One of the most common and recognizable predators is probably the common perch. It is found in almost all fresh water bodies and rivers of Eurasia and North America, artificially introduced and acclimatized in Australia. For his greed and gluttony he received the nickname, the striped robber, he probably doesn’t eat only grass, he is very fond of crustaceans and invertebrates. There is not a single fisherman who has not at least once been hooked by this bright, beautiful, greenish fish with dark stripes and red fins. In this article we will look at the types of balancers and how to catch perch using a balancer in winter.
- Catching perch on a balance beam
- Best time of year to catch perch
- Balance rod
- The most catchy balancers for perch
- Balancers rating
- Where to find fish
- Technique for catching perch using a balance beam
- Do-it-yourself balancer for perch
The North American continent is home to yellow American perch, which is very similar in appearance to the common one. Although the external similarity is undeniable. There is still a difference not only in the size of the head, which is slightly larger, the color of the fins and body, which are yellowish, but as scientists have found out, also at the genetic level.
When to catch pike with a balance beam
It is believed that pike is always active on the first ice. However, there are times when a toothy predator refuses to take the bait and there is no way to force it. And the capricious weather is to blame. When going fishing you should consider the following points:
- fluctuations in atmospheric pressure negatively affect the activity of pike;
- if the winter is warm, then throughout the winter high activity of the toothed predator is possible;
- cloudy weather is better suited for winter pike fishing on a balance beam;
- light snowfall, no frost, slight south or southwest wind;
- on clear frosty days, pike is just as active, but much less;
- It’s better to go fishing while it’s still dark, so you can start fishing at dawn.
Read also about fishing on the first ice at:
- Perch
- Roach
Best time of year to catch perch
Although fishing for perch with a balance beam can be done at any time of the year, it is most often used for ice fishing. In summer, such vertical fishing is complicated by the presence of vegetation in the predator’s parking areas. A large amplitude of movement from side to side of the bait leads to frequent hooks. For this reason, when fishing vertically from a boat or shore, it is better to use a jig head with a silicone bait. You can catch perch without hooks on a balancer in open water in the fall, when algae settles to the bottom of the reservoir and the predator begins an active hunt for small things.
Autumn fishing for perch on a balancer differs from winter fishing only in the length of the rod.
Tackle for catching pike on a balance beam
Fishing for pike in winter on a balance beam should be carried out with high-quality tackle:
- As a fishing rod, you can take a shortened version of a spinning rod, or use an original plastic fishing rod. It will be convenient to use a handle made of non-thermal conductive material. The length of the whip can be from 20 to 40 cm. The longer this element of the tackle, the easier it will be to absorb pike blows.
- Most fishing rods are already equipped with an inertial reel. Otherwise, you can use a baitcasting reel. There are special models of multipliers for winter fishing. Such reels are equipped with a friction brake, which makes it much easier to catch a predator.
- Whether to use fishing line or braid is a controversial issue. The fishing line does not freeze as much as braid, so most anglers use it. It is advisable to use fluorocarbon fishing line - it is more resistant to abrasion on the edge of the ice. The optimal diameter of the fishing line will be 0.25-0.3 mm. Braided wire is a stronger option, the reliability of which is beyond doubt. You just can’t use it in cold weather. When fishing regularly, it is necessary to cut off the used piece, as its strength is lost due to friction against the edges of the hole.
- A leash is mandatory when fishing for pike. It is convenient to use leads from a guitar string numbered 1 or 2. This element of the equipment should not be deformed or bent, otherwise the play of the balancer will be disrupted.
Winter fishing with lures and balance beams, testing new products for 2021
We spent several days on one of the lakes in the Braslav region. The ice situation was a little let down, and we couldn’t get to the planned reservoir at all... We had to look for an alternate airfield, fortunately there were plenty of reservoirs around, and places with larger ones are well known for summer fishing. We managed to find safe ice in one of the bays, at the exit of which there was a nice underwater spit with the remains of old grass and a smooth drop from one and a half to five meters... We settled there. We went on reconnaissance in force with balance beams and were right. Although we had less than half a day to catch, we managed to catch something. Pike and perch responded immediately and gave hope for a good bite.
Although we found ourselves limited in movement and confined to a small area of the reservoir, this area turned out to be not the worst. And I would even say that the concentration of the predator on him was very good. This is especially true for perch. There were a lot of stripers and they were very active. If the size were also larger, it would be great. But, alas, we never caught more than 150 grams in a day.
But at least they got a kick out of the number of bites. I haven't seen an elevator like this for a long time. There were series of 15-20 pieces per hole, and one even had up to 40 pieces. And all this at depths of half a meter to two. Moreover, what is noteworthy is that the sailors were not at all shy about the size of the bait: they ate both balance beams and 45 “maropeds”.
The pike also made me happy. My comrades periodically shot their bets, and I had bites on both the balance beam and the spinners. I caught two annoying sawn-off shotguns, and a pretty good pike. In general, the toothy one was, in principle, pleasing in size, unlike the striped one, and during the whole day only one cord was caught, which was released.
During this time, we went through a couple of spinners and balancers, checked the game under water and shot a video:
Winter fishing with a spoon and a balancer, which is more effective? Does the size of the spoon, shape and color affect the bite of perch? What kind of bait will perch and pike bite on? And also the game of winter spinners under water. The video also includes underwater filming of fishing using bait as an example: 0:00 - going out on the ice 2:05 - Akara Bandit balance beam 50 mm 3:05 - Akara Legioner balance beam 50 mm 3:53 - Winter spinner Akara Maropedka 45 mm 6:05 - Spinner winter Maropedka Shaggy 27 mm 8:25 - Balancer Akara Cancan 40 mm 10:05 - Spinner SS 27 mm Casanova (Siberian sports) 11:50 - fishing results This is how winter fishing 2021 turned out for us on the Braslav lakes, stay with us, catch with us, there will be many more interesting and useful videos. All these baits can be found in our online store in Belarus: lovisnami.by/ We are on VKontakte Fishing in Belarus: vk.com/fishing47 We are on Instagram: instagram.com/lovisnami__by/ #icefishing #fishing #winter
How to choose a balancer for pike
Today's market presents the modern fisherman with a wide range of balancers. What you need to consider when selecting balancers for pike, read below:
- The size of the balancer should be in the range from 5 to 10 cm. Lures from 5 to 7 cm in size can be considered universal - they also catch perch well. The most preferred size for pike is 7 to 9 cm.
- Tees on pike balancers must be numbered from 4 to 6 according to the international classification. The tee can be supplemented with a drop of weight so that when casting it does not overlap the fishing line.
- Popular pike colors include perch imitation, white with red head, and a variety of fancy colors.
- The shape of the balancer does not have a significant size, but it is believed that the wider belly of the bait contributes to excellent gliding properties.
- The balancer hooks should be large enough with a large offset - the tip of the hook should not extend into the bait area.
Read also: The best balancers for pike
Game of Balancer Under Ice | Underwater Video
The main advantage of the balancer is the fact that it behaves exactly the same at different depths.
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.
This allows you not to change your fishing style depending on the depth. At shallow depths, the balancer must move strongly to the side along a horizontal plane relative to the vertical axis of the hole.
The balance game is shaped like the number eight or the infinity sign.
Despite its slight susceptibility to changes in depth, the balancer at great depths significantly reduces its activity. Therefore, to maintain the speed and agility of the game, it is necessary to maintain a shallow fishing depth.
In order to achieve a balance game that attracts predatory fish, you should not make sluggish and slow movements.
They cause only a vertical rise of the bait, with a slight movement to the side. This does not in any way contribute to a good game and will not interest the predator.
If, on the contrary, you make sharp and short swings, then the balancer will spin quick figure eights both on the ascent and on the descent. You should not use various flies that are strung on the balancer hook. They significantly reduce the speed of the spinner in the water and worsen the game.
How to look for large perch in winter
First you need to decide on a promising location. If you have already fished in a reservoir, then this will not be much difficulty, since all the fishing spots are known. As a rule, this fish grows to large sizes in large reservoirs and lakes, where there is enough food. Despite this, such knowledge may be needed for catching large specimens, but in smaller water bodies. Maybe these will not be one and a half kilogram specimens, but only half a kilogram, but still they are much more pleasant to catch than “trifles” weighing no more than 100 g.
Having arrived at a large body of water, you will have to walk deep into the ice, at a distance of at least 0.5-1 kilometer. Only in this case can you count on success. Despite this, perch quite often comes closer to the shore, but this rarely happens at a time when there are no fishermen on the ice or the ice is quite thick and the perch is not alerted by the movement of fishermen on the ice. In addition, you need to know where exactly the perch approaches the shore.
To find a perch parking lot, you will have to drill a couple of dozen holes in a checkerboard pattern or according to another pattern.
As a rule, all the holes are drilled, one after another, and only then the fishing process begins. But before that, bait in the form of bloodworms or jigs is poured into all the holes. This is quite simple and effective, but you need to take into account that the type of bait you are using is intended to catch perch. If bloodworms are used as bait, they are also used as bait. To do this, just throw a pinch of bait into each hole.
Each hole is fished for no more than 10-15 minutes. When a perch is found, several more holes can be drilled around a catchable hole, at a distance of 2-3 meters from one another. Additional holes are also baited and fished. This approach to the process of catching large perch always gives a positive result.
