Pike perch is a larger representative of the perch family. Along with pike, it competes for leadership in the popularity of spinning fishing. This predator, like pike, can reach impressive sizes. Of course, in general, the catch is dominated by fangs up to 2 kilos, but if you try, you can catch a trophy weighing 5-10 kg.
And the most effective way to catch it is jig. The fact is that the jig is adapted for maximum effective fishing of the bottom layer, and our fanged predator feeds precisely at the bottom. This method will be ideal for beginners and inexperienced spinning anglers, because catching pike perch with a jig is much easier than, for example, with a wobbler.
This article will be useful not only for beginners! It will also be useful for an experienced spinner to read this information in order to at least refresh the knowledge in his memory, and maybe even learn something new in order to put it into practice and improve his skills in catching pike perch with a jig. The website ryba4ok.ru will sort out all the important information that will help every spinning player in this matter.
Where to catch pike perch on a jig
Catching pike perch with a jig consists of many points, taking into account which successful fishing is formed. One of these moments is choosing a place or searching for a predator in a body of water. If you know the places that are promising for catching fanged fish, then the number of successful casts will be much higher than if you throw the bait in any place that catches your eye.
It is worth knowing that pike perch is a schooling predator. It lives in groups, so when catching one tail, you should continue to fish for a successful point further, since it is often possible to pull out 2, 3, or even more fanged specimens from one successful place.
Also, you need to understand that pike perch have favorite places that they visit most often or where they spend most of their time. Knowing such places, you can count on successful fishing throughout the open water fishing season.
You should look for pike perch in the following places:
- The edges are one of the most catchy places for this predator. The edge itself is the boundary between the depth and the shallower part of the reservoir. In such areas there is always a lot of food for white fish, and a predator is not averse to eating this white fish. Therefore, in such places the pike perch always has someone to hunt and the edges are one of the places most visited by them. Fishing the edges often brings good results.
- Pits and pools . Pike perch is a lover of depth, so deep holes and pools are its favorite places; it often stays at the deepest points of the reservoir - 5, 8, 10, 15 meters.
- Uneven terrain . It is not always the deep holes or edges that are the most promising areas. Any uneven terrain will be attractive to a predator. Rise, drops, various shelters and bottom anomalies are an excellent place for catching it. If the bottom is uneven, you should definitely check this area for the presence of pike perch.
. Avid spinning fishermen know that pike perch is a huge fan of snags. In this matter, he can easily compete with carp or crucian carp. And if the snag is at a decent depth, at least at the level of 3-4 meters, then the likelihood of pike perch congregating there in such a place is very high. Moreover, even a lonely flooded stump can attract a predator. It often happens that a whole flock of fanged fish gathers near such a deep-sea stump. Perhaps this is due to the fact that such a stump attracts small fish, which serve as food for the predator.
Snags- Channel dumps, like any bottom anomalies, are also very attractive for pike perch. Such areas must be fished, since the likelihood of a predator biting in them is very high.
- Reverse current . Often, the reverse current on the river indicates the location of holes, which, as we have already found out, are promising places for catching pike perch. Such returns are often very good indicators of the presence of a predator when fishing from the shore. The cast must be made upstream so that the bait, when retrieved, passes through just such a reverse current.
- Steep banks of the river . Near steep banks, the decline in depth is usually sharper, which means there is a greater chance of catching a predator here. When catching pike perch from the shore, pay more attention to these banks. From a flat bank it will be more difficult to reach the depths, especially if the river is quite large.
- Structures on the water . Various artificial structures on the water are the same anomalies that change the usual flat topography of the reservoir. As we have already found out, such anomalies are attractive for pike perch, so areas of the reservoir near such structures must be fished. An example of such structures is bridges. Not only pike perch, but also other predators such as pike often hang around bridge piles.
- Shallow water . It is very important! Fishermen know that pike perch is a deep-sea predator and look for it only at depth. But in the warm season, pike perch likes to go out to hunt at night in shallow waters and beaches. Even during daylight hours, beaches are often fished by experienced fishermen, since medium-sized pike perch can enter such areas even during daylight hours. But a larger predator can only come out here at night. True, wobblers and spinners with uniform wiring are more suitable here.
Coastal jig in the Middle Volga
Spinning on the middle Volga is interesting not only in boats, but also coastal fishing can be very diverse and productive. Now I would like to tell you about one of the most memorable ones.
It’s the fifth of July, I think everyone knows the weather this summer. Therefore, I will not focus on this. 2 am, early rise, especially felt when I went to bed at 00:45, it’s a beautiful fresh frosty summer morning, the air is clean, rain is dripping, the temperature is just over ten degrees. An hour's drive and I'm at one of my favorite places. I’ll tell you briefly about it, a sandy beach, then a slope into a hole up to ten meters deep, there are returns, large boulders at the bottom, a powerful Volga current. The fish here are very diverse, but my tactic for today, despite the hardcore conditions, is an average jig weighing up to 26 grams. The set is simple, but at the same time very harmonious. It consists of a Norstream Standard 902M old Japanese magnesium reel from Shimano in size 2500 and an eight-core Sasame cord with a diameter of 0.8, as bait, a dozen packs of rubber, a small box just in case with iron and cranks, offset presses and collapsible Cheburashkas.
It’s still night outside, but my jig has already flown into the river, I wait a long time for it to fall to the bottom, even though I threw it much higher upstream and don’t close the bow, finally the bottom, I start the classic jig step without any imagination, when I reached the point of falling into the hole on At the very first cast, a ringing pike-perch strike and the first fanged fish measuring 400 grams are already tossing and turning on the shore, in the dark and on such a current and with unforgivably light tackle for this place it’s a pleasure.
Further on there were more, but not in the weight of the fish but in quantity, small fanged ones with some special frenzy hit either the vibrating tail or the sinker. At dawn, such a distribution ended, but surprisingly the quantity gave way to quality, the load had to be placed heavier at 26 grams because... they gave me a stronger heat, the standard forgave me for this, and now the more advanced pike perch began to become my trophies,
Interspersed with them began to come across awakened perch bast shoes.
On one of the casts, as is usually written in such reports, “I felt a hook that then came to life,” but it wasn’t like that, the asp bite, the feeling that my bait met a Japanese train, I was flying on my electrical business, well, I think I’ll take a photo of the handsome guy in a minute and everyone will be jealous, after all, it felt like the sheresper was at least three kilos, the asp effect ended quite quickly and the fish began to stubbornly press down, in principle, the fishing rod forgave me for this more than once, I was more worried about the thin cord, but after a couple of minutes when I started to pull the trophy to the shore, I was a little upset, but and was very surprised; there was a perch sitting on the hook, the kind I had never caught in my life. I didn’t have any scales with me, so I ran to the nearest feeder who happened to have them, and spent a little time as a photojournalist. An excellent humpback weighing 1460 grams became my new record, so this trip can already be recorded as one of the best this year. Why the perch had such an aggressive bite is unclear, even though it looked very well-fed, it grabbed it as if it was its last chance to eat something.
Gradually, with the onset of daylight, the fish began to move into large boulders into the very depths of the pit, where it is, in principle, impossible to get it using any bottom equipment, which is immediately pulled under the stones by a powerful current. But every cloud has a silver lining, on the surface someone started chasing the fry, he doesn’t show himself, but he’s clearly hunting. Well, I think now I’ll definitely catch a white predator, I put on a River Old model “Vetrovskaya” spoon, weighing 19 grams, I don’t know the exact name of the model, but I know its former owner who gave it to me for fishing on one of the fishing trips, but I wasn’t confused and quietly folded it I put it in a box and kind of forgot about it. To say that she flew far on this kit means to say nothing. I definitely pawned a hundred. There was no need to cast that far, I just enjoyed the cast. On one of the runs there was a good bite, a hook, and finally on the shore, no, not finally, but again a perch, but what a half-kilogram sailor is also a nice bonus.
After leaving a little more and shooting a crank, I decided that this was a sign and began to get ready to go home, the goal for today was exceeded, I caught a lot of fish, including raising the bar for a personal record, caught “striped asps” and just had a good time.
When to catch pike perch with a jig
Another good thing about jig is that you can fish with it all season long. And the pike perch fishing season begins in early spring as soon as edges appear on the reservoirs and ends in late autumn. By the way, if you have reservoirs that do not freeze in winter, then you can continue to catch pike perch even in winter.
The most effective jig is in early spring, in March-April, when the pike perch has a pre-spawning glutton, and also in the fall, when the predator fattens before wintering. At this time, jig is very effective, but in other periods it also cannot be discounted, because it is ideal for catching a bottom predator.
In terms of time, pike perch can be caught around the clock, but this predator is most active after sunset, which is why it is often called a twilight predator. It does not stop its activity at night. This predator has unique vision; it is able to see long distances at night, and even if you fish with dark bait, it will still see it.
Pike perch is quite active at dawn and continues to be caught during the day, although during the day its activity decreases. The exception is early spring and late autumn, when the predator is active in waves, that is, it can occur both in the morning or evening hours, and at lunchtime.
So you can catch this predator with a jig when it is convenient for you, but still, if possible, try to catch it at a more active time - in the evening, at night and in the morning.
Tackle for catching pike perch
The site ryba4ok.ru will also help you decide on the choice of spinning rod for catching pike perch. Of course, you can learn to fish with any stick, but you can choose a spinning rod with which your fishing will be more comfortable and effective. Using our tips, you can choose just the right spinning rod.
Spinning rod length . When choosing a spinning rod by length, you should focus primarily on whether you will be fishing from the shore or from a boat. When catching pike perch from the shore, you need to take a longer spinning rod - 2.7-3.3 meters. When fishing from the shore, it will be much more convenient, it will allow you to make longer casts, and also, when you take the bait to land after retrieving, it is easier to do this with a long spinning rod if there is dense vegetation near the shore.
When fishing from a boat, a long spinning rod will, on the contrary, be inconvenient. Long casts are no longer needed, since you can sail a boat to a promising point as close as possible and calmly fish for it. For catching pike perch from a boat, a spinning rod with a length of 1.8-2.4 meters is perfect; a spinning rod with a length of 2.7 meters may already be too big. It will be convenient for you to operate a short spinning rod in a sitting position, and it will also be much easier to pull out fish with such a spinning rod without getting up every time in the boat.
Build a spinning rod. To catch pike perch with a jig, it is ideal to choose a fast-action spinning rod. It will allow you to better feel the tackle, wiring and bottom topography. And also, such a rod allows you to hook much more efficiently, because the predator’s mouth is very bony and the hook must be very hard, otherwise the fish will often come off the hook when playing. By the way, if possible, buy a carbon rod.
Rod test. Jig fishing for pike perch often involves changing the weight of the bait depending on the casting distance, fishing depth or current strength. Often you have to change the weight of the bait just to get an inactive predator to bite. Therefore, you need to choose a test rod with a large weight range. It is optimal to select a rod with a test weight of 10-40; a stick with a test weight of 10-30 grams would also be a good option.
Coil. You need to choose a reliable reel, trying not to save too much on it. If you take a good reel and treat it carefully, it will serve you for more than one season. Choose spinning reels with a low-profile spool, size 2000-3000 according to the Shimano classification. Also check that the reel has a good drag, which can be useful when fishing for large pike perch.
Fishing line. For jig fishing, it is optimal to use a braided line. It doesn’t stretch like a fishing line, which makes you feel the tackle and the bite better. Also, it is much easier to catch pike perch with braided line, all for the same reason that it does not stretch like a regular monofilament line. The diameter of the braided cord is 0.2 mm. A leash is not needed, since this predator is not able to cut the cord with its fangs.
Jig baits for pike perch
So we have discussed the main points of fishing, but the site ryba4ok.ru would also like to give you advice on choosing effective silicone baits. Moreover, these will not just be tips, we will give specific examples of working baits so that you can immediately start fishing effectively.
Then, when you have already learned how to catch pike perch using the recommended baits, you will be able to experiment with other models and have your own ideas about working forms, colors or manufacturers. In the meantime, let's look at a few working options with which you can effectively start.
FOX Reaper 4″
FOX Reaper 4″ . An edible soft vibrating tail, equipped with 3D eyes and has a great game during any retrieve due to its rather large heel-shaped tail. Excellent for fishing in muddy water. Shows good results in catching pike perch, which is why it is a favorite vibrotail for many spinning anglers. Experienced fishermen advise taking bait in colors 048 and 085, although other colors also work very well. Of course, one will not be enough and you should have a sufficient number of catchy baits in your arsenal, so try to purchase those suggested below as well.- Lucky John Joco Shaker 2.5″
Lucky John Joco Shaker 2.5″ . The Joco Shaker, like almost all Lucky John baits, is very effective. This vibrotail works great for pike perch, and is also often attacked by perch and pike. It is a ribbed body of a fish, flattened on the sides. The tail ends in a round heel, which provides the vibrator with super-active play. Made of soft, but at the same time very durable rubber, which allows it to survive many predator bites. It is noteworthy that the Joco Shaker works against both active and passive predators, which often helps to catch even on not the best day for fishing. The bait has positive buoyancy, which makes its play very interesting during pauses. Pike perch readily responds to this bait, so it should definitely be in your arsenal.
KEITECH Sexy Impact
KEITECH Sexy Impact . It is a passive bait in the shape of a worm. Sexy Impact has proven its effectiveness, and it catches predators in any color variation. Most often, the best result is shown by wiring - dragging along the bottom. To catch pike perch you need to choose medium and large sized bait. In addition to the fanged predator, the by-catch will often include perch and pike, and bites from peaceful fish are also common. This worm often helps out when there is no bite, it would seem that nothing will make the fish bite, but as soon as Sexy Impact is charged, the predator’s bites begin. The recommended type of equipment for this bait is a drop shot; when fishing with a retractable leash, perch is more often caught.
Lucky John HOGY HOG
Lucky John HOGY HOG . This bait is not quite common and will be a curiosity for many novice anglers, since it is a nymph. That is, it does not imitate a fish, but is more reminiscent of something crustacean. Experienced spinning anglers have had it in their arsenal for a long time and actively use it when catching pike perch and pike perch. This bait is edible and has the aroma of shrimp or crayfish, which only makes its catchability even better. Don't let the unusual shape scare you - it should definitely be in your box, you definitely won't regret purchasing it. In general, the bait is really worthwhile, buy it, try it and you will definitely catch it, and maybe it will become one of your favorites.- Vibrating tail Bass Assassin Sea Shad 4″. And in conclusion, another killer bait for pike perch from Bass Assassin. With a smooth body and a contrasting “heel” tail, the edible vibrating tail is a killer predator.
Vibrating tail Bass Assassin Sea Shad 4″
It does an excellent job of catching fanged fish, and in addition it also catches pike and perch. The rubber from this manufacturer is not only very effective, but also strong enough to withstand bites from both pike perch and pike perch. And its aroma is patented by the manufacturer. The bait received the highest rating from anglers and this is not at all surprising - this silicone is really worthy of praise and should be owned by every spinner who wants to get results from fishing in the form of predator bites. If you have in your arsenal all the baits listed on the website ryba4ok.ru, then you will definitely not be left without a catch. Start with these ones, tested by experienced spinners, and then start exploring others.
So we have shared with you information that will help you catch pike perch or improve your skills. All that remains for you is to practice everything that we have advised you to do. That's all, we wish you no tail, no scales and may you be filled only with positive emotions from fishing!
Bream and carp
Bream fishing in Astrakhan in spring is especially productive in May. Moreover, they bite at respectable specimens – shovels weighing 3-4 kg. The main gear is a feeder, but there are also bites from large bream and spinners when fishing for pike perch in pits, and this is not just a simple catch, but real bites in the throat.
At dawn you can witness the release of huge schools of carp, when the calm water surface of 100 meters literally sparkles from these large fish, which, having shown off a little, descend to the depths like dolphins - a mesmerizing sight!
Come fishing to Astrakhan!
