of the predator and weather conditions, there are a number of the best winter lures for pike, the list of which is presented below.

Castmaster. It has an unusual shape with flattened edges, which give it a voluminous appearance. The game with this bait turns out to be energetic and lively, which in turn provokes the fish to attack.
Cicada . A bit like a balance beam, but unlike it, it swings when immersed in water. In its movements, the bait resembles an insect that is trying to get out of the water. It sinks quickly due to its weight and is equipped with a tee. It has green or light green shades, and is also painted silver. According to anglers, it is considered a fairly catchy winter tackle for pike.
Pike . Designed mainly for catching pike with winter lures, although other fish will also bite on this bait. The length usually varies and the shape differs from other specimens. It resembles a petal curved in the shape of a wave, which gives the bait a certain smoothness. Playing with such a bait is done slowly, as it slowly sinks into the water and sways. The colors are silver and gold.
Flat . The model is a little similar to the “Pike”, but not as curved. It is equipped with sharp edges and its size is approximately 6 centimeters. It can be used with either a single or a treble hook. The first one is suitable with an abundance of vegetation, but it is not as durable as a tee. But tees are used where there is great depth.
boat. It has a retracted shape, reminiscent of a boat. Equipped with only one hook. The positive thing is that there will be fewer hooks during fishing, but the negative is that the hooks will be unreliable and the fish can easily free themselves.

As for manufacturers, Atom, Snoop and Baron are recognized as some of the most popular. They can be bought in fishing stores in every city.

Video: the most catchy lures for pike in winter

Technique for trolling winter pike

Having cut several holes at a distance of 5-8 meters from each other, they begin to fish the one that was drilled first, then the second and so on until they reach the last one. The technique for trolling pike is as follows: the lure is lowered to the bottom, having reeled in the required amount of fishing line with a reel. Next, having made half a turn of the reel, the bait is raised 4-6 cm above the bottom and they begin to make sharp strokes, during which the spoon will then fly up 20-30 cm, after which it will smoothly return to its original position.

Techniques for fishing with winter lures or winter lures for perch

The trolling technique involves periodically swinging the fishing rod with pauses. First you need to lower the spoon into the hole to the very bottom. Then raise it to a height of about 5–10 cm above the bottom, this will become the starting point. This is followed by a swing of the fishing rod to a height of 15–30 cm, then the spoon is immediately lowered to its initial position and a pause is maintained for two to five seconds or more. Then swing again, etc.

The success of fishing largely depends on finding fish. Perch is a schooling fish; if you catch one in the same hole, you can catch it until the school moves away. But when you find perches, the main thing is not to hesitate. A school of perch does not stay in one place for a long time. After catching the next specimen, you need to remove it from the hook as quickly as possible and lower the spoon under the ice to the level where the trophy was caught. It should be noted that the striped predator has peaks of biting and periods of calm, regardless of whether it is the first/last ice or deep winter.

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The size of the spoon is very important. It often happens when, when fishing with a fairly large spoon, a perch only sluggishly “knocks” on it, but does not dare to swallow it. In this case, replacing larger spinners with smaller ones, 2 cm long, helps. It is advisable not to use pike anti-bite leashes, swivels, or fasteners during periods of weak bite (also in the dead of winter). All this once again alarms the cautious fish. Even the excessive shine of the spinner can discourage the striped fish from eating.

Now we hold the bait on the bottom for a couple of seconds and then make a light swing with the rod. Usually a perch that has bitten goes after the spoon to pick it up from the bottom. And at the moment of the swing, the striped one is spotted on the outside in the area of the chin. If we had made the hook at the moment of the “poke”, then the perch most likely would not have been detected. He rarely gets caught when he is not in the mood to take the lure with his mouth. But the striped fish picks up the bait that has fallen to the bottom. Perhaps the perch’s instinct kicks in that the prey it has hit must be taken before it wakes up.

If things get really bad with the lure, they switch to jig fishing. Most likely, the perch needs a very small bait and at the moment it feeds exclusively on insects (for fishing with a jig, see the link at the very beginning of this article). After trolling, they immediately try to fish in the hole with a jig. That is, it turns out that we collect a school with the help of a spinner, and catch it with a jig. That’s why, in addition to a fishing rod for trolling, I also take jig tackle with me.

For successful fishing on rivers and reservoirs, you should stock up on products of medium weight. If you plan to fish on the lake, it is better to take light baits.

For winter fishing, experienced fishermen advise stocking up on spoons that will create an imitation of small fish. Recommended colors are silver, brass, copper, brown shades with a matte finish.

For successful fishing on rivers and reservoirs, you should stock up on products of medium weight. If you plan to fish on the lake, it is better to take light baits.

The types of perch products that are in greatest demand among fishermen are:

half;
crucian carp;
Ray;
whitebait;
torpedo;
sleeper.

It will be easier for beginners to work with crucian carp, fry or ray.

There are often cases when, while fishing in a promising place, it is not possible to catch more than 1-2 perches from one hole. The rest of the fish, being in the place of the lure, simply ignore the lures and do not show any activity. In order for the fish to become interested, you need to tease it. There are several ways to do this.

Tackle components

The spinning rod you used to catch pike in summer and autumn is not suitable for winter fishing. You will need specially mounted gear.

Rod

Some fishermen use homemade fishing rods. But making them is not easy, and store-bought options are much better. Therefore, we advise you to purchase special “sticks”.

For example, carbon rods with cork handles have proven themselves well. There are also good fiberglass models. But carbon is preferable. Preferably with a titanium whip and guide rings with an SIC insert (allow you to fish with braided lines).

In terms of length, the optimal spinner is 35–40 cm. It is important that the rod is durable, not heavy and fits comfortably in the fisherman’s hand. Also choose “sticks” for vertical trolling. In another way, they are also called vertical fishing rods.

Coil

For the role of a reel for pike tackle, a medium-sized model with a diameter of about 10 cm is suitable. Capacity is up to 50 meters of fishing line. The ideal option is medium or even budget in the price segment. Be sure to be inertial with a high-quality reverse stopper and lever. Such characteristics of the reel will help when landing fish.

fishing line

An important element of any gear. When assembling a fishing rod for trolling pike, you should choose the “cord” responsibly and carefully. Basic requirements for it:

Diameter. After all, we are going to fish with a spoon. These are heavy baits. And the pike itself resists solidly. In addition, there is always a chance that a specimen weighing 5–7 kg will bite. Therefore, the cross-section of the winter fishing line should be about 0.3 mm. Not less.
Strength. This parameter is also important. When purchasing, check the tensile strength. The fishing line for pike tackle must be at least 7 kg.
Rigidity. In this regard, braided line is better suited, but it often freezes, which prevents the bait from being cast correctly. Therefore, fishermen generally give preference to high-quality monofilament fishing line - elastic and with minimal stretch parameters.

We briefly described what fishing line should be like for winter trolling for pike from ice. On fishing forums you can find out a little more - read reviews on specific manufacturers and models.

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