Autumn can be defined as the season of cooling and clearing of water. This can happen in mid-August and mid-September, depending on the climatic conditions of each particular year. This season, autumn in the middle zone has arrived exactly according to the calendar, i.e. September 1! But, given the hot summer, the reservoirs will return to normal condition no earlier than September 20. This is the period we will talk about.
What it is?
Summer is over, the days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, and jigging season has arrived. Our conversation is about how to outwit the autumn pike perch.
If a couple of weeks ago it was possible to catch perfectly with spinners and wobblers, then in September the situation changes: the majority of predatory fish begin to clearly prefer jig baits to all others. Winter is approaching, and predators are trying to accumulate more fat by the cold time, recklessly attacking everything that is in the area closest to them. The water is noticeably colder than summer, which has a beneficial effect on the appetite of underwater inhabitants. Sudak is no exception.
What if pike perch bites on a jig at night?
From September on the rivers you can catch pike perch very well at dusk and at night. This process is unfussy and in part unnoticeable. Young, inexperienced fishermen, having spent the whole day near the water, scouring the entire water area far and wide, and not catching a single “fanged” one, go home. After about an hour, experienced pike-perch fishermen arrive at the same place and perfectly catch the nocturnal predator with a jig.
My experience suggests that river pike perch is good at jigging at night all summer, and from September its bite becomes even more active, and fish are caught much larger than summer ones! Meanwhile, in August, when fishing at night, he prefers wobblers. For night jig fishing for pike perch, you need to be well prepared technically and have suitable gear. The more sensitive the spinning rod is in your hands, the better. The fishing line should, of course, only be braided!
To practice night fishing, you can test yourself by blind fishing during the day. Having closed your eyes, you need to focus on the sensations; the tackle transfers all events to your hand - palms and fingers. If you cast the bait without any problems and feel the bottom well when retrieving in steps, then you will succeed in the dark. It must be said that good 'night' jig tackle is not cheap and not everyone can afford it. Therefore, many local fishermen use inexpensive spinning rods with a monofilament with a diameter of at least 0.4 mm for night fishing. And, I must admit, they catch pike perch extremely well. The secret to success here is complete control over the wiring. The fact is that such fishermen perform both stepwise wiring and dragging by reading information directly from the fishing line with their fingers. But at night this is not required, the bite is transmitted so clearly that it feels as if a current was passed through the spinning rod through your hands! The pike perch takes parts at night more sharply and greedily than during the day, sits down and begins to resist almost immediately.
Night fishing
Pike perch is a predatory fish and often hunts at dusk, so the best time to catch it is after sunset or just before dawn.
Therefore, for night fishing for this predator you must have:
- highly sensitive spinning rod and braided line;
- In addition, you need to use the appropriate jig bait. Experienced fishermen advise using larger baits, which mainly attract this predator. But it is worth noting that more successful catching of pike perch with a jig occurs in the autumn, but in the summer it is better to use wobblers;
- It is also worth knowing that this predator is mainly located at the bottom of the reservoir, so for jig fishing you need a good knowledge of the bottom topography. And also be able to feel the vibrations of the fishing line in order to hook this skittish predator in time.
But it is worth noting that pike perch quite often appears in the shallows at night, so it is recommended to take wobblers with you. This will increase the likelihood of successful fishing.
The most successful night fishing for pike perch is considered to be from late summer to mid-autumn. It is during this period that the fish are very active, as they try to stock up on as much fat as possible for the winter.
Very often, and especially closer to dusk and night, pike perch can be found near small thickets, where they hunt for fry of fish such as minnows and bleaks.
How and what to catch pike perch in the fall at night?
Of course, a good baitcasting reel complete with a high-quality “stick” is far superior to any fishing kit of most local fishermen both in terms of casting characteristics and sensitivity. But don’t be upset if you have an ordinary “meat grinder” on an average “Korean”! A little sharper hook - and that’s it! And casting range and casting accuracy are much less critical at night than during the day!
Most often at night I use medium and fairly large twisters and vibrating tails. Naturally, if the bait is too saily and does not reach the pike perch’s place, its size will have to be reduced. Although at night, ultra-long casts are usually not required. The large size of the bait is needed to make it easier for the pike perch to notice it, and also to quickly provoke the predator to bite. But it often happens that the largest pike perch covets the most ordinary small twister.
Large vibrating tails and twisters, equipped with triple hooks, are used in areas that are clear of snags. Their use reduces the number of empty bites to a minimum. The color of silicone baits at night is very important. For several seasons in a row, bright lemon-green baits were considered the most universal for me, then they gave way to a combination of two colors - bright scarlet and lemon yellow. Then I switched to glowing rubber and have been fishing with it ever since. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that when fishing with glowing rubber, you don’t need to try to “charge” it often, pike perch don’t like that! A slight residual glow, a dull shine, is much more productive. “Charging” the flashlight should occur no more than once every 20-30 minutes. At least for me, there were more bites. Apparently, the pike perch liked the barely visible glow!
Offset hooks allow you to quickly turn a silicone bait into a formidable “no-hook”. It's time to stop at equipping the “rubber” with hooks. If the place where you catch pike perch has a clean bottom, then there is simply no alternative to a high-quality sharp tee! In this case, the number of empty bites, especially directly from the bottom, is reduced to zero. If there is a possibility of hooks, and this is generally the case in most pike-perch places, then there is a need to use large offset hooks. By large we mean hooks No. 4 and No. 5, since on smaller hooks it is simply impossible to correctly position a large silicone bait. It is better to prefer those offset hooks with the tip directed towards the ring. Experience shows that they hook pike perch better, since their sting is only slightly pressed on top of the silicone. Equipping the bait with an offset hook makes it possible to effectively fish not only in “strong” places, but also where the bottom is clean. For fishing in areas with a clean bottom, you can safely remove the hook from the body of the bait, and thereby raise the hook tip. With such a flexible approach, you can effectively fish using the same bait in both clear and remote areas, which is undoubtedly very convenient at night.
In addition to silicone baits, it is very effective to use fish made from foam rubber or window seals when fishing for pike perch at night. The most effective retrieve for such a fish bait turned out to be simply dragging it slowly along the bottom.
Selection of jig heads
When fishing for pike perch, “stationary” jig heads are used (the sinker is fixedly connected to the hook). They guarantee precise cutting and maximum sensitivity.
To minimize snags on a shallow rocky bottom, when fishing with round heads, the fastening of the main line should not be located at 90 degrees to the hook, but 45-50 degrees; flat jig (iron, fish head) almost completely eliminates hooking, because the hook points upward when falling.
The spherical shape is universal. The disadvantage is that it sinks into the soil at the bottom if it is very soft (muddy areas).
“Iron” is a quickly sinking bait, which is important in the current; it imitates the movements of a small fish.
“Fish head” is used when it is necessary to make long casts.
Jig heads weight:
- In standing water and shallow water from 3 to 15 grams.
- In calm water with a calm current, from 10 to 25 grams.
- In strong currents, the weight is selected so that the bait remains on the bottom (not carried away by the current) and easily comes off when retrieving.
Properly selected weight - after lifting off the bottom, the load should be lowered back for at least five seconds.
Where to catch pike perch in autumn
Like most other predatory fish, pike perch is attached to bottom irregularities. Steep edges and slopes are its favorite places to stop. The same is true for coastal waters. I found myself in a situation where the pike perch concentrated on a flat “field” - sandy shallow water with a depth of 1-2 m, only 10-15 m from the shore. Such places usually do not attract attention and are ignored by almost all anglers accustomed to deep day fishing. But it is precisely the flat sandy “beaches” at the border of the stream and the return, where small fish so often live in huge quantities, that are worth paying close attention to! The most favorite coastal places for pike perch are rocky, sandy with snags and washed-out clayey shores, ending with steep steps and ledges into the depths, which we calmly leave for late morning and afternoon.
It’s easier to go the other way - spy on the local fishermen. To do this, you need to wait until dusk and watch where the pike-perch cars are driving up. True, not everyone knows about night fishing for pike perch... But so much the better for you! When the river is known, and you have already caught pike perch in the morning and afternoon, it will be much easier to find its sites. But it may also turn out that out of 3-4 “points” only one will work at night. Before dark, each place must be prepared and trampled: measure the depth near the shore, since it is better to fish by wading, remove excess debris from under the foot and from the swing zone when casting, because in the dark a lot of baits come off on the shore!
As a rule, in the dark, the pike perch begins to peck first on the edge and only later rises to a flat “field” that is located nearby, higher up. Therefore, it is not worth skipping the edge at all; after passing it, we will probe all the small holes on the rise; we must definitely probe the entire shallows right up to the shore. On an autumn night, pike perch rarely fight aggressively; sometimes their hunt in the shallows is completely quiet! Meanwhile, fish weigh 3-5 kg. very densely inhabit small, coastal areas.
I sometimes had to catch pike perch just a few meters from the shore. The pike perch went out for prey to a depth of 30-50 cm. You didn’t even have to cast the bait, but simply put the spinning rod above the water and slowly move along the shore, rhythmically playing with a twister near the bottom. It is not uncommon to bite on a bait involuntarily lowered into the water when you are identifying prey on a kukan. You have to do the hook while holding the spinning rod under your arm! The most interesting thing is that if from the same place you throw a jig head with the same twister at full reach, you can find a fairly distinct and deep channel ditch at the bottom. Which rests on a sandbank, the channel bends, going to the side. Usually, pike perch loves such turns of the channel from the shore; it is located on its deep edges during the day, but at night it certainly goes to the shallows along the way. In such places, the number of bites under the shore can be up to 10-12 per hour, i.e. sometimes significantly more than during the previous daylight hours, and the fish were very good, on average 1–1.5 kg of pike perch, but there were specimens weighing 3.5-4 kg.
Choosing the optimal spinning rod for jig fishing
Spinning for jig fishing should give the angler the opportunity to:
- long-distance casting of twisters or vibrotails weighing 10–40 g;
- withstand the heavy weight of the jig head (heavy versions of jig spinning rods);
- give good control over the movement of the bait and its contact with the bottom;
- feel very careful bites from some predators, including pike perch.
Let's consider the main characteristics of spinning rods, which are responsible for their suitability for jig fishing.
Spinning test
The spinning rod test displays the weight of the jig head with which it works in optimal mode. If you use the bait within the test, you don’t have to worry about the safety of the rod, at the same time, the wiring is sensitive enough to feel all the pokes of a cautious fish.
The optimal test for jig fishing is 10–40 g. In the case of fishing from a boat, you can use a spinning rod with a smaller test. If you plan to fish with long-distance casts of heavy jig heads and fishing at considerable depth, then preference should be given to spinning rods with a high test weight.
Spinning rod length
The most optimal spinning rod length for jig fishing is from 2.8 to 3.6 meters. The shorter version is great for fishing from a boat or spot casting from the shore. The longer version is used for fishing from the shore, and, as a rule, these spinning rods have a larger test.
Some other options
When selecting a spinning rod, you also need to pay attention to its weight, tip sensitivity and number of sections. With a light weight spinning rod, it is more convenient to handle than with a large weight. The sensitivity of the tip determines the response of the spinning rod to a bite and to the touch of the bait to the bottom. The most common are two-section fishing rods, which are distinguished by their low weight and better assembly compared to 6-8-section spinning rods.
Weather
We don't choose the weather! To learn how to catch pike perch at night, you need not to be afraid of any weather, and be sure to go fishing! It turned out that the weather is not so important, since it happened to catch pike perch offshore in a raincoat or Gore-Tex in the rain, and in winter clothes when it was freezing, and in a T-shirt. The main natural factor that accompanied all successful “shore” fishing trips was the right wind! It was he who turned out to be the main ally, and the stronger he is, the better, of course, within reasonable limits. There is no need to hide from it, trying to find protected coves. Rather, on the contrary, you need to look for places open to the wind, with incoming waves breaking on the shore. Wind and large waves will certainly interfere with fishing, but this is exactly the case when it is better to neglect comfort. In principle, it is not so much the wind itself that is needed, but rather the waves. Imagine this picture: a river 200 m wide, the wind blowing against the current raises large waves with whitecaps. At the bend of the river, waves lash fairly against the washed-out, clayey shore. A strip of muddy water forms along the shore, with bubbles of foam and all kinds of plant debris washed out of the shore and driven by the current. And if the current is twisting in this place near the shore, then this is simply an ideal place for night fishing! The pike perch will not come there to look for fish that are gaping and busy searching for food! And small white fish really love the surf shore. Usually all bites occur at the border of muddy and clear water. The bites, as a rule, are very angry, and the pike perch itself behaves as if it had taken a sip of an energy drink. Maybe it’s the enrichment of water with oxygen that has this effect on him, or maybe it’s something else unknown to us, but the changes are obvious. Sometimes the effect of the wind is very obvious. The weather has been great for a week, calm, the fishing results are stable, but not particularly impressive. Then the weather deteriorates, the wind disperses the waves and almost all anglers, and the night pike perch becomes incredibly active. Then the weather gets better again, and the bite subsides along the shore. All this can even happen within one night and even within just 2-3 hours!
A rapidly falling water level can scare the pike perch and drive it away from the shore. In this he is not original; all other fish do the same. When the water rises, the fish approaches the shore edge more boldly.
Jigging for pike perch at night
When fishing for pike perch at night, the classic step-retrieving method and dragging the bait along the bottom are most often used. If we talk about stepped retrieving, then its shortened versions work best, in which the bait is always at the bottom and makes short, no more than 1.5 m, jumps. This step requires no more than 2-2.5 full turns of the spinning reel handle. When using stepped casting, the cast is made perpendicular to the current or slightly higher, and then the casting is performed using intermittent rotation of the reel. If the current at the fishing spot is fast, then after several full steps to drift, the bait will begin to hang in the water column. In this case, the bottom is naturally lost! What should I do? The easiest way to deal with this scourge is to switch to wiring with the recoil of the fishing line or wiring using pulls with a spinning rod up and down, practically without reeling in the fishing line. In this case, the bottom is again felt even when using baits with relatively light heads. Dragging is done in such a way that the bait touches the bottom almost all the time. If the bait hangs, then you need to smoothly release a little fishing line. In strong currents, the wiring turns out to be two-phase. First, drift in an arc while slowly reeling in the line, and then the release of the line and subsequent rapid retraction of the line when the bait hits the coastal zone.
Drawing is best done using either a multiplier reel or a regular inertia reel, since the sensitivity of the gear is maximum, and the wiring is very well controlled by the trembling of the fishing line between the fingers. If you are fishing with a jig using a “meat grinder”, then it is better to perform dragging by casting against the current, and after the bait touches the bottom, slowly reel in the line. At the same time, do not lose contact with the bait and try to constantly feel the bottom. Which of these two fishing lines works better when catching night pike perch is difficult to say. Sometimes a shortened step is very effective, and sometimes dragging is beyond competition. For wiring by dragging, you can very effectively use the “monofilament paternoster” rig, with an additional twister on a 10-12 cm leash, fixed 40-70 cm (depending on the depth) above the main bait. At the moment of mass stranding of pike perch and its hunting, up to 90% of bites occur precisely on this unloaded, upper twister. Unfortunately, in complete darkness she often gets confused, which somewhat limits her capabilities.
Bait
For pike perch, you should not use long baits; it is advisable to limit yourself to a length of 12 centimeters. There are several main options that pike perch take quite often. These include silicone twisters and vibrating tails. In addition, you can try foam rubber baits. Seasoned fishermen, as a rule, make fish from foam rubber with their own hands. It takes no more than 10 minutes to make. Most often they are made right at the fishing site. All you need is a simple dish sponge and scissors. An excellent option would be to make many baits of different shades and lengths at once.
Read: Catching pike perch with small jigs
Light and illumination
Catching pike perch in complete darkness has its own nuances. On the one hand, it is better not to use a backlight, as this scares the fish and blinds you for 2-3 minutes. During this period of time after turning off the light, absolutely nothing is visible and if you are careless, you can trip and fall into the water. On the other hand, without a light you won't be able to change the bait or inspect it. Nowadays, the ideal solution has emerged - small LED headlamps. They provide dim, diffused light and are very economical. Headlamps are more convenient, since both hands remain free. In general, the influence of illumination on the pike perch bite is very noticeable. This is noticeable by the fact that on moonlit nights the bite is usually much worse than on dark, stormy nights. Therefore, do not use bright light sources directly in the fishing area unless absolutely necessary. A headlamp should only be used when necessary, such as when you need to tie a bait or unhook a hook deep in the mouth.
Time to catch pike perch at night
As practice shows, in early September, pike perch follows the summer feeding regime and bites best from 10 pm to 1 am. And by October, with further cooling and the transition to the winter mode of life, it begins to get better at dusk, from 18 to 22 hours. It must be said that after a fairly clearly defined night break of 2-3 hours - in September and 5-6 hours – by October, the pike perch has a pre-dawn burst of bite, in the morning twilight. At this time, the pike perch bites less actively, sometimes only 0.5-1 hour, bites occur at a greater distance from the shore, but the size of the pike perch is often larger than in the first half of the night.
Pike perch is quite predictable, although sometimes completely inexplicable bursts of bite occur on “bright” moonlit nights, in calm weather, when pike perch chases small things and plops at the very feet all night until the morning, calming down and giving way to perch, only at dawn, sensing the first rays of the rising sun! Always catch! Only frequent trips can bring us priceless “golden” grains of experience!
Kosalapin Ivan
