Perch is a fish that is found everywhere in our bodies of water. Its population is the most massive. The perch is quite different in structure and body color from other underwater inhabitants. It has a fairly wide body, especially in large individuals, and somewhat hunchbacked. The back of this fish is dark green, the belly is yellowish, and the sides are greenish-yellow. Across the entire body there are 5-9 transverse dark stripes that make perch very motley.
general information
This predatory fish is widespread almost everywhere. It lives in all lakes and rivers of our country, with the exception of the Amur and its tributaries. In large quantities, perch is found in large or medium ponds.
It is not only in mountain streams and streams with cold water. This fish lives in the desalinated coastal marine areas of the seas, for example, in the Gulf of Finland and Riga. Here, perch fishing is incredibly widespread in winter and summer.
This fish is unusually voracious. If there is a large flock of smaller inhabitants of the reservoir before the perch, he, having barely swallowed one prey, immediately rushes after the second, third, etc. Sometimes fry that do not fit in his stomach stick out directly from his mouth. Fishermen get such shots during underwater shooting. Fishing in the winter is as interesting as in open water. Its spawning in the southern reservoirs begins in March or April, and in the northern - in May. The perch lays caviar at a shallow depth in last year's underwater vegetation.
Winter fishing
After spawning is completed, the minke whale leaves for the summer camp, where it remains until the fall, leading a sedentary lifestyle.
With the first cooling, the perch, gathering in large schools, descends into the middle or lower layers. This fish goes quite easily on most lures. In addition, it is distinguished by an active bite at any time of the year. The winter months are no exception. Unlike other representatives of the underwater world, even the first ice is not afraid of this fish. Therefore, perch fishing in winter in early December is very effective in its usual habitats. Minke whale fishing, as it is popularly called, is very popular. He actively pounces on live or artificial baits with almost the same greed that he attacks fry in the summer months. But in order to catch perch in winter, not only a long stay in the fresh frosty air, but also a rich catch, you should know some of its features.
Where to look for prey
At the very beginning and at the end of the cold season, this fishing facility does not go to the bottom, but remains on shallow horizons. During the day, he can repeatedly sail for feeding to the coastal thickets of grass to feast on fish trifles. That is why, both after freezing, and closer to spring, underwater fishing for perch in winter takes place mainly at the coastline at a depth of up to two meters. If there is a backwater or a shallow bay overgrown with reeds in the pond, it is advisable to start fishing from these places, usually very rich in minke whale.
By the middle of winter, a slightly different picture is observed. During the deaf winter, minke whales are shifted to the deep layers, and with the end of more or less severe frosts they again return to the coastal zone. And when winter begins to recede and the sun is increasingly showing, these predators become more active every day.
Features of ice fishing
Choosing places for catching perch in winter, you should know some nuances. It is better to fish the whale on the river on ice in the morning. This fish is especially well caught under stable atmospheric pressure and in frosts of at least -15 degrees. In the evening, biting is short-lived, and sometimes completely absent. In severe frosts, you should look for minke whale in whirlpools and deep holes, and in slightly warmer weather - in the brow, old channels, shallows and peaks of ravines. Perch prefers ponds with a hard bottom and snag. The probability of bites in winter near coastal vegetation is high in December and March, when this predator hunts fry there. Therefore, the search should begin from the coast. There, for small perches, larger individuals often sail too.
Fishing on the lake
The best nibble in most bodies of water in our country is observed at the beginning of winter, immediately after they are covered with ice. A week after the formation of the infusion, the perch reaches the peak of its winter activity. It lasts about fifteen to twenty days. During this period, minke whales, not going to the depths, try to stay on the coastal zone. In January, lakes noticeably worsen. Severe frosts combined with low water temperatures make this fish inactive, lethargic. In January, large groups of predators break up into smaller ones, not exceeding six to eight individuals. At this time, it is necessary to search for prey throughout the water area.
The success of catching perch in winter on the lake depends on how well the angler is familiar with the characteristics of a particular reservoir. As a rule, fishing involves significant time spent searching for prey. Sometimes a fisherman has to drill about ten holes, and all just to get at least one fish out of at least one of them. But if it is possible to detect the parking of the flock, then with a competent approach, you can pull out a fairly good catch.
Rigging
It plays an important role in any fishing. Tackles for catching perch, in winter in particular, should be of high quality and well-chosen. Otherwise, you should not only hope for a good catch, but also the pleasure of fishing will be minimized. Tackle must meet the relevant requirements. The fishing rod should be selected flexible and thin with a length of more than 10-15 cm. There are no special requirements for the reel: it can be a simple inertia-free, with the help of which it will be convenient to carry out fishing. However, some believe that the most productive is fishing perch in winter on a reel.
The fishing line should be taken as thin as possible, up to 0.06 millimeters, which in water will not be very noticeable. Only in this case, predatory fish will approach the bait. The thickness of the fishing line depends on the prey. For example, in winter, catching large perch will be productive at a size of 0.2 to 0.25, and individuals a little smaller - from 0.08 to 0.12 mm. The nod should have medium rigidity and a conical shape. Its length should not exceed 10 cm. Nods made of polycarbonate or metal are considered the best, although in some reservoirs experienced fishermen also use lava or capralon variants, which have great resistance to side wind. If the nod bends slightly under the weight of the bait, this ensures a good game with the nozzle.
Bait
Only perches of animal origin are suitable for perch. It can be bloodworms, pieces of fish, red dung worms, dragonfly larvae, etc. Experienced anglers note that the most active perch is moving bait. If the bait is pulled closer to itself with slow movements, the chances of a bite will increase significantly. Catching perch in winter with mormyshka is one of the most common and affordable ways of fishing. Another great lure is spinners. It perfectly "works" during the period of perch activity. With the right lure you can catch almost the entire flock from the hole. In this case, the angler must correctly carry out the game and not forget about the pauses. Otherwise, the prey simply does not have time to grab the hook. Perch never completely captures the whole bait, it exclusively attacks the hook. Therefore, even small lumps, the size of which does not exceed the bait itself, can fall on a relatively large spinner. True, the big change pecks much less often. For catching perch in winter, you should choose a spinner of 0.17-60 mm in size.
Mormyshka fishing
Of course, this predatory fish will not be equally good at biting any kind of bait. His judgment requires clear and correct actions, the presence of correctly selected gear and patience.
It so happened that catching perch in winter on mormyshka takes place using a bloodworm on a hook. Of course, there is a period when they fish without it, but fishing with such a nozzle is a 100% guaranteed solid catch. Catching on mormyshka is easy to teach even a beginner. This bait features a straightforward game. Sometimes even slight swaying is enough to seduce a perch.
Types of Mormyshek
There are many types of this bait. This is an amphibian imitating a larva, and a little devil with three hooks, and a nymph with a displaced center of gravity, and a classic uralka. By the way, the latter is an imitation of mormysh and is characterized by a high catchability even among beginners. Another mormyshka - carnation - works fine on the first posting. It is considered quite effective, so some experienced anglers are limited to winter fishing only by it.
Winter perch fishing technique
In order for such fishing to be as effective as possible and bring real pleasure, you should know some features. First you need to find out where and how deep the perch hides. It is equally important by trial to determine the specific game of mormyshka, which at the moment is more attractive to this predator. If the perch stands at a depth of no more than four meters, you can feed it and see how it reacts.
The shape and color of the selected mormyshka is far from being as important as is commonly believed. The number of bloodworms being hooked is not relevant either. If the perch has a good nibble, then one larva will be quite enough. Care must be taken so that the mormyshka does not turn out to be empty, as perch often manages to pull it off the hook. In this case, usually the fish that dragged the bloodworm immediately goes away from the selected hole and it can be practically impossible to lure it back.
Rewinding
Perch in some reservoirs during the entire freeze-up is also well caught on non-nozzle variants of mormyshka. This fishing is especially successful on the first ice. Sometimes catching perch in winter on a rewinder makes it possible to pull out even trophy specimens. The fisherman needs to experiment a lot with the game and more often move from one hole to another. A very effective non-nozzle mormyshka is the cat's eye. Experienced anglers recommend it be sure to have it in a suitcase. Sometimes the water area is well caught even by a devil and a carnation.
When perching on a flat mormyshka, one should not carry out more than two or three oscillations per second. Small bait should often fluctuate so that prey can feel the waves coming from it. Medium and large mormyshki suggest a less intense game, which depends not only on the chosen bait, but also on equipment and fishing skills.
Lure
Perch is a predator; therefore, animal feed must prevail in bait. The bloodworm has shown itself very well, which should be added to the feed in large quantities. Some winters before fishing mix breadcrumbs or bread crumb with fresh pork blood and prepare sausages that are frozen. In a pond, they break off pieces and throw them into a hole.
As a bait, you can put the fry in a jar of water and close it with a lid with holes. Such a bait sinks to the bottom of the hole. Attracted by fish, the perch will circle around the can, as a result, the likelihood of bites will increase significantly.