River Donka, today - night

Catching pike on a donk

Donka for pike is rarely used in fishing , but in some situations it turns out to be very catchy . Bottom tackle for pike with live bait has a number of advantages :

• it allows you to make long casts;
• It is convenient to fish with it in deep areas, including in the current ;
• This gear does not require constant monitoring .

Using a donkey, you can cast bait over a long distance when fishing from the shore. If the weight of the sinker is selected correctly , the equipment will remain at the selected point at any depth and strength of the current.

Since the donka does not require constant monitoring , it can be used as additional tackle. To do this, it is enough to make a cast and place alarm , which is usually used as a bell .

But the bottom fishing rod also has significant disadvantages :

• it is less mobile than a spinning rod or a float rod;
• Donka limits the freedom of live bait more than float tackle;
• it is prone to getting caught on the bottom.

With a donka it is not so easy to change the fishing point if there are no bites. It also does not allow you to maneuver the live bait, moving it in the horizontal and vertical planes. When fishing with a float rod, you can always move a fish attached to a hook over the snags, but a donka does not provide .

When fishing for pike on the bottom, you can use not only live bait, but also dead fish as bait. This attachment can also be purchased at a grocery store - frozen capelin, herring and other types of fish of suitable size are suitable.

It is preferable to use donka in those periods when pike are passive - early spring, late autumn and winter.

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Bait selection

Donka for pike allows you to catch dead fish, pieces of fish meat, worms, frogs and even chicken giblets. However, the most effective and almost the only bait used by our fishermen is live bait. Pike bite on other types of baits rather by accident, when catching other types of fish - catfish, chub, burbot, etc. Fishing with dead fish, which is widespread in European countries, is explained not by its effectiveness, but by the legal ban on the use of live bait.

Read more

How to catch carp using a spring?

When fishing for pike on a donk with live bait, it is preferable to use fish caught in the body of water in which the pike is caught. The predator reacts reluctantly to an unfamiliar type of live bait, which in the absence of zhor can negatively affect the fishing result. Any fish of suitable size (5-15 cm) is used as live bait, but given the opportunity to choose, preference should be given to those species that live longer on the hook and behave actively - crucian carp, perch, roach, gudgeon. The bleak quickly falls asleep and requires frequent replacement, and the goby and loach try to hide, which they often succeed.

The fish must be caught in the same body of water where the pike lives

Donka for pike with your own hands

To make a donk for casting, you can take a spinning rod and a spinning reel. In this case, the spinning test must correspond to the weight of the sinkers used, which can exceed g.

If possible, you should prefer a medium or medium-fast action rod. Fast and ultra-fast blanks do not provide any advantages when fishing from the bottom; at the same time, when using them, decreases and it becomes more difficult .

To provide bottom braid must be used as the main fishing line . But it is not necessary - monofilament of a suitable diameter will be quite sufficient.

To mount the simplest equipment for catching pike on a donk, you need :

• At the end of the main fishing line, attach a metal leash with a double or triple hook through a swivel;
• Tie a fishing line with a sinker at the end to the swivel.

To make fishing more effective, you need to use more advanced equipment options. The use of a sliding sinker will make the donk more sensitive and will help you get a good catch, since the pike will not feel resistance at the moment of biting. Making such gear is not too difficult:

• you need to put a sliding sinker and a bump stop on the main line;
• tie a swivel and mount a leash from a fishing line;
• At the end of the leash there should be a metal leash with a hook.

To prevent live bait from burying itself in the bottom after casting, it is necessary to use a float . There are two options for installing such equipment. The first assumes that sliding sinker is put on the main line, then there are two stoppers , between them there is a leash on which the live bait is placed. A float is attached to the end of the fishing line.

In the second installation option, a sinker . Above it there are two stoppers , between which a leash runs, and a sliding float. When fishing from a boat, it is not necessary to use a float to prevent the bait from sinking to the bottom. If the sinker is located at the end of the main line, and the leash with bait is attached above it, it is enough to keep the equipment taut after casting .

Also well suited for pike hunting is a variety of donka, which is commonly called rubber . To do it, you need:

• on the main line, at a distance of a meter from each other, place two stoppers, between which the leash slides;
• tie a fastener with a swivel to the end of the main fishing line, and to it - rubber with a diameter of about 1.5 mm and a length of 7-8 meters or more;
• attach a piece of three-millimeter nylon cord 1-2 m long to the rubber;
• Place a sinker at the end of the cord, the weight of which can be 150-200 grams or more.

When fishing with an elastic band a rod and reel are usually not used . Before casting, the fishing line is laid out in circles on a flat surface.

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Spinning for pike

Spinning equipment depends on the method of catching pike. Twitching wobblers requires one rod, and jigging requires another. It is more correct to mount a spinning rod not for pike or pike perch, but for a specific type of bait.

Most ordinary fishermen fish with spoons and jigs using the same universal rods. However, such sticks do not allow you to twitch wobblers correctly - they are too soft and fall through. Usually these are medium or fast action rods 2.1-3 meters long with test weights of 10-30 grams in medium gauge, 5-15 in light gauge. They also catch pike with ultralight – this is a separate type of spinning rod with its own characteristics and nuances. Article about fishing for pike with ultralight spinning rod

Therefore, such pike-killing lures as large wobblers are slowly entering the arsenals of our fishermen. Some buy - but don’t catch anything and throw it away. It's just a matter of choosing the right rod. The main way to use a large wobbler for pike is twitching, that is, twitching and pausing.

Large wobblers are stubborn, and a regular spinning rod does not pull them correctly, falling through the jerk. As a result, the wobbler does not provide the required game. For twitching you need a stiffer, prickly stick that can pull the bait through. Anglers are used to fishing with jigs or spoons.

Rod selection

If you take a special spinning rod for twitch, the wiring of the jig will be poorly displayed. However, this issue can be easily resolved - now it’s easy to get a truly universal spinning rod for jigs and wobblers in the budget segment, you just need to bother learning twitching - and another group of pike lures will appear in your arsenal, which often help out if spinners or jigs don’t work . The main spinning methods of catching pike can be combined in one rod - these are spoons, jigs and wobblers, and stand fully armed against the capricious predator.

1. Fiberglass rods are becoming a thing of the past, just like bamboo or aluminum used to be. Now the bulk of spinning rods are made of carbon fiber (carbon fiber) or its composites with graphite. Store trays are overflowing with offers, and choosing a fishing rod is not such a simple matter.
2. Here you need to look for the characteristics needed by the fisherman, and not be fooled by advertising and marketing machinations. An excellent spinning rod can now be purchased for 1,500-2,000 rubles - and it will work fully and without problems on pike, including large ones.
3. Fast, extrafast, moderate rate and other rod structures, test variations, features of reel transmission mechanisms and their gears - it’s better to understand this. It is possible to assemble the perfect tackle for little money if you study the issue in theory.
4. For pike, both a regular traditional spin with a spinning reel and a casting spin with a trigger for a multiplier are suitable. If twitching wobblers or jigs are not needed, then a fast rod is not required. For fishing with spinners and wobblers with their own bright game, a medium spinning rod action is also suitable.
5. The requirements for the reel are standard, as for any spinning rod. Size - depending on the caliber of the rod, from 1000 on ultralight to 4000-5000 on heavy jig, jerking. The reel should provide ease of rotation, long casting, and general performance in retrieving lures.

Detailed article about gear: spinning rod for pike

Equipment options

Braided cord is often wound onto a reel; monofilament is rarely used due to its stretchability. The standard diameter of braid for a regular spinning rod for an amateur is 0.12-0.16 mm, depending on the caliber of the tackle. Typically gray or dark green colored cord is used.

At the end of the spinning rod, a leash made of steel, titanium or Kevlar is attached to the pike. Fluorocarbon can also be used for small pike. If we are hunting for granny pikes, there is no flare, only metal. Over time, a certain amount of experience of a spinning player will tell you exactly how to equip the tackle.

Spaced rigs in jigs, such as Carolina, Texas, drop shot, are specifically used for pike to a lesser extent than for perch. Firstly, due to the complexity of installation - everything needs to be done on metal due to pike teeth. Secondly, this is due to the hunting characteristics of the predator. Pike eats sick, weakened, gape fish. Often she attacks wobblers out of aggression in order to drive away a competitor or something unknown to her from her ambush point.

A regular leash and bait are enough. Foreign stray baits were developed mainly for catching bass, that is, perch. And for us they also work better for perch. If you need to spread the equipment over the pike, for example, in a jig, we simply use the installation of an offset hook to a collapsible Cheburashka. Large silicone behaves better on a regular jig head, as it does not dangle.

Knotless installation

Fishing technique

You can catch pike in its typical habitats:

• in snags;
• on the borders of grass thickets;
• on pits and edges.

Fishing conditions in which donka is preferable to other gear for catching pike include:

• snags located at depth;
• deep holes;
• areas with fast currents.

It is important correctly so that it stays firmly on the hook and remains active for a long time. To do this, you can pass the leash through the gills so that it comes out through the mouth , and then attach a double hook . After this, you need to pull the leash back so that the double sits tightly in the corner of the baitfish’s mouth.

Catching pike on a donk does not require the constant participation of an angler . After casting the equipment, you can set a bite alarm and switch to float, feeder or spinning fishing. You can fish in a more active style, making frequent casts to find fish, but in this case you will have to change live bait .

The opposite option is to place one or several donks and check them every hour or two or less, without monitoring the bites at all. A pike that swallows live bait sits on the hook itself.

Catching pike on a donk is an unusual and interesting way of fishing. In some situations this tackle provides the best results, in others you can try it just out of curiosity . In any case, with the right approach, catching pike on a donk turns out to be very productive .

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Finding the best fishing spots

Focusing on coastal night fishing, I don’t focus on short casting at all, but use two rods - the second allows me to fish areas more distant from the shore. However, the main focus is on the coastal zone. It is especially interesting to track the night movements of crucian carp - a famous nocturnal reveler, often approaching the shore. The edge closest to the shore is especially promising, where the depth is optimal for fishing (usually about 1-1.5 m); on gently sloping shallow ponds it is even shallower. To figure out the edge, in the evening I just convince myself that I need to take a swim. In this pleasant activity in the summer heat, the edge is calculated quite quickly - just wander along the bottom of the coastal shallow water. I recommend doing this by putting on old sneakers or suitable flip-flops – there are plenty of sharp shells and broken glass in many bodies of water.

Having identified the coastal edge, I feed it in the evening, and I do this not with the help of a feeder, but simply by hand. If the edge is still located far away and it’s not easy to cast by hand, then I use a large feeder that is not loaded with lead - the weight of the bait is enough for casting, and you shouldn’t overload the rod with a feeder that’s too heavy.

In fact, although I myself am passionate about modern feeder fishing with all the accessories that accompany it, I consider the most important thing to be the competent selection of bait mixture and the methodical, precise delivery of feed to the fishing site. Only in this case can you concentrate the fish in one place and successfully catch even with a weak bite throughout the entire reservoir.

Catching pike on a donk from the shore: video

One of the popular traditional methods of catching pike is donka. The principle of operation of the gear is based on the use of live fish as bait. The toothy predator loses caution when it sees easy natural prey in front of it. The gear is quite easy to use and is readily available to manufacture. In order for the donkey to bring the desired prey to the pike, it is necessary not only to correctly select all the elements of the fishing rod, but also to find the fish’s habitat, offering it suitable live bait.

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Features of catching pike perch on a donka

When catching pike perch, schools of this fish are located on all sorts of shallows, deep places, and in strong currents. This fish is interested in shelters from fallen piles of trees. Can hide and observe the surrounding water from under boulders.

When catching pike perch on a bottom in reservoirs with a predominant silty bottom composition, the best bait will be maggots. In this place, such bait will look more natural. On a sandy bottom, you should lure pike perch with live bait, baiting the bait in such a way that it looks more natural.

The process of checking the bait should be carried out around every half hour. When catching pike perch on a donk at night, you should not use flashlights, and you should not make too much noise. It is better to be dressed in camouflage shades of clothing when fishing for pike perch. It is necessary to carefully inspect each hook after removing the caught fish, because pike perch can bend them.

Roach, gudgeon, and bleak are best suited as live bait. You can attach it to two rigs at once. We make the first from two single hooks, and the second from a single and a double.

Varieties of pike donks

Any fishing tackle has certain disadvantages that manifest themselves in specific bodies of water. This fully applies to pike donks. Taking the old classic tackle as a basis, fishermen came up with several working modifications.

1. A traditional donka for catching pike with live bait consisted of several fishing accessories. A heavy sinker was attached to a piece of fishing line 20-30 m long. A thin wire was tied to the main fishing line, which acted as a leash. And at the end of the wire a large hook was mounted. The tackle could be used close to the shore; the line was fixed with a peg driven into the ground or tied to the branches of bushes.
2. Today, some fishermen successfully catch the toothy predator using a rubber band. Unlike classic tackle, an elastic band is tied to the end of the main monofilament line. It can stretch 3-5 times more than its normal length. Catching pike with this type of donk is good because it allows you to simultaneously offer several live baits to the predator. In an unfamiliar body of water, it is possible to quickly find cool areas, as if sending the next bait fish there.
3. To make long-distance casts, it is better to make a casting donk based on a spinning rod. Not only fiberglass telescopes can be used as fishing rods, but also old-fashioned aluminum spinning rods. The reel should be powerful enough and unpretentious. A sinker is mounted at the end of the fishing line, and a metal leash with a hook is tied above it. To install fishing rods on the shore, special stands are required.

Photo 1. Donka from a spinning rod.

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Snack equipment

Hooks

It is necessary to take into account the type and size of the intended trophy. This is due to the fact that different fish take the bait differently.

The table above already shows some hook numbers for certain types of fish.

But as already mentioned, you can catch any type of predatory and non-predatory fish with a zakidushka donka.

For other types of fish that are not listed in the table, the standard equipment is the same as for float and spinning equipment. Accordingly, you also need to navigate when making leashes.

Sinker

Often the sinker is made blind, but some fishermen prefer a sliding sinker mount. The maximum weight of the sinker can reach 200 grams. It all depends on the depth and strength of the current at the fishing point.

Feeders

Regarding feeders, the most commonly used here are “spring”, “top” and “pacifier”:

• "Spring". Twisted from copper or brass wire with a diameter of 1.5-2.5 mm. A metal or plastic tube is installed inside the feeder, through which the main fishing line passes.
• “Nipple”: A piece of flexible metal (lead, copper or brass) bent into the shape of a spoon. An additional spring or bent pieces of wire are attached to the concave surface. Viscous bait is placed on the concave side of the “nipple”. Hooks with bait are also hidden in the feeder.

As a note, we can also add that the filling of the feeders determines how long you can leave the bait donk longer. And by the way, some fishermen are sure that when fishing with a donka with a feeder, the tackle can be left for the whole night.

How to make a pike donka with your own hands

Every angler planning to acquire a pike bottom must first choose a modification suitable for fishing. If you have a boat or a wading suit, you can make some classic gear. For fishing from the shore on a still body of water, it is better to give preference to an elastic band. And it’s worth taking a snack for river fishing.

The very name of the gear suggests that the predator will have to be caught at the bottom. Of course, the live bait will rise above the bottom surface by the length of the leash, which will not go unnoticed by the pike. But the sinker should be on the bottom, limiting the movement of the bait.

To make a working bottom for catching pike with live bait, you will need:

• a spinning rod with a length of 2.1-2.7 m and a test weight above 20 g;
• spinning reel 3000 with friction brake;
• monofilament line 50-100 m long with a diameter of 0.30...0.40 mm;
• metal leash 0.5-0.7 m long;
• hook;
• sinker weighing from 20 g.

Even a novice fisherman will need 10-20 minutes to assemble the gear.

1. First, the rod is put into working position and the reel is installed on it.
2. The line is pulled through the guide rings and fixed on the spool when the shackle is cocked. Then, by moving the reel handle, the line begins to wind onto the spool.
3. The sinker is tied to the end of the main line.
4. Stepping back from the sinker by 1 m, a knotted loop is made. A metal leash will be attached to it.
5. Fishermen do not have a consensus on the type of hook. Some use a large single hook, others use a double hook, and others prefer a treble hook.

Advice!

When using “spiny” live bait (perch, ruff), you can use a treble hook. But for fishing for roach or crucian carp, a double or single hook is preferable.

The weight of the sinker must be selected to suit the conditions of the area of ​​the reservoir being fished. In still water, 20 g is enough to hold back live bait. But when fishing on a river, you often have to equip the fishing rod with a 100-gram weight so that the equipment does not get carried away by the current.

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How to fish?

Among the factors of successful fishing, one of the main ones is casting a donkey.

Here it is important to choose a suitable place, calculate the optimal distance, and choose the ideal live bait for pike. All these points must be taken into account, which is very difficult for novice fishermen

Appropriate place

Donka is convenient because you can catch toothed predators both in waters with a current and in stagnant lakes. The most important thing is that there are anomalies at the bottom associated with various bottom differences. It is good if there are slopes to depth or a clear boundary between the clean surface of the water and overgrown vegetation. Such features indicate that the predator has somewhere to hide while waiting for prey.

Donka is a tackle that requires a free corridor. It is needed so that when the pike takes the bait, it has the opportunity to move a meter or two away from this place. To better familiarize yourself with the bottom, you can use markers or an echo sounder. You should not opt ​​for places where there is dense vegetation or snags, as they will reliably cover the pike with bait and will also confuse the gear. It is best to install the donk on a flat bank, where there are no tall thickets or trees near the water.

Choice of live bait

The right live bait guarantees successful fishing. Practice shows that you should catch live bait in the same body of water where you will be hunting for pike. However, it is acceptable to use commercial bait or live bait caught from another river or lake. If you want a very tenacious bait, then it’s better not to catch crucian carp. Among the active ones, it is best to choose minnows or roaches. Small perches are also often used as live bait. As for other types of bait, they are used based on certain characteristics of the reservoirs. For example, if there are ruffs or rotan in the water, then these are the ones that should be used, since they are the main food for local pikes.

If fishing is done on a bottom, on which several live baits can be installed at once, then different types of fish should be used. This will allow us to better study the taste preferences of predators at a particular moment. And then you can continue to fish with the bait that the pike liked the most. If there is no bite for a long time (an hour or more), then you should inspect both the tackle and the bait. It often happens that the bait simply found shelter in the mud or small algae, becoming invisible to the toothy fish. To prevent this from happening, you should attach 5-gram pieces of foam to the leashes, which will act as floats. This will allow the bait to be raised to another water horizon, and it will become more visible to predators.

Technique

Catching pike with live bait is not difficult, but you will have to be patient. As soon as the predator is interested in the bait, there will be an attack. The main thing here is not to cut too quickly. After all, the fish need time to swallow the bait.

It is important to slow down and only then strike with a confident sweeping movement. Fishing the toothy one is the most difficult stage

When hooked, the pike behaves very aggressively and actively resists, even when on the shore. It is important to be fully concentrated here. The predator will try to rise to the very top of the water horizon, make a “candle”, will sharply turn to the sides, and shake its head.

To learn how to make a fishing donk for catching predatory fish with your own hands, see the following video.

Choosing a place for donk fishing

The coastline does not always allow the fisherman to use a donkey. Beginners often throw out equipment without thinking about the terrain and depth. At such a point, the baitfish will swim all day without attracting a predator.

• First of all, clean sites are selected on the shore. If necessary, you can slightly refine the workplace using a hatchet or knife. This is required not only for comfortable installation and removal of the donkey, but also for the purpose of safe running in case of a sharp bite.
• Before casting live bait, you should study the bottom topography a little. To do this, you can remove the leash with the hook and tap the selected water area with a sinker. If the equipment clings to snags or thickets of grass, then it is better to look for another point. After a bite, the pike will definitely rush to natural shelter.
• When choosing a place for a donkey, you should consider how the trophy will be retrieved from the water to the shore. If the length of the landing net is not enough to reach the water's edge, then problems will arise when fishing.
• To ensure that the probability of a pike bite is as high as possible, you need to spend a little time studying the area of ​​the reservoir. This can be done with the same spinning rod with a load. Of particular interest should be differences in depth, entrances and exits from pits, places of confluence of tributaries, entrances to oxbow lakes, boundaries of clear water and algae. At such points the pike will find shelter favorable for an ambush.

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Donkey installation

Experienced fishermen devote a lot of time to preparing their workplace. Cleanliness on the shore is especially important when fishing is done with donks without a rod. After all, the supply of fishing line before casting and when retrieving the gear is located directly on the ground.

• Before installing the classic donkey, you must carefully arrange the fishing line into rings. The end of the fishing line is tied to a peg or to a bush.
• Then the bait is hooked onto the hook. The sinker is taken in one hand, and the line is controlled with the other hand.
• Casting is performed in a pendulum or circular motion.

Recommendation!

To avoid loss of equipment due to incorrect casting, novice anglers should hone their movements on the shore without a leash with a hook.

Throwing a rubber band has some differences. The tackle is thrown into the water without leashes. When the donka is in the water, the fishing line is pulled ashore and equipped with leashes. After placing live bait on the hooks, the line is smoothly released back into the water.

It’s a little easier to cast a donk with a rod. But first, a reliable stand is inserted into the bank. It is better to have metal structures with you that can hold the tackle during a powerful bite. After casting the rig, you need to tighten the line and place the rods on the stand. It is important not to forget about adjusting the clutch. A bite alarm is mounted on the top of the spinning rod.

Photo 3. Bite alarm. When choosing live bait, it is important to follow a simple rule.

The fish must be caught in the same body of water where the pike lives. Practice has shown that the predator bites better on local perch or brush than on imported crucian carp or roach.

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Contents: Pike can be caught not only with the usual gear - spinning rods, poles, mugs, but also with a donkey. This gear is convenient for fishing in holes, pools, where it is not always possible to fish with the above-mentioned gear.

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Donka - an elastic band helps

At night on the lakes I use a good old rubber band quite often. I use the so-called “pocket option” with an additional towing line. You can’t throw such a donk far, but I don’t need it far, because I often fish close to the shore. I see a number of advantages in the “night” gum, which are significant when the bite is weak or when the fish is very cautious for some reason. The rubber band allows you to use very catchy “soft” baits: bread pulp, “liquid” dough, crust, poorly beaten semolina (which often works better than the classic stringy one), soft barley steamed more than usual, etc. You can’t really throw such baits with a feeder, but if and throw it in, you’ll sit and think: “There’s something left on the hook or I’m already sitting with a bare hook...”. And with the help of an elastic band, you can feed any soft baits filigree, the main thing here is that the fisherman’s hand does not tremble and does not allow the rubber to make a sharp jerk.

The big advantage of the elastic band is the absolute silence of fishing. As for the feeders flopping in shallow waters (even the lightest ones), they have more than once ruined the whole fishing, especially on a windless night. You wait for one good bite, you get a fish, cast the tackle again and that’s it - silence. There are no such problems with rubber bands. It happened that from a depth of 60-70 cm it was possible to get several large crucian carp, respectable bream, and even small carp. The most important advantage of the elastic when fishing at night is the ideal accuracy of feeding the bait to the feeding point. And if during the day you throw the feeder feeder accurately with skill, then at night it is problematic to achieve such accuracy. It is for this reason that I often prefer to fish with a rubber band at night, when I can fish short distances close to the shore. At the same time, releasing the hooks (I usually have two of them) only 12-15 m from the shore, you notice with satisfaction that the elastic can be a very efficient tackle, which is easy and pleasant to use.

Of course, good fish do not come close to the shores everywhere at night. The same breamfish in large reservoirs are often caught two hundred or even more meters from the shore. But today the conversation was mainly about pond and lake fishing, where fish often graze right under our feet at night.

What does a pike donk consist of?

A steel rod 2.7 long is used as a fishing rod. His main advantage is that he throws far. To get to the riverbed hole, this rod will be very useful.

As an alternative, you can use a telescopic or carp rod. If the hole is not far away, up to 40 meters, then a telescope is also suitable; if you need to throw it beyond 60 meters, then it is better to use a carp fish.

The reel used is a spinning reel with a spool volume of 4000 to 5000. You can also use a Neva one. We wind a piece of fishing line on it with a length of 150 meters and a diameter of 0.35 mm with a breaking load of up to 8 kg. 3-4 sliding weights are threaded onto the fishing line - olives weighing up to 10 kg. Next, a swivel is tied to which a single or treble hook is tied.

A simpler version of the equipment is with a sliding weight. It looks like this:

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What does the tackle consist of?

Before you begin the stage of assembling the donkey, you need to purchase several things that you cannot do without. All purchases will cost a small amount, so there is no need to worry about spending a lot of money.

A universal tackle that allows you to catch different types of fish is a donka with a feeder. This fishing rod has several important advantages over other devices.

1. The presence of such an element as a feeder makes it possible to simultaneously catch fish and deliver bait to the fishing point.
2. Thanks to a donk with a feeder, it is possible to fish not only in stagnant bodies of water, but also on rivers with strong currents.
3. The tackle is accessible to most novice fishermen due to the low cost of the fishing rod and ease of assembly.

1. Assembling the rod. Since, in our time, telescopic rods are mostly used, it needs to be moved to the working position, pulling out one ring after another. In this case, you need to ensure that the guide rings are on the same line. Before connecting the parts of the plug rod, it is advisable to check that there is no dirt at the connection points.
2. Installing the coil. The coil is installed in places specially designed for this purpose and clamped with nuts. The clamp must be optimal so as not to strip the thread.
3. Reeling in fishing line. There are several ways to wind fishing line, among which you can find the simplest and most effective, with which you can wind fishing line onto a reel without outside help and without any devices in the form of nails driven into wooden structures. This operation can be easily carried out directly near the reservoir. To do this, you first need to pass the fishing line through the guide rings and secure it to the reel, after which the reel with fishing line must be thrown into the pond and, using the reel handle, winding is carried out. The advantages of such winding are that the fishing line is constantly under a certain force, due to the fact that the bobbin, during winding, rotates in the water, which creates a certain resistance, which allows you to lay the fishing line evenly and accurately on the spool. At home, you can use a bucket of water for this - the result will be identical.
4. Making leashes. In order to make a leash, you need a piece of fishing line of the required length and a hook that is attached to the fishing line with any knot. As an option, you can suggest the Palomar knot, as the simplest and most reliable, but you should know that it is not suitable for hooks with a spatula. Other types of knots are used for such hooks. It is believed that hooks with a spatula are more reliable. This is due to the fact that the fishing line loses its strength at the junction of it with the material of the eyelet. Knots that are used to attach hooks without eyes do not have this drawback. If, as a result of fastening, excess ends of the fishing line are visible, then they are bitten off or cut off with scissors. When tightening knots, be sure to wet the line, perhaps with saliva, otherwise the line may lose some of its strength.

After all the preparatory operations have been carried out, leashes (leash) and a feeder are installed on the main line.

Pike leash

In different regions, pikes have different sharpness of teeth. In southern latitudes, pike teeth are not so sharp. It is practically impossible to bite through a fishing line with a diameter of 0.4.

Fluorocarbon leaders can be used in these regions. In other regions, use only a steel leader.

After biting or catching a pike, the fluorocarbon leader must be changed, as it is often damaged by the fish’s teeth. We check their integrity after each cast. If you find any burrs or cuts, replace them with new ones.

It is very easy to check the fishing line for damage - just pinch it with your fingers and run it along the entire length. All defects will be felt.

When fishing for pike, the priority is single hooks No. 6-10. The hook should have a long shank and a slight inward bend. If you use doubles and tees, this will dramatically increase the likelihood of the equipment getting caught on bottom debris and snags.

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Live bait methods

Pike perch swallow bait from the head more often than from the tail, so the location of the hook is of great importance. There are three main options:

1. Behind the dorsal fin.
2. Under the gills.
3. For the upper lip.

The first method is used using a treble hook. If the fish is hooked correctly, it retains its mobility for a long time, which attracts a predator. Doubles are placed under the gills. This method immediately detects prey if the attack occurs from the head

However, it restricts the fry from moving and when breeding a double, it is important not to damage the gills. Using a single hook, the fish is placed behind the upper lip

It is important to monitor the mobility of the bait, and if you bite or catch a “fanged” one, change it.

The size of the hooks must match the bait fish. Small ones will be difficult to detect fish, and large ones will become noticeable ballast on the body of the fry, which will alert the predator and a bite may not occur.

How to fish from a boat?

When fishing from a boat, you must stop 10 meters from the hole. Before doing this, it is better to scan the bottom in this place to find out the deepest places in it. In this case, the best assistant is an echo sounder. It will show not only the depth, but also the structure of the bottom, which is important.

After checking the bottom, we throw the tackle to the deepest point. The largest pike usually stays on the dump, where there is a sharp change in depth. If you apply the tackle to the edge of this dump, you can count on catching a good trophy.

We put live bait on the hooks. It is fed in such a way that it moves against the current. This behavior will be natural and will not alert the predator.

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The confluence of rivers is the optimal place

The confluence and confluence of canals and rivers are considered the most promising for bottom fishing for pike. They look something like this:

Having anchored the boat, we make several casts and determine how clean or choked the bottom is. Next, you need to determine the number of sinkers that is optimal for such wiring, in which you can clearly record touching the bottom.

If the bottom is clean, then you can throw a hook with live bait. We put the live bait by the nostril. In fry with unreliable lips, the lower lip is first pierced with a hook, and the sting is brought out through the nostril. This method will allow you to keep the live bait mobile and desirable for the pike for as long as possible. We cast and watch when the bait touches the bottom. Next, you need to select a little fishing line and wait a minute or two, allowing the baitfish to get used to the new place. Then we do the wiring. The tackle is smoothly pulled up a meter, and then a pause is made for a minute. When tightening, we smoothly move the rod from an inclined to a vertical position. Then we tilt the rod and reel in the line until it is taut.

If the tackle gets into the pike’s mouth or a snag occurs, stop reeling. Usually pike take in jerks; dead hooks are more typical for pike perch, although pike can do this too. If there is a snag, then you need to wait a little, perhaps the hook rested on a snag or on an edge. If you leave it in a free position, it is easier to pull it out later.

If a bite occurs, you should quickly loosen the line and pull the spinning rod forward a little, and bring the tip closer to the water. In this case, the reel is removed from the brake or from the line laying machine on a spinning system. Usually, after catching a live bait in its teeth, a pike moves away from the place 3-5 meters and begins to swallow it.

After that, she swims away a couple or three meters. At this moment you should make a hook. Before this, the predator should not experience the slightest resistance from the fishing line and load.

If we are fishing with a single hook, it is better not to rush with the hook, let the fish swallow the fry well. If you rush, the fish can quickly leave the hook. If the baitfish are larger than average in size, then you should expect even more. Let the pike swallow it well.

There is no need to remind once again how strong and lively the pike is on the hook. Therefore, it should be thoroughly trashed, especially if an individual weighing from 1.5 to 3 kg is on the hook. Such predators can swagger for a long time, entertaining the fisherman.

We need to let her get some air. If she jumped out of the water, making a candle, then you need to drop a little line from the reel and move the rod forward, tilting the tip towards the water. During these manipulations, we make sure that the pike does not swim across the boat, let it rage away from it.

After catching a pike, it is fastened to the kukan, and the leash is changed on the tackle. The hook is removed using a yoke and an extractor for predatory fish.

If the hook is deep in the throat, then it is better not to touch it, but to remove it during cutting. They live on kukan, and not just for one day.

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What kind of live bait should there be?

Live bait fish with a strong upper lip are suitable. These are crucian carp, rudd, roach, dace. They must withstand at least 5 casts, remaining mobile and in normal form after them.

The weight of the fry is approximately 30-40 grams, and the length is 15-20 cm. When fishing in deeper holes, heavier fry are used. It is better that the color of live bait is light, like that of perch.

In the southern regions, crucian carp is best suited for this role. He remains mobile and attractive for a long time. There are cases when individuals up to 10 kg took 250 grams of crucian carp, chewed it for 10 minutes, and then got hooked.

Another good baitfish is the rudd. A lot of pike are caught using the bottom method using rudd. It is very easy to catch this fish in summer near vegetation with an ordinary light fishing rod. You can catch a dozen fry in half an hour. It is as tenacious as crucian carp, but it is easier to catch. The main thing is to find reeds or thickets on the pond. A fishing rod can be made right on the shore from reeds by attaching a light fly rig to it. Next in terms of suitability are roach, bleak and dace. Pike love them very much, but working with them is not very convenient. The fact is that these fish have weak lips and it is impossible to make many casts with such live baits. For example, bleak can only be attached to both lips. At the same time, the vitality of these fish is low. After 20-30 minutes you need to change the live bait.

Practice has shown that the use of perches, gudgeons, white breams and white breams does not give such frequent and confident bites as with the previously mentioned live baits.

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Donka for fishing from the shore

Before you start fishing for pike from the shore, you need to find a hole. How to do it? The easiest way is to use an echo sounder.

Wireless echo sounders are very effective, operating at a distance of up to 60 -70 meters. If you don’t have an echo sounder, you will have to use either a marker rod or a regular weight and count. The hole can also be identified visually.

If it is located close to the shore, then there is little vegetation in the coastal zone - reeds, duckweed, lilies. These places look like this:

You can see eddies, rip currents and stronger currents on the surface of the water.

Installing a donkey for the shore is not much different from installing it for fishing from a boat. The rod can be used longer and stiffer if we fish at a decent distance from the shore. A heavier weight is used to prevent it from being carried away by the current.

Its weight is 100 - 150 grams. There is one more additional element in the equipment - a steel cable or string 8-10 cm long, which is attached to the weight. At the end of this cable there is an eyelet to which a fluorocarbon leash is attached.

This is a more delicate tackle. If it doesn’t fit, then instead of this design, a regular metal leash is attached to the weight. As the main line, you can use braid with a diameter of 0.16 with a breaking load of up to 10 kg or a line with a diameter of 0.35.

The length of the leash is approximately 35 cm. The equipment looks like this:

The picture shows a tee, but on the pike we put a single hook No. 6-8 with a long shank.

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Tackle for fishing from shore pike perch

For fishing with live bait from the shore, a donka is used.
This simple and versatile tackle allows you to catch fanged fish anywhere. It does not require large financial costs and is easy to assemble with your own hands. There are several main options for bottom tackle for catching pike perch with live bait from the shore:

• classic donka with spinning rod and reel;
• rubber;
• half-bottom or “truck”;
• feeder live bait;
• snack;
• running donka.

All of them are suitable for shore fishing, but have their advantages and disadvantages. Let's look at some options.

Classic dong

Catching pike perch on a donk is the most common of all.
This gear uses a rod, reel and line. The equipment is also quite simple. You can use a regular one with a wire outlet, you can simply tie a leash, there are other options. The weight of the sinker is selected according to the current and depth in the fishing area

It is important that the live bait cannot move the equipment from its place, but the predator should not be alarmed by excessively heavy equipment

Read: Catchy lures for pike for fishing in different conditions

It is most advisable to use a simple inertial coil; inexpensive inertialess coils are used less often. The rod is a steel or fiberglass spinning rod. The fishing line is either an inexpensive cord or durable monofilament.

The advantages of the classic donkey for pike perch are that it is easy to use. It is easy to cast, can be placed anywhere on the shore, and is good for fishing for a predator that has taken live bait. Among the disadvantages, we can note the need to purchase a reel and rod.

Zakidushka

This is the simplest bottom tackle for pike perch, which requires virtually no costs.
It consists of a line, hook and sinker. All this is stored on the reel. First, the angler unwinds the required amount of fishing line. Then he hooks a live bait and casts. All. The tackle is thrown into the water. The reel itself is attached on the shore between stones or stuck into the ground. Now all that remains is to wait for the bite and bring out the trophy.

The disadvantages of zakidushki are as follows:

• the line may become tangled before casting;
• the casting range is limited by the length of the unwound fishing line and the angler’s casting technique;
• the need to fetch with your hands, which can lead to derailment or injury.

In general, a zakidushka is a rough tackle with which it is not possible to use thinner lines or small loads, but the costs for it are minimal.

Running donka

This tackle is the most active of all, where live bait is used as bait.
A running rod for pike perch is a lightweight rod with a spinning reel and fishing line, at the end of which a weight is attached, and live bait is attached to the hook. With a running bait, the angler does not stand at one point, as with other types of live bait. He constantly moves, making casts into promising areas. Retrieving the bait is carried out differently than in a spinning rod. This is a slower reel winding with long pauses.

Catching pike perch on a donka of this type allows you to “probe” many interesting places in a day where fanged fish can stand. This is more productive fishing than just sitting at one point waiting for a predator to come out.

Signs for catching pike with a donkey

If the weather is the same all day, then pike is caught better in the morning; in the evening it takes less. In the pits, the morning bite begins after 7-8 hours. It lasts up to 12 hours.

In the evening you can count on catching small specimens. The bite is irregular and begins after 17:00 and lasts until 21:00.

Favorable weather for pike fishing is when it is cloudy outside, there is a slight breeze and light rain is possible. If no fish were caught in the morning, then it is likely that there will be rain and before it the fish may actively bite. Sometimes large individuals are found.

When it’s hot outside, you don’t have to catch pike. This fish does not like strong currents and muddy water. Pike has a good sense of smell and loves meat and blood smells.

She often takes chewed live bait. Good fishing online stores will allow you to purchase any fishing goods at competitive prices!

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When going fishing for predatory fish, in most cases, in order to get a big catch, fishermen use special fishing gear, the design of which is a fishing line with a sinker. This also includes a leash with a hook (donka). Pike is perfectly caught on a donka, since this fishing device is specially designed to catch fairly large fish. Pike fishing on a donk is relevant in all places, from the opening of the summer season until the arrival of autumn, where this predatory fish is found, which is of great interest to fishermen. Pike can be found in a variety of reservoirs, rivers, ponds, and swampy places.

Donkeys for pike are easy to install, using an elastic band, its length can reach 10 meters, to the ends of which a carabiner is attached. It can be cast both from the shore and from a boat.

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Live bait fishing options

There are many options and methods for fishing for pike perch using live bait. Each of them can show good results provided that the gear is properly configured and used in the right place at the right time. The main directions in hunting for pike perch on live fry are:

• ;
• ;
• ;
• ;
• .

All of the above methods have their disadvantages and advantages, which we will discuss below.

Bottom tackle

The classic donka is the simplest, most uncomplicated, but extremely effective tackle. Of all the options listed, it is the most popular and is used by many fishermen on any body of water. Has the following advantages:

• Can be used anywhere, regardless of fishing depth and current strength;
• Cheapness;
• Easy to assemble;
• Easily mastered by beginners.

In fact, you just need to throw this gear at a promising point and wait for the predator to come out.

Bottom tackle is the optimal solution for fishing on rivers. With the correct choice of load, the donk for pike perch in the current with live bait confidently stays at the desired point, does not get carried away from the stream, and makes it possible to clearly record the bites of the predator.

Running donka

A running donka is a simple and productive way of catching pike perch with live bait from the shore, the equipment of which is not particularly difficult. For it, you can take a telescopic fly rod or a spinning rod. In the first case, we get a blind rig with a fixed length of the main line. The second option uses a reel that allows you to adjust the casting distance of the bait.

Read How to tie a second hook to a fishing line

Fishing on a running bottom is promising near steep yars with a sharp bank edge or near snags. Its advantage is the ability to constantly move and search for fish. This is a kind of intermediate option between classic bottom tackle and spinning fishing with artificial bait. Read more about how to catch pike perch with a spoon here.

Donka-elastic band

This is a variant of stationary fanged fishing, when the angler stops in a promising place for several days. This is what they do when going out into nature overnight, leaving the “charged” gear for the night. This method is practiced by fishermen living near water bodies.

The equipment for pike perch using live bait from the shore when fishing with a rubber band does not differ from the classic version of the layout of this equipment. The difference may be the use of a thicker and stronger fishing line, as well as a heavier sinker, since you often have to fish in strong currents.

Mugs

Mugs are the most promising way to catch pike perch using live bait from a boat in the warm season. This popular method is used to hunt fangs in the vast expanses of reservoirs. On rivers, this technique will not bring the desired success, since it will be inconvenient for the fisherman to arrange gear, move around the water area and control it.

Previously, mugs were fished using rowing boats. Now the situation has changed - fishermen have light PVC boats and low-power motors, which allow them to move around the reservoir without wasting effort, controlling the arranged gear.

Onboard fishing rod

In hard-to-reach places, the best solution would be to fish vertically from a boat using an onboard fishing rod. This method is used to catch pike perch in October using live bait, at the end of spring, before freeze-up. In other months, this gear is rarely used due to the low activity of the predator.

The onboard fishing rod has the following advantages:

• The ability to deliver equipment to a specific point, for example, lower it between flooded tree trunks;
• High strength, allowing you to speed up the fight, “picking out” the fanged one from the densest supports;
• Good sensitivity of the gear, since the fishing line is in constant tension, all contacts of the predator with the bait are clearly transmitted visually along the tip of the fishing rod and tactilely in the hand;
• The ability to play along with bait, further stimulating the appetite of pike perch.

The side rod is a complex piece of equipment that is used mainly by experienced fishermen. It is somewhat similar to a sheer lure and has a lot in common with it.

Making your own donkey

It’s not difficult to make a catchy donk yourself. The created design is perfect for catching predators even at the bottom of reservoirs.

Making a donkey for pike with your own hands is quite simple. For this, a person will need a fishing line, and the more of it, the better (at least 80-85 meters), with a minimum available thickness of 0.35 mm, since this determines whether the fish will be caught or not. With a lower setting, a large predator can jump off or bite through the fishing line.

As for the sinker, a teardrop-shaped sliding sinker is best. All these necessary main components of a fishing kit can be purchased separately in fishing stores.

Pike is quite smart and does not live in one place for a long time, so the fisherman needs to periodically change the place of fishing and look closely at different places. You should not look for pike in places where there is no special underwater vegetation as such. As a rule, when fishing for pike, anglers use single hooks with an elongated shank. For preventive purposes, after the first casts of the leash into the water, it is necessary to inspect the fishing line for integrity and whether there are any defects. If this is detected, the line must be replaced.

Thus, fishing for pike with a bottom is a fairly effective method, since thanks to it it is possible to catch a predator at great depths, in strong winds, at a great distance relative to the fisherman.

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Tackle

Feeder gear is excellent for catching pike perch with live bait: you can make long casts from the shore, and it is perfectly suited for landing large fish. There are no strict recommendations on fishing strategy. Some people act by analogy with a classic feeder, that is, they are based in one place; for others, searching for pike perch seems more interesting. In the second case, fishing is more reminiscent of spinning fishing with probing the entire water area. This does not affect the equipment.

You can fish with or without a rod. In the latter case, take a regular flyer, like for a donkey or an elastic band. Feeder rods with a weight of 100 g or more are also suitable for catching pike perch with live bait. They allow you to cast heavy equipment quite far from the shore. In fact, there are no special differences in the elements of gear for white fish and predators. The same rod and reel that you use to catch bream. Reel size – from 3000. Powerful carp reels are not needed here.

Next is the fishing line. Take the braided line. Elastic monofilament lines have stretchability, which definitely interferes with fishing for pike perch. The jaw of this fish is strong; in order to pierce it with a hook, the hook must be clear. If you plan to catch large pike perch, the cross-section of the cord should be at least 0.16 mm, and better - 0.22 mm. This will allow you to throw the tackle to the far edge, and will also prevent the line from breaking when fighting a trophy predator.

The equipment designed for catching pike perch with live bait from the shore is quite simple. This simplicity lies in its effectiveness, because the fewer elements, the less likely it is that a big-eyed pike perch will suspect a trap. An important part of the equipment is the leash. No matter how strong the temptation may be to set a steel string in order to prevent the pike from biting, you should not do this. The pike perch sees a metal leash perfectly and will not approach the bait, no matter how appetizing the bait looks.

You will have to sacrifice something - either catch pike perch and know that a toothy one can cut the line, or not catch pike perch and keep the tackle intact. The conclusion is obvious: you need to take risks. Fluorocarbon is used as a leader for rigging zander. It is almost invisible in the water, durable, but the pike cuts it easily, so cuts are inevitable. If you are counting on a pike perch bite, you will have to come to terms with this. The fluor diameter ranges from 0.25 mm to 0.30 mm.

There are several rig options for live bait fishing. From the shore, pike perch are most often caught using gear that includes the main line, one or more leashes, hooks and sinkers. To secure the leashes, use either rubber stoppers or knots on the fishing line. Stoppers are more convenient, as they allow you to make sliding equipment.

Tips for fisherman: Do-it-yourself hook for a bottom fishing rod, drawings - Features of choice

You can also hook live bait in different ways. If a tee is used, then the fish is hooked by the back, head, belly or tail. A single hook can be pulled through the mouth and brought out on the back. This type of baiting resembles the connection of a silicone twister and a jig head. Experienced fishermen prefer to place live bait behind the head, since this is where the attack of the pike perch is directed.

If you are not a supporter of passive fishing and prefer to move along the river, then you will be interested in an article about catching pike perch using wobblers.