Fishing for pike in circles is an old "fun" of our fishermen. “Let's go chasing mugs,” they said back in the days of Sabaneev. And today there are also many fans of this method of catching a toothy predator. In addition to her, they catch perch, pike perch and even carp in circles. You can catch a predator with floating gnats almost the entire season of open water in spring, summer and autumn.

What is a circle?

A fishing circle is, in its essence, a floating zerlitsa, which is launched from a boat in the wind or with the current. The circle moves along the surface of the reservoir without any participation of the fisherman, whose main task is to choose the right place for their launch. The tackle is not difficult to make, and it is very interesting to catch it.

A floating zherlitsa is a circle with a diameter of 15-20 centimeters. Its thickness is 20-25 millimeters. A groove for winding a working cord is selected along the edge, and two diametrically located slots are made on top to secure the fishing line.

The planes of the circle are painted in different colors: red top and white bottom, if we consider the alert tackle. In the middle of the circle there is a pin, which has a special shape and is inserted from below so that its spherical part is located there, and at the top there is a thin mast with a slot.

You can make fishing mugs from light dry wood or some artificial material: foam or polypropylene foam. Many fishermen use. How to make them with your own hands will be written at the end of our article.

Rigging

Any fishing will be more successful if the tackle is made with high quality. Also, fishing with mugs is more interesting, and fishing will bring more trophies with the right equipment. A total of five elements are included in the rigging of the floating girdle:

• Circle. We talked about it above.
• Working line or cord. It is best to use a nylon cord up to two millimeters thick in this tackle. After all, you will have to fish the pike without using a reel, and thinner fishing line or braid can cut your hands when fighting a solid trophy.
• Undergrowth. A piece of monofilament with a thickness of 0.3-0.5 designed to mask the tackle. A cautious pike may not walk close to a thick line.
• Leash. This element is tied to protect the tackle from sharp pike teeth.
• Hook. Anglers tie a single, double or tee, based on their own preference. Only their size must be compared with the size of the live bait.

Now we will describe how to properly equip the floating vents:

1. On the groove we throw a large loop of the cord as for tying to the coil and tighten it.
2. We wind the required amount of working cord onto the tackle groove.
3. We tie the underbrush to the cord.
4. We put a sliding sinker in the shape of an olive on the underbrush, its weight depends on the bait used.
5. We tie a leash to the underbrush.
6. We attach the selected hook.

That's it, our tackle is ready for battle. It remains on the reservoir to bring it into working condition and attach live bait.

Additional equipment

Before you go to the pond to fish for pike in circles, you need to worry about some additional equipment. On such a fishing trip, we will need other important things, both large and small.

• A boat. Without her, this whole venture is worthless. Of course, you can tie the mugs to some object on the shore and let it go with the flow, but this will already be, and not fishing with mugs.
• Landing net or hook. A large predator is not so easy to pull into a boat, so additional accessories are needed to retrieve it from the water. Hook in rubber or PVC boat better not to take it!
• Echo sounder or depth gauge. If, before letting the circles float freely, measure the depth of the water area on the path of their future movement, then it will be clearer to what depth to lower the live bait.
• ... It is better to take this container with a lid that will protect your crucians or roach in case of accidental overturning.
• Kukan or metal cage. What if you don’t let the fish go, but decide to take it with you, then you will need a means for storing it.
• Zevnik. A small tool for opening the mouth of a predator to extract a deeply swallowed hook.
• Extractor. Hook extraction tool. Pliers or a medical forceps are used as it.

Fishing technique and tactics

So, we settled in a boat and got ready to put five circles on the water laid down by the law. A larger number per fisherman equates to poaching, although in paid water bodies the number may be different. We start catching with the preparation of circles:

1. We measure the required descent depth.
2. We put the working line into one of the slots on the upper side.
3. We wrap it twice around the rod.
4. We put the cord into the slot on the pin.
5. We clamp the cord into the second slot on the upper part.
6. We plant live bait.

When the mugs are prepared, we put them in the water on the leeward side of the boat one by one and put them downstream or downwind along the sinkhole in a checkerboard pattern. Carried away by the wave or the movement of the live bait, they begin to catch the pike themselves, sometimes swimming in the most necessary places.

Tonya is the place of movement of circles on the water surface in the selected water area.

When a pike bites, the circle turns over with the white side up. The fisherman should calmly paddle to the tackle, take it in hand and make a hooking and fishing. If the triggering occurred on several gears at once, you need to start work with the closest one.

Some features of fishing for mugs

Fishing with circles has a number of specific points that anglers need to consider.

• In a strong current, you need to catch by anchoring the circles. A transport line is tied to the antenna, and with the second end it is attached to the reeds or trees. After swimming until the transport cord is completely exhausted, the floating girder returns to its original position.
• When launching mugs, you need to expose them to different depths of descent in order to catch different horizons of water.
• On overgrown reservoirs, sometimes a depth of half a meter can provide a predator's grip.
• On large bodies of water, a buoy should be used to mark the starting point of the circles.

Fishing for pike depending on the season

Drive mugs in late autumn or in early spring very uncomfortable. It is cold in the boat and the weather is unpredictable, although in autumn, especially in October, fishing can be successful. The same can be said about the spring fishing in May, during the post-spawning season.

But how pleasant it is to be on a pond in a boat in summer! It's warm, frogs croak, birds sing, and we watch circles moving along the calm surface of the lake in anticipation of a pike's grip. And if a cool day comes out, then you can catch more fish than in the fall.

Much more importantly, in the summer, club fishing begins at dawn, until the heat drops, and in the fall, fishing continues throughout the day.

How to make a tackle with your own hands?

The fishing community is rich in tackle making talents. Many people are able to make such a simple tackle as mugs with their own hands. The classic version is cut from wood and polystyrene with the subsequent groove of the side.

Separately, grind a mushroom-shaped pin from any soft wood, for example, linden or bird cherry. Then the pin and the upper part of the workpiece are covered with red oil paint, and the bottom of the product is white. The pin is inserted into the hole drilled in the center of the disk with the head down.

In addition to the classic version of making gear, there are others. For example, Sabaneev in his book "Fish of Russia" offers a very simple construction: “The cheapest floating zerlitsa is an ordinary empty bottle, sealed with a cork; the twine is wound around the neck, and its free end is lightly pinned with a pin (as on circles without a rod) so that the pike can easily pull out the latter. The idea of ​​these simplified shells belongs to me, and I recommend them to the attention of amateurs. "

Now there are no problems with bottles, especially since our favorite plastic "poltoraski" and "kopeck piece" are scattered along the banks of many reservoirs, it is not even necessary to take them with you. You only need to have the equipment with you:

• cord;
• sinker;
• undergrowth;
• leash;
• tee or double.

Having found a suitable bottle, we wind a cord around it and fix it with a bank rubber band. When biting, the pike will easily pull out the working line and, without feeling much resistance, will begin to swallow the bait. Don't yawn here!

Mugs - very effective method fishing for pike both in stagnant reservoirs and on the current. This tackle allows you to embrace a large water area, circles can be installed in the most promising places, and the predator responds perfectly to live bait and attacks it without fear.

But for such fishing you need a boat, properly configured circles and, of course, certain knowledge and skills. We will help you as much as possible to deal with this type of fishing, all you have to do is practice. But, thanks to the site's advice, you can fish perfectly already on the first fishing trip and catch your first pike in this way.

In this article, we will talk with you about general principles fishing in circles, we will get to know this tackle better, we will analyze the best time and the place, as well as we will analyze all the moments of preparation for fishing, such as catching live bait, etc.

Design of a pike mug

A fishing mug is a flat foam disc with a groove along the edge for winding a fishing line; the tackle is somewhat reminiscent of a large floating reel.

In its center there is a hole for a stick, which will serve for it to roll over after the pike takes the bait, thus signaling a bite. The inverted circle is clearly visible, since its lower part is painted white, and the upper one is red. The white color contrasts well against the background of water, therefore it is he who is the standard for the color of the lower part.

In order for the circle to turn over, it is necessary, after the depth of fishing has been determined and the required amount of fishing line has been unwound, to thread the fishing line into a special crevice on the stick. The pike grabs the live bait, pulls the line, the circle turns over, the line jumps out of the crevice and begins to unwind freely.

The latter is very important. After the bite, the line should be free to reel so that the predator does not feel resistance. If the line gets stuck, the pike can sense danger and spit out the bait. That is why, on the tackle, there should always be a supply of fishing line, at least 10-15 meters.

Snap a pike mug

In order to maximize the efficiency of fishing with circles, it is necessary to properly equip them. It is optimal to use the following equipment:

• fishing line with a diameter of 0.35-0.5 mm or thinner braid;
• steel leash with a length of 20 cm or more;
• a sliding sinker in the shape of an olive weighing 10-20 grams;
• double or tee №№3-5.

The fishing line will need to be strong and at the same time as invisible as possible. It is best to have a good supply of fishing line on the circle so that the pike will take the bait well without suspecting anything.

Leash - required element tackle, when fishing for such a predator as. Its sharp teeth will easily cut the line and you will be left without a rig and without a catch.

A sliding sinker is needed in order to be able to regulate the freedom of the live bait. To fix the minimum distance from the lead to the live bait, they use stoppers, usually rubber ones, which are sold in fishing stores and cost a penny.

Most often, when fishing for pike in circles, a tee is used, but the double also does its job well. Let's just say that the pike bites on the double more actively, and the tee leaves less chances for the predator to descend.

How to mug pike

The site decided to briefly tell you how to start fishing with circles. There is nothing complicated here, but it can be interesting and useful for beginners.

After the live bait is ready and a promising place has been chosen, we proceed to launch the circles for free swimming. To begin with, take a circle and reel from it so much line that the lead touches the bottom. After that, wind about half a meter of fishing line back, so that in the end, when the circle is already on the water, the bait is about half a meter above the bottom.

This will make the bait more visible to the predator and reduce the risk of the bait catching and entangling it for various bottom obstacles. If you are not aware of changes in depths along the current, you can install live bait and 1.5 meters above the bottom. Thus, we will not allow the live bait to hide or get entangled in the bottom shelters, even if the depth decreases after some distance.

After the depth is set correctly and the live bait is located at the required distance from the bottom, fix the fishing line by threading it through the slot in the circle and on the mast (pin). Lower the tackle into the water.

During the bite of the pike, the circle turns over with the white side up. In such cases, you need to swim to the tackle as quickly as possible, pull it out of the water and make a sharp sweeping sweep for the line itself.

Be careful! Sometimes, after a bite of pike, the circle may not turn over. Therefore, even if you are pulling out an unworked circle, it is worth making a control cut.

Which live bait to choose

Naturally, to catch pike with mugs, you need live bait. For this purpose, you can use a fish such as:

It is best to use crucian carp or gudgeon as live bait- this is the most tenacious live bait, which will attract a predator with its movements longer than others. After all, it is known that a toothy bait does not react so actively to a dead live bait and an immobilized live bait may not at all attract the attention of a predator.

The size of the live bait for a pike should be about 8-10 cm. It can be more, it can be less, but the size is approximately the same.

How to catch live bait

You can catch live bait on an ordinary fishing rod just before fishing for pike or the day before. And you can use a spider or an impromptu trap for catching.

Spider you can catch live bait quickly and a lot. But basically, the catch will contain a perch, rudd and bleak - and these are not the most tenacious fish and literally in 15-30 minutes they can become unusable and you have to reload the tackle. Occasionally, a small crucian carp or roach can be caught by a spider.

Catching a spider is quite simple, just put a piece of bread in it as bait, put it in the water and the small fish will gather for a feast in a few minutes. We raise the spider and choose a fish suitable for live bait. Live bait less than 5 cm is not suitable for pike fishing.

On float rod catching live bait takes longer and precious time is often lost that could have been spent on pike fishing. But, on the other hand, you can catch ideal crucians on the float for use as live bait. From the bait - a worm, or dough.

By the way, it is not necessary to catch live bait with a reserve with a float rod. You can catch exactly as much as you need to install all the circles, and then replenish the supply of live bait with a float.

Use lightest rig, lightest float and shallow hook. Then even the weakest bite will be clearly visible to you and there will be a minimum of fish coming off. If there are a lot of small fish on the reservoir, then in 10 minutes you can pull a sufficient amount of live bait with minimal energy consumption.

Catching live bait with a trap- one more good way extraction of live bait. The trap is made very simply from a 5-liter bottle. You will need a 5 liter bottle, scissors or knife, awl and wire.

It is necessary to cut the neck of the bottle at the point where it merges with the flat body of the bottle. Remove the cap from the bottle and insert the neck, neck down, into the cut bottle.

Use an awl to punch holes and wire the bottle and neck together. Inside you put something odorous and tasty for fish - bait, bread, cake, halva and set traps in shallow water.

You can set traps horizontally, that is, lying down, or you can bury them in the soil of the reservoir vertically to the very exit from the trap. The fry easily gets inside, but he can't get out. It is optimal to use several such traps at once in order to quickly catch the required amount of live bait.

Where to install mugs

Of course, in determining a promising place, the echo sounder helps very well. But if it is not there, you can find the most suitable place for fishing in another way. Let's take a look at some of the most promising pike fishing spots and how to identify them.

What places to choose for fishing:

The choice of a promising place also depends on the season. But, almost always, a large pike is at a depth, and a small one - up to 2 kilograms, the so-called grass grass - in thickets of reeds, algae or water lilies.

In the spring toothed should be sought near coastal vegetation and in shallow water. Spring is the spawning period, all fodder fish gather at the coast, then the first fry appear.

For a predator, this is an easy prey, but now the toothy one needs to recuperate after a long winter. Almost all pike go hunting in shallow waters. Usually, the spring rye lasts about two weeks, after which it begins to gradually go to its favorite pits.

Summer the pike is already deployed directly in the pits. There, even the hot summer sun will not reach, and you can hunt well on the sidelines.

In autumn the second zhor begins. Only in contrast to spring, at this time of the year the predator hunts at depths. It is in the fall that the probability of catching a trophy is the highest, and circles will be a very effective tackle.

I hope the site gave clear and understandable answers to your questions and you liked our advice. I am sure you will succeed and you will not have a tail or scales.

Fishing for pike in circles: video

Uncover video

Fishing for pike in summer circles is one of the most active types of live bait fishing from a boat. A fisherman with circles has to move a lot, since these floating girders are launched in a flock of about five pieces on the surface of a reservoir or a large lake. However, in river bays it is also quite successful to fish in circles. But in the vastness of reservoirs and lakes, a wider and more free path is possible for the circles to travel to the most varied places and depths. This is one of the benefits of using circles. But in the course of the movement of these gears, shoals and patches of grass may be encountered, to which the hooks will cling. This can be attributed to the number of disadvantages. Therefore, the angler must clearly imagine the route of movement and the bottom topography in the direction of this route. Especially you have to move a lot for mugs in the morning with a fresh breeze. Sometimes you have to swim for the circles the entire route, which sometimes takes more than one kilometer. And then again return the circles to their original position and start again ...

On a quiet morning on the surface of a large reservoir, the mugs hardly move. They only sway from the movements of fast and brisk live baits. Suddenly, in the middle of the stretch, a spot turns white ... This is an inversion! That is, the circle, guarded by the red side up, turned over from a strong jerk of the pike. Then you need to give some time for the predator to swallow the bait. It is better not to rush, but to wait, looking at how the circle quickly rotates around its axis. This, under the jerks of a strong fish, is thrown from the circle of a fishing line or a cord wound around the notch of the edge of the circle around its circumference. But you have to be close to the tackle. When the circle begins to move to the side and dive under the water, then you urgently need to swim and do a sweep. It is clear that the pike is already on the hook, but hooking will not interfere with the safe fishing of the fish.

The equipment of the mug is not difficult. An ordinary standard pin circle is supplied with a soft fishing line or a nylon cord, at least 6–8 meters long, wound around the edge of the circle with a recess. It is better to use a cord, since even soft fishing line strives to slip off the edge of the mug due to its elasticity. And so that the cord does not scare off the predator, it is necessary to tie an undergrowth from the fishing line at the end of it. Further - everything is as if on a cross. At the end of the line, a fastener with a swivel is attached, where a metal leash is attached, preferably a thin one made of leash material. It is more flexible than steel or nichrome leads. This means that it looks more natural for a predator. A tee or double is attached to a leash. It seems that a tee No. 8 or a larger twin is quite enough.

Fishing for pike in summer circles directly depends on the availability of live bait. Live bait fish that are most attractive for pike are fish that live in this reservoir and are natural food for a predator. Usually these are roach and bleak. But in summer, bleak as live bait is very weak, although very attractive to a predator. It is best to use roach. Well, in terms of vitality, not a single fish will surpass the crucian carp, even the smallest carp. Sometimes in the heat only crucians are able to serve as live bait. You can simply plant live bait - under the dorsal fin. For greater reliability, the live bait is hooked at the same time on the lip, putting a single hook at the end of the leash, and a little higher - a tee.

The circle is installed on the water as follows. The fishing line from the circle, resting on the notch in the rib, is inserted into the slot of the upper end of the pin, and then lowered into the notch on the rib on the other side of the circle. The required depth is pre-measured. Live bait clings and the circle sets sail. Top part alert mug is usually red. When inverted, the circle turns white on the water.

There are places where the installation of ordinary circles is impossible. These are areas of the reservoir densely overgrown with grass, meanwhile rich in pike. As the saying goes, an eye sees and a tooth itching ... But here circles on an anchor, that is, installed permanently, can be quite successfully applied. Usually they are placed as vents in windows and holes among aquatic vegetation. A cord is attached to the body of the mug with an anchor - a load or a stone, so that the cord does not interfere with the fishing line being thrown from the mug. But it is best to make an analogue for such places. winter girdle... A coil and a flag are placed on the circle, and the line is passed through the cut into the central hole in the circle. So that the live bait does not get overwhelmed by the anchor cord, the circle must be removed from it by attaching a twig made of bush about one and a half meters long. A cord is attached to the rod, and now the circle rotates around its axis on a cord fixed in the form of the letter G, where the lower part of the letter is an anchor, and the horizontal upper part is a rod with a cord.

Fishing for pike on circles in the summer is exciting and catching, especially in the pike.

Fishing for pike in spring, summer and especially in autumn is a popular activity for many outdoor enthusiasts. Pike for mugs in early autumn, in September or in October is caught almost everywhere. The reservoirs open during these seasons allow the use of numerous methods and the use of a variety of gear. Some tackles give impressive results. It is to such catchy devices that one of the varieties of girders for catching a predatory slave, called a circle, can be attributed. Pike for circles, in autumn it is even better caught than for spinning.

A mug made of polystyrene, as a rule, is used when fishing with live bait. Small fish of low-value species are usually used as live bait. For example, chebaka,. In places rich in perch, small specimens of it can also act as bait. Pike in the absence of "zhora", as its autumn fattening before wintering is called, is a very fastidious predator, and prefers not every bait. Fishing in circles has been popular for a long time and is described in the book of Sabaneev. Let us consider in detail what kind of tackle the mugs are, the principle of their work, and what tactics are used to successfully use them.

The name, the fishing circle, is due to its original shape. At the moment, you can find a variety of this tackle in the shape of a square. The device for pike fishing is not particularly difficult, everything is clear at first glance. The base is made of soft wood or polystyrene and has the shape of a circle with a diameter of 15 to 20 cm. The thickness of the base can be from 2 to 3 cm, from the end the base of the circle has a conical depression designed for winding fishing line. In the center of the circle, a mast is installed, which has an oblong shape and a special cut for passing the fishing line, its length, as a rule, is not more than 15 cm.

Photo 1. A circle on the water.

The mast is installed unevenly in the center of the circle, from the side of the slot under the fishing line it can protrude by 8 cm, and from the other by 4. The base disk has opposite notches from the ends. They are designed to set the mug in a working position. One of the sides of the disc can be painted in a bright color. Mostly red is used, since it is the most noticeable, but this is no longer as important as its design. Pike mugs sold in a fishing store may have a complete rig or be sold without it, and the kit must include instructions for the tackle.

Rigging

The equipment of the circles consists of a fishing line, a sinker, a swivel, a leash and a tee or a double. The fishing line can be used up to 0.5, depending on the presence of snags in the fishing area. Each angler has their own favorite line type and size for this tackle. The sinker is used for sliding. For example, an olive-type sinker can be used. A tee or double is used depending on the size of the planned trophy. The fishing line is attached to the groove of the disc, then, for ease of transportation, is wound on it. Sinker installed on the line in front of the swivel. The leash is mounted on a swivel and has a tee attached to it. Thus, it turns out that the swivel is a stopper for the sinker, which prevents it from dropping to the tee. Installing leashes different lengths, you can adjust the distance of finding the bait from the sinker. Correct rigging The mug is very important, because it depends on it how invisible and reliable the tackle will be.

The principle by which the tackle works

The principle of the circle is its independence. It can be completely autonomous and move depending on the current and wind in the reservoir, this allows you to explore parts of the reservoir and find a predator. The charged circle is released from the boat. In the waiting mode for a bite, it is with the long end of the mast up, the line passed through its slot is lowered due to the weight of the load to a depth that is set depending on the depth of the reservoir.

When attacking live bait, the design of the tackle allows the predator not to notice the resistance from the side of the circle, for the reason that when a small force is applied to the line in the water, the circle turns over, and the line descends from the circle without any effort. Thus, the pike swallows live bait, not noticing resistance, and calmly continues to move to the parking lot, it is at this moment that a sharp movement of the fishing line from the water is made, which is called a sweep, and the pike reliably hooks onto the tee. You can learn how to catch pike without sweeping by reading the article to the end.

In some reservoirs, the use of a free-floating mug is impossible, due to the large number of snags, or due to the fact that the reservoir is overgrown with water lilies and other aquatic vegetation. In this case, in order to avoid numerous snags, anchored circles are used for snaking. They are also used on rivers with sufficient strong current... Having anchored the circle on a pike, you can not be afraid that it will float far away or, in general, will be lost. Anchoring can be replaced by setting circles with a buoy.

How to make a circle

Fishing for mugs does not cost much. Making a circle with your own hands from the materials available to every self-respecting fisherman is not a difficult task. How to make mugs and equip them can be seen in the next video.

For manufacturing you will need:

• A piece of extruded foam or 3 cm thick wood board.
• A smooth, wooden stick no thicker than 1.5 cm in diameter and 15 cm long. This will be the mast.
• Line 0.3–0.5 mm.
• Sinker.
• Leash
• Tee or twin

The main thing is to correctly cut the base in the form of a circle. This will require a compass. Having drawn a circle with a compass, it is imperative to make a mark in its center and drill a hole there with a diameter slightly smaller than the thickness of the stick for the mast. It is convenient to cut an even circle using a construction jigsaw with a saw for wood. After the base has been cut, you can grind the end of the disc with emery to obtain a conical depression in it.

For those who have a wood lathe and have enough experience in operating it, you can make a completely monolithic circle on it.

At the next stage, the mast is installed in the center of the circle and adjusted so that it protrudes more from the working side. Before painting, our device must be sanded with at least 100 grit sandpaper. Painting the mug will not cause problems, for the reason that you can paint with any type of paint that is resistant to water. After the circle is assembled, you need to equip it with fishing line. The amount of fishing line directly depends on the depth of the reservoir where fishing with circles is planned, as a rule, it is no more than ten meters. Installation of a sinker, a leash and a double can be carried out immediately before fishing, this will allow you to choose their optimal sizes for the very reservoir on which you plan to fish. Making a mug with your own hands will allow you to save money and spend more profitably or to buy an additional fishing device that cannot be made with your own hands. Homemade mugs can turn out even better than factory ones, because they are made with a soul.

Mugs with anchor or stationary

Fishing in circles that constantly move around the reservoir is a rather time-consuming activity and, moreover, is not available in all fishing places. For the stationary installation of the device, an anchoring system was invented. You need to anchor the circle in those places where the pike is most likely to stay. These are places near snags, boundaries of clear and overgrown water, as well as windows in vegetation.

The system of a mug installed permanently practically does not differ from its classical design. The main difference is this sinker bigger size, which is attached to the end of the line and sinks to the bottom. Leash made of fishing line, installed at a distance of half a meter from the load. The length of the leash can be up to one meter, this is necessary for the free movement of live bait. A swivel is installed at the end of a line made of fishing line and a metal leash is attached, at the end of which a tee is fixed. Additionally, the stationary system can be equipped with a small float, which is mounted directly in front of the metal leader, to facilitate the movement of the live bait.

Methods and technique of fishing for circles. Seat selection

There are several ways to fish with circles, which should be chosen depending on the weather and the current in the reservoir.

Runs

This method consists in examining large areas of the reservoir for the presence of a predator. Implemented with success when fishing in reservoirs with a small current and standing water when there is little wind. The way is inconvenient because you have to move around a lot, and follow all the established circles so as not to lose them.

Stationary

Photo 2. A variant of the stationary circle.

It is used in the current or in strong winds. For a successful fishing, it is necessary to correctly analyze the places of the reservoir for the presence of a predator. Anchor the circles in the places of the planned accumulation of pike. A permanently installed pike mug can not be afraid to leave for a long time, it will not get lost anywhere.

Photo 3. An ordinary rural pond - a testing ground for circles.

Fishing technique

Fishing for pike in circles is convenient because there is no need to be in close proximity to it all the time. When taking a bite, the pike calmly swallows the bait and either continues to move and goes to the parking lot, pulling the circle behind it, or remains in the place where it caught the bait. Thus, the angler does not need to rush to the mug on which the bite occurred, the caught predator will not go anywhere. Hooking is also not used by everyone who uses circles. Calm fishing out of the water into the boat will help to avoid injuries during fishing, because, as you know, the pike resists quite strongly, and you have to hold on to the line with your bare hands. There is no need to rush for a successful fishing with mugs, the captured trophy will definitely wait for you. Catching a predator in circles has been used for a long time and is an interesting and effective activity.

It is not for nothing that fishing for pike in circles is considered very successful by fishermen. As a rule, fishing for this predator is carried out for ten to one and a half circles. It is best to fish with such tackle in closed stagnant bodies of water such as lakes or bays of large rivers. In principle, the mugs can also be used for catching pike in the current, although this greatly complicates the catch.

Although, if really professionals catch this simple tackle, then with a good knowledge of the reservoir and correct use mug, the catch can be quite "tangible". Moreover, the circle can be considered the only tackle that, without the knowledge of the fisherman, but at his discretion, can easily move around the entire reservoir.

The movement of the mug on the water resembles the most real game, which is accompanied by waves and movements of live bait on the hook. True, if the circle, its rig and live bait as bait are not balanced in the correct way, then the circle simply will not move in the water, and the bites will be minimal.

The vertical pin of the mug should have a thickening in the form of a ball, which serves as a kind of limiter. The upper part of the pin tapers towards its end, at the end of which there is a slot for attaching a line. Moreover, the size of this slot should be calculated exactly for the line, so that it does not jump out of it or the line does not wedge in such a slot.

The height of the pin can be adjusted. This will allow you to either decrease or increase the windage of the circle, depending on, and also change the lever arm so that the circle cannot be turned over by a live bait of average weight.

The thickness of the circle should be no more than 2 cm, and its diameter should be 10-15 cm. In order for the circle to be clearly visible on the water, its upper, above-water part should be painted red. The lower, underwater part is usually painted white. Special attention should be given to cutting a groove under the fishing line. As for the line itself, it is recommended to use a nylon cord with a cross section of at least 2 mm instead. However, such a cord should not be braided.

By the way, why is it best to use a cord instead of a fishing line on the circles? The fact is that any monofilament line has properties such as memory and rigidity. In more popular language, in case of successful bites, it can fly off the groove of the circle in spiral unwinding rings. Braided lines are also unsuitable for these purposes. Although they do not twist into a spiral, they can cause severe cuts on the hands when playing pike.

If fishing with circles is carried out on those reservoirs, the depth of which is quite large, then a small piece of rubber, cut along the length, must be threaded onto the cord or fishing line of an already unwound circle. This is a kind of depth gauge. Hooks are best knitted to a metal (nichrome) leash for live bait, 20-30 cm long, the cross-section of which is no more than 0.3 mm. The main leash should be made of monofilament fishing line, the diameter of which is 0.3-0.4 mm. Such a leash should be 2-3 meters long.

Video of catching pike on mugs

Necessary accessories

In principle, this type of fishing is very exciting, but, nevertheless, it is somewhat different from the methods of fishing that are already familiar to us. And, the first thing for this. If it is not there, then you can forget about this method of fishing. Of course, it is desirable that the boat be equipped with a motor for fast movement across the reservoir.

It is best if the boat is made of metal, plastic or wood. Rubber boats are also suitable for these purposes, but it is better not to mess with them, since they have obvious disadvantages, which are many with this method of fishing. You should not disdain the landing net and the hook, with the help of which you will have to catch either a circle in the reservoir or prey caught on it.

If you have an echo sounder, then it will come in handy in order to explore the bottom of the reservoir. If there is no echo sounder, you can try to “pass” the bottom with a depth gauge. The depth gauge is easy to make on your own, for which a 100 gram sinker is attached to a thick cord, on the unwinding of which the meter is indicated.

What is the best way to use live bait?

It is also worth taking care of storing such an important bait, which is live bait. The capacity for him should be quite spacious so that the live bait does not die out ahead of time. But, at the same time, the container should not take up much space in the cage, and if necessary, live bait should be taken with sufficient ease. The size of the live bait should be "reasonable" and no more than a decimeter.

In general, if we separately talk about live bait for circles, then the pike best prefers the "trifle" of rudd, bastard, gudgeon and rotan. True, during the fishing season, she can change her "culinary preferences" several times, therefore, what kind of live bait she needs will have to be learned empirically.

Although, the following rule works here: if the pike eats small fish with great pleasure, which is a very predictable food for it, then more large fish as live bait for her may not be suitable. Although, in some moments and on rather large specimens, the weight of which reaches 100-200 grams.

Tips for catching mugs

After everything is ready, you can proceed directly to the fishing itself. It is very important to note here that the very technique of such catching is rather complicated, therefore, beginner "circle-heads" should not catch more than 5-6 circles at the same time. It seems that it is not necessary to say that all the circles in the boat should be in a specially designated place for this.

It should have a more or less flat bottom and no signs of any snags. Otherwise, the hooks are simply inevitable. However, bites will also be more frequent, since the pike likes to hide in such places. Meanwhile, wide stretches are considered a real "classic" in terms of a place for fishing with circles. In these places, fishing with such tackle is most effective. True, in this case there is one condition: the depth should be more or less the same along the entire length of the stretch. Although, as already mentioned above, snags, pits, underwater thickets, etc. are allowed, and in some cases are "welcome".

The installation of the mug is as follows: the required amount of cord is unwound from it, on which a small cork float is attached. The cord can now be inserted into the cut on the outside mug, and the vertical stick must be wrapped with two turns of the same cord.

After baiting the bait, the circles can be lowered carefully into the water, while adhering to a strict distance between them of 3-5 meters. Although, some fishermen advise to increase this distance by about 2 times. Otherwise, when biting and playing, there is a high risk of entanglement of the tackle. omitting is not recommended. From the bottom, it should be at a distance of about half a meter. After all the mugs are lowered into the water, it is recommended to drive the boat away from them some distance, but at the same time not letting the mugs out of sight. It is very important to make sure that the mugs released into the water float in the wind in the same direction in which the boat itself is moving.

So, the mugs are set on the water and we can only watch them carefully. It is recommended to watch them from behind and a little from the side. Although, sailing is far from recommended, so as not to miss a bite.

How, then, to notice the bite? As a matter of fact, for the sake of this moment all the previous preparatory actions were carried out. After a bite (overturning the circle), you need to approach it quickly, but quietly, and it is not recommended to take your eyes off it.

In general, the first indication of the grip of the pike hook of the mug is the inversion of this tackle. That is, if the fisherman noticed that some time ago the circle was swimming with the red side up, and is already swimming white, then this indicates that the circle has "caught" a pike. It should be noted here that at the moment the pike grabs the live bait, the circle turns over. When it moves a little to the side, the circle begins to rotate, and if the circle suddenly freezes in place, this means that the pike has stopped in place.

The jogging should be carried out exactly at the moment of stopping the movement of the circle and setting it in motion again. Those. there is no doubt that the live bait is already in the pike's mouth. It is not recommended to yawn at such moments, because a large and experienced pike can easily drag the circle and itself, somewhere under the driftwood, from where it will be unrealistic to get it. If the pause in the bite is somewhat delayed, then it is not recommended to test your patience and the patience of the pike, so you need to hook it immediately.

Fishing a pike caught on a hook is not difficult, although there are still some nuances. In any case, you need to play the prey only with your hands and only when the cord is taken in your hands.

If the sweep makes it clear that there is no pike on the hook or it simply is not felt, the line must be picked up and swept again. If the pike is really hooked, then it will immediately make itself felt. If the pike is small, then it is not so difficult to deal with it. It is enough just to gradually pull it towards the boat. It is many times more difficult and tedious to deal with large specimens. That's why, main task during this period, the task is to deprive the pike of strength, so that later it would be easier to bring it to the boat.

However, there is no difference between the pike and the pike. And if there is a hunt for that pike that likes to stick to shallow waters overgrown with grass, then there can be much more surprises here. In this case, the circles should be launched in the wind or along the current, along the thickets of reeds or reeds. As a rule, this method of pike hunting is performed at shallow depths, which is why live bait must swim in the middle layers of the water in order to be spotted by a pike in time. So fishing for pike, when the reservoirs are more or less free of vegetation, will be the most optimal.

Particular attention should be paid to live bait with this method of fishing. The fact is that it is not recommended to use crucians, loaches and rotans as such bait. The reason lies in the fact that at the first convenient opportunity these fish species, being already as live bait, tend to "dive" into the coastal reeds, pulling the circle along with them. Therefore, it is best to use as bait those fish that live in clean water... Young daces are suitable as such a fish.

If it is uneven, or the current blows the established circles to the side, you will have to use anchors for them. Sometimes an end main sinker is used as such an anchor, above which a leash with live bait is attached. Of course, this method of "anchoring" has the right to exist, but it is not without its drawbacks.

And the first of them can be attributed to the fact that at the moment the pike captures the live bait and tries to drag it aside, the sinker begins to drag along the bottom and touches all the irregularities along the way, creating unnecessary noise. He can easily scare or unnerve the pike, which can throw the bait and swim away. However, not large specimens do this. Such noise will never frighten large toothy individuals, so it is perfect for hunting them.

Therefore, it is best to place the circle on an anchor made from a piece of old fishing line. One end of it is tied to the mushroom-shaped thickening of the circle, and the other to the coastal thickets. If there is a possibility that the live bait will still be able to pull the circle into the coastal thickets, then it is best to brace the circle with a second piece of fishing line. Both ends of the line - the anchors must be pulled in opposite directions.

Video - fishing for pike in circles

Conclusion

To move to another place, the mugs must be carefully collected. First of all, the circle is pulled out of the water, the cord is wound across the circle, and the live bait must be lowered into a more or less suitable container or cage. When fishing with circles is finished, the line must be carefully wound into grooves, the vertical pin must be pulled out of the circle and all these parts must be put into place in the fishing box. Where they will lie until the next use.