Among the variety of spinning lures that flooded the shelves of our fishing stores, silicone tips occupy a separate place. Appearing about 20 years ago, they gained immense popularity among fans of predatory fishing. The low price, ease of installation and high catchability elevated silicones to the leaders of pike baits.
Types of Silicone Lures
Today on sale are two main types of silicone baits: twisters and vibro-tails (rippers). Both of these nozzles usually do not have their own load and are designed to be mounted on a jig head.
The first type is a bait with a ribbed body in the shape of a worm and a large wide spiral tail. When moving, the tail of the twister under the influence of a water stream then straightens, then twists, vibrating and oscillating. This behavior of the bait attracts a predator perfectly.
Vibro-tail is a soft, dynamic silicone nozzle in the shape of a fish. He, like the twister, has a tail as the working element. The word "ripper" in translation means "hoe", which resembles the tail of the bait. However, the tail "shovel" of the vibrotail is short and is located almost at right angles to the body of the nozzle. When posting, it, resisting water flow, sways from side to side with a changing frequency, which is very similar to the natural movement of the fish.
Which bait is better
Which is better: a vibro-tail or a pike twister? It all depends on the mood of the predator and its activity. In spring, twisters are mainly used. Moreover, it is believed that the brighter its color and the luxurious tail, the better. But in the fall, when the water is most transparent, the pike more often gives preference to vibro-tail. The natural color, attractive shapes and smooth play of the bait make it as appetizing as possible for fish.
In the summer, the vibro-tail for the pike is also very effective, and not only for spinning. Such baits are successfully used even when catching a predator on a donka or zerlitsa. Correctly selected size and color of the nozzle will surely make the pike react adequately.
What are vibration tails
Rippers are usually qualified in terms of size and geometric parameters into three groups:
- wide-body vibro-tails or “shad” (have a wide, whole body);
- narrow-body “Long” vibro-tails (have a narrow elongated body and peculiar “cuts” at the beginning of the tail section);
- narrow-body vibro-tails without “notches”.
The first type of rippers is made of the softest silicone. The amplitude of the game depends on its elasticity. They are often used for pike fishing in complex algal areas. Usually silicone “shades” are made in the form of fish familiar to the predator: roach, bleak, or chub.
A narrow-bodied vibrotail on a pike with “notches” plays not only due to the softness of the material from which it is made, but also thanks to the “cut” body. It turns out that the tail part is as if separated from the body, rests only on a thin layer of silicone. This solution gives the tail maximum freedom to play when posting.
Narrow-body vibro-tails without cuts are made of more rigid material and are intended for fishing on a predator in fast flow conditions.
There is also a separate type of rippers in whose body a stationary load is placed. They are made of thick silicone or rubber, and look more like a wobbler than a vibro-tail. Such baits are painted in the image and likeness of common peaceful fish.
How important is the color of the bait?
Pike, as well as other predatory fish, is able to distinguish colors. However, this does not mean that she sees in the same way as a person. In fish, this process is somewhat different, so it is impossible to say with certainty that the color of the bait is significant.
In this matter, the opinions of fishermen differ: some argue that only the game of bait is of importance, while others tend to think that it is its coloring that plays the decisive role.
In fact, there is no reliable data on whether the fish are more attracted by the color of the nozzle or its behavior in water. But you definitely should not use baits of black, blue or green.
For fishing in the spring and autumn use silicones of red and yellow colors. Vibro-tail for pike in summer should be white, gray or yellow with a black back.
However, you can not go fishing with lures of a certain color. It is better if the angler will have with him a whole set of multi-colored rippers of various shapes and sizes.
What size should a vibro-tail be for a pike?
As for size, the pike is not particularly picky about food, except on hot summer days. At this time, she rarely drives prey, and is content with the fact that she herself will sail. This behavior is also characteristic of it for the pre-spawning period. For such periods, it is better to use rippers no longer than 50 mm as bait.
Vibro-tail for pike in autumn and spring after spawning should have a length of 70 mm. The optimal silicone size for the time of the highest activity of this predator is considered to be 70-120 mm.
Jig heads used to equip the vibratory tail
In order for the bait to have a good balance during posting and as much as possible resembles a live fish, you need to choose the right jig head. There are three main types of heads:
- spherical whole;
- Erie's head;
- articulated.
The first type of jig head is the most common and popular. Their design consists of a single hook with a long forend with a load soldered on it in the form of a ball. A silicone equipped with such a head is the best vibro-tail for a pike in reservoirs with standing water or with a weak current.
Eri's head is characterized in that the load is separated from the hook by a carbine and carried forward. This allows him to move independently of the silicone. It sinks to the bottom very quickly and becomes vertical. It is used for fishing in a strong current.
The hinged jig-head is similar to the usual spherical, but has a movable load moving vertically relative to the forearm. It gives excellent results in stepped wiring when the bait moves from the bottom to the surface and back.
Vibration tail mounting
In fishing stores you can freely buy ready-made silicone, already equipped with a jig head. Some models are already assembled from the factory, while others are mounted by the sellers themselves. Having a certain experience of mounting baits on a hook, you can also make their independent installation. A vibro-tail for a pike requires precise rigging, otherwise the bait in the water will behave incorrectly.
The hook of the jig-head should correspond to the size of the silicone and not exceed 1/3 of its length. Start it starting from the "mouth" of the nozzle, holding the forend at an angle of about 30 0 to the longitudinal axis of the tail. It is also necessary to control that the sting of the hook passes exactly in the middle of the bait and does not come out from the side, but in the center of the back. When the jig head is equipped, the silicone is adjusted and pulled closer to the load.
To make the installation most accurately, you can first attach a hook to the vibrotail and mark the points of entry and exit of the sting, as well as the estimated line of location of its forearm.
How to catch a pike on a vibrotail
Spinning fishing involves the use of various postings suitable for a certain type of bait. Vibro-tail fishing can be carried out by any of them, just to take into account the activity of the predator and the characteristics of the reservoir. For beginner pike hunters, there are three main types of postings that can be advised:
Uniform wiring is carried out by smoothly reeling up fishing line with the same intensity.
The jerk method involves low-amplitude sharp movements with the fishing rod upwards followed by releasing. During this process, the bait soars up to the surface of the water, after which it falls to the bottom.
Vertical wiring can only be used when plumbing from a boat. It consists in making vertical rectilinear movements with the rod to raise and lower the bait.