Spoons are still the most popular bait for spinning fishing. Rotating and oscillating spoons are the first baits with which a beginning spinning angler begins to master fishing. Wobblers and silicone baits are gradually displacing spinners from the boxes of spinners, but they will never be able to completely displace them, because in certain fishing conditions, spinners are irreplaceable in their working qualities.
In our publication we will talk about what kind of spinners there are, about the selection of spinners by size and color, and most importantly, we will provide a list of, in our opinion, the 30 best spinners.
Rotating and oscillating spoons
Spoons are divided into two large classes:
- Spinners
- Oscillating spoons
Rotating spoons consist of a wire rod on which a metal petal is attached, a core that acts as a weight and a treble hook. When the spoon moves in the water, the petal rotates around the rod, creating high-frequency vibrations in the water that attract predatory fish. Spinner baits are easy to use and catchy. Most novice spinners begin to master spinning by fishing with a rotating spoon.
Oscillating spoons are made of a metal plate that can be bent both transversely and longitudinally. When moving in the water, the oscillating spoon moves from side to side, rolls from side to side or trembles slightly, in a word, oscillates, hence the name oscillating spoons. With oscillating spoons you can catch fish both in still water and in the current. Oscillating spoons are universal and easy to use, inexpensive, and therefore are very popular among anglers.
Spoons for pike, what is important to understand
The first thing you start with when hunting for pike using oscillating lures is understanding what to buy in the store. Although you may have inherited a spinner from your relatives. Old Soviet baits sometimes perform very well on a pond, the main thing is to use them correctly. Then, after reading the article and the knowledge gained, compare them with the existing baits, you may not have to spend money on newfangled lures for pike.
Color of the spinner for pike
The main thing to understand here is that we choose a lure not for ourselves, but for the pike. The sellers realized it a long time ago, the main thing is that it’s not the fish who bites, but the fisherman. When purchasing, try to ignore personal preferences and use only knowledge about the habits of the predator. So which color should you choose?
Contrary to the belief that the brighter the spoon, the easier it is for pike to notice it, the experience of old fishermen suggests that this is only partly true. Yes, the bait must be noticeable, but it also should not scare away the fish with its unnaturalness. Therefore, it is worth focusing more on the highlights of natural colors than on the color itself. The Soviet spinners for pike took this into account. Silver , maybe even a little faded, copper color, like an old coin - that’s what you should start with.
The question arises, so, when fishing for pike, should you completely abandon the bright colors of spinners? Our answer is no. Sometimes, especially in very muddy water, they can come to the rescue.
It would also be a good idea to have a couple of spinners with a pattern in the form of red thick lines . The fact is that red is precisely what is often found in the wild. Remember what the fins of many fish look like (perch, roach, small ide, etc.).
Let's sum it up a bit. If you are going to catch pike with a spinner spoon, then your arsenal must have baits of the following colors: - matte or bright copper color; — silver (both matte and bright); — double-sided coloring (one side is copper or silver, the other with red bright stripes); - a couple of bright colors (green, orange, etc.).
Shape of the spinner for pike
A little about size and weight. Here we immediately throw to the side the spinners less than 10 cm. Yes, you can potentially catch a pike with such spoons, but believe me, this predator is quite greedy and has a wide mouth, it will not be frightened off by a large bait, but rather seduced. But you shouldn’t overdo it, although if you are aiming to catch trophy fish, then feel free to buy a spinner over 15 cm .
The only exceptions are wide spinners, such as spoons , they can be considered from 7 cm .
Next, we will estimate the weight of the spinner for pike, which depends on the materials used. Considering the fact that large pike stay in holes in cold water and practically do not go to the shallows, we use large, heavy spoons. This way we can comfortably fish the depths.
Light spoons are ideal for catching pike near the coastal zone.
In early and mid-autumn, the predator hunts both in the depths (usually during the day) and in the shallows (morning and evening). Oscillating lures of small mass allow the use of small tests of rods, which will have a positive effect on the sensations and quality of the retrieve.
Last but not least is the shape of the pike spoon. Understanding the purpose of any recesses and recesses is extremely important. Perhaps even the most important. Next, you will understand why one small mistake can ruin your fishing trip, and perhaps even more than one. But don't worry, it's quite simple.
Flat baits have a smooth soft action with small amplitudes.
Accordingly, the wiring should be slow, a slight acceleration is acceptable - closer to average speed. When such a spinner is quickly deployed, the game becomes chaotic and unnatural; this will only scare away the pike. With rare exceptions, when the predator is very hungry.
A spinner with a recess or notch creates active wide vibrations. When you catch pike on a river with a strong current, you cannot use a fast spinner retrieve. With such wiring, the bait goes into a tailspin - and this is comparable to catching fish on a shapeless piece of iron. The game is lost - you can’t expect any bites.
Spinner size
When choosing the size of the spoon, the fisherman must take into account the type of fish he is going to catch, the size of the intended trophy, the degree of activity of the fish, take into account the fishing conditions and the characteristics of the reservoir. When choosing the size of the spoon, you should keep in mind that the larger the fish you are going to catch, the larger the bait for it should be.
When choosing the size of a spinner, you should be guided by the following principles:
- To catch small and medium-sized pike, you should use spinners with blades No. 2 and No. 3 and oscillating spoons 7-9 cm long.
- To catch large-sized pike, you should use rotating spoons with blades No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 and oscillating spoons 9-12 cm long.
- To catch small and medium-sized perch, you should use spinners with blades No. 0 and No. 1 and oscillating spoons up to 5 cm long.
- To catch large-sized perch, you should use rotating spoons with blades No. 2 and No. 3 and oscillating spoons 5-7 cm long.
- To catch pike perch, you should use weighted spinners with an elongated blade No. 2 and No. 3 and narrow oscillating spoons 7-9 cm long.
- To catch asp, you should use rotating spoons with an elongated petal No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 and oscillating spoons 5-8 cm long.
Which lure is best for catching pike depending on the season?
The season of the year has a significant impact on the activity of pike. Consequently, it is better to use seasonal baits, rather than the same ones.
in spring
Pike activity in spring begins after the ice melts from reservoirs, when its spawning ends. The spring lack of food in the water provokes the predator to rush to almost any bait. At this time, the best spring lures are small spoons. You should avoid using bright and unnatural colors of bait, using the natural colors of the small things that live in a given reservoir. Smooth wiring is the key to success.
The pike also actively takes turntables, only the retrieves should be slow.
Use natural colors in springtime
In summer
The best results in summer are shown by the predator’s traditional spinners - spoons and spinners. For large pike, large spoons are used, about 8-12 cm. They must be cast far from the shore or from a boat, since the large predator stays at depth.
In summer, small pike come close to the shore, preferring places with water lilies and other aquatic vegetation. To catch it, use unhooked hooks and small spinners. The colors are selected depending on the weather and the color of the water in the pond.
In summer you can safely fish with large lures
in autumn
Autumn is considered the best time for pike fishing. As soon as the water begins to cool, the pike begins to eat. At this time, it can be caught with any bait. But the most catchy ones are the turntables, and only then the spoons. The turntables should be taken the largest, with elongated petals and increased drag. This ensures that the baits move slowly in the water. Otherwise, you won’t be able to catch a solid trophy, since the spoon will be intercepted by small pike.
In autumn you should use large spinner spoons
in winter
Fishing for pike in the winter season is significantly different from hunting it in other periods of the year. To catch it, a vertical lure is used. For this, the following models of spinners are used: Kastmaster, Shchuchya, Cicada, Atom-2, Spoon and others.
Large baits are good at the beginning and end of the winter season. In the dead of winter, the predator does not show much activity, so it is more willing to take small spoons, up to 6 cm in length.
During winter fishing, take spoons for vertical trolling
Spoon color
The color of the spoon does not play a primary role when a predator attacks the bait. Predatory fish react more to the play of the bait, its shape and its movements in the water, and only then to its color.
The choice of spinner color should be guided by the following principles.
Depending on the main food item of the predator:
- When fishing in rivers where the main food of predatory fish are bleaks, perch and roach, you should use silver-colored spoons.
- When fishing in still waters, spinners of brass and copper colors often show the best results.
Depending on the degree of water transparency:
- In reservoirs with clean, transparent water, it is better to use spoons of neutral colors and spoons of matte colors.
- In reservoirs with muddy, dark water, you should use lures of bright, acidic and provocative colors.
Depending on lighting conditions:
- In cloudy, cloudy weather, or in low light, you should use brightly sparkling silver-colored spinners.
- In clear, sunny weather and bright lighting, it is better to use dark matte spoons of copper and golden color.
FAQ
- Unfortunately, there are almost no black artificial baits on sale - what to do?
Use a black marker. Light artificial baits are perfectly painted black. Don't forget to paint the belly too, because predators look from below and see it first of all.
- Is it true that fish are caught with light baits on cloudy days, and with dark baits on sunny days?
In my experience, this rule does not apply. It is on cloudy days and at dusk that black baits can be surprisingly catchy.
- Should the bait be completely black or is it enough to have black stripes on it?
Artificial lures with black stripes, such as bass imitations, are top-notch. But completely black baits, due to their extreme rarity in intensively fished water bodies, often seem more harmless to fish.
Several effective spinning techniques for pike fishing
Lightweight spinner. Such spoons for pike, as a rule, have a good gliding effect. We also already know that we will need a soft, smooth game. Here are a couple of wires.
1. After casting, wait until the bait sinks to the bottom - make 5-6 leisurely turns with the reel - pause until the bait sinks to the bottom - lightly jerk with the tip of the rod - again 5-6 turns with the reel. And so on in a circle.
2. If we need to fish places where there are a lot of hooks. We use classic uniform but smooth wiring. Select a speed such that the spoon does not rise to the surface. Short pauses are acceptable if you are sure that you will not catch underwater obstacles.
Heavy lure for pike. Since we already know that this spoon is needed for fishing in deep places, we will adjust the wiring to the characteristics of the pike spoon. By the way, it is worth noting that the heavy weight of the bait ensures a longer cast. Here are some postings.
1. Let's look at a location without a current. Lakes and rivers are backwaters or backwaters. If there is no current, you don’t have to worry about fast retrieving, the game won’t be lost. In general, pike is a fan of active play with a wide amplitude. Fast wiring will provide us with this. We find holes (perhaps this is the most difficult thing, without special equipment, such as an echo sounder) - after casting, we wait until the bait falls to the bottom - we sharply but briefly support the tip of the rod - we make 3-5 quick turns of the reel - again to the bottom.
2. If the pike does not respond to the active play of the spinner, try doing the same thing, only at a moderate pace. This is especially true in cold water - before freeze-up or immediately after the ice melts in the spring.
3. Now let's look at when the current is quite fast. We take wiring number 1, remember the knowledge we have already acquired about the loss of the game of the vibrator. And we understand that fast wiring, unfortunately, is no longer acceptable. Let's move on to wiring number 2 with moderate game - this will be the best choice for fishing holes in the current.
4. This wiring is non-standard. It was adopted from our grandfathers. Its essence lies in the fact that there is no wiring as such at all. But you will need a boat or a special section of the river, you will understand which one. We throw the bait, let the current pull the line and just play with the rod, experimenting with the strength and frequency of jerks. Here it is important to specifically know about the presence of pike, otherwise there will be no one to respond to the game of our spinner. Otherwise, you can wait a long time and be disappointed.
5. And finally, I would like to remind you about the classic game of spinners when fishing for pike. Simple uniform wiring, at different speeds. Don't forget about the classics.
Of course there are many more wires. We have described the main ones as a foundation; you can always add something of your own. Maybe you will come up with the most effective wiring for pike in the world J
Advice from experienced people on choosing a “working” spinner
In fact, there is a huge number of different tips that relate to the selection of gear.
- A world-famous company is a guarantee of quality. In fact, a world-famous company is not always a guarantee of quality. For each person (fisherman), it will be more convenient to use a certain type of spinner. But large companies that produce spinners take their reputation very seriously.
- Choose based on fishing conditions. Before you go fishing, you should definitely take into account the fact that the spoon must fully comply with the fishing conditions.
- Your kit should have several types of spoons of different colors in order to choose them according to the lighting and water transparency . You should definitely take into account the fact that at the moment you must have several different baits with you.
- The first time you visit any body of water, experiment with it . This is the main condition for successful fishing. It is very important to experiment here as the weather can change. And it is very important to use different spinners.
