Catching burbot in winter with a snitch - tackle, bait, playing technique

One of the effective ways to catch burbot on ice in winter is fishing with a snitch. This original device is distinguished by its ability to produce a loud sound when it hits the bottom, which almost immediately attracts the attention of a benthic predator. Fishing for burbot using a snitch is distinguished by its high efficiency, dynamism and an incredible sense of excitement. To always have a catch, you need to know all the intricacies of this process, including the principle of fishing, the choice of bait and fishing technique.

Squealer - what is it?

A squealer is a special type of spoon, an artificial bait used specifically for catching voracious burbot. There are various modifications of it, differing mainly in appearance; most often, there are devices in the form of a balancer, a large jig, or consisting of a hook and sinker connected by a winding ring, and also made in the form of a vertical or horizontal cylinder.

The knocker can be equipped with 1-5 hooks, where it is simultaneously possible to use single options with doubles or tees. If you make a device for catching burbot with your own hands, then you can use any combination at your discretion, there are no restrictions. The main thing is that the bait effectively taps on the bottom and, through sound stimulation, attracts burbot to the fishing spot. There are no special requirements for the appearance of the structure.

A purchased spinner that has the same sound properties Angarsk version of the knocker

Homemade snitch option

Putting bait on a hook in the form of a bunch of worms or pieces of fish helps to enhance the effectiveness of the snitch. The sound produced and the pleasant smell of the bait will not leave any predator indifferent; the proposed bait will be captured almost immediately as it appears in his field of vision.

Characteristics of the catchy snitch:

Muffled noises on the left and louder noises on the right.
weight from 5 to 30 g;
material brass or bronze (they have excellent working qualities);
the presence of large and strong hooks with a sharp sting (weak products will only break or unbend);
correct placement of the hooks so that there are no obstacles for the metal part of the knocker to hit the bottom.

For information! When baiting a hook, it is important to ensure that the tip of the hook remains open and there are no scales on it, otherwise a high-quality hooking will not work and the burbot will come off.

In Siberia, fishing for burbot using a snooker is quite a huge success; fishermen thus stock up for the winter. This is a fairly highly productive method of catching a freshwater predator.

Gear device

When catching burbot using a hook, prepare:

a winter fishing rod for trolling, equipped with a reel (you can also use a regular stick, the main thing is to firmly fasten the fishing line to it);
monofilament line with a cross section of 0.12-0.25 mm;
a snitch equipped with bait attractive to predators.

Types of winter fishing rods Salmo is a proven manufacturer of fishing lines and other fishing gear
. A wide variety of models can be used as a suitable fishing rod; there are no strict requirements here, and this also applies to reels.
It is important that the tackle can work productively with baits of a specific weight, and does not cause difficulties when landing a trophy. The best option is a fishing rod 30–50 cm long, with a comfortable neoprene handle and an inexpensive inertia-free rod.

The principle of fishing with a snitch

In general, catching burbot with a snooker in winter is similar to catching a predator with a spoon.
The only difference is the periodic impact of the tackle on the bottom, which is not the case with lures; the bait must perform the movements of a real fish. In this case, it is very important to find a promising place and determine the depth at the fishing point. Considering that when catching burbot there is no need to play carefully, as is required with a spoon, the rod should have a hard whip. In addition, if you use a flexible top, then there is a high probability of damage to the tackle in the process of landing a trophy specimen.

Algorithm of actions when working with a snitch:

Place small pieces of fish and meat on the hooks.
Submerge the snitch to the bottom of the pond.
Pull it out sharply and immerse it again with a knock.
Repeat the cycle until you feel a slight push.
Make a confident hook.
Fish slowly, be especially careful when the fish is close to the surface. Often at this moment the predator makes a sharp jerk and gets off the hook.

For information! You can enhance the noise effect when catching burbot with a snitch by using an additional metal ring that is attached to the bait.

If there is no bite for a long time, then it is necessary to extend the pause to one minute. Depending on the depth and strength of the current in a particular area of the reservoir, the strength of the blows and their frequency are selected. In most cases, 15-20 oscillations are made per minute, followed by a pause of half a minute, and the algorithm of actions is repeated.

Types of tackle

There are several options for snitching, which are widely used by domestic fishermen when fishing for burbot:

classical;
jig;
Finnish.

All options are working. With a meaningful approach, they show stable results.

Classic snitch

A common bait is in the shape of a cone, cylinder or oval. Hooks are rigidly soldered on one or both sides. The loop for attaching to the fishing line is located in the back, and one or more tees can be suspended in the belly.

The simplest classic knocker is often made from a cartridge case. To do this, the capsule part is sawed off, shot is poured inside, and the outside is sealed or filled with lead. All that remains is to equip the bait with sharp and reliable hooks.

Squealing jig

For this option, any heavy jig that can be used in a given place is suitable. Its weight varies between 10–40 grams. It is selected so that the hook quickly reaches the bottom, does not leave the fishing horizon, and does not hang up after being tossed.

Recommended reading: How to catch carp with a float rod

Tip: Under the same fishing conditions, the weight of a classic jig will be higher than a jig head due to its windage.

A banal jig head is the simplest version of jigging a jig. You can use a regular spherical shape, but it is better to choose a conical or oblong one. An interesting modification is a weight with a petal freely suspended on a swivel.

Finnish snitch

This option is a modified heavy oscillating spoon. A lead load is additionally soldered in its lower part, designed to shift the center of gravity of the bait and increase its noise effect.

The Finnish patter can be made from any vibrator. It is impossible to predict in advance the catchability of the bait. Only by trial and error on a pond will a fisherman be able to determine the performance characteristics of the modified “hardware”, further adjusting it if necessary.

Bait: what to fish with

In winter, finding suitable bait on your own is not an easy task, so they mostly use bait from the store. The following types of bait can attract the attention of burbot:

meat (pork, beef), fish, maybe not fresh, which will be even more effective;
chicken offal;
worms, which need to be prepared in advance (in the fall) and stored in the cellar;
small fish (minnow, sprat, bleak), 5-8 cm long;
uncooked shrimp and other crustaceans;
frogs.

The most catchy bait for burbot is a small ruff, since this type of fish is the favorite delicacy of the freshwater predator. You can find ruffes in the same reservoir where you plan to catch burbot using a snitch. They catch live bait using a jig with bloodworms.

Video

Catching burbot in winter using a snitch video

Fishing for burbot in the Moscow region on small rivers in winter using knocks and girders. Three burbot trips in February 2021. Burbot 2.1 kg in the near Moscow region.

Catching burbot in winter video with a snitch at night

Fishing in the North, Not a bad bite, but a lot of slips and mainly because, instead of hooking on the first strike, I reach for the camera and flashlight button….

Burbot habitats in winter

The model of behavior of the predator in the cold season is similar to the habits in the spring and autumn seasons; you need to look for promising fishing spots in the habitat familiar to burbot, catching:

deep areas of the reservoir;
places where springs flow;
areas with cold streams of water;
shallow water areas if fishing is carried out at night.

Success will be guaranteed if you can find burbot trails. Since the fishing object belongs to the bottom representatives of the reservoir, the lower horizons need to be examined. Fishing in heavily snarled areas of the reservoir and in places with a clean bottom should not be considered promising. There must be some obstacles in the fishing area, for example, stones.

What kind of bait is this?

A distinction must be made between “snitching” as a method of fishing and “snitching” as bait. Burbot may well bite on any heavy bait that produces additional vibrations if a piece of fish meat is attached to its hook. Such baits can be:

winter spinners;
jigs;
balancers.

But fishing is more effective with “snitch” baits - specially made products, originally shaped like a large elongated jig or jig head with one hook, although there are modifications of “snitch” baits with a large number of hooks.

Expert opinion

Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich

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

Interesting! During the spawning period, burbot reacts to a very noisy and clanking large bait without any bait. The predator mistakes the bait for an individual of the opposite sex and presses it to the bottom, as a result of which it finds itself covered in very large hooks. Such gear is considered poaching.

When is the best time to catch burbot using a snitch?

The freshwater predator belongs to the cold-loving aquatic inhabitants; it comes out to feed mainly in the dark, so it is better to plan the hunt at night. For the event to be successful, it is recommended to search for burbot trails before dark. The activity of burbot increases when the autumn cooling begins. The spawning period for burbot begins in January and ends in February, and the pre-spawning feast occurs in December - early January. High results regarding snitch fishing will be achieved during this period.

Features of predator spawning

In the period from the 20th of December until mid-January, burbot spawns; luring it even with the most attractive bait is useless - the fish does not respond to any bait. Mostly there is no biting, but sometimes there is a chance of catching small individuals. Gathering in small schools, where there are 3-10 males per female, the fish spawn at night in severe frosts.

One female is capable of laying up to 3,000,000 eggs. But only a few manage to survive. Mostly ruffes hunt for burbot caviar. The spawning period can last until mid-February, and if the water is not cool enough, then until March. It is noteworthy that in warm winter conditions there may not be spawning at all.

Fishing technique

The technique of fishing with a snitch is simple - the equipment is lowered to the bottom, the necessary line release is installed on the tackle. After this, the fisherman plays with the bait, twitches, throws to the bottom, and pauses. Each experienced burbot develops his own specific method of these twitches. Burbot always slowly creeps up to its prey. Since a piece of fish acts as bait for burbot, the space around the hole under water is filled with odors that are tasty for the predator. Having approached the object by 10-15 centimeters, the fish sharply and quickly makes a short grip. After this, the burbot usually stands still for some time, without moving, and holds the prey in its mouth. At the same time, the fisherman feels a blow to the tackle in his hand, at the moment of which he needs to make a hook. You need to land the fish quickly, otherwise it can get the tackle into snags or under stones. This is quite easy to do, since there is no point in using thin fishing line. The basic principle here is the stronger, the better.

Burbot bait

Animal baits for snitching[/caption]The debate about which bait is best to catch burbot in winter is ongoing and does not subside. More often there are statements and examples that the best bait for burbot in winter for snitching is a piece of fish. Examples prove that it does not have to be a ruff. Burbot also catches well on white fish. It is noted that burbot bites better on valuable, fatty fish species - vendace, whitefish. In some reservoirs, bigmouth responds better to fresh cuts, in others - to spoiled fish with an odor.

Most fishermen are inclined to believe that fresh is better. Frozen sprat or capelin, whiting or other cheap store-bought fish are often used, which is important for fishermen from large cities (where can they get sliced whitefish, vendace, or at least ruff). In this way you can protect yourself if you cannot catch a fish with bait directly in the pond. There are cases of successful fishing with shrimp, worms and even artificial silicone baits. It depends on the preferences of the predator on a particular body of water at a particular time. If you don’t know what exactly the largemouth are biting on in this particular place, use fresh fish from the same reservoir.

We make a snitch with our own hands

To make a catchy snooker with your own hands for burbot, you should prepare:

A rectangular fragment made of brass, annealed copper, nickel, 0.5-1 mm thick. Its dimensions should be 60-80 mm in length and 30-40 mm in width.
Corner eye..
2 large hooks.
A chain of rings or a large winding ring.
Polishing paste.
File for processing uneven edges.

Step-by-step instructions for making homemade bait:

Bend the metal rectangle along the middle and along the edges at an angle of about 60 degrees, ultimately you should get a structure shaped like a gable roof.
Drill a hole in the center of the already bent workpiece.
Make a loop from wire material.
Pass the loop through the prepared hole.
Attach two large hooks to the wire part inside the workpiece. The output should be the same - the tips of the hooks peek out from under the gable structure.
Fill the resulting frame from the inside with molten lead.
Clean and polish your homemade drummer. Using a file, remove all unevenness and roughness. After that, clean the bait with polishing paste using velvet cloth.

The knocker can be not only triangular in shape, it can be made square or oval, and also be equipped with several hooks. The main thing here is that the bait produced makes a characteristic sound, or rather a lot of noise, and attracts the attention of a predator. As an option, as a knocker you can use a double spinner – a “clanger”, which also effectively makes noise and provokes the burbot to grab the bait.

There is another way to make a burbot snitch:

Make a standard triangular bait model.
On the fishing line in front of the structure, pass a 12-gauge brass sleeve, previously sawn in half, where there is already a 32-gauge sleeve inside.
The result should be a three-stage design that creates an excellent sound effect upon impact.

Video on how to make a snitch with your own hands

Improving snitching at home:

Preparing gear

When fishing with a knock, minimal requirements are imposed on the rod and its equipment for burbot in winter. The main thing in this matter is the knocking bait and the method of its use. Therefore, gear for winter fishing is chosen as follows:

a short, strong rod with a hard end. There is no need for a flexible fishing rod because the fine action of the lure is not required;
monofilament strong fishing line 0.4−0.5. These large fish require strong tackle;
the coil is inertia-free, without features;
nodding on the rod is also not necessary - you can feel the bite with your hand;
Leashes may not be used. This predator does not have large teeth, so it cannot bite through a thick fishing line.

The main fishing tackle is a hook with hooks. Hooks are required to be strong and large. They need to be attached to the bait so that they do not interfere with the free strike on the bottom. The knock can be made with any heavy weight. Jig heads are also used for this.

A heavy jig is also suitable as a snitch. But baits are also produced specifically for strike fishing. Some of them are sold in stores. Preference is given to cone-shaped weights that are suspended from the fishing line in a horizontal position. It wouldn’t hurt to hang some other balls from the weight as additional sound sources. There are numerous recipes for making do-it-yourself snookers for catching burbot in winter. If you need the simplest homemade product, make it from a brass sleeve filled with lead. Hooks and a fishing line holder are welded to it.

Common mistakes when fishing

To ensure that catching a predator is always effective, you must avoid the following mistakes:

Do not hunt in areas of the reservoir with a silted bottom. This is due to the design features of the bait; moreover, the fishing object itself bypasses such places.
You shouldn’t rush into hooking, or, on the contrary, do it after a certain pause. Here it is important to give the burbot the opportunity to swallow the offered bait well.
There is no need to hesitate in landing fish; you should not let it go. Burbot is a fairly strong and dexterous opponent, so giving slack can lead to you losing your catch. If you are late with pulling, the predator will calmly go into cover, tangling the tackle. A weakened line gives him the opportunity to get off the hook when making a sharp jerk.
Closer to the ice surface there is no need to make sudden movements, otherwise the burbot will be able to bend its tail just before the hole and leave.
It is better to plan fishing in inclement weather, then the bite will be active. The predator is highly dependent on weather conditions; there are bites on a moonlit night and in calm weather, but they are sporadic.
You should not use large jig heads instead of a knocker; such a device is ineffective - the sound is not loud enough, the amount of turbidity is insignificant.
It is advisable to use the snitch not only before the spawning period, but throughout the entire winter season. The most promising time for catching burbot with this bait is from January to March.
Despite the effectiveness of fishing with a balance beam, it is still better to hunt for burbot using a snitch, which makes much more noise.
Do not neglect the winding ring, through which the bait is mounted to the fishing line, as well as a small chain of rings. This addition allows you to increase the sound produced by the bait.

Catching burbot with a snitch is indeed quite a productive and interesting activity. In addition, such a first-class bait can be made with your own hands. The main thing is to properly prepare the tackle, find the burbot trail and make taps on the bottom that are attractive to the predator. Only a competent approach will always achieve the desired effect.