Ловля весняної щуки на спінінг

Pike is a predatory fish that feeds throughout the year, although with the onset of winter, many stop catching it on spinning for various reasons: frozen reservoirs, severe frost, snowdrifts and a number of related factors. But with the gradual warming of the rivers begin to open, the weather becomes more pleasant for the fisherman, and the pike is preparing for spawning and more actively attacks the baits offered to it.

One of the best times of the year to catch pike

For many spinning anglers, spring is one of the best times to catch pike, especially on small and medium-sized rivers, which are first to open up from the ice. Unlike other times, spring pike fishing depends on weather conditions and is the shortest, unless you take into account unfrozen rivers. Usually it starts somewhere in February on a number of fast small rivers, and from March, closer to its end already on most … And it is important to catch the moment before the beginning of flooding or spawning pike. Sometimes such successful fishing happens a week or two. Therefore, it is important to track the moment of ice breakup.

Spring weather is unpredictable

The same can be said about non-flowing ponds and lakes. They open up much later than rivers, so there is even less time for fishing. For example, last year because of the sharp warming and sunny weather pike less than a week after the melting of the ice went to spawn and catch it on the ponds I could not really manage. And the year before last, on the contrary, spring was gradually building up, and fishing was much more successful. So weather factors in spring time are very important, “catch the moment” is the most accurate slogan to describe pike fishing at this time.

Finding the best time

Pike activity often increases in overcast weather

The best conditions for catching spring pike come after the ice melts, but before the mass melting of snow, when the water is still clear and the level has not started to rise. Successful fishing on muddy water and high level I have on the fingers of one hand to count. And all of them were on ponds. For rivers – it’s a verdict.

It is usually assumed that pike bite well in cloudy weather, but spring is probably the main exception, because in the sun its activity often increases. Perhaps this is due to a slight warming of the water or the activity of fry in sunny days, or maybe just visibility becomes better, it is difficult to say for sure, but I have plenty of successful fishing trips in spring with bright sunshine. Therefore, what, and the sun at this time of year can not be afraid and boldly go to the reservoir!

Studying the place is more important than the weather

The same can be said about atmospheric pressure, which at other times affects, in my opinion, stronger than in spring. Thus, a classically successful pike pressure should be stable within the normal range or gradually decreasing. However, in the run-up to warmth, pike often act like March cats and actively attack anything that moves, without reference to conditions.

There is certainly logic in the search for spring pike, but it has less to do with the weather. You should always go! Blizzard, wind, rain, sun – it does not matter. The pike will come out for a snack for sure, it is more important where and when, and this is already more difficult to determine, without studying the place can not do without.

Time of exit

When looking for spring pike, I would put the time of release on the first place. It may differ on different reservoirs or their separate sections, but from experience I can note that the differences in one place are unlikely to be significant. By time, I will allocate 3 periods of the highest probability of activity of spring pike:

• morning – mainly from 9 to 10 hours, it happens a little longer, but earlier than this time nibbles are infrequent;

• lunchtime – the classic time of activity “toothy” and at other times of the year, including spring, usually in the period from 12 to 14 hours;

• evening – the period just before dusk is sometimes very active, especially on sunny days, and captures an hour and a half before dark.

Therefore, I would advise checking the most promising spots at different times. Very often this tactic works – you can go the whole day without nibbles, but return in the evening to the place combed with different baits and catch two or three tails in a row. It happened more than once!

Promising spots

The pike likes to hide in hiding: among snags, grass, in various irregularities of the bottom

Places to search for spring pike partly coincide with other seasons, but with their own peculiarities. This predator likes various ambushes and in a calm state is in them, respectively, these are snags, grass, berms, holes, various irregularities of the bottom. They should be checked, because even passive pike when wiring near them can attack, not to mention active.

At the same time, in spring, quite often pike during the exit “move out” of the ambush and moves to shallow areas to feed. This is largely due to the fact that such places are often held by minnows, especially in sunny weather. Therefore, there is a high probability of catching “toothy” on the exits from the pits, various plateaus near its shelters. These places work on rivers and on ponds.

The pike will go out to the warmed areas

If there is a pit, snag, an obvious brow with good depth, then usually these places should be processed in the first place, but in spring, regardless of the parking places, pike will often go to more warmed areas and catch there more actively.

For example, the last spring season was indicative in this regard – the most productive fishing both in quantity and quality were in shallow areas in the accessibility of snags, grass or holes. And, as I mentioned above, the pike was not always active there, but at a certain point, even outwardly was noticeable its presence by the swirls of water from underwater attacks and running fry to the sides.

With the arrival of warmth pike often goes to smaller areas

And this happens all the time. Autumn/winter – it is often deeper places and shelters, but with the arrival of spring predator gradually tends to the shoal, where it subsequently spawns, and then again scattered to their hiding places and all over again!

Suitable baits

You can catch it on all kinds of baits, starting from microsilicone, ending with jerkbaits. There have been many times that it was a large or even huge bait provoked pike to bite, but in general it is more of an exception, largely due to the sharp warming. In general, the size of spring baits is smaller than at other times. Much depends on the place and conditions of fishing, in which the preferences of pike on the type of bait will vary. Somewhere it is better caught on wobblers, somewhere on silicone, somewhere even blades work.

The most effective lures with less active game

If you generalize your personal experience, then bottom baits are somewhat more effective. This silicone, mandula, foam rubber, they have less active game and passive pike attract perfectly. However, sometimes the transition to wobblers gives a good result, so with one type of bait on the reservoir is definitely not worth going. In winter and in early spring, baits with inactive game catch, in my opinion, better. The leader among them is mandula, which successfully catches pike on any size and type of reservoirs.

During this period as an effective alternative to them can be a foam fish or not too active rubber, for example, slag or long narrow vibro-tail. Moreover, effective can be as slow wiring, stepped or even, with long or short pauses, and fast with jerks. This is due to the very type of such “passive” baits. You have to experiment and look at the current mood of the predator.

With the increase in activity passive baits go to the second plan

If you suddenly do not have them with you, then it is important to hold the bait with active game as slowly as possible, make long pauses and wait, whether it is rubber or wobblers. The size of the most effective representatives in the initial phase of spring very rarely exceeds 10 centimeters, and mostly – it is 7-8 cm, although there are days when the pike reacts and on smaller baits in 5-6 cm.

Then gradually the activity increases and the described “passive” baits go to the second plan, giving way to more classic pike baits and their sizes – silicone in the area of 4 inches and wobblers 100 + mm. After spawning and the expiration of the period of “coming to itself” pike again returns to active feeding and slowly moves to the summer mode. Here the main task of the fisherman is to correctly feed the bait in the place of potential attack, and it will surely follow!

With warming water to the end of April – early May pike on most reservoirs depart from spawning and by mid-May again begins to take, although it happens and earlier. Catch it can be on different types of baits, and their wiring is usually faster than the spring and rarely requires long pauses, as in the same March – if there is a pike, and the bait to hold in the right direction, the bite is sure to happen.

Sprawling game of swimbaits perfectly works on spring pike

On the type of baits work different, and it is more important here is the preference of the angler and his knowledge of how to spend one or another of them. I most of all in May I like silicone baits and a separate spring love – wobblers. Here, of course, the sizes of them are mostly traditionally summer from 10 to 13 cm, but there are less and more.

A very good choice for spring among voluminous baits – it is a compound wobblers, they are sometimes called swimbaits. Their sprawling game perfectly lures spring pike from hiding places and works on large open water. Thus, contrary to popular belief, you can successfully catch pike not only in the fall, but also in spring – it’s just as good a time for pike fishing!

Автор: Боб Надд досвідчений рибалка з більш ніж 20-річним стажем і переможець багатьох змагань.