Fishing rod for trolling - varieties, ways to make it yourself

How to choose a fishing rod for fishing with balance beams

A balancer is a bait for catching predatory fish in a vertical line, its appearance reminiscent of small fish. The fisherman’s task is to use the fishing rod to make the bait behave like a fry and provoke the trophy to bite.

A winter fishing rod for balancers is chosen or made with your own hands so that it:

guaranteed the reliability and strength of the tackle (after all, trophies weighing 1-3 kg, or even more, are caught on hooks or tees);
was resistant to low temperatures, there are materials that lose their properties in the cold;
it was comfortable and light (fishermen are on the pond all day long and do a lot of fishing during fishing);
made it possible to quickly replace a failed section or element of equipment;
folded quickly and did not take up little space in a fishing bag or box.

Hunting for perch or pike perch from ice requires good physical preparation from the fisherman, because in search of fish you have to drill more than one or even five holes. And waving the fishing rod up and down while retrieving is not as easy as it seems from the outside.

A light fishing rod helps the angler to conserve strength and energy and not miss even subtle movements of the nod.

The weight of the fishing rod also depends on the weight of the baits used, and taking into account the fact that when fishing you have to select a catchable balancer, there should be a considerable choice of them.

There should be a separate fishing rod for each group of artificial fish, and it is better to have in stock:

fishing rod for balancer, for deep fishing with heavy baits;
equipment for the middle category of balancers, both in weight and size;
ultra-sensitive rod for the lightest lures.

It is clear that it is difficult to work with large and heavy balancers with a light fishing rod, and when using a powerful fishing rod and ultra-light baits, the sensitivity decreases.

Choosing only one gear option means losing both pleasure and catch, so fishermen carry three or five fishing rods of different designs and weights for winter fishing.

The interchangeability of equipment elements, nods or even fishing rod handles allows the fisherman to feel confident and will not have to go home due to a minor breakdown.

Selection of fishing rod

The first step in assembling a fishing gear is to select a fishing rod, onto which everything else is subsequently installed. When purchasing a finished fishing rod, it is advisable to first evaluate this particular element.

An ideal fishing rod should:

be strong and durable;
have a comfortable handle and a sensitive whip;
have minimal weight and a comfortable length for fishing with a certain type of balancer;
have an adequate price.

The length of this element depends on the purpose of fishing. For pike, a rod from 0.5 to 1 meter is suitable, since hunting for this predator mainly occurs from a standing position. When the target is perch, 30 cm is enough. It is best to use a high-quality telescopic rod, on which you can increase the length if necessary.

The required flexibility of a fishing gear is proportional to the size of the balancer used. Large lures are mounted on heavy, rigid rods. For light tackle you need to use softer models, otherwise the game will look unnatural.

It is best to have several fishing rods with different fishing rods, each of which is designed for a specific type of bait.

For heavy baits

To catch large predators like pike perch or pike, balancers weighing from 10 to 50 g are most often used. For such heavy baits, you need to choose a stiffer rod, otherwise it will sag due to the mass of the bulk cargo. This not only spoils the game, but also significantly increases the risk of breakage when landing heavy fish.

Winter fishing rod "CONDOR" telescopic, carbon fiber

Durable graphite or carbon fiber whips with a cork handle are best. Since the fishing rod is the basis of a fishing tool, it is advisable not to skimp on this element and immediately purchase high-quality samples. Cheap fishing rods from China can break on the first fishing trip.

If you wish and have the necessary parts, you can make a heavy fishing rod with your own hands. The tip of an old broken spinning rod, which is installed on a cork handle, is suitable for this.

This type of fishing rod is also used for catching perch during periods of greatest activity. However, in this case you need a less rigid whip. Heavy rods are used at the beginning of fishing, during the swing of the holes. Thanks to the high-amplitude vibrations of the bait, it is possible to attract predators at a considerable distance. If there is a good bite, fishing continues with a heavy fishing rod. Otherwise, you need to switch to easier options.

For medium baits

Medium weight balancers are universal and are used in most cases.

For fishing with this tackle, graphite or fiberglass models are used. They should have medium hardness, be sensitive to careful bites and durable to avoid breakage when catching large fish.

Fishing stores sell many varieties of similar rods of varying quality. If you have a small budget, you can use a cheap Chinese lure. But then you will have to take a spare copy when fishing in case of breakdown.

Ultralight

This type of rod is used when fishing for perch, when a cautious predator shows very low activity and reacts only to balancers weighing up to 4 cm.

Since large predators almost never bite on such gear, the strength of the fishing rod fades into the background, giving way to sensitivity. As a rule, light lures or homemade options are used, consisting of winter balalaikas and whips from a summer fishing rod. They allow active fishing, which can sometimes save even the most hopeless fishing.

Principles of catching perch on a balance beam

Perch is a small, but quite cunning predator. Therefore, when using a balancer to catch this fish, strong rods with coarse bait, designed for pike or humpback salmon, are not always suitable. Having standard fishing gear, a fisherman may simply not notice the moment of a bite.

The main factors here are the possibility of prompt action after a bite and, accordingly, the sensitivity of the fishing tool. Depending on the situation, you need to use several varieties of this gear.

Catching perch on a balance beam

At the same time, any fishing implement that ensures optimal operation with a balancer must:

have a rod length that provides maximum comfortable work with the selected type of bait;
have high strength without compromising sensitivity;
be able to withstand frost and frequent impacts on ice;
have a quality reel and handle.

Type of equipment: in what cases is it used?

Depending on the fishing conditions and the size of the expected prey, different types of fishing rods are used.

Main

The main or basic fishing rod for catching perch can be considered the following:

fishing rod length – 45-60 centimeters;
handle - reel;
a carbon fiber whip capable of bending slightly under the weight of balancers 3-5 centimeters long (according to the Rapala classification);
fishing line – diameter 0.18-0.24 mm;
at the end of the whip there is a “tulip” or a piece of nipple (silicone tube), on the whip itself there are 1-2 unloading rings.

Expert opinion

Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich

Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.

The internal holes of the “tulip” and discharge rings should have as large a diameter as possible. This will to some extent prevent ice from freezing on the inside of the insert.

Fixing the fishing line at the end of the whip using a nipple rubber, cambric or silicone tube has certain disadvantages. As you know, in many reservoirs in winter perch often stays not only at the bottom, but also in the middle layers of water, and even under the ice itself.

It is not easy to reel in the fishing line, changing fishing horizons, with a rigidly fixed fishing line - sometimes you have to remove the nozzle from the end of the whip to do this operation.

You can often see anglers shaking the bait while standing with their hand raised in the air. Thus, they uncamouflage themselves and often cannot perform an effective strike.

With a nod

The nod is used in the cases described above, although many anglers are accustomed to fishing with a nod and it can be quite difficult to convince them that it is quite possible to do without it. The following types of nods are commonly used:

bright silicone tubes;
tubular nods made of special frost-resistant materials;
rigid nods from a clock spring;
spring nods with a bright ball at the end.

Expert opinion

Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich

Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.

A common disadvantage of all hollow nods is that in the cold they are constantly clogged from the inside with ice. To warm up the nod, fishermen put it in their mouths and wait for the ice to melt. This wastes precious time.

Lightweight

Light rods are used for fishing with small balance beams. The prey is usually small perch, although the capture of a real “humpback fish” cannot be ruled out.

A light fishing rod consists of the following tackle:

rod length 35-50 cm;
handle - reel;
a thin carbon fiber whip, capable of bending slightly under the weight of balancers 2-4 cm long (according to the Rapala classification);
fishing line – diameter 0.12-0.16 mm;
small, sometimes fly fishing fastener, and under certain conditions, tying the bait directly with a Rapala knot;
often - a sensitive nod.

Heavy

Heavy fishing rods are used when fishing at great depths, in moderate and strong currents, or when you are going to purposefully catch large perch. Using heavy lures also involves fishing with heavy rods. A heavy fishing rod looks like this:

length – 50-70 or more centimeters;
a hard glass or carbon fiber whip with which it is comfortable to fish on balance beams 7-9 cm long (according to the Rapala classification);
reel (preferably with the option of releasing the line when hooking);
fishing line – diameter – 0.24-0.3 mm;
nod is not usually used.

Expert opinion

Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich

Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.

Reels mounted on heavy fishing rods must have a large spool diameter. This is due not so much to the forest capacity, but to the speed of reeling in and lowering the line.

Winter perch fishing with a balancer

Ice fishing for perch is based on active search and special tactics of drilling, exploring and fishing holes. This kind of fishing is similar in activity to summer coastal travel spinning - you need to walk a lot, search, and if there are no bites, don’t stay in one place for long. A separate article on our website discusses in detail the features of tactics for catching striped robber in winter. We also recommend that you read the article about catching perches using a balance beam. Here we will take a closer look at winter fishing rods for balancers for perch. Let's look at how a set of such gear differs from the basic one (for any predator). Working and catchable balancers for perch: https://podlednik.ru/lovlya_zimoj/khishhniki/balansiry-na-okunya

Winter fishing rod for balancer

Every year, winter fishing attracts more and more lovers of outdoor recreation. There is nothing surprising. In winter, you can not only take a break from the bustle and dirt of the city, but admire the snow-covered forest, lake and glimpses of prey under the ice. It is during the cold season that you can fully realize your potential and demonstrate all the skills of a successful fisherman. However, in order to return home not empty-handed, but with a catch pleasing to the eye, you need to be properly equipped and carefully select all the gear.

Perch hunting will certainly bring pleasure to both experienced fishermen and those just starting to get used to this difficult but very exciting business. One of the most reliable methods of fishing is catching perch with a special bait in the shape of a small fish with two hooks and a balancer. Choosing a balance rod to help you succeed in bass hunting requires careful consideration.

Fishing with a balance beam is not just outdoor recreation, but also productive work. With the support of a fish-shaped bait, you will definitely not go home empty-handed. But how do you choose the best balancer rod?

What is a balancer in fishing?

This tool appeared in the equipment of domestic fishermen relatively recently, around the 70s of the twentieth century. It was invented in one of the Scandinavian countries, in which one - history is silent, but most experts consider the Finns to be the pioneers in the use of this equipment.

Did you know? Not everywhere such a familiar accessory as

—

Set of fishing rods

A set of gear for fishing with a balance beam in winter consists of three (at least) fishing rods:

For heavy baits and deep fishing.
Light tackle for small and medium lures. Small and medium depths.
Ultra-light fishing rod for low-active perch.

Accordingly, the first type is used for deep hunting for pike perch or pike. Light tackle - basic, universal. This fishing rod is suitable for initial exploration in water bodies with medium or shallow depths. The third option is for small and medium-sized perch, especially in the dead of winter. In the Middle Zone this is the main trophy, so the use of such a fishing rod is especially important.

Some people use special sports fishing rods for small winter balances. It’s very easy to make one from a standard winter balalaika and a carbon fiber whip from a summer rod. There are no such fishing rods for sale. The manufacturer is trying to adapt to the interests of fishermen, but this is partially successful - after purchase the gear often has to be altered or improved.

This set of three fishing rods covers the necessary arsenal for winter trolling. Naturally, in addition to balancers, spinners, ratlins, cicadas and others are used. Even large jigs are used for catching perch on ultra-light fishing rods. The box for balancers should have several baits in its arsenal, different in weight and game (with a wide tail or a narrow one).

At first glance it seems that we are talking about “heavy artillery”, but in fact you need a flexible and elegant balance rod. Such fishing rods that meet the requirements are available in ready-made form in stores. This is a real winter mini-spinning rod. Cork handle, graphite or carbon fiber whip with rings.

The stiffness of the whip (under the weight of the bait). For pike perch and large pike, it is better to choose rigid fishing rods that will allow you to fish in the American way (not with a fishing line, but with a reel from the hole). For perch, you need soft whips, then the neat bites of this fish will be transmitted to your hand.
The reel mounts are movable. This is necessary for correct installation of the coil. By moving the handle back and forth, we achieve such a balance of the tackle so that the angler’s hand does not get tired when trolling.

The average price category of such rods ranges from 1000-1500 rubles per reel. If the fisherman is not ready for such expenses, then the tackle is made independently with his own hands. You can buy cheaper Chinese analogues, but you need to be careful with them - under heavy load, a whip made of low-quality materials will not bend, but break.

Options

Homemade tackle is made according to the principles of Shcherbakov’s winter fishing rod. The details are different - the main point is the essence. The rod should clearly transmit the sound of the balancer into the hand when lowering after a swing and the bite. If it is not possible to buy or make a fishing rod, we equip it with a nod that is available. A nod that is too elastic disrupts the action of the bait.

It is important to understand that the main thing in a balance fishing rod is to feel the bait. Therefore, “stiff wood” is not suitable. And if a fisherman cannot afford a high-quality fishing rod, then it is better to make it yourself than to take a cheap analogue that does not work. This is the main working fishing rod. Therefore, the fisherman should have either a universal one for medium and heavy weights, or two separately - a “club” for 20-30 grams, and a flexible one for 10-20 g.

Salmo Pro Perch is an excellent all-round rod for medium to heavy weight lures. There are a lot of positive reviews on this rod on the Internet. There are also many good sticks from other manufacturers. But this one is the most popular and cheapest of the good ones.

Salmo Pro Perch fishing rod

Salmo Ise – soft, for medium weight. It bends a lot under heavy balancers. An excellent main tool for catching perch with medium balance beams.

Soft Salmo Ise Pro Telerod MH

Homemade pike perch fishing rod by Shcherbakov.

Shcherbakov's pike-perch fishing rod

Homemade from a feeder tip - the work of the fishing rod depends on the flexibility of the whip.

Homemade fishing rod from feeder tips (quivertips)

Winter fishing rod for balancers – Salmo Pro Pike

For large fish, we recommend the Salmo Pro Pike winter fishing rod; it is well suited for fishing with a balance beam. The rod blank consists of high-modulus graphite, the guides and reel seat are very reliable. There is also an eyelet for attaching balancers and other baits. The weight of the fishing rod is only 54 grams. Withstands even trophy pikes.

Also a great winter fishing rod is the Salmo Pro Perch

Fishing rod handle size and material

It was not for nothing that he said at the beginning that over time he would have to become self-made. A winter fishing rod for a balancer (and for other baits) is a conductor’s baton in your hands. It will be a foreign body - fishing is lost. Therefore, you will have to touch more than one model in the store.

What should you pay attention to? I won’t even say exactly what to put at the top of the list. Every feature of the handle is important.

The plastic handle is usually cold. In cold weather, and in the wind, playing with bait with your bare hand is inconvenient. I prefer foam or cork. Lightness and comfort in the hand.

It so happened that I almost always carry mittens or mittens in my pocket. Even if it’s minus 30 on the river. Therefore, I select handles exclusively for the “bare” hand. If this option is not suitable, then the size of the fishing rod handle should be commensurate with the grip in the mitten.

We also decide on the shape of the handle ourselves.

Can be summarized in one sentence. The fishing rod should lie in your hand without straining. I repeat - consider it a conductor's baton.

Examples of equipment for different types of lures

The easiest way to assemble a winter fishing rod for a balancer or spoon is based on specific examples of proven gear. Let's consider working options in light and heavy “weight”.

Photo 4. Heavy spoon assembly.

Equipping a light fishing rod for perch fishing

Winter lure of perch allows you to successfully cast a fishing rod with the following parameters.

A fishing rod with a cork handle and a soft whip with a total length of 30-35 cm.
A desirable element would be the presence of a small inertial plastic coil with a diameter of 5 cm.

Tackle for pike and zander

If you have an old unnecessary spinning rod, it’s enough to simply make a working homemade fishing rod for a heavy balancer or spinner.

First of all, you need to shorten the handle. The optimal size is 20cm.
The butt is equipped with a tube into which the whip is mounted. If the spinning tip is too rigid, then you can purchase a carbon fiber tip and equip it with rings. A good option would be a heavy feeder quivertype.

Modern anglers have a wide selection of fishing rods for winter fishing. You can not only buy good tackle in a store, but also assemble it yourself. It's time to start preparing for the winter season!

Advantages and disadvantages of a balancer

This fishing equipment has its supporters and opponents.

Most experienced fishermen agree that the advantages of a balancer include:
Catching speed. You can catch several fish at once with one bait.
Standardization . Suitable for any depth and other conditions of the water body.
Convenience . There is no need to put bait on the fishing rod; you can fish without taking off your mittens.
Variety . At the moment, there is a large amount of this equipment, each fisherman can choose the one that he likes best and is better suited for his purposes.

The disadvantage of this device is the removal of the catch from the hooks. Provided that the fish is caught intensively, it takes an inadmissibly long time to pull it out of the balancer.

A simple and convenient homemade handle for a fishing rod

If anglers themselves make nods for winter rods, then making a handle is much easier. For this, three champagne corks are used. Cork is a lightweight material and is not afraid of any frost, but the size of the handle should be larger than in champagne.

Expert opinion

Alexander Popov

Expert fisherman

To increase the size, the corks are placed in the microwave for 1-2 minutes and they instantly “inflate”. All that remains is to sand the homemade handle and it is ready to go.

Reels

Whether to equip a fishing rod with reels for balancers is a fisherman’s decision, because in winter fishing from a hole, every extra gram of weight of the gear matters. It’s quite difficult to swing even a super-light fishing rod for 3-5 hours straight, and without this you won’t see a bite. Breaks in fishing are also undesirable, because a school of predators appears unexpectedly and there is not much time to catch fish.

Reels must be installed when fishing is carried out at a depth of more than 2 meters and it is necessary to have a supply of fishing line to lower the balancer and land the caught fish. In addition, a supply of fishing line is necessary if there is a chance of catching a trophy fish, so as not to break the rod (especially when it is expensive).

Advantages of fishing with a winter rod and reel:

a thin main line is used, because when pulling the fish you can quickly “bleed” the required amount of line;
rod breakage is prevented;
transportation of gear is simplified;
if it breaks, the tackle is quickly tied up (after all, there is a supply of fishing line).

There are anglers who use cheap plastic reels, but this is of little use. Such products are fragile and become brittle in severe frost, and they rotate much worse. Ideally, the line should unwind freely from the reel under the weight of the balancer, which speeds up its delivery to a given depth.

The smooth “stroke” of the reel is also important when fishing out strong fish from a hole, when every centimeter of line won increases the chances of success. For a good winter fishing rod with balancers, you also need a high-quality reel, and it is unwise to save on this, because a breakage of the blank will lead to significant financial losses.

A reliable metal multiplier reel will solve the problem; it does not “stick” in the cold, and thanks to the correct setting of the clutch, fishing is simplified.

How to choose the right fishing rod

It must be recalled that the concept of a fishing rod includes not only the fishing rod itself, but also the base and the tackle used. But assembling a fishing rod begins with choosing a fishing rod, which is then equipped with everything necessary.

Requirements for the fishing rod:

comfortable length for working with the selected type of balancer;
strength;
sensitivity;
minimum weight (for each type of bait);
comfortable handle made of heat-retaining material;
sensitive whip;
durability;
reasonable cost.

Winter fishing rods for balancers are sold in stores, but many fishermen, not without reason, believe that homemade gear has advantages. Moreover, this applies to both a nodding fishing rod and without a nodding, although the latter option is used less often.

The use of heavy and large balancers with a delicate fishing rod is unwise, because under the weight of the bait and bites are not really visible. But this does not mean that for pike or large pike perch you need an “oak” fishing rod, because in this case there is no need to talk about sensitivity.

In the heavy category, the most popular fishing rods are made of carbon fiber or graphite. Essentially, these are mini spinning rods for ice fishing, equipped with reels. How sensitive and reliable the tackle will be depends on the rigidity of the tip.

The total weight of the fishing rod and reel affects the convenience of the fisherman, because the session lasts more than one hour and all this time you need to “work” with your hand.

The simplest homemade fishing rods for large baits are made from cork handles and feeder quivertips (whips) having different stiffnesses. When buying a fishing rod in a store, you need to make sure of its quality, and a good form is not cheap. But it is unwise to buy cheap Chinese models, because they are considered “disposable”.

If there is a broken spinning rod in the fisherman’s “farm,” then its tip will be suitable for making a winter fishing rod for heavy balancers.

Winter fishing rods for medium baits are considered universal equipment and, in the absence of an alternative, they can be used for fishing with both light and medium baits. This is gear for catching perch using balancers weighing up to 20 grams at the surface and at medium depths.

If, when fishing with hard fishing rods at great depths, the fisherman often has to stand, because he has to make sharp strokes with a large amplitude, then the perch is caught in a sitting position and the main load falls on the hand.

Due to the high sensitivity of the fishing rod, bites from small fish are clearly felt by hand, and it is not necessary to look at the whip. But hooking with a fishing rod with a soft nod is not easy either; the main thing is not to miss the moment when the fish attacks the bait.

Shop fishing rods of the medium and light class are equipped with a reel or reel, and here the choice depends on the preferences of the fisherman. When fishing near the surface, a reel is not necessary because a small supply of fishing line can fit on the reel. Medium depths require a line reserve of 5-10 meters and it is more convenient to fish with a rod and reel.

It is clear that a medium or even light balancer will pull the soft nod down, but when lifting, it is difficult to notice the moment of a bite without it.

Lures

A winter fishing rod on a balancer can be used not only with these baits. The box should also contain other baits - spinners, winter wobblers, amphipods. When fishing, it’s worth experimenting and using different options. The variety of baits is great, there are hundreds of manufacturers. This information is presented in separate articles about the types of balancers. Accordingly, large baits are used for fishing with a balancer on a heavy winter fishing rod, and small ones on a light one.

How to properly equip a winter fishing rod with a balancer

When equipping a fishing rod with this tackle, you should monitor its balance. A rod equipped with a bait should be lightly loaded at the end. In order to understand whether it is balanced or not, you need to hang the balancer on the upper ring, the end should not fall lower than 12–16°. If this condition is met, then the tackle will perform well when fishing. The fishing rod will receive the necessary sensitivity and will become easy to control. The rest of the use of the balancer depends on the landscape and the fish that are hunted with it.

Installation to fishing line

The correct play of the balancer, in addition to the thickness of the fishing line and the elasticity of the whip, largely depends on the method of tying. A standard clasp (lobster) can greatly impair the game, especially for light lures. Metal leash too. On the other hand, fishing tactics involve frequently changing the bait until a working option is found. Therefore, there are three methods of binding that do not worsen the game:

Tightly tied to a fishing line (with a palomar or knot knot).
Blind loop (rapala knot).
Through a small fly fishing (French) clasp.

Fly fishing (French) fastener

How to properly tie a balancer is a separate article. When fishing for pike, you need to use a leader made of thick fluorocarbon (0.3-0.4 mm), which is more resistant to damage from pike teeth. Some fishermen still use tungsten leashes, but this is only relevant where a predator takes bait with iron. For passive biting, it is better to lighten the tackle as much as possible.

Application of balancers

Fishing for pike in winter using balance beams is usually carried out together with other baits - spoons and ratlins. Fortunately, the fishing rods and tackle for these baits are the same. Winter fishing for pike with a balance beam differs from fishing for perch or pike perch - larger baits are used, and a smoother, more sweeping game is required to attract a toothy fish.

The best places for predators to stay are grass and snags. Therefore, you need to understand that baits in such conditions are consumables. In such places, due to the nature of the game, baits are often lost on blind hooks. This can be solved by being careful in exploring new places and using a special cutter.