In different regions of Russia, many fishermen in winter catch most of the predatory fish with a trolley. They widely use this method not only from ice, but also in open water from boats, rafts, piers and bridges.
The success of spinners largely depends on the accumulated experience, knowledge of the characteristics of the behavior of predators. The methods of searching for fish, the catching tackle, the way of managing it are all very individual, and experience is acquired gradually.
The inquisitive angler constantly refines and uses those techniques that affect the result of fishing with a spoon. The catching power of a spoon depends not only on its correct manufacture and conditions of use, but also on the skill of the angler.
The technique of playing the winter spoon
The lure control technique includes a moderately sharp swing of the fishing rod with the hand to a height of 30–40 cm, its instant lowering and a pause of two to five seconds, after which the whole game cycle is repeated. The rise and fall of the spoon attracts the predator, and the pause allows the fish to come up and check the object that resembles a stern.
During the period of perch zhora, the pace of the “rise – fall” game can be accelerated by shortening the pause and increasing the ascent rate. Aggressive predator recklessly beats a rapidly oscillating spoon. When fishing for sluggish perch, the spoon is served delicately, with a smoother rise of the bait and a long pause. The passive striped one grabs the spoon when its vibrations stop and it stops.
In the old days, a pole was an integral part of an angler’s equipment for winter fishing. It was used to stir up water and was caught “in the dregs”. A cloud of turbidity plays the role of bait. In order to attract the perch to the point of fishing, many anglers start with a few strokes of the spoon on the bottom.
Then the bait is jerked sharply, making a jerk and lowering without pause. After eighty such strokes (of course, if “knocks” were not observed before), they switch to the normal tempos of spinning. Smoothly raising the rod, it is immediately lowered, stopping the tip 5–10 cm from the ice, then a pause follows. The lifting and lowering cycles are repeated 20-30 times.
If there is no bite or slight jerk of a nod, change the level of spinning by raising the rod 10-15 cm higher. Raising the lure to a higher level often provokes the perch’s grip. After a pause, five to seven game cycles are performed.
If there is no bite, repeat this technique another 15 cm higher, then even higher, up to about 1 m above the bottom. During the ascent of the spoon to a new level, its smooth movement is carried out, and during a pause, it is lightly swayed. Often times, these are the techniques that work.
At the stage of searching for a perch and with a weak bite, it is advisable to use several different options for posting the lure, shortening or lengthening the pauses, increasing or decreasing the speed of posting. The secret to a successful winter spinner is the frequent change of pace. Move the bait slowly, increase the speed on the second swing, then make a sharp dash. Such jerks cause a grasping reflex in predatory fish. Sometimes it is useful to raise the rod not straight up, but in short jerks alternately to the right and left.
In the period of deafness, when the perch is passive, this technique is good: the spoon is lowered to the bottom and stirred, slightly raising it, five to seven times; then they are gradually raised to a height of 30–40 cm, simultaneously shaking with a fishing rod, and instantly lowered, stopping at the very bottom for five seconds. The cycles are repeated seven to ten times. This technique is especially effective when using a side leash with a hook baited by a bloodworm.
When the activity of predators is noticeably reduced, the movement of the spoon should be slowed down. A similar game of bait can be achieved with a short winter fishing rod. If its length is large, the swing of the hand of the same height causes intense movement and high-spirited play of the spoon, which reduces the number of bites of the passive perch.
At such a time, when fishing for “striped”, it is better to use the least active spinners, which produce less linear vibrations and fall almost vertically – these are “Carnation”, “Okunevaya”, heavy “Malek” and “Senezhskaya”.
With them, you can try wiring with touching the ground with small (3-5 cm) smooth sweeps at the bottom. Perch on irrigation usually concentrates directly at the bottom or slightly higher. The lure is lowered to the bottom, then slightly raised so that only the tee touches the bottom, and small twitchings are made with the rod, making the hook “dance” at the bottom.
Often, the bite of a capricious perch is brought by the ascent and descent of the spoon in very short jerks or a combination of various techniques, continuously following one after the other. The spoon in this case is in constant motion: it either bounces up, then falls down and glares, then goes to the side, then vibrates, then hits the bottom.
In case of zhora, when the perch grabs any moving spoon, smooth movements of the bait up and down are used almost without interruption. If, having found perches, you caught several of them with a spoon, for example, of the “Malek” type, the perches already know this bait and attack less zealously. In this situation, you need to change the spoon and catch, for example, with the “Boat”. After catching several “striped” ones, it is worth making a short pause.
In the wilderness, the additional equipment of the fishing line above the spoon with a short lateral leash with a hook is especially effective, on which multi-colored silicone tubes or such natural baits as maggots, strips of skin or pieces of “white” fish, bacon, worm, bloodworms, and the eye of a perch are placed.
The bait on the hook of the side leash allows you to unload the lure and keep it playing. An additional baited hook is used to catch roach, silver bream, brood bream, ide and chub. The lure wiring with the additional hook is the same as without it. Sometimes, instead of a side leash, they put a golden or bronze tee masked with red wool, or a flat jig, which move freely between two limiter nodes.
They will diversify the playing techniques with additional elements: after a pause before the next rise, the spoon is lowered by 3-5 cm and immediately raised. Increase the rise to 60-70 cm and pause at the top for 2-3 seconds, then the bait is lowered, as usual, quickly or on a stretched line.
To search in the water column for the level at which the perch is located, trolling begins immediately from the ice edge. Every eight to ten cycles, games increase the depth by 0.5 m until they reach the bottom. This technique is very effective on the last ice.
Observations have established that not only the nature of the movement and play of the spoon affects the success of fishing, but its color is sometimes a decisive factor. The color preferences of fish vary greatly with light conditions.
So, for example, in the morning before sunrise, fish is better caught on light spoons, after sunrise – on golden ones, in the middle of the day – on dark ones, and in the evening – again on light ones. Of course, this is just a rough diagram. Experiments with the color of lures should start with the basic colors – silver and golden.
At depths over 3-4 m, fish is better caught with bright, light baubles. I think the best are silver spinners. A nice addition is the red tassel on the hook. Many years of experience have shown that in many cases this supplement encourages the fish to grip. Many fish prefer not the spoon as such, but the red plumage on it.
In addition, the plumage of the hook has a positive effect on the game of the bait. When the lure is lowered to depth, the hairs offer some resistance to movement, as a result of which it sinks more slowly, in a position close to horizontal.
Since there is often a pike next to the perch, it is necessary to include a steel leader in the rig. It should be in one thread 0.1–0.15 mm thick and 5–7 cm long. The ends of the leash must be carefully closed into loops so that it does not interfere with the movement of the spoon.
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