Going for winter fishing, many prefer to try their luck at fishing predators. Especially interesting in the cold season is the hunt for zander on the first ice. The only question that remains is: “What should I catch him with?” You can, of course, use the lure, but it is better to give preference to the balancer. This bait has a lot of advantages, besides, fishing with it immediately turns into a sport one. After all, this tackle requires some skill. The balance for zander also has its own specific differences both in appearance and in fishing technique. Choosing this bait for himself, the fisher should remember that it requires a special "game", so you will have to acquire the necessary skills and learn for a long time.
What are the advantages of balancing fishing?
It is indisputable that every year the fisherman's balance for pike perch gains more and more popularity and relevance. But why is this happening? Why is this winter bait so good ? Firstly, it meets all the requirements for luring and catching a fanged predator directly at a depth. Secondly, if you compare the balancer with other baits, you can immediately notice that its cost is less. What makes this tackle very affordable for most winter fishing enthusiasts. Thirdly, the subtlety of this bait is no worse, and sometimes even better than other species. Well, of course, you must remember that the balancer for zander has its own specific differences, for example, from gear for perch.
Features of galloping balancers
Of course, there are many models of balancers designed for catching zander. But it is naive to assume that they all cope equally well with the task. Some models are better, and the second worse. So how to determine the most catchy option when buying this gear? It will probably not be possible to guess, but still a good balancer for zander will have a number of features that you need to pay attention to. So, lousy lures can be metal. But silicone balancers play better. As a rule, they are planted on a metal base. Pike perch almost always reacts to bait with furry tassels instead of wings. Why this predator prefers them is unknown, but this feature has long been noticed by anglers. Equally interesting are balancers with a combination of woolen tail and wings. The fishing tackle market is currently full of various lure options. Therefore, if you wish, you can choose the best model for yourself through experiments on a pond.
What to look for when choosing a balancer?
Using the balancer for pike perch in the winter at the holes, enduring the cold, I want to fish out a large trophy, or at least medium-sized fish. And how sometimes it becomes insulting if one “striped trifle” comes across a hook. It is the small perch when fishing for zander that I want to see on the balance beam last. But the thing is that from the very beginning the bait was chosen incorrectly. The optimal size of the tackle is from 7 to 9 cm. These are the most popular lucky balancers, taking less is not recommended. It is also necessary to pay attention to the sharpness of the front and rear hook. Knowing the characteristics of gear of certain manufacturers can help here. So, for example, the famous company Salmo has very strong hooks that are made in Japan. But practically at the same balancer, but already Rapala brand, they are from a softer alloy, therefore, when biting large fish, they can even bend. But in fairness it must be said that fishing in the winter for zander on the balancer of this company is very successful. Medium-sized individuals regularly peck at him. That is why experienced fishermen, willingly acquiring the Rapala balancer, simply change the hooks on it.
Optimum sizes of hanging hooks on balancers
When choosing a bait for winter fishing for predators, special attention should always be paid to the size of the hooks on it. The best balancers for pike perch are those that work flawlessly. The thing is that predators often attack the bait across. At the same time, in not very successful models, the hook can snuggle up to the body of the gear, as a result, hooking will not occur. How to check the balancer in this case? Make it easy. Turn the bait and press the hook to its body, if the sting protrudes in width, this will prevent the pikeperch from closing its jaws without subsequent hooking. Sometimes, if the balancer often gives empty bites, it makes sense to simply change the native hooks to larger ones.
Balancer color
When choosing a balancer, it is advisable to pay attention to its color. In general, a serious angler in his arsenal should have baits of various color options. This is not to say that zander is a particularly finicky fish, but it also has whims from time to time. Going fishing, it is better to take the balancers variegated and natural color, combined options will not hurt. Very interesting are lures with a bright red or yellow belly and a silver-plated or white back.
How to choose a balance gear
In the winter, catching pike perch on the balancer makes special demands on gear. The length of the rod handle must be at least 25 cm. At the same time, it must have rigidity. The same requirements apply to the whip. These nuances should not confuse the angler. It must be remembered that catching on bouncy balancers does not imply intense oscillations of the bait. In many respects, the success of using this gear depends on whether the fisherman is able to create vibrations and withstand pauses during the game. And such a fishing technique is carried out precisely when using a long handle. As for the rest of the gear, then everything is standard. The fishing line is 0.2 mm. A thicker version will adversely affect the quality of the balancer's game. But there is much debate about whether you need a leash in snap-in of winter gear for zander.
Do you need a leash when catching zander?
It doesn’t matter which balancers catch zander, the equipment of winter spinning is the same. But the same question always arises: “Is there a need for a leash?” If you go fishing for pike, then everything is very clear. A leash is a must. But the pike perch very rarely cuts the fishing line, and besides, in places of its accumulation of pike - a rare guest. Therefore, many anglers do not complicate the rigging and attach the balancer immediately to the main fishing line with a carabiner. The game does not spoil from this. So it’s up to every angler to decide whether to put a leash or not.
Technique for catching zander on a balancer
The technique of catching a balancer is quite simple. First lower the bait to the very bottom, then raise it about 30 cm up. In this case, the balancer performs oscillatory circular movements. We wait until he returns to the center of the hole, and again lower it to the bottom. If fishing occurs on the edge, then the bait may fall a little deeper, slipping from its edge. The balancer can, on the contrary, settle in a smaller place. Therefore, it is necessary to check each time whether the bait is really at the bottom. After lowering it, we again make a smooth wave of the brush and raise it. The main thing here is not to make too sharp movements, everything should look natural. Making sweeping swings of the rod handle, it is very easy to frighten off the pike perch. The game should not be different; when fishing for this fanged predator, patience and monotony are needed. Swings should be the same and predictable for the fish. This can only be achieved through training. The master of the situation should be a fisherman. He should know approximately where the balancer will stop, at what point he will freeze. Pauses are made from 10 to 15 seconds, usually during this period and bite is observed. It is completely pointless to stay at the hole for more than 15 minutes. If there is pike perch in this place, then it will manifest itself almost immediately. But it makes sense to periodically return to already caught holes, since during feeding the fish constantly moves along the bottom.
Advice when playing zander in winter
So, having decided on how to catch pike perch on the balancer, it is necessary to clarify several nuances regarding how to fish it. A lot depends on the speed of the reaction and the agility of the angler. It happens that fishing occurs in severe frost, so the hands are kept warm. This doesn’t particularly prevent the balancer from producing the right game, but when biting occurs, the mittens sometimes become a strong hindrance. In order to facilitate the process of removing fish from the hole, it is best to use gloves that are larger by a couple of sizes. They should be easily removable from the hand. Then, when biting, we hold the fishing line with one hand, and with the second quick movement we shake off the mitten, then quickly change hands and do the same with the second glove. Now hands are free, which means that you can safely remove the pike perch from the hole without making unsuccessful and clumsy movements.