Origin story
Before we understand all the variety of baits, let's talk about how wobblers appeared. The history of bait originates in America.
According to sources, the first idea to create an artificial bait belonged to the beekeeper Haddon. While watching a fish catch a wooden stick on the surface of the water, the idea of creating a similar bait came to his mind and he began experimenting with creating wooden baits in the form of fish, which gave good results.
This type of bait was very popular among fishermen, and a few years later the manufacturer began producing transparent models of plastic wobblers.
Some fishermen claim that the first to invent this type of bait was the Finnish fisherman Rapala, the creator of the fishing tackle production company of the same name.
Characteristics of wobblers
A wobbler is an imitation of a small, sick fish. And the predator is well aware of the health of its food and greedily pounces on it.
Divided into three types:
- floating - made of light wood. In their movements at the surface of the water, they resemble a wounded fish. They are especially effective where predators hunt in the upper layers. Some models form a trail of air bubbles behind them, which has a positive effect on fish bite;
- sinking - made from materials of greater density than water. A blade is attached to the bow, allowing this bait to float in the water. In this case, you need the experience of a fisherman to feel its movement in the water;
- diving (suspenders) - made from materials that have a low specific gravity. A blade is installed in the bow, which acts as a depth rudder. This bait can be used to fish different layers of water.
Nowadays, wobblers for fishing look not only like small fish, but also like animals and insects that inhabit water bodies. Grasshoppers and frogs, made of plastic and equipped with a blade to change the depth, are a common arsenal for anglers. But over time, the fish gets used to them and does not bite on them. Therefore, new forms of wobblers arise. For example, in the form of a banana - Tail Dancer. These are “bananas” of different colors with noisy resonators.
Form
Some fishermen prefer the pear shape to the banana shape. Others are the opposite.
Manufacturers have recently been trying to produce baits that do not differ in size and shape from certain types of fish. So they are called “perch”, “trout”, “roach”.
Size
Their sizes range from 2.5 to 25 cm, sometimes more, but the most practical baits are considered to be 4-9 cm. The smallest are trout, chub, and perch. Starting from 4 cm you can already catch carp and bream. Large wobblers, up to 25 cm, are used to catch pike.
When choosing by size, you need to remember that the larger the bait, the more stable its game, the less dependent it is on various natural reasons. The smallest ones become uncontrollable in the current.
Wobbler blade
The blade (tongue, shovel, plate, nose) is the main working body of the wobbler. It is this element that causes the bait to vibrate and go deeper. In this case, the activity of the game, the speed of immersion and the working depth depend on the position and relative dimensions of the blade.
That is, this is an extremely important element of the wobbler, which is discussed additionally and in more detail in the article: Blade (blade) of the wobbler and the depth of wobblers.
The blade of a wobbler has four main parameters: slope, length, area and configuration. Of course, their influence on the bait must be assessed comprehensively, but this topic is worthy of a separate book. Therefore, to begin with, we will carry out a simplified comparative analysis and consider three blades of floating wobblers with different depths (Fig. 2).
Fig.2. Blades of floating wobblers "RAPALA" with different depths: a) Original Floating, b) Shad Rap, c) Down Deep Rattlin' Fat Rap.
The inclination of the blade determines the rate of descent. The smaller the angle between the blade and the horizontal axis of the wobbler, the steeper and faster the bait goes down.
The length of the blade determines the maximum depth to which the wobbler can dive. The longer the blade, the greater the working depth. However, in this case, the disturbing forces from the oncoming flow increase significantly. And if the bait is not stable enough, it is “swept” to the side until it reaches the surface. To balance such a wobbler, the line loop is moved approximately to the middle of the blade, then the bait retains its deepening ability and stability of play.
The area of the blade determines the game activity of the bait. In this case, the maximum rocking effect is achieved when the blade is perpendicular to the oncoming flow. If the water hits the blade at an angle, the disturbance and intensity of the game are reduced. Here, not the entire area of the blade works “for the game”, but only its projection, perpendicular to the flow. Therefore, despite the fact that different blades differ significantly in area, the play of their baits is approximately the same.
The configuration of the blade determines various subtleties of the behavior of the wobbler. This is a rather complex and voluminous issue, which we will touch upon only as necessary. To begin with, let's remember just a few basic points:
Now a few words about the material and method of fastening the blade. As we already know, Lauri Rapala made his first blade for a wobbler from tin. However, later it turned out that the opaque “additive” gives the bait an unnatural appearance and clearly alarms the fish.
That’s why an almost invisible plexiglass blade appeared in the water. And now almost all wobblers made of wood or polystyrene foam are equipped with a transparent blade that is glued into a special groove.
Wobbler colors
Now let's talk in general terms about the color of wobblers. There are so many coloring options for them that even experts sometimes get confused. Therefore, the question is covered in more detail in the article: Colors and colors of wobblers - how to choose the best?
In the meantime, let's look at 3 main groups: natural, exotic and combined coloring.
Natural colors completely replicate the appearance of their living prototypes. Up to 80% of lures are painted “naturally”.
The exotic colors don't even come close to resembling any real fish. However, almost all predators react to them: either out of great hunger, or out of curiosity, or defending their territory from “aliens.” Most often, exotics are rainbow, “tiger” or spotted.
There is no doubt that sometimes (as a rule, not often) the catch with wobblers of exotic colors significantly exceeds the catch with the same models of “natural” colors. However, in most cases, predators still prefer baits of familiar “native” colors.
Combined colors include both natural and exotic colors. As a rule, here bright details are applied to the natural main background, for example: a yellow back, an orange belly, a red head, contrasting dots or stripes on the sides, etc.
Returning to the overall picture, from personal experience I will say that in approximately 50% of cases the best results were given by natural colors, in 25% by combined colors and in 25% by exotic colors (lemon and red).
Oscillation frequency
Frequency is a value that shows how many oscillations a bait makes per minute.
Different spinning baits create high or low frequency vibrations. It depends on the shape of the body and the blade inserted into the nose. Wobblers come in high-frequency and low-frequency types. Pike especially loves the latter. The perch grabs the bait with quick small vibrations, similar to a fry.
Degree of buoyancy
When choosing a wobbler, you usually pay attention to size, shape and color. But buoyancy is often not noticed. Two wobblers of the same color and shape can catch differently due to the degree of buoyancy.
The degree of buoyancy is indicated on the packaging:
- Floating - such baits do not sink and are designated by the letter F;
- Suspending - these are neutrally buoyant and are designated SP;
- Sinking - these are purely sinking, designated by the letter S.
For example, a suspended minnow is suitable for cold water; it floats weakly and sinks slowly.
And fast-swimming ones are useful for active fish, because then high-speed wiring is required.
Wobbler hooks
As a rule, treble hooks are attached to the wobbler using winding rings. The size of the tees is taken approximately the same as the height of the body of the bait. Only for the “highest” wobblers can tees with a smaller “span” be used.
On small models, lightweight hooks made of thin wire are usually installed; on larger versions, standard hooks are used. Most baits are equipped with special “wobbler” tees with a short forend to avoid overloading and overloading.
Some models for “paid” trout are equipped with single and even barbless hooks.
Noise chamber
One of the varieties of wobblers are acoustic (sounding, humming, buzzing).
In the body of the bait there is a special cavity (noise chamber) filled with metal or plastic balls. When wiring, they produce sounds of different frequencies.
Some anglers claim that perch loves the noise of small balls, while pike like large ones.
Fishing with a wobbler depending on the type of bait
The technique of fishing with a wobbler always depends on its shape. Let's consider the main technical features of wiring, based on the type of product.
Minnow is the so-called twitching form.
Important! Twitching is a jerky style of retrieve that gives the wobbler a scouring motion, similar to the behavior of a disoriented fish.
For this style, gear with a fast action is used, and it is the spinning rod that bears the main responsibility for the competent execution of wiring with this form of bait. The wobbler is moved with short pulls of the cord using the tip of the spinning rod, making pauses of various ranges, during which the free thread is reeled in with a reel.
Trolling for succession of fats. These quickly sinking baits are capable of digging the bottom with a blade, arousing genuine interest in the predator. These representatives of the wobbler world have their own low-frequency amplitude of play in addition to a leisurely wide stroke. The predator is attracted to the wobbler by the vibration of the bait and its sound effect.
Fishing with a wobbler, for those starting their practice in this exciting direction of fishing, should begin with cranks. The reason for this priority is the well-balanced and well-balanced performance of the bait under production conditions. Conventional wiring, which is based on uniform, monotonous winding of the cord onto a reel, animates the bait quite effectively. Here, the angler’s technique is largely unimportant; selecting a wobbler to suit the preferences of the fish is the main argument for success.
The jerkbait is designed for jigging types of retrieves. Having buried the bait to a certain level of the water horizon, it is carried out in steps, varying the time of pauses when stopping. The so-called pyological jig is initially aimed at trophy specimens, which is especially pronounced in the fall. The overwhelming majority of bites occur precisely during the pause, at the moment of the slow spontaneous lowering of the jerkbait to the bottom.
The popper's wiring is oriented, as with twitching, towards jerking movements. The only difference is that the popper is driven directly along the surface of the water, and this allows you to visually control the progress of the wobbler and the moment of attack of the predator. The sound effect, the so-called squelching, and a lot of splashes provoke even a passive predator.
Uniform wiring
The technique of moving a wobbler in a uniform style is the simplest technique for animating baits in spinning fishing. Here the main role, rather as an exception, is played by the factory settings of the wobbler’s game.
Important! The spinning player must have basic skills in handling only the tackle itself; the basis of attractiveness lies in the independent play of the imitator.
The fishing technique is elementary simple. After casting and reaching the desired depth according to its parameters, the fisherman begins to reel in the line at an equal winding speed, during which, waiting for the nozzle to fail, he reacts to this event with a timely hook. For fishing in the presented style, such types of wobblers as cranks, shads, fats and some types in the form of a minnow are suitable, which have a pronounced game of their own. It is with this fishing technology that it is recommended that beginning anglers begin their first steps in spinning wobbler hunting.
Twitching and jerking
Two distinct jerking styles of fishing artificial baits are twitching and jerking. Such techniques will require the fisherman to have some knowledge and skills in mastering the technique of jerk animations. First of all, according to the style, you need to select the type of hunting tool that can realistically convey movements similar to the natural food object of a predator. Most types of minnow-shaped wobblers and all types of jerk wobblers are suitable for these purposes.
These instruments are most often suspenders, which are used to fish a certain horizon of water within strict limits, but they do not have the parameters of their own game. As a result of the animation, the angler makes a sharp movement of 30–50 cm with the rod towards himself and reels out the slack line. When jerking, the wobbler accelerates in the direction of the pull, and when reeling in, it hangs in the water column. With a sharp movement it attracts fish, and stopping the prey provokes the predator to attack.
Pumping
Pumping is often considered one of the components of twitching, animation in the stop&go style, and even evenly guiding a wobbler. When performing the simulator's move through the vertical movement of the rod from bottom to top, the spinning player forces the fishing tool to sharply change the direction of movement, changing the horizon. Wobblers of completely different types are suitable for wiring, and the execution of manipulations does not depend on whether they have the parameters of their own game. The bait attracts the predator by radically changing its trajectory.
Ripping
Ripping is the same type of twitch, but unlike pumping, here, in the style of stroke, the movement of the rod sets the vertical direction of the wobbler used for fishing. All types of baits used for twitch fishing are suitable for this kind of animation. Unlike the up-down trajectory, horizontal pulls allow you to animate the bait in one place, which facilitates fishing in tight spots, for example, in windows of vegetation or in a small space between snags or driftwood.
Stop and go
Stop and go wiring in skillful hands is universal for most species of freshwater predator.
Important! Only floating wobblers are used in this type of animation technique.
Trajectories near thickets at the junction with clean water and completely clean areas of water in the shallows above all kinds of bottom anomalies are suitable for fishing. This technique can be safely attributed to one of the varieties of uniform bait management, when the angler, after a certain number of rotational movements with the reel handle, stops the stroke, making pauses. At the moment of the pause, the bait floats up from the initial horizon, which attracts the fish, prompting the predator to attack.
Decoding the symbols on wobblers
Most often, manufacturers of wobblers have the same designation system for characteristics and includes model, size, weight, buoyancy, operating depth range and color code.
Let's give a specific example. The wobbler says 60F-SR. This means that it has a length of 60 mm, its buoyancy type is floating (F), with surface recess (SR).
Over time, new types of wobblers appear. In order for them to be 100% useful when fishing, you need to arm yourself with a wealth of knowledge in the field of their application. In this case, fishing will bring an excellent catch and a feeling of satisfaction.
Game of sinking wobblers
As we can see, sinking wobblers can differ significantly both in design and in play. Therefore, each type is most effective for its “own” conditions. As a rule, propellers “occupy” the upper layers of water, bladed wobblers and sinking “jerks” are more often used at medium depths, and vibrating baits can handle even the lower horizons.
Propeller, blader or vib?
The propeller , like a parachute, slows down the entire bait, so it sinks quite slowly. Such wobblers do not make any sudden movements; their play is straightforward, smooth and slow. A wobbler with a propeller can be lifted almost to the surface, carried with the wave, and then allowed to sink into the depths. In this case, the body of the bait only sways slightly; the main game consists of rotating the blades. When there are two propellers, they spin in different directions. The rotation itself can be adjusted by changing the bend and inclination of the blades.
It is especially good if the propeller continues to rotate even in free fall.
But bladed sinking wobblers are similar to their floating counterparts not only in appearance, but also in play. They sway in the same appetizing manner when retrieved, imitating the movements of a wounded fish, and when jerking they make peculiar leaps, as if trying to escape from pursuit. But when stopping, alas, they behave unnaturally: they drown flat. Therefore, there are no bites on the fall here at all.
Vibrating wobblers are more versatile in all respects. They cast far, sink quickly, and work on almost any line. The combination of rapid vibrations of the body with internal noise quickly spreads in the water and attracts predators from afar. And when falling on a stretched line, such baits slide forward and down along a “natural” flat trajectory, partially maintaining their game and remaining just as attractive to a predator. Sinking jerks behave similarly. There is no need to yawn here - a bite can follow at any moment!
By the way, heavy “vibes” are practically the only wobblers that are suitable for spinning fishing deeper than 3-4 m. Even outwardly, these baits resemble typical schooling bottom fish - bream and silver bream. Therefore, if suddenly a pike, pike perch or perch does not take the “rubber” or foam rubber, “probe” all layers of water with a vibrating wobbler. Unexpected stop? This is true!
Review of sinking wobblers
The main purpose of sinking models is to conduct spinning fishing at any depth. The design of the bait, its design features and the degree of loading allow the tool to go deep enough quickly, regardless of the forces of the current. Such products go on sale under the abbreviation sinking . The difference between other simulators and sinking models is that their levels of immersion in water are limited by the properties of the material, and it is more convenient to fish with floating or suspended baits at depths not exceeding levels of three meters, the so-called shallow waters.
In some ways, sinking vobs can be considered a universal tool that allows fishing at various water levels, and with some fishing techniques, even surface fishing.
Deepening sinking wobblers
The maximum depth of the simulator in standing water is practically unlimited. After all, under its own gravity (the only question is the amount of time), a model that does not have positive buoyancy will sooner or later reach the bottom. Another thing is fishing on currents, which affects both the speed of immersion and the depth level. The tension force of the tackle cord, combined with the influence of current forces on it, will limit the possibilities of rapid deepening and sinking wobblers will not always be able to reach the bottom. This is where the design features of the bait, its shape and the size of the load begin to play a dominant role when choosing.
Important! The larger and heavier the simulator, the faster its likelihood of reaching the bottom on currents.
Small models will require a certain wiring technique to achieve optimal operating conditions and promising fishing horizons.
Blade sinking wobblers
Bladed sinking wobblers are similar in appearance to the classic bait of this direction, the working tool of which is a blade or tongue installed in the front part of the simulator. Deepening occurs to a greater extent due to the unloading of the body, which is achieved both by the bait material itself, which has negative buoyancy, and by special weights embedded in the internal insulated chambers of the product.
Some products are deepened by installing the blade at a certain angle. Depending on the density of the material and the size of the shipment, the bait reaches a certain depth in a certain amount of time, thus allowing the fisherman not only to control the levels of the retrieve, but also to determine the depth of the fished reservoir.
Jerky
The jerk bait, which is quite familiar to spinning anglers, can also be endowed with the properties of a sinking tool. These qualities are obtained by jerks due to high shipping weights. In appearance and design they are similar to jerks with positive buoyancy. Manufacturers achieve interesting variants of simulator play by manipulating the placement of the center of gravity in the body of the product.
Some models are shipped with masses shifted towards the head, resulting in play with a slight twitch in the front. The rest are loaded closer to the tail, which leads to the movements of the fish with the front part of the body raised to the top. Evenly loaded jerks demonstrate a classic stroke, the pattern of which will depend on the wiring technique.
Sinking wobblers with propeller
Models with one or two propellers located in the front and back of the bait’s body give the wobs a kind of uniform and non-aggressive play with a noise effect. The appearance of such specimens quite accurately imitates the body of a real fish. The game does not require complex wiring techniques, because the predator is played by appearance. The design features of the simulator make it possible to carry out fishing in the upper layers of water, where the tool reliably holds the horizon under resistance from the water, pushing out a slowly driven bait from the depths, the course of which is characterized by wide, but small amplitude oscillations.
Sinking wobblers for different depths
When deciding on the depth of bait placement, it is worth noting that for levels up to three meters, small models that do not have large masses are suitable. If you plan to fish at horizons of five meters and above, you need to select massive and heavy tools with bright colors. Objectively speaking, a sinking wobbler is most effective when fishing reservoirs with depths of up to five meters. Anything below this mark is more practical and convenient to catch with classic jig baits, the delivery of which to the hunting horizons is much faster, and the wiring itself is much simpler in technical terms than the animation of wobblers.
In search of the best wobbler
Now sinking wobblers are gaining more and more popularity, which open up enormous opportunities for us. The main problem why these baits are not so popular in Russia is a lack of understanding of these very possibilities. Or simply the fear of tearing off an expensive bait. To be honest, at first I myself didn’t understand why they were needed.
When I first started mastering spinning fishing, including fishing with wobblers, I didn’t consider sinking models. As it seemed to me then, the wobbler definitely had to float up after stopping, or at least hover, and certainly not sink. Probably they thought that this way they wouldn’t peck at him, and he would get caught much more. It even becomes funny when I remember. But, as you know, time puts everything in its place, and at the moment, perhaps, it is wobblers marked “sinking” that are my priority in most situations.
I have already talked about sinking wobblers and their advantages on the pages of the magazine. And now I’m not going to repeat myself and say which sinking wobblers are good and why, this is already a passed stage.
Last time I described the clear advantages of sinking models, including the example of specific baits. And today we will also talk about the strengths of this class of lures, but focusing on the nuances, namely on models with active fall play, which have recently gained great popularity in Japan.
This is very clearly monitored by companies producing plastic baits. For example, the ZipBaits company now has the entire line of the most popular Rigge series in Russia in a sinking version. And new products for 2011 are already known, which also feature active immersion. I have already had the opportunity to actively fish with one of these new products, Rigge Flat 50 S, on the Kola rivers. Having left the most positive emotions from her work and catchability, she definitely deserves a detailed acquaintance, and we will definitely return to her a little later.
So wobblers with active diving play are gaining momentum, and all this is not without reason. Compared to other sinking models, they have an undeniable advantage, not to mention wobblers of other buoyancy. But, let me tell you, not always and not everywhere. That is why we will further try to consider and analyze those situations in which these wobblers are favorites.
Wiring sinking wobblers
Depending on the specific model, the wiring of the bait is also selected.
Wiring wobblers-propellers
Wobblers-propellers allow not only uniform wiring, but also wavy wiring, when the bait moves at a variable speed, set by swinging the rod or uneven rotation of the reel.
And if even when falling the bait retains an attractive game, then stepped wiring becomes especially effective. After all, the “inhibited” movements of prey are in the teeth of not only the active, but also the most sluggish predator, so on unfavorable days, a wobbler with a propeller may well become a lifesaver for us.
However, the “slowness” of such baits does not allow them to sink quickly, so they are usually used in near-surface layers of water or a little deeper.
Wiring of bladed sinking wobblers
Bladed wobblers are preferable for fishing at medium depths. After all, the blade on a sinking model not only swings, but also additionally submerges the bait, so it is no longer possible to move it over the top at normal speed.
But it won’t be possible to deepen the blade too much, because when reeling in, the fishing line “lifts the nose” of the wobbler and forces it to rise higher. Therefore, in fact, bladed sinking wobblers also have their own maximum depth, determined by the design of the bait itself. For example, for different sizes of “Countdown” wobblers it is 0.6-4.2 m. And only the “Countdown Magnum” variants, due to the long blade and heavy body, work at depths of 3.0-7.5 m.
Wiring of bladed wobblers is possible only in uniform or “wavy” versions. In this case, composite baits are especially attractive.
But any falls here look unnatural, so stepped wiring is practically not used. However, if you suddenly find a sinking blade with an overloaded head, which will not fall flat, but with the desired slope, it can also be used for stepped wiring.
Reservoirs without current
All of the above mainly applies to fast-flowing rivers and the predators that live there. Such as brown trout, trout, grayling, less often perch and other fish. But don’t think that in conditions without a current, these wobblers are not justified. For example, when catching the same perch by twitching at the moment of a pause, creating vibrations to cause the wobbler to fall infuriates the perch. And pike is a fan of falling game. But we will leave the pike alone for now, since today we are looking at medium-sized models measuring 50 mm, and this is still a trout perch size.
So, for fishing in still water, I would advise slightly upgrading the wobbler to give it stable horizontal immersion with the correct “rolls” for quite a long time.
Modernization looks elementary in the presence, I think, of Suspendots from Pontoon 21, already well known to readers.
We take one or two plates and apply glue to the head area, either on top or bottom, or both at once, depending on the size and weight of the wobbler, and most importantly, its balance. We empirically select the required additional load weight, so that the wobbler sinks exactly horizontally for as long as possible. And that’s it, we get the ideal bait, which will outperform any wobbler in terms of casting range and attractiveness to predators, especially during pauses.
