If you ask fishermen specializing in fishing for predatory fish, what tackle is the most catching for zander fishing, then most of them will affirmatively answer: “Spinning!” For several decades, this fishing device has gained immense popularity among aquatic predator hunters and almost left no chance for its competitors.
The benefits of spinning
Given the lifestyle of zander and its habitat, to tease him and make him attack the bait is possible only with the help of spinning. No donka, feeder or zherlitsa with live bait will seduce the river "tiger" in the same way as a spinner or a high-quality wobbler playing in the bottom space will do.
The advantages of this tackle are obvious: a simple design, full control over the casting, wiring and fishing, absolute mobility, the ability to use various attachments and quickly replace them.
Where to catch zander on a spinning rod
Pikeperch lives both in fast flowing bodies of water and in still water. The main thing is that it be clean and saturated with oxygen. You should not waste time catching him in a swamp or a small lake with a silty bottom. His element is seething cool water, depth, stones and driftwood.
Pike perch is exclusively bottom fish, however, during the hours of night hunting it often approaches the shore. In the afternoon, you need to hunt for it in the deepest places of the reservoir.
Why do you need a leash
Roughnesses in the bottom, stones, driftwood and aquatic vegetation, which pikeperch adores so much, threaten with constant hooks and cliffs. To avoid this, our savvy anglers came up with a unique spinning gear - a retractable leash, or Moscow equipment. At first, this installation was used only for sport fishing, but over time it became very popular among amateurs.
The essence of this equipment is that the spinner, lure or vibrotail are attached not to the end of the fishing line, but on a special bend, which allows them to move not along the bottom, but at a certain distance from it. Thanks to this design, the perch lead on the pike perch is less susceptible to hooks, and hence to cliffs. In addition, the bait, moving at a certain distance from the main gear, plays much more attractive, especially on the course.
Leash: snap fitting
The gear itself is very easy to manufacture, so it can be easily mounted and used even by a novice. To do this, you will need:
- the main fishing line (braided or monophilic) with a cross section of 0.2-0.25 mm, a length of at least 150 m;
- fishing line for a leash (monofilament) 0.17-0.2 mm thick, 0.25-1 m long (depending on fishing conditions);
- lead sinker (round or teardrop-shaped) weighing 6-20 g;
- swivel tee.
The fishing line is wound on an inertia-free reel fixed in advance on a fishing rod. A swivel tee is tied to its end. A load is attached to a piece of fishing line (leash) of the same cross section as the main one. The other end is tied to the bottom of the swivel. A branch lead is attached to the side branch of the tee. Mounting the bait on the tackle is carried out directly at the place of fishing. The use of steel or tungsten leads for fishing for zander is not necessary. This fish almost never bites them, although in some cases it can have much more resistance when playing than other predators.
The leash for zander can be of various lengths. For a more or less even and clean bottom, you can use a retraction of up to 1 m. Removing the bait from the main gear at such a distance significantly unloads it and makes it more “free” when playing. In the case when it is required to fish the bottom of the pit or a steep edge, the bypass lead on the pike perch is made no longer than 20 cm. Otherwise, hooks cannot be avoided.
The load must necessarily have a streamlined shape, otherwise the meaning of equipment is lost. The angular shape of the sinker will interfere with its free movement along the bottom, as well as increase the likelihood of hooks.
The weight of the cargo is selected in accordance with the conditions of fishing. The stronger the current, the more it should be. In addition, the weight of the cargo should not exceed the mass of the bait more than twice.
Other mounting options
The described installation is one of the most popular because of its minimal susceptibility to overlapping and tangling, but there are other types of Moscow equipment that are not inferior to it.
The simplest version of the retraction leash does not require the use of a swivel. In this case, a stop assembly is made on the main fishing line at a certain distance from the load, and the branch is tied directly above it. However, such a simple design does not guarantee that the gear will not get tangled when casting, so this installation is used in rare cases.
An excellent solution for a retractable leash is the use of a sliding sinker. This snap requires two conventional swivels. One of them serves to connect the main fishing line and the bait leash. The second swivel with one ear is tied to a branch with a load. The other ear is simply worn on the main line above the first swivel. This solution not only prevents overlaps, but also enhances the sensitivity of the equipment due to the independence of the sinker, because the effort during biting is transmitted along the main fishing line.
This option has established itself as the simplest and most sensitive diverter for zander. A photo of this equipment is presented below.
Spinning rod and reel
A leash on a pike perch can be effectively used only if the rod is correctly selected. The weight of the additional load must be taken into account when determining the test indicator of the spinning blank. The total weight of the heaviest bait and sinker used should not exceed 2/3 of the test.
The form for spinning fishing for pike perch should be tough, better than fast action.
The length of the spinning must correspond to the place of fishing. If fishing is carried out from a boat or on a tree-covered shore, a long form is useless here. In this case, a fishing rod of 2-2.5 m is suitable.
If you plan fishing from a clean coast, as well as if long casting is necessary, you need to select a spinning length of at least 3 m. As for the reel, the best option for a three-meter blank and fishing line 0.25-0.3 mm is a reliable model with a 2000 spool -2500 size. A friction brake is required. For catching trophy specimens, a reel with front clutch adjustment is recommended.
Lure Fishing Lures
Angle fishing can be carried out using any spinning tips:
- live bait;
- spinners;
- wobbler;
- vibrotail
- foam rubber fish;
- twisters and others
The type of bait used depends on the time of year, day, as well as the activity of the predator and fishing conditions. The twister and vibrotail, for example, have proven their worth in the summer. Catching on a diverting lead in the fall will be much more effective when using bait fish, "foam rubber" or spinners.
Tackle fishing tactics
When fishing for pike perch on a spinning, according to experienced fishermen, any wiring is applicable. It all depends on the activity of the fish. Using a retractable leash here does not change anything.
In spring, for example, during a period of increased predator activity, jig and twitching are most often used. In the fall, catching on a leash is also carried out using these postings. Sharp low-amplitude jerks of the bait perfectly attract active zander.
But in the summer, when the predator is inactive, fishermen recommend using uniform wiring. In the heat, the pike perch, for the most part, hunts from an ambush, therefore accuracy of casting and a leisurely smooth reeling of fishing line are important here.