Winter pike fishing is a unique experience, but one that is also very demanding. Indeed, although winter may seem less favourable for pike fishing, it actually offers some of the best fishing conditions in the world. unexpected opportunities for those looking for trophy fish and know how to adapt to harsh conditions. In this article, let's plunge together into the fascinating world of winter pike fishing. Let's explore essential strategies, techniques and equipment for winter pike fishing and maximising your chances of success. Don't let the cold of winter stop you. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned angler, find out how to make the most of this season and enjoy some memorable times on the water.
Understanding the behaviour of pike in winter
In winter, pike (Esox lucius) undergo various behavioural adaptations in response to colder environmental conditions. When the water temperature drops in winter, its metabolism slows down dramatically. This change in metabolism takes the form of a decline in overall pike activity and mobility. This enables it to save energy over long periods. In addition, this translates into reduced food frequency, digestion and respiratory activity. In short, pike virtually go into off mode to cope with the more difficult environmental conditions of winter. This is a key means of survival until conditions become more favourable for higher metabolic activity..
Pike, like most carnivores, tend to move to deeper water in winter. These areas offer are more thermally stable and are often richer in oxygen. Pike are also looking for sheltered places to rest and protect themselves from the current and predators. They can hide near underwater structures such as rocks, tree trunks or sea grass beds.
Is increasing the size of your lures an effective choice for winter pike fishing?
As we have just explained, the pike's metabolism slows down in winter, which means it needs less food. Fortunately for our fishing friends, however, pike do not stop feeding altogether. In winter, pike will simply prefer prey that is easier to catch, such as slower fish or species that remain active in cold weather.
In fact, it's all a question of the energy expenditure/reward ratio during the winter period. If the prey provides a large number of calories in relation to the energy expended, then it is likely to trigger the pike's greed.
As a result, we often tend to fish in winter with bigger lures and slower animation than usual. Of course, this is not an absolute rule. There are times when using smaller lures will help you out.
However, the use of large, slow-moving lures generally meets the needs of pike at this time of year. We often see Oversized lures often trigger follow-ups to our feet and more frequent attacks than standard lures.
What type of lure should I use in winter?
Pike fishing in winter means fishing slowly, or even stopping the action of your lure. In our opinion, two types of lure stand out from the crowd.
First of all, use big shad type soft lures to fish for pike in winter. These lures will allow you to explore all the layers of water right down to the bottom, very slowly. The linear retrieve is just what you need. You can also stop your animation to regain contact with the bottom. Attacks very often occur at this precise moment.
Here are 5 soft lures we like to use on pike in winter:
- Ilex Dexter Shad 20 cm for pike in conventional linear
- Wolfcreek Shad for low-speed linear
- Deps Sakamata Shad for vertical pike
- CWC Miuras Mouse for very, very slow fishing
- Megabass X-Layer Curly to go down a size
Secondly, we particularly like to fish for pike in winter with suspending jerkbaits. We mainly use them in the middle of the day when the pike come up through the warmer water when the sun is beating down. As for the animation, we use big jerks interspersed with long pauses of several seconds. This stop&go animation is radical for getting the pike to come slowly and trigger an attack.
Here are 5 Jerkbaits we like to use on pike in winter:
- OSP Rudra
- Megabass Vision One Ten
- Lucky Craft B'Freeze Pointer 100 SP
- Illex Mag Squad 12.8 cm
- Duo Realis Jerkbait SP
Useful links related to this article on winter pike fishing
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