Pike killer wobblers - rating of catchy baits for all fishing conditions

Bassday Sugar minnow 65F

If you ask 10 spinning players from the wobblers club what type of this bait they consider the most “pike”, then at least 8 of them will name a minnow class wobbler. And there is a reason for this, because it is this category of lures that allows you to catch in any conditions and catch very well.

However, in addition to the specified class, there are many others that catch no worse. But one way or another, it is the minnow class that can be confidently recognized as pike favorites, and the bait can be called a pike killer wobbler. In this guide, you will get acquainted with the technology of choosing wobblers for a toothy predator when fishing in a variety of conditions.

A thousand and one models

First of all, it is worth briefly recalling that, despite the apparent external similarity, wobblers behave differently. Read ours, and here we will briefly go over the main parameters so that you understand what to look for when choosing.

Buoyancy

Kosadaka Ion XS 55 S

First of all, two parameters catch the eye: the buoyancy factor and the characteristic depth of travel. As a first approximation, there are three main types of baits in terms of buoyancy:

• floating
• sinking
• suspenders

In addition, there are also so-called transitional links:

• slowly sinking
• weakly floating
• strongly floating
• heavily sinking

Jackal Squad minnow 65 SP

If everything is more or less clear with floating and sinking, then suspenders raise many questions. To begin with, it should be noted that there is no and cannot be an ideal suspender that hangs in the water column under any conditions, since this "suspended" state is influenced by a lot of external factors.

• The first one is weight of leash and accessories.
• The second, less obvious, water temperature. As for the second factor, some serious Japanese manufacturers specifically indicate on the packaging the water temperature (or interval) when the wobbler will hang for the longest time. However, it should not be frightening that on the first test the wobbler either sinks very slowly or floats slowly - this is normal.

Degree of deepening

Jackal Cherry 44 F

The second characteristic, which is no less interesting, is the degree of deepening. In digital form, for each size and type of wobbler, it is somewhat different, but there are still several categories that combine wobblers by this parameter:

• Surface - top waters. As the name implies, they do not go deep at all and their field of action is the surface. This category includes poppers, walkers, crawlers.
• Subsurface - super shallow runners. These are all wobblers, the depth of which does not exceed 30 centimeters.
• Shallow-water - shallow runners. Such wobblers are deepened to about a meter. This is the category that can be quite called the most universal, suitable for most tasks.
• Medium deep water - medium deep runners. The depth varies from one and a half to two meters.
• Deep-sea - deep divers. For these wobblers, the initial depth is indicated at 2.5 meters, but more often more. Casting with such models is difficult, but they are indispensable for trolling.

In addition, there are also such important characteristics as size and color. It is almost impossible to give a specific recommendation on the issue of choosing the size, but there is still a little advice. It consists in the fact that the size of the bait corresponds to a reasonable maximum.

If the predominant size of the pike is, say, a kilogram, then the length of the wobbler is justified 90-110 mm for a minnow, 70-80 for a shed and 55-65 for a fat class wobbler.

Tsuribito Baby Crank 35

Regarding the choice of color Well, it's all based on personal preference. Pike as a whole does not have a particular predilection for certain colors. One of the most important criteria for choosing a color is its visibility. This is especially true in cases where fishing is carried out among the grass or you need to cast in cramped conditions. In this case, bright colors will be optimal. This will allow you to visually control the wobbler, guiding it along the optimal trajectory or completely controlling the cast without the risk of hanging the bait on the nearest branch.

Application area

In recent years, fishing in the ultralight class has become increasingly popular. The main purpose of this fishing is to expand the species list of fish available for spinning at the expense of conditionally peaceful fish: roach, dace, bleak and others. But not always in the nearest reservoirs there are these fish, so you have to be content with the ubiquitous pike. It is clear that the size of the trophy rarely exceeds 1.5 kg, but nonetheless.

Rating of 10 UL-class wobblers for pike

Yo-Zuri L-minnow 44 S

1. Bassday Sugar minnow 65F
2. Kosadaka Ion XS 55 S
3. Jackal Squad minnow 65 SP
4. Jackal Cherry 44 F
5. Tsuribito Baby Crank 35
6. Major Craft Zoner minnow 70 SP
7. Smith D-Contact 63S
8. Yo-Zuri L-minnow 44 S
9. Daiwa TD-minnow 60SP
10. Lucky John Basara 55SP

The position occupied by a wobbler in the list does not speak about its advantages or disadvantages. Moreover, this list is not a direct guide. However, the presented wobblers show excellent results for small pike.

Derg-derg, pause

At the beginning of the 2000s, the overseas term “twitching” began to appear in the fishing environment, and after just a couple of years a real epidemic began. Initially, jerky wiring was intended for minnow wobblers with a very weak or no game at all. But a little later, spinningists tried on other types of wobblers, including actively playing cranks. The results exceeded all expectations.

Megabass Vision 95 - a large wobbler for pike twitching

It is very difficult to describe jerky wiring in words. In addition, each angler has his own characteristics, styles and manner of jerking. It is much easier to peep this wiring from someone directly on the pond.

It is also an important fact that wobblers behave differently in jerks:

• one needs a quick start, but a small amplitude,
• for the other - slow smooth pulls with the return of the cord.

In a word, jerky wiring is a huge field for experimentation. By varying the strength of the jerks, the amplitude and duration of the pauses, you can achieve an excellent result from any wobbler, especially the one whose design initially included the need for active animation.

How to increase the catch of fish?

For 7 years of active passion for fishing, I have found dozens of ways to improve the bite. Here are the most effective ones:

1. Biting activator. This pheromone additive lures fish the most in cold and warm water. Discussion of the Hungry Fish bite activator.
2. Raise gear sensitivity. Read the appropriate manuals for the particular type of tackle.
3. Lures based pheromones.

Frogmen

Sebile D&S Crank

The first thing that comes to mind when choosing bait for such places is non-hooks. Of course, there is common sense in this, because it quickly gets boring to shoot a massive bunch of greenery after each posting of a non-specialized bait. However, if it is possible to somehow carry out the usual bait, this must be done. In addition, non-hook wobblers are now on sale. The most working samples are D&S Crank from Sebile and Molix Supernato. Both baits are classic cranks, but with the difference that the first is equipped with a hook similar to an offset one, and the second is half soft with a pressed double. In addition, you can modify other wobblers. In particular, change the tees to doubles, pointing upwards. Or on fairly large single hooks with a large ring and a wide bend.

Molix Supernato

In the case when the vegetation is at the bottom and forms something similar to a relief, then you need to use a strongly floating wobbler. On the pond, everything looks like this: we cast to the desired point and drive evenly until there is an obstacle in front of the bait. Next, we pause, during which the wobbler pops up, and quite calmly drag it on top. In this case, visual control is very important, and therefore it is necessary to arm yourself, while the wobbler must be noticeable, as mentioned above. If the depth of fishing is large, then the bait should be driven as slowly as possible, concentrating on tactile sensations. As soon as a slight tension is felt at the other end of the fishing line (the wobbler rested against the grass), we pause. But in this case, it is very important to clearly know all the nuances of the wobbler game, otherwise there will be difficulties in recognizing the causes of the failure.

Deep-sea killer wobblers. diving masters

It's no secret that with a cold snap, the pike rolls down to the depths, following the forage fish. And here wobblers marked DD are very useful. The choice in this category is quite large, but there are some nuances.

• Firstly, it is best to take a weakly floating wobbler. This is necessary in order to be able to bypass obstacles, but so that the wobbler does not tend to the surface like a cork.
• Secondly, it is important to clearly know the depths at the place of fishing. The pike at this time is at the bottom and is unlikely to rise behind the wobbler, which goes one and a half meters higher. It will be better if the actual depth of the wobbler is slightly more than the depth of the pit, thereby allowing constant contact with the ground.

Megabass Live-X Leviathan

top five divers

1. Megabass Live-X Leviathan
2. Yo-Zuri Cristal minnow DD
3. Rapala Risto Rap
4. Rapala Tail dancer deep
5. Kosadaka Ion DD

These wobblers allow them to be carried out both evenly and with the use of active animation, which is especially valuable in the pre-winter period.

Yo-Zuri Cristal minnow DD

Trolling

Rapala Tail dancer deep

For the most part, five dip wobblers are suitable for trolling, however, the use of various sinkers allows you to use a regular shallow wobbler for fishing at depth.

But there are two prerequisites for such a method:

• Wobbler must be floating. Suspenders and especially sinking baits are a guarantee of constant hooks.
• The wobbler must have a pronounced own game.

A guide to pike spinning - the choice of gear, lures, pike parking all year round.

And fishing technique.

Look at ours and in particular at the catchy pike models.

1. You should always use a leash. Currently, the best material for it is a guitar string. By varying the length and thickness, you can make the perfect leash for any wobbler.
2. It is necessary to constantly monitor the behavior of the bait in the water, noticing the features and using them for your own purposes.
3. If the wobbler “does not catch” on several fishing trips in a row, then the best remedy is to find a person who has exactly the same wobbler in his favorites and temporarily exchange baits with him. This will bring a positive result - verified.
4. The pike is guided by the sideline, so the physical and mechanical properties of the bait are important to her, and not how much it looks like a real fish and how shiny it is.

As a conclusion, it should be noted that the pike is not interested in the price of a wobbler, but it will appreciate the high-quality supply of bait at the right time in the right place. And therefore it is very important for yourself to answer the question of who is in charge of fishing.