☸ Search for a predator
It should be said right away that it is impossible to catch big fish where there are none. That is, if in the summer only perch weighing 200-250 g were found in the lake, they certainly did not grow and become kilograms before winter. This means that you need to fish in those reservoirs where there really is a trophy predator.
Successful catching of large perch in winter requires a significant investment of time searching for it. Sometimes you have to drill many holes before that very promising bite occurs. On many lakes and reservoirs with decent depth, hungry humpback whales sometimes come quite close to the shore to feed on the fry, which are always abundant in the reeds. It's good if this is known for certain. In this case, search activities can begin almost from the coastline. But in an unfamiliar body of water you shouldn’t linger in the coastal zone; it’s better to immediately go deeper at least 500 meters and try to fish at promising depths.
Top Best Lures for Perch
This is where the Balancer comes in handy - an imitation of an actively moving fish to which the perch reacts, and in this way it is easier to lure it.
Perch takes better vertical lures. Many people are interested in how close together the holes should be drilled.
Again, it all depends on the type of gear used. For example, for Vertical spinners it is enough to drill holes at a distance of about 5 meters, for a Balancer - increase the distance to 10.
When fishing with a jig, the distance should be even less than when fishing with a vertical spoon.
In general, the best winter time for catching perch is considered to be the beginning of winter - the first weeks after the first ice sets in and until the end of December.
The next period of active biting falls almost in Spring. The intensity of the bite can also change during a specific day.
As a rule, the best time to catch perch is in the early morning, but depending on the weather, it also happens that the main catch can be made in the late afternoon.
☸ How to drill holes correctly
After choosing a location, you can start drilling holes in the amount of about 20 pieces, preferably in a checkerboard pattern and at a distance of 5-6 meters from one another. This method allows you to fish a large area in a relatively short time.
Some fishermen drill the first hole and immediately check it, then the next one and so on. This approach does not work, since the constant work of the ice ax frightens the fish and drives it further and further. That is why it is very important to be patient and drill all the holes in one fell swoop, feed them with food bloodworms and only after that start fishing.
You should not linger over the hole for more than 15 minutes; if a predator is standing under it, it will reveal itself during this time. The first bite can be a signal that there is a whole school below, so it is wise to linger over the “triggered” hole and catch the fish. When the bite stops, you can drill a few more around it within a radius of 2.5-3 meters and catch them one by one. All promising areas are checked using this principle.
Tackle
What gear should you use to catch winter perch? To catch a predator, do not use large and rough gear. He loves everything subtle and small.
Be especially careful when choosing the length of your fishing rod. It should absorb well when hooked, be thin and long, at least 10 centimeters.
The thickness of the fishing line for perch is 0.08÷0.15 centimeters. It often happens that changing the thickness of the fishing line in one direction or another by 1–2 millimeters affects the improvement of bites. When going fishing, you need to take fishing rods with different thicknesses of fishing line on the spool so that you can quickly change it.
Choose a cone-shaped nod, hard, no more than 10 centimeters long. It is best that it is made of lavsan using a metal or polycarbonate plate. Such a nod will react less to the wind. And thanks to its rigidity, you can play with the jig at high speed. The nod must be adjusted so that the weight of the jig cannot bend it, otherwise you will not notice the bite.
Among organic baits, this predator prefers bloodworms, moth larvae, and pieces of fish. You can try cutting off a piece of fin from an already caught fish and attaching it. Dragonfly larvae are good bait.
The best artificial bait is the jig. The fish really like her game. The shape and color are very diverse.
Fishing with a jig
☸ Tackle and bait
The main difficulty in winter fishing for large perch is preparing the gear. On the one hand, it must be strong and reliable so that the striped fish cannot tear it or even break it, but on the other hand, using a rough fishing rod and thick fishing line is fraught with absolute lack of bite. To be successful in this kind of fishing, you need to strike a delicate balance between strength and delicacy. For example, if you plan to fish for perches weighing up to 500-600 g, then the optimal fishing line diameter will be 0.15 mm, and for kilogram humpbacks it is better to go with monofilament up to 0.2 mm thick.
Without breaks, you can fish with a thin line, if you learn to feel the tackle and do not force events when fishing, allowing the hooked perch to “walk” a little. When he gets pretty tired, exhausted and reduces resistance, you can slowly pull him up and get him out with the help of a hook. There are cases when fishermen managed to lift specimens weighing over 2 kg onto the ice on a fishing line with a diameter of only 0.1 mm.
Lures for catching large perch in the cold season are balancers and winter spinners, aimed at large fish. You can’t put a jig in this row, because small perches often bite on it, and humpback whales are only occasionally caught.
Most Popular Fishing Methods
Despite the fact that Perch is a fairly common fish that is found in almost every clean body of fresh water, it is not always possible to catch it. However, perch fishing in winter is even more popular than in summer.
As for gear, when fishing for perch, jigs, spinners, balancers, reelless baits, etc. are used.
Each angler chooses something at his own discretion, based on his own experience. It is better to try all the methods and find the most convenient and successful for yourself, than to blindly follow someone else’s methods and be disappointed.
This or that type of gear is used depending on the time of winter and the thickness of the ice. For example, when the First thin layer appears, it is best to use a Spinner and a Balancer. This is explained by the fact that at this time the perch is most active and goes to places with increased aquatic vegetation.
3 ways to improve your fish bite!
Over 15 years of active fishing, I have found many ways to improve the bite, and here are the most effective:
1. Bite activator . This pheromone additive attracts fish most strongly in cold and warm water. The Fish Hungry bite activator has proven itself to be excellent - Read more…
2. Tackle with increased sensitivity . You should first familiarize yourself with the features of using a particular type.
3. Pheromone baits . They attract the attention of fish, stimulate hunger and cause a schooling reflex, which allows you to collect a lot of fish in one place.
You can get the rest of the secrets of successful fishing for free by reading my other materials on the site.
3 ways to improve your fish bite!
Over 15 years of active fishing, I have found many ways to improve the bite, and here are the most effective:
1. Bite activator . This pheromone additive attracts fish most strongly in cold and warm water. The Fish Hungry bite activator has proven itself to be excellent - Read more…
2. Tackle with increased sensitivity . You should first familiarize yourself with the features of using a particular type.
3. Pheromone baits . They attract the attention of fish, stimulate hunger and cause a schooling reflex, which allows you to collect a lot of fish in one place.
You can get the rest of the secrets of successful fishing for free by reading my other materials on the site.
☸ Hunting for a predator with a balance beam
This artificial bait, imitating a fry, is very attractive to predatory underwater inhabitants, including the striped robber. Small fish are not at all interested in it, but catching a trophy is not uncommon. An interesting game of the balancer can tease even the most apathetic perch who has no intention of having lunch in the next few hours. With its “take-offs” and swaying when falling, it unbalances the predator, and the latter, having waited for a convenient pause, furiously rushes into the attack and instantly finds itself on the hook.
The optimal size of the balancer is from 4 to 7 cm. The effectiveness also depends on the color of the bait. Fishermen have noticed that the object of fishing is more interested in acidic and silvery shades, and in the middle of winter, hunger turns him into a cannibal and forces him to grab a fish colored like a perch. If the bite is too weak, you should experiment with the sizes and colors of the balancers. Sometimes this changes the fishing experience completely.
Catching large perch using a balance beam
The balancer is a more interesting bait for winter fishing, aimed at catching serious specimens.
Not only does it interest perch, it can automatically cut off small fish. Thanks to its interesting game, this bait is very popular among fans of winter predator fishing. In addition to perch, the balancer is an excellent catcher for pike perch. Sometimes a pike is caught on the balance beam, but this is a rare occurrence. Its swaying from side to side, during free fall, “turns on” the perch and provokes it to bite.
At the same time, fishing with a balance beam requires certain skills and fishing rules. Organizing pauses between up/down movements of the bait is the main condition for successful bites. While moving, the perch takes aim, and at the moment of a pause, grabs it. Almost all attacks come on hooks, be it a tee or a regular hook.
For catching perch, the optimal sizes are from 4 to 6 cm. Mostly large perch are caught with such balancers, and this is what you need. The color of the bait also affects the effectiveness and intensity of the bite. The most interesting colors for perch are the following:
- silver;
- perch color;
- acidic shades.
If the perch is passive, then it begins to change sizes, shapes and colors. When a fish is actively feeding, it pays little attention to these factors and grabs everything that is offered to it.
The best lures for catching perch with a spinning rod can be considered various spinners.
Video example of catching large perch
How to find and catch large perch on a balance beam in winter
☸ Perch spinners
Winter spinners are another effective lure for hooking humpbacks, but not all models work equally well. That is why the main task of the winter fisherman is to choose truly catchy options from the variety that exists today. Here you can go two ways: take the word of experienced colleagues or buy everything in a row and test baits on a pond. Many people practice making their own spinners and, I must say, some homemade products show better results than expensive store-bought counterparts.
Large perch can be caught with a spoon measuring from 2 to 6 cm. When using this bait, the following pattern is visible: the larger it is, the higher the chances of catching a trophy specimen, but the number of bites is noticeably reduced. In other words, you have to choose between quality and quantity. Some people prefer to pull a bunch of small perches out of the hole, while others are not at all happy with such a catch. Hunters aimed at catching big fish methodically fish the pond with large spoons and eventually achieve their goal - they find a worthy opponent.
Triangular and tetrahedral spinners (cones, pyramids and their varieties) have proven themselves well in catching large perch in winter. They are distinguished by an unusual animation caused by the center of gravity. At the moment of sinking to the bottom, they sway, like a leaf falling from a tree, seducing the handsome striped man with their movement.
Secrets and nuances
There are still some points that should be applied when flashing in winter. Perhaps after mastering the wiring technique. If it works out, then you can do it right away.
- When winter fishing on a sunny day (especially in shallow water), the holes are covered with snow (or the sludge is not completely removed). Use the handle of a spoon to make a small hole in the ice crumbs, and drop the spoon there. Sometimes a perch is frightened by a column of light in a dark background. It is especially important not to flicker between the sun and the hole (not to create sudden changes in illumination), this scares not only the perch, but any fish in general.
- Perch is strongly attracted to dregs. There is even a special tackle based on tapping on the bottom - a bulldozer. It is worth using this wiring element more often.
- When fishing for perch in winter, always pay attention to retrofitting the hooks with bright elements. Basically, the perch grabs them, and not the spoon. In this regard, a decorated hanging tee (with a drop), a hook with bristles, as well as various flies or bubbles work well. At great depths in winter, three-pieces with a drop of fluorescent varnish work well, at shallow depths - red, yellow or white.
- Using special perch bait in winter often brings good results.
- There is an opinion that in winter, closer to spawning, perch is reluctant to take large baits, since its abdominal cavity is filled with caviar or milk, preferring jigs or micro-spinners.
- When fishing with spoons, you can attach bloodworms, maggots or pieces of fish to the hanging hooks of the rig. During periods of low biting in winter, this action can bring a significant catch.
