Pike on a wobbler from the shore in early spring 2021

With the arrival of spring, spinning pike fishing with minnow-class wobblers, which have proven themselves well at this time of year, becomes relevant. Soft, leisurely twitching of baits with a narrow, elongated body can provoke even a passive pike to attack, which after the winter easily succumbs to the call of predatory instincts.

Wiring wobblers in spring

In mid-spring, it is best to carry out soft, non-aggressive twitching with fairly long pauses, approximately 8-10 seconds. This method involves lightly twitching the bait using just the tip of the rod.

The appropriate amplitude of stretches and the optimal duration of pauses are determined experimentally. Some fishermen approach twitching so scrupulously and delicately that they write down detailed “melodies” of stretches and pauses in a notebook, which turned out to be the most effective in a given situation. You can only learn effective twitching through practice.

Best lures

Fishing for pike in the spring with a spinning rod is carried out with lighter baits; there is no point in using heavy deep-sea baits during this period. That is why the tackle is formed from the following components:

spinning blank with dough up to 15-18 g;
reels with a spool size of 1000-2000 and a number of bearings of at least 4;
cord with a thickness of up to 0.08 mm or fishing line with a cross-section of up to 0.18 mm;
The fittings are also used in small sizes.

This type of gear is only suitable for spring pike fishing ; in summer and autumn the predator will behave more aggressively, and this will require more durable equipment.

In addition to the right gear, you need to be able to choose the best lures for pike in the spring. To do this you need to know some secrets:

Wobblers for catching pike during this period are suitable for small and light ones, preferably from the minnow category .
The spoon must have a tee or double with a fly, this will attract the attention of a larger number of predators.
Silicone baits use acidic colors ; this will be the best irritant after a long and passive winter.
Spoon baits are rarely used for catching predators at this time of year, with the only exception being castmaster .

In all other respects, you should rely on your own taste and, armed with enough bait, go fishing. A short description will help you choose some.

Poppers

This bait is one of the most catchy options for pike in the spring. It is made in the shape of a fish, but it does not have a shovel for deepening it at all, it is a superficial one. A special feature of the popper is the presence of slits behind the gills through which air passes during wiring. Thanks to this, a specific sound is created, which attracts the predator.

The most famous manufacturers are:

ZipBaits;
Kosadaka;
Yo Zuri;
Jackall;
Megabass.

The cost of the bait will depend on the brand and color; baits with the 3D effect are more expensive. There are other manufacturers, their prices may be more affordable.

Turntables

Probably, spinners are the best bait for pike in the spring; according to statistics, they are regularly among the leaders in terms of catchability in different regions and on different bodies of water.

In the spring, even a small pinwheel can attract the attention of a predator, and not always a small one. Large individuals often spot and attack whirligigs in the shallows off beaches.

Almost any petal color is used, but there are still some subtleties:

silver and gold will perform best during this period;
the fluorescent petal is sent under the bushes and along the reeds at dawn;
the acidic color will irritate the predator in muddy water.

But the fly on the hook can be very different; most often they independently equip it with red, green and salad options. The most catchy ones are considered to be products from Mepps, Condor, Kuusamo, Lacky John.

Spinerbaits

This bait can be said to combine two types at once: the petal came from a spinner, and the fringed head came from silicone. For pike in April, it is best to use a spinnerbait on a spinning rod; this bait will help lure the predator near snags and reeds, as well as in last year’s vegetation.

Advice! Near snags and flooded trees, you should use this bait carefully; the hook may get caught tightly.

In early spring, it is advisable to use spinerbaits with two blades, but at the end of May it is better to choose one with one.

Silicone

Silicone baits would be an excellent option, and pike will respond equally well to both a vibrotail and a twister.

The size of the bait is chosen to be relatively small; 3-5 cm will be quite enough. The colors are very wide:

It is worth choosing vibrating tails with several colors, it is especially important that the head, tail, back, and tummy stand out;
Single-color twisters are also suitable; most often, light green, bright yellow, raspberry, yellow with a red tail, translucent green, and orange are used.

Experienced fishermen always recommend having fish with light-accumulating effects in your arsenal; such options will help in catching a predator after dawn or early in the morning.

The most popular is silicone:

Manns;
Relax;
Bass Assassin.

Nowadays, spinning anglers increasingly use silicone from the edible series in the spring. There are many forms, but the most catchy ones are:

small twister;
dragonfly larva;
worms;
little frogs.

The rest are also caught, but these are the ones that caught the most trophies. From the color range, it is better to give preference to violet, lettuce, caramel, machine oil, and milky color.

You shouldn’t stop only at the baits described above; sometimes experiments make it possible to catch trophy specimens of the predator.

Catching models of wobblers

Our own experience and advice from fishermen indicate that pike after spawning bite remarkably well on Yo-Zuri L-Minnow 44, ZipBaits Orbit 65 Slider SP and other similar wobblers with a length of up to 7-9 cm and a diving depth of up to 1-2 m.

There are a lot of positive reviews and descriptions of dozens of spring minnows for pike floating around the Internet, so choosing a catchy bait and not going wrong is not so easy. However, from all the variety, we can single out those wobblers that have been in use for a long time, have been in stable demand for years and are at the same time available in most specialized stores.

Rapala: Husky Jerk (6 cm);
X-Rap Shad Shallow (6 cm);
Yo-Zuri Hardcore Shad (6 cm);
Jackall Squad Minnow (6.5 cm);
Yo-Zuri Hardcore LB (7 cm);
Jackall: Tiny Magallon (8.8 cm);
Yo-Zuri: Crystal Minnow (9 cm);

Good to know for the spinning angler: the best pike lures

Catching pike in spring with wobblers - tactics

I go ashore. I visually assess the water area in search of a promising place. I see a lot of fry scurrying around and very clean water. The depth at the fishing spot does not exceed 1 m, mostly 30–40 cm. Accordingly, when fishing in shallow water with clear water, the first casts must be made without coming close to the shore. Very often bites happen right under your feet.

It is ideal if there are natural shelters for the fisherman on the shore, such as bushes or tall grass. It's a good idea to squat a little and choose gear that allows you to blend into the terrain. Having fished the coastal zone, you can approach the water’s edge and fish distant areas.

Casting should be done with a fan. I usually make two or three casts to the opposite bank, as close to the grass as possible. This is where the largest number of “toothy” bites occur. Then casts along the grass and several diagonal ones.

Thus, in seven to ten casts I work out the fishing area quite well. If a fish bites, I pay closer attention to the point. If not, then you shouldn’t stagnate in one place. Active movement and search for fish always bring better results than torture or waiting.

When can you catch pike in spring?

In most regions, in the spring, a law limiting the catch of both peaceful fish and predators comes into force. This is due to the spawning of inhabitants of reservoirs. During this time, you are allowed to fish only with one rod and one hook. The ban usually lasts from the beginning of April until the end of May.

pike after spawning, so that it has time to give birth . Usually this period begins in mid-May, but the weather has a direct impact on this process. In warm springs, spawning occurs faster, but in cool and protracted springs it is delayed for a long period.

We studied catchable lures for pike, selected equipment and chose the most successful places for fishing. All that remains is to put the acquired knowledge into practice and show off your catch. No tail, no scales!

You can ask your question to our author:

Types of wobblers: their similarities and differences

Externally, the wobblers look very similar to each other. However, their behavior when leashed is still different. And different fishing conditions require different bait action. They may differ from each other in body shape, buoyancy, color, etc. They can be with or without a blade.

Bladeless wobblers can be shallow-water (submerged to a depth of up to 1 m), deep-water (from 2.5 m and deeper), medium-depth (from 1.5 m to 2 m: rattlin, darter, jerkbait), as well as surface (floating on bait surfaces: popper, chagger, walker, crawler). Representatives of wobblers with a blade are called: minow, shad, crank, fad.

When choosing spring wobblers for pike, you must also take into account their ability to float on the water. Depending on their buoyancy, baits can be floating, sinking and suspended wobblers (neutral buoyancy). The latter have the properties of both sinking and floating wobblers. Their characteristic feature is that they sink very slowly and emerge just as slowly. The condition of the suspenders is influenced by various factors, such as the weight of the sinker, the length of the leash, water temperature, etc. Some manufacturers indicate on their baits the water temperature range at which wobblers can hang for a long time.

Wobbler colors

The toothy predator does not have any special preferences regarding the color of the wobbler, the main thing is that it can notice it in the water. When choosing the color scheme of a wobbler for pike in the spring, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the reservoir: water transparency, the presence of vegetation, snags, as well as weather conditions. For example, on a cloudy day or during rain it is better to use golden-colored wobblers, and in clear sunny weather in clear water - silver models. When going fishing early in the morning, it is not always possible to predict what the weather will be like during the day. Therefore, every spinning player should have bait of various colors in his arsenal, and you never know on which body of water you can catch pike with wobblers in the spring.

Technique for wiring sinking wobblers

Sinking wobblers for catching pike in the spring perform well in reservoirs with a pronounced current. They start playing as soon as they dive into the water. The behavior of the pike may depend on the speed of the retrieve. If the retrieval is quite slow, the predator can pursue the intended prey to the very bottom and begin to attack the moment the wobbler falls. A quick retrieve can provoke the pike into an instant bite. The game can be even, stepped or with effective jerks. This bait can be used for fishing even at the very bottom.

Choose wobblers based on our advice and go fishing. Happy biting!

What baits to use for spring pike fishing

The answer to this question is quite philosophical, since it all depends on the reservoir and your skill; from personal experience, jerkbaits and oscillating spoons work well. For some reason, in the reservoirs where I fish in the spring, wobblers and spinner spoons do not work at all, perches bite well on them, pike are caught only in the summer.

Speed, technicality and wiring activity are important.

The selection of baits should be chosen based on the spring fishing period, of which there are two: before and after spawning.

We recommend: How to select fishing hooks, a set of tips

From personal experience and the experience of other anglers, the following baits work well at this time:

Jig - lures and jerkbaits, they work quite well, but with skillful retrieve. It is important to use slow movements and long pauses.
Wobblers - floating and rattling ones work well. It is important to use slow wiring.
Oscillating spoons work great for pike, it is important to slowly raise and lower them.

It is important to understand that when a female pike goes to the spawning grounds, she needs food, and small male pikes are an excellent food during this period.
Females actively hunt them during this period. Therefore, before spawning, baits imitating small squints will be excellent baits.
If you want to catch a large trophy pike and they are in your area, then use large lures as bait.

After spawning, the realism of the baits does not play a special role; the naturalness and technique of their placement are important. Theoretically, you can even fish with homemade spoons made from spoons; with skillful fishing they will give good results.

The color of the bait should be chosen based on the color of the water in the pond; the darker it is, the lighter the bait and vice versa. You need to understand what color the main food supply in this body of water is; based on these two points, choose the appropriate color of the bait.

Fluorocarbon or steel leaders work well as leaders.

Regular short leashes made of monofilament fishing line with a breaking load of 12-15 kg work well. Due to their tensile properties, they absorb a sharp blow during an attack, and also provide, due to their flexibility, a better performance of the bait, but they have to be changed quite often, sometimes the pike bites them and leaves.

Select the spinning rod and reel based on the baits you will be fishing with. The tackle should be balanced, comfortable and absorb sharp pike strikes.

When fishing during this period, I recommend learning how to use the friction brake of the reel to avoid damage to the spinning rod.

Depth of depth

Wobblers differ in several classes according to the degree of depth. The depth of the wobbler tells the angler how deep from the surface of the water the wobbler will be when the angler reels in the fishing line.

Surface - also called top waters, as the name itself suggests, wobblers of this type do not go deep at all, they work on the very surface of the water; this class of wobblers includes: poppers, walkers, crawlers. Topwater lures can be super effective in certain fishing conditions.
Subsurface - also called super shallow runners, designated SSR, dive to a depth of no more than 10-15 cm. They can be very effective when catching pike over a carpet of algae.
Shallow - also called shallow runners, designated SR, usually buried to a depth of no more than 1 meter. The most versatile of all wobblers, suitable for most fishing conditions.
Deep-sea - also called deep runners, designated DR, have a depth of up to 1.5-2 meters. Anglers call them deep wobblers. Designed for fishing in deep places.
Super-deep-water - often designated DDR, such wobblers are capable of going deep to a depth of 2.5 meters or more. Not very often used in spinning, but very often used for trolling. They are easy to recognize by their appearance; they have a very large, long blade in front.

You might be interested in: T-Rex Swimmer Live. Like alive.

The correct choice of wobbler in terms of depth is the basis for successful fishing and a decent-sized catch.

Summer

In summer, the water of most reservoirs warms up well; pike do not like too warm water and at this time of year, most often they either go a considerable distance from the shore and stand in deep holes, often littered with snags. Sinking deep-sea wobblers are best suited for catching pike standing in holes. The size of wobblers can reach up to 15 cm. Wobblers with bright, clearly visible colors work well.