Catching walleye on a balancer in winter

Fishing for walleye in winter on a balancer is a young trend in modern fishing. The new and promising bait has a more natural look and more attractive play compared to the lure. Therefore, this type of winter fishing is gaining more and more fans. However, pike perch is a mystery fish. What needs to be adopted and how to catch pike perch on a balancer in winter?

The specifics of catching zander on a balancer in winter

Zander is one of the most unpredictable predators. And in the winter, it is even less active than in the rest of the year. Therefore, in the cold period of the year, when the surface of reservoirs is covered with ice, it is not at all easy to catch it.

Compared to the warm season, the fanged predator is less active and goes out to feed much less often. Small individuals hunt in packs, while larger ones hunt alone. Therefore, if one fanged specimen is caught, then you should not rush to leave this hole. There is a high probability that his brothers are nearby.

Given the predator's predilection for the dark, fishing will be most promising in the early morning or late evening. The ideal time to fish for walleye is at night. Moreover, he sees perfectly at this time of day. During the day, zander bites are also possible, but their probability is much lower.

As in the warm season, in winter the fanged one prefers a hard sandy or rocky bottom, clear water and current. Driftwood and logs at the bottom will significantly increase the prospects of the site. Well, do not forget about pits, edges and dumps, as the most interesting habitats for pike perch.

Worth knowing! The muddy bottom or algae is of little interest to zander, so catching it in such places is a waste of time.

An important factor in zander hunting is weather conditions. The presence of wind, especially from the north, significantly reduces the likelihood of catching. Clear, frosty and calm weather gives great chances for success.

Catching pike perch on a balancer in winter is most productive on the first and last ice, and in the wilderness it is very difficult to provoke this predator to bite.

Tackle for catching walleye in winter on a balancer

Tackle for fishing zander has certain qualities that are inherent in catching predators:

1. Rod should be rigid and approximately 50-70 cm long. Graphite versions with a cork handle are excellent. For such rods, you don't even need a nod - they clearly convey the bite to your hand.
2. Some anglers generally do not use spools, and exhaust the line by hand. However, the use of a reel definitely makes the whole tackle much more convenient. A baitcasting reel is an excellent choice in this case.
3. Watchman at the end of the rod in most cases is a mandatory attribute. Sometimes the bites are very neat and cannot be recognized by holding the line with your hands. The gatehouse is usually made of a steel plate with a bright ball at the end. In the working position, the gatehouse should be deflected by 30-45 °.
4. Using braids are absolutely excluded, since it has properties incompatible with winter fishing. Therefore it is only necessary to use fishing line. The optimal line size for fishing zander on a balance bar appears from 0.25 to 0.3 mm. The supply of line should be sufficient to deal with a large specimen when you have to play off the line. If you wind a stock of about 50 m on the reel, then such a footage should definitely be enough.
5. Considering that pike can also hunt in the vicinity of pike perch, so as not to lose expensive bait, it is better to use leash against pike teeth. The only option that works for zander is a fluorocarbon leash. Otherwise, the chances of a zander biting are significantly reduced. There is a category of anglers who do not use a leash because of a strong decrease in fishing performance in this case.

Video: pike perch on a balancer in winter - tackle and bait

How to choose a balancer for catching zander in winter: an overview of the most catchy baits

Given the natural predilections for clean water, depths and currents, the weight of the zander balancers should be impressive. Sometimes the mass of the deep bait can reach up to 20 grams. The size of the zander balancer can be from 5 to 12 cm. Moreover, large baits measuring 10-12 cm are intended exclusively for trophy specimens. Since the main food for pike-perch is narrow-bodied fish, the balancers intended for catching this fish must have a narrow and run-through shape.

The catchy color of the balance bar for winter zander fishing, which would always bring a positive result, simply does not exist. There are a lot of color options today, and everyone usually chooses a color for himself at random.

Worth knowing!In any case, it is necessary to have a natural color and poisonous. In addition to these color options, light green, yellow and blue are also considered popular.

The entire range of balancers can be divided into two categories - bladeless and vane.The first option is more promising in the wilderness, when the predator is lethargic and passive, and the second - on the first ice and the last ice, when the activity of the zander is much higher.

Each angler has his own rating of the best balancers for zander in winter. Usually these are the baits that have already brought certain catches. However, there are "star" balancers, which show themselves on the positive side, even in the complete absence of bite.

1. Finnish Kuusamo Tasapaino It is considered the best winter balancer, not only when fishing for zander, but also when hunting other predators. This line of winter lures has been tested by time and the experience of a huge number of anglers. Thanks to its unique sweeping reversal game, Kuusamo Tasapaino is able to attract predators from long distances. The lure is available in three sizes 50, 60, 75 mm, and all of them are great for hunting fanged predators.
2. Japanese Lucky john mebaru is one of the favorites for zander fishing in winter. With a maximum weight of 18 grams, this lure is excellent for fishing in currents and great depths, while showing stable and correct play.It has a single structure, which is molded from frost-resistant plastic over the metal base of the body. The balancer is equipped with perfectly sharp Owner hooks, so it has excellent grip. The lure has 4 standard sizes and 14 colors, so the assortment of Lucky John Mebaru is quite large, and every angler can choose a balancer to his liking.
3. RAPALA Jigging due to its price, it is less popular, but its performance is at the highest level. This model with worldwide popularity has weight ranges from 4 to 25 g, which allows you to choose an option for any fishing conditions.
4. Nils master jigger known to fishermen since 65 of the last century. This model is time-tested and has proven its quality, durability and strength. The model has a huge number of standard sizes from 4 to 45 grams and the widest range of colors.

The above examples are the most efficient balancers for zander in winter, the effectiveness of which is beyond doubt. And most anglers use high-quality and proven balancers from well-known manufacturers, which fully justify themselves, compared to cheaper Chinese counterparts.

Video: catchy balancers for zander in winter

How to catch pike perch on a balancer in winter: tactics and fishing technique

The tactic of catching pike perch on balance beams is to catch promising places. And you don't need to spend more than 10 minutes on one hole. If there is no bite, then you can safely proceed to the next hole. The distance between them can vary from 5 to 10 meters. Sometimes, in search of a bite, the winter goose walks more than one hundred meters, or even kilometers.

If promising pike perch feeding sites are known for sure, then the tactics can be expectant.

When fishing with a balancer, you can use the following techniques:

1. The technique of playing with a balancer consists of pauses and jerks. First, the bait drops to the bottom and rises by 10-20 cm. With sharp jerks, the bait is thrown up and smoothly lowered back. The amplitude of the jerks should not be large - up to 20 cm. If the jerks are very large, then such an animation is of little interest to fish. In this way, all layers of the reservoir are fished up to the very top.
2. One of the most important fishing techniques is tapping the bait on the bottom. The sound and the raised turbidity attract the zander to the place of fishing. Sometimes the grip of the pike perch follows exactly when the balance bar hits the bottom.
3. Winter balancers for pike perch deviate as much as possible from the hole if you apply the following wiring: from the beginning, the bait smoothly rises to a height of half a meter, and then the tip of the fishing rod drops sharply.
4. One of the possible techniques is a smooth drive with even, barely noticeable twitching.
5. Pauses in postings can be of different duration from one second to one minute. A standard pause lasts 7-8 minutes.
6. When fishing in the current, the flow of water greatly distorts the game of the balancer, so there are no pauses in such places. The whole game of bait is reduced to lifts and drops.
7. After you have tried the baits and balancers, it is advisable to try improvising your own techniques, stretches and pauses.

Video: pike perch on a balancer in winter - fishing technique and tactics

Common mistakes when fishing

Winter fishing for pike perch on a balancer is very often accompanied by annoying disappointments, which can be associated with the following points:

1. The balancer must be properly tied.
2. It is advisable to use a fastener at the point where the balance bar is attached. So it is better to replace the baits in the cold.
3. The sharpness of the hooks should be at the highest level.
4. The line must be suitable for its breaking load. This indicator must be checked empirically, because incorrect data may be indicated on the packaging of the fishing line.
5. It is necessary to efficiently fish the entire hole on all layers, sometimes the pike perch bites in the most unpredictable place and at the most unexpected moment.
6. Any wiring with the balancer must begin with touching the bottom.
7. When fishing for pike-perch, strong and sweeping strokes are not practiced - such an imitation is of little interest to pike-perch.

Therefore, all these options must be given sufficient attention so as not to miss out on your trophy.

So, a balancer for winter fishing for pike perch is one of the possible options for pulling a cautious fanged predator out of the hole in winter. Moreover, special requirements for tackle and skill of such fishing are not required. A beginner can easily take the necessary accessories and learn the basics of catching trophies. Moreover, compared to other winter methods of fishing - bottom fishing and trolling - fishing with balance beams is more reckless and sporty. The balancer is more affordable in today's market - any model, weight and color can be chosen without any problems. But the question with spoons is much more complicated - the range of spoons is not great. Therefore, balancers for pike perch in winter are one of the most relevant types of fishing in the future.