November, in our climatic conditions it is the turn of autumn and winter. Pike, At that time, perch and zander are the main target of fishing trips for this part of the fishing brothers, for which the season lasts all year round. The food of predators is deeper, general cargo is less likely to stay in shallow places and rather on warm days. Low water temperature slows down the reactions of both predators and their prey. Food digestion is also slower – lowering the temperature by more than 10 ° C slows down the rate of chemical reactions several times, and the body temperature of the fish is slightly higher than the water around it. Lures, for which we fish, we have to adjust the size and the way of moving to the natural food. It differs from the summer menu. Large perches often feed on fish that are smaller than a matchstick, pikes do not undertake long chases after prey, they only catch a certain prey. Pike perch prey relatively most actively, provided, that the atmospheric pressure is relatively stabilized.
Feather jigs are a particularly good bait during this period, hair and similar materials. There are many reasons for using them at this time. They work perfectly in the coldest water – "Breathable" materials behave in the same way as live food. Under these conditions, plastic lures stiffen, rippery must be softened by a boiling water bath and stretched, and twisters to cut their tails. It is also difficult to properly weight a tiny twister or ripper without spoiling their work. A jig made of feathers or hair can be a lot heavier for the same dimensions. The low price allows you to fish in places, where we wouldn't dare to use more expensive lures, and most often there – among the obstacles – there are fish refuges.
When performing jigs, we can follow the example of streamers. The most suitable patterns are muddler minnow – imitation of the bullhead, and in the lowland waters, ruffe and sausage and leech – leech. Construction materials do not have to be as high-quality as those for artificial flies, and are easy to obtain.
Possibility to use jig heads with different properties – slow and fast sinking, standing and with different proportions of the hook and head give great opportunities for experimentation and use in all fishing conditions.
Examples of three jigs, the most universal, with proven effectiveness and easy to implement:
Rooster: three or four rooster cervical feathers, yarn body, collar that slows down the fall (np. made of viscose fibers). After picking up, the jig is supposed to drop parallel to the bottom yes, like a sausage or a ruff.
Hair on the wobble head. Jig with slow descent, swinging from side to side. Perfect for perch.
The leech is the most universal and the easiest to make. It can be done as follows: with a razor blade and at the ruler cut the long ones to about 10 cm and narrow in width 2-3 mm strip of softly tanned rabbit skin without damaging the fur. Pierce the strip twice in the middle of its length with the tip from the hook, approx 1 cm and pull it over the handle. We wrap it several times around the neck towards the head, thus forming a collar. Of course, it is necessary to secure the structure against unwinding with a thread knot. Cut off the excess of materials. The size of the bait is free. Zbigniew, who presented the leech to me for the first time, being an expert on the jig and fly fishing method, he says, that it can even have and 15 cm in length, if need be. Dark colors were originally used, but white is just as effective. The fur is easy to dye, which leaves room for experimentation. Best seen in water, it will be white or yellow to black, transverse stripes.
Fishing with a handmade zander lure, pike or perch in the conditions, when all other lures fail, it will be an unforgettable experience and an encouragement for further attempts. Good luck.
