Pike fishing in April can give the angler a lot of positive emotions if you go fishing at the very period when the pike, having become ill after spawning, begins to feed heavily. When planning to go fishing for pike in April, keep in mind that in the spring the pike bite usually begins at dawn and continues until dusk with varying success. And remember that there are fishing restrictions during spawning season. So, to avoid causing trouble when fishing for pike in April, fish outside the spawning grounds, from the shore and with permitted gear.
Popular trophy
Pike is a popular trophy among fishermen, since it lives almost everywhere and even in the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Pike fishing in April has a number of features, the main one of which is the spawning of pike.
In April, the water warms up to +6 and the pike begins to spawn, going to a depth of 0.5 - 1 m. For spawning, the pike chooses quiet backwaters; the fish are not attracted to stormy currents. After spawning, having been ill for a week for the sake of decency, the pike strives to regain strength and begins to actively peck. In general, pike can be caught at any time of the year.
However, there are certain periods when the pike bite is especially good: in the spring - pike fishing is excellent before the start of spawning and after it ends, and in the fall - pike fishing is good from about the last days of August to the beginning of November.
When to catch pike in April
It is best to start fishing for pike in early spring - before the water in the rivers rises significantly, that is, during the period when the sun has already warmed the water well enough. As for central Russia, this period usually falls at the end of April.
Where to catch pike in April
Before the pikes begin spawning, you can observe a huge number of small fish among the reeds and reeds: silver bream, roach, rudd. Looking for food, the fish usually moves along the coastal thickets, preferring to freeze in places where there are gaps. It is in such and such places that there are pike hunting grounds. Therefore, in the spring it is very good to catch pike in April along the vegetation growing near the shore.
Zhor of pike after spawning
As soon as the ice begins to melt in reservoirs, pike spawning usually begins. However, the spawning time varies due to the fact that, relative to geographic map data, such reservoirs are not equally located everywhere. For us this usually happens around April.
In the spring, a week or two after spawning, the pike begins to actively feed, usually lasting two to three weeks, but sometimes this period is quite shortened. This is precisely the period that is most suitable for fishing, since hungry pike eagerly rushes to any bait.
When does pike bite in April?
In the spring, the pike bite usually begins at dawn and continues until dusk with varying success. During this favorable period for pike fishing, it is preferable to catch it in spawning areas, since usually after the eggs are laid, the pike has to visit its clutch more often - fish such as perch and roach do not hesitate to dine on fresh pike caviar, thereby heading straight to pike ambush. In addition to the places where the pike itself spawns, you can catch pike in the spawning areas of perch, crucian carp and roach - in shallow water, among the grass.
The best weather for pike fishing is in April
Quiet, cloudy, warm days are especially successful for pike fishing in April through spring. On such a day, it is best to fish with a spoon - then you certainly won’t leave without a good catch.
Peculiarities of pike behavior in April
The month of April for many fish species is a recovery period after spawning. When the milt and eggs are shed, the fish inhabitants do not react to anything for 4-8 days; they simply slowly move around the reservoir without a specific goal. Next, the toothy resident begins to actively feed, so she will rush at almost everything. She needs to replenish her empty belly; the predator is more attracted to small fry of different types of fish.
The post-spawning feast occurs at different times in each body of water; you can learn more about this from the article on our website. The duration of the period also varies, from 10 to 20 days, depending on weather conditions and the food supply in the reservoir.
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If you get to the reservoir at the right time and with well-chosen gear, then the catch will definitely be excellent.
Catching pencils and grass in April
In lake waters, young pikes up to one kilogram, called “pencils” and “grass pikes”, received their second name for a reason - they are distinguished by the fact that they prefer to live near grass thickets or directly in them. The diet of these pikes consists of small fish that live among duckweed and algae.
As soon as the sun has sufficiently warmed the spring air, mainly at dawn, pikes can attack fairly large perches. If we take into account the hunting characteristics of the “grass” pike - it usually attacks prey from above - the spinner must be led higher, and the retrieve itself must be quite swift. Sometimes the lure doesn’t have time to plunge into the water before the pike immediately grabs it, so be always ready.
We remind you that during the spawning season there are restrictions on fishing. As a rule, fishing can only be done from the shore outside of spawning grounds, but each region has its own restrictions on gear, for example:
in the Moscow region you can fish with one float or bottom fishing rod from the shore with a total number of hooks of no more than 2 pieces per citizen outside the spawning grounds.
Be sure to check the fishing rules during the spawning ban period in your region. Another way out is fishing in paid reservoirs.
Spawning ban
The timing and nuances of the ban on spring pike fishing differ depending on the region. It is necessary to clarify specifically by region and fishery basins - each has its own law on fisheries.
For example, in the Azov-Black Sea basin there is a complete ban on pike fishing from January 15 to March 1. In April, general spawning bans already begin to apply. The deadlines are set for each section of the pool separately. Wading and fishing from a boat is prohibited everywhere. But in terms of gear, depending on the regions, the specifics of the prohibitions differ. Here you need to look specifically at the articles with reference to the location.
In some regions you can fish with a spinning rod without restrictions, in others it is not possible, only with a fishing rod or donka with one or two hooks. Thirdly, it is possible, but only with one hook, so on wobblers you have to remove one tee. If fishing with a spinning rod is prohibited, but the pike bites, and there is no ban on it, then you can concentrate on fishing with a rod or donka, with live bait. Mugs - flying is prohibited, as it is not allowed on a boat.
Fishing for pike with a spinning rod
You can fish in different ways, but fishing for pike with a spinning rod is the most exciting and gives special pleasure. In order to catch predatory fish, no special expensive gear is required. A simple spinning rod will be quite enough, because it is impossible not to notice the bite. When buying a spinning rod, it is advisable to pay attention to the reel.
Now in stores there is quite a wide selection of tackle, a wide variety of spinners, wobblers, and popplers. In shallow waters, spinner spoons are very suitable baits, but small-sized pike are caught on spinners. In the summer you can get a good catch using bait from live natural fish. But the best and most versatile option, after all, is a jig bait.
Note that pike does not belong to the schooling category, but there are happy and rather rare cases when a large number of pikes accumulate in one place in a reservoir. Such luck does not happen very often, but when it does happen, it is not soon forgotten!
Very often, pike is found in abundance in some reservoirs, but it is impossible to catch it, even if the bait is near it. Of course, many people have had this happen when a pike chased your bait to the shore, but did not dare to attack it. At such a moment, it is best to change the bait and this will play an important role. The practice of many experienced fishermen says that various types of experiments with baits give good results.
Let us note a very important point when pulling a pike: the predatory fish begins to quickly rise up. After a moment, the pike jumps out of the water and begins to shake its toothy jaw. After such numbers, it happens that the prey jumps off. In order not to encounter the pike entering the candle position when the fish is at the top, the end of the spinning rod should be immersed in the water. I think now fishing for pike with a spinning rod will be successful.
Spinning equipment
Spinning rods are most suitable for pike fishing in April. You can usually get close to the pike’s habitat, since the predator is not afraid of the fisherman.
So, how to catch pike in April using a spinning rod? Let's consider two options :
- from the boat
- from the shore.
For fishing from a boat, a rod 2–2.3 m long , for fishing from the shore – 2.6–2.8 m . The choice of spinning rod also depends on the baits used. The test for a wobbler can be up to 20 g .
For heavy spinners and jigs, it is better to choose a spinning rod with a dough of 30-40 g . The structure of the rod also depends on the bait:
- for spinners – medium and slow,
- for wobblers – fast and medium.
When choosing a spinning rod, you need to pay special attention to the reel . There should not be any special frills on it. Primary requirements :
- friction brake;
- smooth ride;
- ability to reel up to 70 m of fishing line 0.25 .
The success of pike fishing largely depends on the fishing line. For jig fishing you need a braided one; for fishing with spoons and wobblers, high-quality monofilament is suitable.
One of the peculiarities of catching pike in April with a spinning rod is its sharp teeth, with which it can bite the fishing line. To prevent this from happening, you can use a leash. Is it good to catch pike on a spinning rod in April using leashes:
- steel,
- Kevlar,
- tungsten
The leash can be made independently . A guitar string is suitable for making : at one end you need to make a loop for tying the fishing line, at the other end put on a swivel with a clasp, and then make a loop. The leash must be tied to the main fishing line, and the bait must be attached to the leash through a swivel.
Catching pike with a float rod
Catching pike with a float rod is not the most effective way, but it is no less interesting and is best suited for those who are not going to bother with a spinning rod and for those who do not have a boat.
I’ll tell you how to successfully fish with a bamboo rod, 3.5 meters long, with a float made of large cork, the float must be able to withstand a gudgeon, or any other small fish that acts as live bait, the float should be loaded in such a way that the live bait can hardly drag the tackle , but could move halfway through the water, luring the predator with its movements.
I forgot to mention the hook - I used a double goat hook, you can also use other hooks, but if the hook is not large and strong enough, then the broken pike will be on your conscience. Now the process of catching pike with a float rod, choosing a place and time, on which the success of the fisherman sometimes depends to a greater extent than on everything else.
Pike fishing from a boat
At this moment, you can catch pike from a boat in a plumb line using any winter and summer baits that can be used to tap the channel edges. The predator moves after forage fish to the upper parts of the edges and there it can be found almost all daylight hours, from dawn to dusk.
Unlike winter fishing, a daytime decline in the bite begins to appear; closer to lunch, the bite weakens and resumes again at 14-15 hours. And it completely stops pecking towards evening - the predator has not yet reached its summer feeding regime.
Therefore, fishing with vertical baits takes place in two large passes - in the first half of the day and in the second. Blanks with silicone and dead fish, heavy cicadas and ratlins, heavy balancers, heavy gliding spoons for vertical fishing - this entire arsenal of the lure angler comes into use.
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About the features of the types of fishing described in the article
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What to catch?
Successful fishing for pike in April with a spinning rod is possible using any artificial bait that allows fishing at shallow depths. The main criterion when selecting ammunition is the ability to carry out leisurely movements, delivering prey at the surface and in the water column.
As a rule, the pike lure set of an experienced spinning angler during this period consists of the following items:
- spinners;
- vibrators;
- minnow;
- silicone vibrotails and twisters.
A wobbler is a good bait for spring pike.
Pinwheels perform well at any time, April is no exception. It is necessary to use rear-loaded models with large rounded petals and a core of relatively low mass. Such a bait should be fed very slowly so that its petal rotates on the verge of failure. Such “dying” vibrations of the spinner have a positive effect on the reaction of the pike, so the angler is literally doomed to bite.
Oscillating spoons in their movements plausibly imitate a small fish that has wandered into shallow bays. We need light, wide-bodied models that can stay in the thicker at low bait feed speeds. The size of the vibrator should be between 6–10 cm.
Wobblers of the “minnow” class are designed to imitate small fish in body shape and action. For April fishing, you should select baits 100–130 mm long with a working horizon of no more than 50 cm. In spring, floating minnows show good results, suspenders are also used, sinking ones are irrelevant.
Among the “rubbers”, the best ones in the summer are vibrotails. In shape and movements, they realistically imitate the natural food supply of a predator. Twisters work a little worse. It is advisable to select “fleshy” models with wide, sailing tails.
Silicone is mounted on open jig heads with rigidly soldered single hooks. The weight of the load is selected depending on the fishing conditions. As a rule, heads weighing from 5 to 12 grams are sufficient. In difficult to pass places, it is advisable to use non-snacking installations.
Unloaded “rubber” is used in very shallow waters.
The listed baits continue to work successfully in May and summer. A well-chosen complete set for April fishing is generally universal, allowing you to fish at any time in different places, with the exception of riverbed areas and deep holes.
Fishing technique and tactics
When fishing for toothy predators in April, you should adhere to some rules when casting and retrieving pike:
- - when performing and carrying out the process of casting bait on the April pike, casting should be done using lateral or vertical methods, it is necessary to cast to the place where the ambush site of the pike itself is expected;
- — when retrieving bait, you should not make excessively sharp movements; at this time, a smooth retrieve, with short pauses, is more suitable; when fishing with spinners, slow retrieving is also used;
- - you should know that it is better to carry out fairly sharp sweeps with any blow or jerk, and the sweep should not be sweeping;
- - when fishing for small pike, you can pull them straight to the shoreline, small representatives of the pike family usually do not cause any particular difficulties, but if you come across a particularly large pike, then you will have to tinker here, here you should do the fishing slowly, carefully.
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Zhor after spawning
The spawning time in different reservoirs is different. In central Russia, this period usually falls in the second spring month. And a week or two after the end of spawning, like any other fish that has finished spawning, the pike begins its active feeding. In the spring, on a spinning rod, especially in April, she, hungry for the hunt, rushes to any bait. Typically this period lasts two or three weeks, but in some regions it can be quite short.
Usually the post-spawning zhor coincides with the flood peak. Therefore, fattening pikes linger in the spawning areas until they are completely fattened, waiting for the water to recede. A clear sign, which many experienced fishermen know, of the beginning of the post-spawning feast is the blooming of oak leaves.
