Fishing with a balance beam in winter. Balancer fishing technique. How to fish with a balance beam: technique and tactics, catchy maneuvers Correct fishing with a balance beam

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A winter fishing rod for fishing with balance beams differs significantly from a traditional fishing rod for fishing with a jig in its dimensions, and it also has a handle. In order to properly equip a fishing rod for vertical trolling, first, you must decide in what environment and what kind of fish you want to catch. If there are “humpback whales” weighing at least one kilogram in a reservoir, then, unlike fishing for a three-hundred-gram perch, here you need to use strong and reliable gear. For a beginner, I can recommend the following fishing rod configuration.

Choosing a fishing rod for fishing with balance beams

For such fishing, a rod thirty to thirty-five centimeters long with a cork handle and a reel with a diameter of about fifty centimeters is suitable. The rod whip should be stiff and the reel should rotate easily.

Preferably, the stiffness of the whip should be medium, the reel should spin freely and not jam.

If you use a balancer, then preference should be given to stiffer whips.

Choosing a reel for winter fishing with balance beams

The thickness of the fishing line should be 0.12-0.18 mm (ideally 0.14-0.15 mm), and its quantity should be at least 50 meters. Since perch fishing is carried out at shallow depths, the fishing line must absorb vibrations big fish, and in a certain situation the reel is obliged to release a piece of fishing line. Don't forget before the start of each season winter fishing reel in new fishing line, otherwise you risk being left without gear.

Kuusamo 50 balance beams for perch fishing appeared relatively recently among domestic fishermen, but have already taken their rightful place in fishermen’s boxes, having proven themselves to be very catchy. In some situations, they easily bypass vertical spinners. Quite often, it is possible to catch a perch with a balancer, the size of which exceeds the size of the “striper” that was caught with a spoon.

There are two types of balancers: with a soft wool tail and a plastic tail. Among the most popular models of balancers are devices from Rapala (length from 30mm) and Kuusamo (50mm). Small balancers should be used at shallow depths; accordingly, large balancers are used in holes and depressions.

Choosing the right place to fish for perch in winter is an integral part of successful fishing. Before identifying a fishing spot, very often you have to work by drilling several holes in the ice. The thicker the ice becomes, the more difficult it is to determine the location of the perch, since, with the build-up of a block of ice, the fish moves to the middle of the reservoir and hides at depth in snags. If you find a school, then fishing will be successful, although it often happens that after several fish are caught, the bite stops. In this case, you need to sprinkle the hole with snow and return to it a little later.

How to fish correctly with balance beams

The game, when fishing with a balance beam, should be smooth, without sudden jerks. Depending on the model you choose, you yourself determine the duration of the pause. And by looking into the hole, you can easily determine the operating time of the balancer. Don't forget to time the time it takes for the bait to stop completely underwater. We recommend watching an interesting video that shows underwater filming of perch fishing with artificial bait.

The best balancers for perch in winter

There are many good lures for catching stripers from ice, and we can rank perch balancers, naming only 5–10 best models, not easy. Anyone who has ever tried to do this knows this well.

Rapala Jigging Rap

The Rapala Jigging Rap is already a legendary bait among bass lovers. This balancer has already been featured on the pages of our online magazine, but it wouldn’t hurt to remind you about this model once again.

A universal bait that can be used in a variety of conditions. The 2 and 3 cm long models are well suited for catching small and medium-sized perch at depths of up to 2 m in still water and slow currents. A 5 cm bait catches perch of various sizes, and with a 7 cm balancer you can hunt for trophy specimens.

Depending on the activity of the fish, the retrieve can be smooth or sharper: in the first case, mainly wide swings of the fishing rod are used, and in the second, short jerks with an amplitude of up to 5-7 cm are used. If the fish is passive, pauses of up to 10 seconds can be maintained between strokes.

The approximate price of Rapala Jigging Rap is about $5.

Lucky John Pliant

The Lucky John Pliant balancer is attractive to any bass fisherman. This balancer is best used when fishing at a depth of at least a meter. It attracts both active and passive bass and is suitable for use as a search engine.

It’s worth experimenting with this bait, trying different wiring options. On an ascent, the balancer goes far to the side. At the top point it lies on its side and moves sideways and down, and at the lowest point it turns around. Pliant works well on short (5-7 cm) sharp jerks.

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This bait costs about $5.

Aqua Proglot

The Aqua Proglot balancer is ideal for beginner fishermen. Proglot is suitable for fishing at a depth of 40 cm. If this balancer is thrown into a hole, it flies down vertically, and when the fishing line is tensioned, it takes a horizontal position and clearly beats with its tail. This game attracts active perch well.

Proglot has a smooth gameplay, it works both with classic animation and short sharp twitches. This bait smoothes out the angler's mistakes well, so it is suitable for beginners.

Balancers from Aqua have a low price, but they are not always made of high quality. Before buying, you should turn the bait in your hands and carefully inspect it.

For Aqua Proglot you will have to pay about $1.5.

Nils Master Baby Shad

Trophy perch actively bite on the Nils Master Baby Shad. This bait was designed for deep sea fishing, but it can be used at depths of half a meter. Nils Master Baby Shad is good for catching trophy bass.

This balancer works on any wiring, and it doesn’t go far to the side when climbing. The more energetic the action, the more attractive the bait may be to the bass. After purchasing, you should definitely experiment with animation options, as Baby Shad has a lot of possibilities.

This balancer costs about $3.

Aqua Hopper

The Aqua Hopper balancer smoothes out angler mistakes. This bait is suitable for fishing at depths from 20 cm to 4 m. Hopper can show good results when the bite is weak, since it continues to swing its nose from side to side even after stopping, and this usually attracts passive perch well.

The bait has a clear and predictable game. It is suitable for beginners, as it smoothes out the angler’s mistakes well. Animation options range from sharp, frequent twitches to delicate stretches. The game of the bait on standard wiring is classic. If, after a sharp swing, you give the line slack, the balancer goes far to the side.

Aqua Hopper costs about $1.5.

Spider Pro 106

The Spider Pro 106 balance beam reminds a perch of a feeding fish. Spider Pro 106 is suitable for fishing at depths of 20-25 cm. It plays well in different animation options, clearly working both sharp jerks and delicate pulls. On a classic wiring, the balancer, starting to turn at the top point, actively shows its belly.

When playing with this bait, you can also perform frequent twitches at the bottom - the balancer will hit the ground with the front hook, imitating a feeding fish. With short, sharp twitches, the bait moves far to the side, while the angle of elevation decreases.

Spider Pro costs $1-1.5.

Aqua Fat Man

The Aqua Fatman balancer is more suitable for experienced fishermen. Despite its large mass, this balancer can be used in shallow water from 40-50 cm. At such a shallow depth, the Fat Man can handle both sharp twitches and smooth pulls well. At the same time, you don’t feel any blows to the hand while playing the bait.

This balancer has a very wide range of capabilities, but its animation requires some skill. Therefore, the Fatman may not be the best choice for a beginning angler. Before using the bait, it is worth experimenting to find the best wiring.

Aqua Fat Man costs $1.5-2.

When choosing a specific balancer model in a store, it is worth considering that in perch hunting, the most catchy ones, as a rule, are balancers about 4-5 cm long.

Each of the baits presented in the rating has been on the market for more than one year. This means that they all managed to pass the test of time. Some of these balancers are more famous and popular, some less so, but they all catch perch well. And everything else depends on the skill of the fisherman.

Winter fishing is unthinkable without balancers– catchable baits for catching predatory fish. The balancer is especially good during the period from the appearance of the first ice and before the onset of severe January frosts. Large and medium sized ones readily go for it.

For fishing you will need fishing rod with friction reel And the balancer itself. And of course, a little stubbornness and endurance, which a real fisherman cannot do without.

Choosing a balancer is an important process that has its own rules. All the intricacies of the “correct” balancer will be discussed in the video that is presented to your attention.

Basic rules for choosing a balancer

For perch fishing, balancers are selected according to the following parameters:

  • Balancer length (more often called size among fishermen) – recommended – 3-4 centimeters. These balancer sizes are optimal for catching medium and large perch.
  • The weight of most balancers of a given length will be from 4 to 6 grams.
  • Colors suitable for catching perch should be natural colors and imitate bleak or perch.
  • The quality of the hooks is also important. With bad hooks there will be many outcomes and a bad bite.

The best balancers

Four best bass fishing balancers recommended for purchase:


Balancer of the company Lucky John"(Lucky John), model Classic4 centimeter Colored to match white fish - bleak, roach, perch. The price is a little more 2 dollars. Suitable for catching large specimens.


Balancer of the company Lucky John"(Lucky John), model Classic3 centimeter Suitable for smaller perch.

Important! The choice of size depends on the reservoir – its size and depth. On large bodies of water it is better to use a large model. On small lakes it is shallower. Selection by depth: for fishing up to 2.5-3 meters, a three is suitable; for a depth of 5 to 6 meters it is better to use a four.


Balancer of the company Rapala» size 3 centimeters, colors perch– natural perch, weight 6 grams. Excellent for catching perch. The treble hook comes as a standard set with a balancer. The cost of such a kit is about 5 dollars.

On a note. Under "Lucky John" tees are sold separately. They have a glowing fluorescent droplet. Price in the area 1 dollar.


Balancer made in Ukraine " Krapal» size 3 centimeters, made by Ukrainian craftsmen by hand. Good quality. Price approx. 1.5 dollars.

Finding perch in a large area of ​​water is a tedious task. In such cases, fishermen use echo sounders for winter fishing. Read about how to choose a data echo sounder in our article ““. If none of these balancers resonate with you, then perhaps you can choose something you like from the small ones.

Features of winter fishing

A properly selected balancer is only half the battle! For fishing to be truly successful, you need to take into account the behavior of perch in winter. And he behaves lazily, rarely moving long distances. It's time to talk about the features of the technique of catching perch on a balance beam:

  • Having drilled one hole and sat near it for several hours, You won't be able to catch a lot of fish! It is best to drill ten to twenty holes immediately after arriving at the reservoir. Distance between them should not exceed five to seven meters. By actively moving between the holes, you will definitely be able to attract a flock of perch.
  • Play with a balancer actively no need. Perch is passive in cold water and will not want to catch up with nimble prey. During the game, be sure to do pauses at least five seconds.
  • First, the balancer sinks to the bottom, then slowly rises twenty centimeters and remains motionless. After a pause, the bait rises a little higher, about ten centimeters. At the same time, gentle swaying of the hand is done. After a pause, the balancer drops to the bottom and the game repeats.
  • Can be bait hit bottom so that the silt rises - usually perch are attracted to such movements. The balance beam rises ten centimeters, a pause is made. After which the lift is made another half a meter with swaying - “ ” at the end of the upward movement. In case of failure, the game begins with the next lowering of the balancer to the bottom.

Fishing on a balance beam in winter - underwater video

I highly recommend watching underwater filming of the behavior of a perch when fishing with a balance beam in order to better understand how this bait behaves in action. It should be noted that after watching this video, winter will seem best time of the year. and catching perch on a balance beam is one of the most interesting activities during this period.

Common errors

No one is immune from mistakes, but the more we know others, the less we make our own.

Worth paying attention on the following nuances.

  • Small fishing line thickness is acceptable! Optimal choice – 0,18-0,22 millimeter. Moreover, you need to check the thickness yourself, without blindly trusting everything what do the manufacturers write?.
  • Better give up the leash, no matter how great the temptation to use it. The leash disrupts the game of the balancer, which affects the bite. Certainly, if suddenly a pike bites, without a leash you can lose the balancer, but the perch will be caught better without it.
  • The knot of the fishing line must be reliable, and the tip of the fishing line behind the knot must have a length not less than 10 millimeters so that it does not accidentally come undone while fishing for fish. Books for anglers describe in detail all the methods of tying strong knots. You should carefully study the instructions and be sure to put them into practice. An example of one of the best nodes would be the " " node.
  • To avoid chafing of the tied line, it is recommended to solder a small ring of copper wire to the balancer arm. After this, the bait will always hang evenly, and the fishing line will stop fraying - the metal of the new ring is soft and burrs resulting from wear are not dangerous.
  • Many fishermen refuse from using the gatehouse. But without it it is impossible to feel with your hand attack from below. It’s better, after all, to buy it and use it for fishing! For convenience, the guard is attached to the tip bright ball, this makes tracking easier - your eyes don’t get tired.

How are things going with you? with winter perch fishing? Please share, is there a rich catch this season? Which brands of balancers have you used and what was your impression of them? If you have any of your own tricks and notes regarding the choice of balancers, we will be glad to read about them.

Fishing for perch and pike with a balance beam in winter is one of the most common methods of winter fishing for predatory fish, especially at the beginning of winter. Balancers are quite productive and catchy, especially on the first ice and before the January cold. And if the jig is mostly used for not very large perch, then the balancer still catches a larger predator, and there are decent pike in the grass.


Fishing with balance beams: typical mistakes

Many problems happen with the fishing line and its attachment to the bait. Recently I heard complaints from an angler who, for once, had a large perch bite on the balancer, but near the hole he broke off the fishing line... 0.1 mm. As they say, comments are unnecessary.

The thickness of the fishing line is optimal in the range of 0.18-0.22 mm, but the real section, and not what is indicated on the packaging. And the strength of the fishing line needs to be checked periodically, at least by hand.

A fishing line of this diameter breaks with great difficulty, when it already seems that your hand is about to be cut. A strong fishing line is needed not only to pull out large fish, although this is also important, but also to save the balancer when it gets caught on grass, shells, etc.

It's hard to resist the temptation to put on a leash - but you have to. It cannot but worsen the game of the balancer; the leash moves perpendicular to its axis and its entire length with thickenings at the ends, a clasp and a carabiner creates additional turbulence in the water.

Some people will ask: what if a pike bites? Alas, the duel will most likely end in favor of the toothy one; and the loss of the spinner has to be treated philosophically - as inevitable.

Unfortunately, many losses of lures occur due to the banal untying of a knot when playing a fish, and not from its teeth. The knot should be used only from those recommended in fishing literature. For example, a knot for tying summer lures is very reliable. And it’s important: the tip of the fishing line needs to be cut away from the knot, 8-10 mm. It doesn’t interfere with the game, but it won’t let the knot get untied.

Another problem is the assembly rubbing against the balancer arm. If a predator is caught on one of the side hooks, then when fishing for fish, a large distortion occurs at the place where the balancer is attached, as on a rocker with one full bucket. At the same time, the knot, overcoming friction, slides and moves to the edge of the bow. It constantly has to be corrected by moving it back; otherwise the spoon hangs crookedly, and its attractiveness in the eyes of the fish decreases.

If there are burrs on the bow, sooner or later the line on the knot will fray...

In order not to check the position of the knot after each fish caught (in the heat of the bite you simply forget about this), and in order to get rid of the “disease” of rubbing the knot, I solder a small oval ring made of copper wire to the bow of the balancer, and then tie the fishing line to it. Copper is a soft metal, burrs on the fishing line are not a problem, and the balancer always hangs evenly.

For the same purpose, many fishermen use small wire snap fasteners, usually sold with Although there is still debate whether such modernization worsens the performance of the bait, I think their use is quite justified, it immediately becomes easier to change the balancers. In the end, during the most capricious bite, the fastener can be removed by tying the fishing line directly to the spoon.

The question arises about the role of the swivel: supposedly it prevents the line from twisting. There are fishermen who specially tie a swivel for this purpose in a break in the fishing line, about forty centimeters from the balancer (so high that it does not affect the play of the spinner). From my point of view, such an improvement is unnecessary.

Observing the movement of the balancer in the water after swinging the rod, you can see that, having made a figure eight, it begins to rotate, unwinding the fishing line. But it is during this phase that most bites occur. This means that the fish like this rotation.

An important element of success is a bite alarm - a watchdog. It is puzzling the persistence with which some, usually already advanced, fishermen continue to flash a fishing rod without a guard, hoping to feel a bite with their hands.

I assure you that it is often only by a well-adjusted guard that it is possible to determine the hesitant touch of a predator on the spoon.

And the attack of the bait from below, when the guard straightens, cannot be felt at all without it.

Good guards are made from a flat metal plate of the required rigidity, for example, a clock spring. In stores they are sold covered with bright enamel. They are inexpensive, but a few finally noticed bites can ensure a catch. It’s a good idea to put a guard on the tip of this lightweight plastic ball of stand-out color.

Then all that remains is to follow with your eyes not the guard, but only this ball.

Now - about fishing technique. When fishing with balance beams, many still make two big mistakes. These are powerful strokes, as when fishing with a vertical spoon, and fishing only the bottom area. In fact, the strokes should be with a small amplitude, 5-10 centimeters at the tip of the guard.

However, one can welcome the variety of the game: individual swings with a large amplitude, continuous swinging of the spoon like a jig, including gradual lowering and raising of the tackle, etc.

You need to fish all tiers of the water space with equal persistence. The simplest technique is as follows. Rewind the line until the spoon touches the bottom. This immediately determines the depth of the place. Raising the bait slightly, make 10-12 strokes.

Rotating the reel, wind the fishing line 30-40 centimeters. Again 10-12 strokes. And so on - all the way to the ice. If bites occur at some depth, this place is fished with all the care and variety of game, but then the rise to the top must be continued.

You can fish in the same way, but gradually lowering the line, from the ice to the bottom.

Based on the analysis of the nature of the bites, the impression may arise that the perch rises from the lower layers of the water following the playing balancer, and only suspecting that the potential prey is about to escape does it attack. At least, if you start playing on a new hole from the depth at which there were bites before, then bites are unlikely to happen right away. But having fished a couple of tiers up or down, you can hope for a well-deserved grip from a predator.

S. Chetvertkov

Winter fishing with a balance beam has become widespread among ice spinners. This fishing method is gaining more and more fans. Some fishermen use only this bait on ice. Station wagons, among other pieces of hardware, are also armed with a box with these baits. Fishing in winter with balancers is also used separately, but it is more advisable to use these tackles in combination with spoons, vibrations and other baits. It is impossible to predict in advance what fish in a reservoir will respond best to at a particular time. In this article we will look at the general features and secrets of fishing with a balance beam in winter.

What does a balancer look like for ice fishing?

The balancer is a full-bodied, heavy bait for vertical fishing with a back attachment. The bait itself hangs strictly horizontally in the water (a slight rise of the nose is allowed). They are usually equipped with two single hooks (in the nose and tail) and a hanging treble under the belly. In the rear part there is an angled plastic blade, which makes it yaw to the sides when pulled. In addition to this type of game, depending on body shape and balance, good ones also perform other movements in the water.

How to choose balancers for winter fishing? To successfully fish with a balance beam, one must master the technique of the game, properly equip the fishing rods and apply certain tactics (depending on the type of fish, the period of winter and the conditions of the reservoir). There is a wide variety of models on store shelves, varying in color, weight, and body shape. The choice of bait also depends on the depth of the reservoir where it is planned to be used. Deep-water lures will not perform correctly in shallow water, and vice versa. Recently, silicone balancers for winter fishing, plastic ones, and also combined ones have appeared. The body of a standard bait is often made of lead and painted.

Tackle

For winter fishing with a balance beam, you need clearly tuned gear, depending on the weight of the bait and the depth of fishing. A fishing rod for fishing with balance beams needs to be elastic in order to feel the game. At the same time, a very soft fishing rod that falls through when swung is not suitable. The golden mean is chosen. To fish at depth with heavy bait, you will need a fairly powerful but sensitive fishing rod equipped with a reel. When fishing for small perch in the shallows, ultra-light tackle with a nod is suitable. In winter, perch often bites sluggishly; the tackle should register weak bites on the rise. Often anglers make their own rods from feeder or carbon rods.

The equipment when fishing with balance beams in winter also depends on the size and depth. So with any installation components:

  1. Correct .
  2. Choosing fishing line for winter fishing with balance beams.
  3. Correct tying of the bait and its position in the water.
  4. Rod equipment (if necessary).

You need strong tackle and large baits. Pike loves to stand in snags and bushes, so fishing often takes place in such places. In such places, due to the specifics of the game, the balance beam often clings to bushes and underwater grass. Therefore, the fisherman needs a special cut. Some fishermen equip the bait with a metal leash, for fear of losing it in the pike's teeth. Experienced fishermen recommend not using a metal leash, justifying this by a clear improvement in the bite when using transparent materials. It is better to use thin tungsten or fluorocarbon (twisted from 2-3 threads) as a leash.

Pike perch, of course, is a desired trophy for every angler. There is even a special detachment of fishermen that stands out from the general mass, specializing in catching this fish in winter. The tactic is to survey a fairly large area and promising places. If during the day you catch holes where the predator rests, then at night you should look for the prickly pirate at the exits from these places, edges, tables and nearby shallows. This is where the pike perch comes out to feed in the dark. In winter, pike perch loves sluggish, calm play. The pause after the toss is maintained as long as possible. You need a rigid rod, capable of cutting through the tough mouth of this predator. Compliance with the same nuances requires winter fishing bersha. These fish are similar both in lifestyle and in appearance.

Other fish

Winter fishing with a balance beam is not limited to perch, pike or pike perch. Asp, chub, and large rotan are caught with this bait in winter. There are carp, large crucian carp, ide and other white fish. Such cases are common when using the smallest microbalancers.

The exciting activity of catching perch in winter on a balance beam requires careful preparation and skill. You need to buy gear and choose a fishing rod of the right size and stiffness.

Perch is rarely caught with a large and heavy balance beam, and to catch it you need to use special tricks and methods. For example, large perch prefers to feed on its own kind, smaller individuals.

The balancer is an active type of bait; the perch likes the way it quickly scours around. You can catch it only in eighty cases out of a hundred, because it often makes idle bites.

To reduce their number, it is necessary to reduce the speed of the bait, all jerks should be smooth with a pause. It is better that the color of the bait is provocative, bright, defiant. This way it will be clearly visible even in cloudy weather. When dropped, a high-quality bait will sway from side to side, irritating the fish.

Secrets of winter fishing for perch with a balancer

Most often, for this type of fishing, a rod thirty or forty centimeters long is taken. Many people buy it with a whip or reel with automatic braking. Using a balancer, the bite will be more frequent, but sometimes you need to spend a lot of time waiting for a bite, and if you lose vigilance, a rod with a brake will save you.

The balancer for a perch must be at least four centimeters in size. You should not make sudden, unmotivated, jerky movements with the rod. The bait should play softly to the sides, and not dangle in vain, scaring away all the fish around. The rod must be chosen to be sufficiently rigid and balanced. It can be with a nod made of hard wire; thanks to its use, the wiring will be more controlled and natural.

In some cases, a different technique is justified and jerks can be made sharp and clear, which will help catch the most active perch from the entire school. The softly moving imitation of a small fish attracts a large predator.

After the balancer touches the bottom, it will float up about fifteen centimeters and will hang motionless, so you need to make swings with the brush, raising the upper part of the fishing rod by twenty centimeters. Many people recommend pausing between movements for up to seven seconds.

Tactics

The main thing when catching perch on a balance beam is to take pauses, thanks to them you can catch ninety percent of the fish.

Stopping movement is the basis of any bait game. Thanks to other movements, the fish is attracted, it becomes convinced that there is a live small fry in front of it and begins to sharply attack it precisely during the pause. Perch always attacks the hook, the lower tee.

Technique

Secrets of the technique of catching perch in winter using a balance beam:

  • You can hit it several times on the bottom to lift the dirt from it. Then the balancer must be raised half a meter, and then another forty centimeters, after two or three seconds. After a pause, you need to raise it one more time by forty centimeters. In this way, you can tempt a well-fed and capricious individual to bite at the end of autumn and winter. Another way to play with bait is to sharply raise it by forty centimeters without dropping it. When he stops, they do it again and go back to normal movements.
  • When the bite is weak, they don’t put a regular tee on the balancer, but one with an eye made of bright, attractive plastic. Instead of a tee, it is recommended to use a front sight with an eye. It needs to be secured to the bottom with a short leash made of fishing line of the same thickness as the base one. It is better to put a hook number 10-12 on it, this is according to the accepted international classification.
  • The bite is affected by the speed of diving and retrieving, sometimes they need to be slow. Perch often begins to attack, sometimes on a quickly falling bait, and sometimes on a slowly falling one. Whether the fish will bite or not may depend on the wind and pressure, light and humidity. In winter you often have to change places; sometimes 80% of the time is spent searching for perch and only 20% on the fishing itself.
  • If there are no bites, then it is best to move on to drill a new hole after five or seven meters. This is the best distance because the perch gather in schools and form a circle with a diameter of three meters. Making holes every five or seven meters, it will be impossible to miss him.


Perch tackle for balancer

fishing line

It is worth paying special attention to the choice of fishing line. In the cold, it becomes less elastic and more fragile, which can lead to its breakage at the most inopportune moment. It comes into contact with sharp ice and may break due to friction. Many people recommend buying monofilament fishing line no less than 0.15 or 0.21 millimeters thick.

When choosing a balancer, you should pay attention to its characteristics; if it is thick, this will contribute to natural drift in the water column. When purchasing it, you need to pay special attention to the size of the hooks and how durable they are.

To securely secure the bait, you do not need to tie it to the fishing line, but use a small fastener that does not have a swivel, which will prevent it from chafing. If you take a thick fishing line, then you can use not a fastener, but tie the bait with a special type of knot, the so-called Rapal knot, which does not disturb its soft natural play.

Balancers are made specifically different in length and weight, which makes it possible to use them at different depths and types of reservoirs. There is not one universal bait of this type for all occasions; it has not yet been invented.

Whatever fishing technique or equipment is used, when fishing for winter perch with this kind of bait, it is important to remember that this fish can swim in the bottom thick water, but also in the middle depth of the reservoir, and often at the edge at the very top. Often you need to try to fish at any depth of the reservoir and then go to another place to drill. Achieving success is often achieved through active search, you need to move a lot and drill often.

Using a balancer is also effective because the fish behaves like a small cat that loves when something moves sharply in front of its nose. The bait reminds this predator of a small live fish. The balancer is exactly what the perch likes most, and if done correctly, the catch can be many times more serious than when using other methods, methods and tools for fishing.

Catching perch in winter using a balance beam video

Catching humpback video

Active biting of large perch in winter.

Underwater photography of catching perch in winter on a balance beam

Underwater filming of catching perch in winter using a balance beam video. The underwater video was filmed from two cameras: one in the hands of a scuba diver, the second in a submarine. By the end of the fishing trip, the diver was very cold and barely warmed up. For the first time I was able to combine first-person fishing with underwater shooting. For fishing with an underwater camera, the bite turned out to be simply excellent: more than 3 kg of fish + 1 bonus humpback perch! The effectiveness of regular fishing and fishing with an underwater camera differs significantly!!! On this day everything worked out as it should! The underwater world of reservoirs is hidden from our view. It's like another universe, fascinating and amazing with its beauty.

Lessons on catching perch with balance beams from the pros

Continuing the topic:
Exercises

Vadim Knyrko - about the coach who made Domracheva a three-time champion of Sochi 2014.