Installation of winter girders for pike: equipment and fishing methods. How to make a girder for winter fishing with your own hands - recommendations and drawings Do-it-yourself girders from a pipe

In this article, we examined for you the process of making a pike girder with your own hands, talked about its correct equipment, installation and features of fishing with its use for predators in the summer.

The classic version of a pike fishing rod is a slingshot carved from wood or made from wire with equipment wound on it.

The main components of the girder equipment are:

sliding lead olive sinker;
thin metal leash with;
or .

Use such simple gear throughout the open water season to catch not only pike, but also large perch and pike perch.

You can fish with girders on such reservoirs as:

flowing lakes and ponds rich in thickets of aquatic vegetation;
small rivers and streams with fallen trees, flooded snags, thickets of water lilies and reeds;
backwaters of large rivers and large reservoirs.

The main advantages of the zherlitsa include:

ease of manufacture;
fairly quick installation;
the most common self-hooking of pike that has swallowed live bait;
no need for constant monitoring.

Among the disadvantages, many anglers point out a certain passivity of girder fishing - in most cases, the pike takes live bait and hooks itself when the fisherman is not around.

Also, the disadvantages of this gear include the very frequent breakage of the line due to the fact that the hooked fish goes into nearby reed thickets or snags and there the line gets tangled in underwater stems or submerged tree branches.

As a result, the fisherman has no choice but to break the line, losing both the catch and a significant part of the equipment.

Features of fishing with a zherlitsa in summer

When catching pike on a girder in the summer, you need to take into account a number of features:

Making a zherlitsa with your own hands

Homemade girder

To make a classic pole for summer pike fishing with your own hands, prepare the following tools:

wood hacksaw;
hatchet;
sharp knife;
pliers.

Materials you will need:

branch with several branches;
monofilament line;
lead sinker;
metal leash;
thin aluminum tubes;
swivel;
double hook.

The process of making a homemade girder:

The process of making a zherlitsa with your own hands

Live bait for fishing

Among the live baits used for catching pike on a girder, use juveniles of the following fish species:

goldfish;
perch;
roach;
rudd;
gudgeon

Topwater and bleak are not suitable as live bait - these fish very quickly lose their mobility and fall asleep.

Also, do not use prickly ruffe for girders, which pike, unlike pike perch, do not eat. Do not place small white breams and white breams with a wide body on pike baits as live bait.

Attach live bait in the following ways:

carefully pierce the back of the bait fish with any of the double hooks just above the dorsal fin;
pierce the upper lip of the live bait with a hook;
pass the leash through the gills into the mouth of the bait fish, put a double hook on it, then pull the leash and fix the hook in the mouth of the fry.

Store live bait in bulk buckets or special buckets - cans. At high temperatures, change the water as often as possible and do not expose the container to direct sunlight.

Store live bait in bulk buckets or special buckets - cans

Pike fishing

Choosing a fishing spot

Install the girders in promising places, securing them to the top of a pole 2-3 meters long

In summer, pike most often prefer places such as:

thickets of water lilies and reeds;
creeks and small backwaters;
areas with weak currents below lying trees, snags, and driftwood that have fallen into the water;
stuck whirlpools.

The coastal zone is a habitat for grass pikes and medium-sized specimens weighing up to 1 kg. Larger individuals stay in deep holes and pools.

Installation of the vent

Install the girders in promising places, securing them to the top of a 2-3 meter long pole, cut directly on the shore of the reservoir. Sharpen the thick butt of the pole with a hatchet and firmly stick it into the shore so that the slingshot with fishing line hangs above the water at a height of 40-50 cm.

To correctly place the poles from the boat, stick the poles into the bottom at a slight angle.

Installation diagram of the vent

Techniques for catching pike on girders in summer

Catching pike with summer fishing rods includes several stages:

choosing the right place to install the vent with the possibility of approaching it;
measuring depth using a fishing rod with a sinker-depth gauge;
live bait bait;
arrangement of vents with a distance between them of at least 20-25 meters;
periodically checking gear with removing caught pike and replacing dead or damaged live bait with fresh ones.

Checking gear

The pike bite and the presence of a catch are clearly visible from the unwound and stretched fishing line

Check the placed vents at least once every few hours. Leave gear installed in the evening overnight and check it early in the morning.

If there are no signs that the pike has taken the bait and hooked, check the girders only to make sure that the bait has not fallen asleep. If you find a sleepy fish on the hook, replace it with a fresh one from the cane.

The pike bite and the presence of a catch are clearly visible from the unwound and stretched fishing line. In such cases, as a rule, you don’t have to hook - the pike is already very firmly and reliably “sitting” on the hook.

With a sufficiently strong and thick fishing line, fish out the prey confidently and quickly, while removing large specimens with a voluminous landing net with a long handle or hook.

Remove a small pike from the water by holding it under the gills.

What you should never do is stick your fingers into a pike’s mouth - the predator’s small teeth are very sharp and leave painful and long-healing cuts.

When making a girder Do not remove the bark from the slingshot - this allows you to disguise the tackle. A sanded light gill can alert a suspicious pike;
The length of the fishing line must be at least 10 meters. Select the thickness taking into account the snags of the fishing area - in areas with a small number of hooks, use monofilament with a cross-section of 0.3-0.35 mm; if there are a large number of flooded trees, use a thicker fishing line with a diameter of 0.4-0.5 mm;
When there is a weak current or when fishing in backwaters and near the reeds, use small sinkers in the girder rig - this allows the bait fish to cover a large thickness of water when moving, rising from the bottom layers to the surface itself, thereby increasing the likelihood of a predator biting;
When installing a pole holder use only freshly cut raw branches - easily accessible dry branches, even with great thickness, can break at the most crucial moment and the pike will drag away the tackle;
It is important to tie the harness firmly-to do this, use a loop-to-loop knot.

Take action!

When fishing for pike with a girder on a small (10-15 meters wide) river with a small current, an abundance of backwaters and creeks, thickets of aquatic vegetation and an average depth of about 2.5-3 meters:

It is not difficult to make zherlitsa with your own hands. Moreover, many experienced winter fishermen do this, since often store-bought options are of poor quality and still have to be modified. So why spend more when this simple but effective winter gear is easy to make yourself?

In general, the zherlitsa is very common in all regions where ice fishing takes place. This tackle has proven its worth over many decades. Our great-grandfathers also fished with it, and the very idea inherent in this method of fishing has survived to this day and continues to give good results on any body of water, be it a small lake or pond, or a huge reservoir or large river.

Compared to vertical lures, the winter lure is not such a sporting tackle. Therefore, some fishermen, especially those involved in sport fishing, do not accept this method of fishing. However, with an active search and intense biting, you have to run across the ice until you find fish or to the constantly “lighting up” flags.

Important! According to the “Rules of Amateur and Sports Fishing”, the number of fishing poles per person should not exceed five!

The advantages of fishing on girders are as follows:

The versatility of the gear. Zherlitsy can be used on any body of water. They work in small toad fields and small ponds. They show excellent results in vast areas of water. Installation of live bait can occur at the minimum possible depth or in a large hole.
Efficiency. Open all season. It allows you to catch a predator even in the dead of winter, when other methods are practically ineffective.
Cheapness. Manufacturing and equipping the girder does not require large expenditures. All materials and elements can be obtained from nearby fishing and hardware stores.
Simplicity. Structurally, this is a very simple tackle. Any novice winter fisherman can master making winter live bait.

All the disadvantages of the girders are more related to the fishing process itself than to any design features of the gear or the inaccessibility of its individual elements:

A constant supply of fresh live bait is required. It has to be prepared in advance or caught directly in the reservoir.
Arranging gear and then moving it around the water area is a labor-intensive task.
In the wind or high snow cover, the fishing line can often get tangled, which interferes with the full fishing process.

So, let's look at what are the main types of this gear and how to make a winter harness?

What types of girders are most in demand?

There are so many different designs of vents that have not been invented. Each region has its own characteristics, but all this gear consists of three main elements:

Base. It can be anything that gives the structure stability on ice.
Coil. Its purpose is to store the fishing line and allow it to flow freely when a predator grabs the bait.
Bite alarm. Usually a flag is used for the bait, designed to inform the fisherman that the predator has grabbed the bait and started moving away from the hole.

The equipment of the winter girder is also not very different and can only vary slightly depending on the fishing conditions. This is influenced by the strength of the current and depth.

The most common types of vents can be grouped as follows:

Live bait on a wide base. The most famous design, which is sold in all stores. It's also easy to do yourself.
On the rail. Its advantage is its compactness and ease of manufacture at home.
On legs. In demand on high snow cover. More difficult to make than those listed above.
Subglacial vent. Easy to make. It is used more often for night winter fishing.
A shapeshifter on legs. It is used less often, but it is very easy to make using scrap materials.

All described winter live baits have their advantages and disadvantages. Let's take a closer look at how to make a vent of one design or another with your own hands.

Broad based

Making a vent on a wide base is quite simple. To do this, you need to take a small plastic reel, which should have free movement. Having grabbed the bait, the predator must begin to reel in the line without feeling any resistance, otherwise it may become alert and spit out the bait.

The signaling device for the girder is most often made of a steel plate, clock or other type of spring. A rectangular or triangular piece of brightly colored fabric is attached to its upper part. When there is a bite, the flag must “shoot”, informing the fisherman that the fish has taken the bait.

Any suitable piece of plywood, fiberglass or plastic is used as a base. It can be rectangular, square or round in shape. A hole and a slot for the fishing line are made in it. A reel and a bite alarm are attached to it.

The described design of the girder is stably located on the ice, compact and easy to manufacture. However, it is inconvenient to fish with it on high snow cover.

Photo 1. Zherlitsa on a wide base.

On the rail

This type of winter live bait is somewhat similar to the baitfish described above. However, the proposed option is more compact and very easy to make at home:

Take a wooden rectangular strip of suitable size.
A hole is drilled in the middle into which the fishing line will be passed.
A flag is attached to one end of the rod, and a coil is attached to the opposite end.

That's it, installation of the girder is completed.

Advice! Such homemade girders are not suitable for fishing on snowy ice. They are also difficult to see from a long distance.

On legs

There are many options for making live bait of this design. Mostly, one-legged and three-legged girders are used. The first one is much easier to do, but it is more difficult to securely fix it on the ice. The second is more difficult, but much more stable.

A pier on one leg is made as follows:

A leg is made from a metal or aluminum tube or corner, which will be stuck into the ice.
A reel with a flag is attached to it.
The coil is selected in the same way as in all other cases - small in size and made of plastic.
The alarm is made from a clock spring or elastic steel wire.

That's it, the vent on one leg is made. It is installed on ice by sticking the sharp lower part into the ice. For reliability, it is sprinkled with snow, which is watered with water. Then the live bait will never fall and the fish will not drag it away.

Advice! The legs on the legs are clearly visible from a long distance and are suitable for high snow cover.

During an active search, such girders are inconvenient, since their rearrangement takes a lot of time.

Photo 2. Vest on a leg.

Subglacial vent

These live baits are used in severe frosts or in situations where the gear needs to be left overnight. More often this design is used by burbot fishing enthusiasts. It is manufactured and installed on ice as follows:

A metal peg is driven into the ice.
A piece of thick fishing line or cord with a length slightly exceeding the thickness of the ice cover is tied to it.
At the other end of the cord, a homemade reel of a triangular or some similar pear-shaped shape is attached, onto which the equipment is wound.

Now all that remains is to measure the fishing depth, put live bait on the hook and lower the rig into the hole. In the morning the girders are checked. More often, a fresh hole is drilled nearby, the reel is pulled out with a hook, and the equipment is pulled out.

Changeling zherlitsa on legs

This live bait is very simple and requires minimal financial costs. It is made like this:

Take a piece of plastic tube about 40 cm long.
Several holes are made in it approximately in the middle, into which wire legs will be inserted.
At one end there is a slot for the fishing line.
The legs are two knitting needles or a piece of steel wire, also about 40 cm long.
The required amount of fishing line is wound onto the tube and equipment is made, consisting of a sinker, a leash and a hook.
We paint the lower part of the tube in a bright color. When a predator grabs the bait, it rises and the angler sees the bite.

Photo 3. Changeling.

The tackle is ready. Its disadvantage is the impossibility of comfortable fishing in high snow, and it is poorly visible from a long distance.

Almost every fisherman knows about the existence of a large number of different gear designed for catching any type of fish. This article talks about zherlitsy. This tackle is designed for winter fishing for predatory fish, especially pike.

This gear facilitates winter fishing for pike, since it refuses to bite on other types of bait. Despite the fact that there are both winter and summer designs, their operating principle is almost the same. The design of such gear includes a reel with fishing line and a flexible plate, at the end of which a bright flag is attached. The reel with fishing line and plate are located on a special holder.

As far as we know, there are several types of vents:

on the platform;
with vertical stand;
Taganka type;
vents with a flat base.

Priests on the platform

Gutters with a flat frame are very popular due to the simplicity of their design and operation. It can be easily and quickly installed on ice. Moreover, the flat base covers the hole, preventing it from freezing quickly. In addition, it shades the hole, which makes the tackle more catchable.

And yet, despite such promising indicators, this design has drawbacks. As winter fishing enthusiasts note, such girders freeze to the ice and quickly fail. In the presence of wind, such a vent is simply blown away from the hole.

Vertical racks

Considering the fact that such girders are made of metal, problems with its operation cannot be avoided. In severe frosts, you cannot work with it with open hands, especially if your hands are wet, and without this you can’t do winter fishing. Closer to spring, when the sun begins to warm up, the metal heats up very quickly and the ice begins to melt when installing the vent, which leads to its collapse.

Taganka type vents

This design rests on three legs and is made of aluminum. Like all types of poles, it consists of a spool of fishing line and a signal pole. Despite its apparent stability, it can easily fall if bitten. In addition, it can simply be blown away by the wind. The disadvantage of this design is the complexity of its manufacture. The advantages include compactness and ease of use.

Important for every design

Any design of a girder must contain the basic elements on which the catchability and ease of use depend. What to pay attention to:

To ensure that bites are noticeable at a considerable distance, the signal flag is used only in bright colors.
The basis of the reel design should be plastic. The rotation of the reel should not be light, otherwise the line will definitely get tangled when biting.
A sufficient amount of fishing line is wound onto the spool so that you can fish at different depths.
The bite signaling element must have sufficient flexibility.

Equipment for pike rig

The basis of any fishing tackle is fishing line. Since the fishing line is not used so intensively on the girder, a fishing line from any company or any manufacturer is suitable for equipping it.

The diameter of the fishing line is selected depending on the size of the fish and can range from 0.2 to 0.4 mm. As a rule, up to 25 m of fishing line is wound on a reel. A leash is required. Both a metal and fluorocarbon leash are suitable, the main thing is that the pike cannot bite through it. Depending on the size of the live bait, the weight of the sinker is also selected. The ratio of the mass of live bait to the weight of the cargo should be within 1:2.5.

If the girder is installed on a river, then everything is much more complicated, since the size of the load is chosen depending on the speed of the current. The main thing is that the load can hold the bait at one point, closer to the bottom.

Construction and drawings of a winter vent

Fig.1. Base of the vent

The standard equipment includes: the base of the vent (Fig. 1), a spring signaling device, a box at the base, a coil on a stand and its fastening unit.

As a base, you can use materials such as plastic, plywood or aluminum. It is advisable to use aluminum 10 mm thick. At the base there is a coil attachment point (Fig. 2).

Fig.2. Methods for attaching the reel to the base

A-block with a groove for the foot and a locking screw:
1 – locking screw; 2 – rivets; 3 – stand; 4 – base; 5 – foot; 6 – block with a groove for the foot.
B-screw screwed into the base block:
1 – pin; 2 – screw; 3 – rivets; 4 – base; 5 – platform for the foot; 6 – foot; 7 – hole for the pin.
B-nut - wing on a screw:
1 – screw, tightened motionlessly; 2 – wing nut; 3 – base; 4 – rivets.

Figure 3 shows a diagram of fastening the parts of the vent

1 – base; 2 – box; 3 – coil; 4 – stand; 5 – rack mounting unit; 6 – fixing elements; 7 – hole for fishing line.

In Figure.3 It is shown that the center of hole “a” is located at a distance of 12 mm from the edge of the frame and lies parallel to the center of the fastening element. This distance depends on the amount of rotation of the coil, so it is found experimentally after installing the coil. The center of the reel should be aligned with the center of the hole intended for the passage of fishing line.

Fig.4– blank for the stand with cutting lines.

Fig.5– bracket for fastening.

Fig.6– nozzle box.

Fig.7– indicates two options for mounting the alarm:

using a plate;
using a corner:

Rack.
Nest.
Plate.
Rivets.
Corner.

Fig.8– the rack assembly is shown.

The process of making a winter vent with your own hands

Girders made of galvanized and stainless wire

To bend a reliable frame for the girder, you need to take a wire with a diameter of at least 3 mm and a length of 550 to 700 mm. The wire is bent to create a short and a long end. The short end does not reach the long end by approximately 100 mm. After this, the long end is bent so that it forms a spool holder.

A bite alarm made of flexible steel wire is attached to the short end. A bright flag is attached to the end of the alarm.

From a plastic tube

To do this, you need to take a plastic tube and cut off a part of the tube from it, from 10 to 16 cm long, depending on the fishing conditions. The thickness of the tube does not play a special role. For fishing from the shore, this can be a piece of tube from 13 to 16 cm long, and for fishing from ice, its length can be no more than 10 cm.

To begin with, a through hole with a diameter of about 6 mm is drilled at one end of the tube, and a hole with a diameter of 8-10 mm is drilled at the other end. A thin but strong rope with loops will pass through these 2 holes. A fishing line with a hook should be attached to one loop using a latch.

To keep the live bait in the water column (fishing from the shore), a piece of foam should be attached to the fishing line.

Wood frame construction

As a rule, pine or aspen are used, which are more resistant to moisture.

A reel is formed for the base of the structure. To do this, recesses are made on the end sides. To ensure that the line is pressed against the body of the reel, a wire retainer is screwed to it.
On the front side there are 2 wire clips with bent ends.
The thickness of the springs can be about 5 mm. One end of the spring is straightened by 9-10 cm.
The spring is attached to a wooden base. One end must be securely fixed.
A bright flag is attached to the straightened end. All that remains is to secure the fishing line with the hook and sinker, as well as bend the spring and secure it between the fixing parts. The zherlitsa is ready for use.

Subglacial vents

Such holes are easy to manufacture, since any unnecessary object that is longer than the diameter of the hole is suitable for this purpose. A plastic tube about 50 cm long should be attached to this object. A cut is made at the end of the tube so that the fishing line cannot fly off before the bite occurs. In case of a bite, the line jumps out of the cut, which allows the rest of the line to unwind freely from the tube. Since the tube is always in the water, such girders, left, for example, overnight, freeze by morning. To check it, you have to punch a hole nearby. Usually, with this method of fishing, the hole is covered at night, if, of course, there is something.

Made from duralumin strip and steel wire

The base of such gear is a duralumin strip (1x60x300 mm) with ends bent to one side. This will make it easier to install it on the ice. A hole is drilled in the center of the plate for attaching the coil, like an “ice block” or “hole”. A hole is drilled next to the reel for a fishing line with a hook.

The spring plays the role of a bite alarm, and an alarm made of bright material is attached to its end. The spring is attached to the end of the base and secured with a regular pin.

In working condition, the spring is pressed with a pin to the base. If there is a bite, the spring is released from the pin and ends up in a vertical position.

Two types from a rubber hose and using a spring from an alarm clock

To do this, you need 2 pieces of rubber hose, with a diameter of 1.5-2.0 cm and a length of 10 cm. A hole is made at one end of the rubber hose for attaching a loop, up to 30 cm in size. On the other side of the piece, a cut is made, intended for rope fastenings.

The same tube is used as a reel, onto which 10 meters of cord is wound. One end of it is attached to the holes using a loop, and the other end of the rope is inserted into the slot at the other end of the hose. A weight and a leash made of fishing line up to 0.5 meters long should be tied to the free end of the rope, fixed in the slot. A leash made of monofilament is connected to a leash made of metal, to which a hook is attached. For ease of use, a reliable stick is inserted from the side of the loop, the length of which is greater than the size of the hole.

A bent piece made from a piece of steel wire to which a spring is attached serves as a bite alarm. The same part serves as a stopper.

The stand is made of wood. A hole with a diameter of about 3 mm is drilled in it. Using a nylon cord, a steel section is attached to the stand, as well as a curved piece to which a spring with a signal element is fixed.

Usually, the structure is frozen into ice and all that remains is to install it in its working position by bending the spring and securing it with a stopper. In case of a bite, the stopper is released and the spring unbends, signaling a bite.

Original bottle sump and electric sump

The principle of the electrical circuit is based on the closure of contacts. Electrical gear assembly technology:

To do this you need to take a piece of twig. A hook should be formed at one end, and a cambric should be attached to the other end, the length of which is slightly longer than the length of the base of the light bulb used.
The light bulb is fixed to the cambric with the help of threads, and the attachment point is filled with waterproof glue.
A wire is soldered to the top of the base, the length of which is 40 mm longer than the length of the guard.
The guard and the central terminal of the base are connected using a piece of wire.
The base is made of wood, preferably pine, after which it is impregnated with drying oil.
A spring is installed on the guard.
The main and final element is a copper plate secured to the base with nails. In the working position, the guard should be pressed against this plate.

To make a bottle from a bottle, you should take a container of baby powder. A nylon thread with a sinker and a tee will pass through it. A loop is formed at the end of the nylon thread, through which the tackle is suspended from the base.

Design with indicator light

The main difficulty in manufacturing this gear lies in the design of the trigger mechanism, which consists of a guard, a fishing line and two staples.

The brackets are installed into the base. They, in fact, are the fastening elements of the gatehouse. They are located at the very edge of the frame. At the end of the guard, a light bulb is installed, to which 2 wires are connected, connected to the terminals, through a copper plate and the guard. The battery is connected to the terminals. As a result of the bite, the mechanism is triggered, the guard is installed in a vertical position, closing the contacts. As a result, the light bulb located at the top of the gatehouse lights up.

Beacon design

The design of the “beacon” includes:

1 – reel ring; 2 – flag thread; 3 – reel; 4 – clamp; 5 – fishing line; 6 – olive-shaped sinker; 7 – rubber stopper; 8 – nut; 9 – flag; 10 – hook; 11 – pin; 12 – stand; 13 – stand ring.

A wire with a diameter of 3 mm and a length of 70 cm is used as a stand. The role of a reel is played by a tube with a diameter of 3.5 cm and a length of 12 cm.

A fishing line with a diameter of 0.8 mm and a length of about 20 m is wound on a tube (reel).

The stand ring and the tube ring are held together with a pin. A ring is attached to the reel (tube) to secure the fishing line. The olive-shaped weight and its limiter are located on the fishing line. The nut is placed on the tube, and a flag is installed on the nut.

Before installing the tackle, the flag is pressed against the reel, after which it is fixed with a fishing line. In case of a bite, the line unwinds from the flag, freeing it. As a result, the checkbox takes a vertical position.

Techniques for catching pike on girders in winter

As a rule, pike are caught in reservoirs with standing water or in bays where there is no current. This guarantees safe fishing even in mild frosts. On a river where there is a current, the danger of falling on thin ice is quite high.

How to catch pike on lakes and ponds

For fishing to be successful, several points should be taken into account:

Correct installation. This activity is best done during daylight hours. The trap must be installed correctly, otherwise it will fail at the most unexpected moment.
Choosing a promising location. To find a predator’s site, you need to cut several holes and install girders on them. On familiar bodies of water, this process is somewhat simplified, since anglers know the bottom topography. Suitable places may be gully zones, large differences in depth, as well as places with various underwater accumulations. Pike can also be found in places where there are thickets of reeds or reeds.
Correct equipment of the girder. Everything matters here, from the choice of fishing line to the choice of bait. Here, a lot depends on the type of fish that is found in the reservoir.
Knowledge of fish behavior in winter. Such knowledge will help you correctly decide on a promising location.

Conclusion

Catching a predator, such as pike, with a girder has a number of advantages compared to other fishing methods. The most important thing is that you don’t need to stand over the tackle or run from one hole to another, waiting for a bite. But this does not mean that the prey will be easy to get. This is a serious misconception. Firstly, you will have to drill more than one hole, maybe 10 or more. Secondly, you need to install a girder on each hole, and this is also painstaking work. Thirdly, in case of bites, you will have to run from one tackle to another, and they are located at a distance of about 10 meters, or even more. And fourthly, the gear needs to be checked regularly, which also costs time and effort. And if you consider that in winter the fisherman is dressed in warm clothes, which hinder movement and increase the overall weight, then you can imagine how much effort and energy will be expended in one day of fishing.

Pike can be caught with any tackle: vertical, float, and spinning. But it is best to catch this fish on a girder. Not everyone knows that fishing for pike in winter on a girder is the most effective. The advantage is that almost every fisherman can make it himself. However, before this you should find out what a vent is and how it works.

Advantages and disadvantages of gear

First of all, it is worth considering the pros and cons of the most popular girders, such as “Ermakov Rost” and “Pierce Master”. There are people who create pike traps with their own hands in winter.

The Ermakov Rost zherlitsa consists of a flat aluminum platform, a reel attached to the base with an aluminum stand, and a metal flag with a piece of red fabric. All parts of the girder are connected to each other using plates and rivets. The weight of the unequipped girder is only 110 grams. The advantages of this gear are:

Frost-resistant plastic is used as the base material.
This device will never rust as all parts are made of aluminum.
Thanks to the large size and bright color of the flag, it will be easier for the angler to notice the bite.

Despite the advantages, the Ermakov Rost girders also have disadvantages. Namely:

No less popular are the girders produced by Piers Master. They are equipped with a flat platform to which a reel with a reel seat and a flag are attached. All gear is completely made of plastic. Its weight is 104 grams. The advantages of this girder are:

The flag is well stitched and taped.
Due to the fact that all the gear is made of frost-resistant plastic, it can be easily taken with bare hands. At the same time, your fingers will not freeze to the girder.
There is a screw for adjusting the free play of the coil.

This gear has only two disadvantages. They are:

The flags, which seem well glued at first glance, begin to peel off over time.
The assortment only comes in orange and green colors.

Fishing with girders in winter has both advantages and disadvantages. Some anglers prefer to fish by hand, but the majority prefer this particular gear. Its main advantage is that the fisherman does not need to strain his eyes and look at the tip of the rod for several hours.

It is also worth noting that pike baits are only suitable for ice fishing. They are not used for fishing in summer or autumn.

Choosing a place and time of fishing

To ensure yourself a big catch, you need to take care of choosing the right place and time of fishing.

The best time for catching pike on girders is considered to be the beginning and end of winter. During the dry winter period, you should not hope for a large catch, since during this period predators are not very active. In the first 2-3 weeks of freeze-up, when the ice thickness reaches approximately 15 cm, anglers often managed to catch trophy specimens.

It is also important to have information about the places where the caught predator lives. Most often they are snags, cobblestones, underwater trees or other bottom defects. The difficulty in choosing a place is that without an echo sounder in winter it will be quite difficult to understand where the fish are. To get at least a rough idea of the habitats of predatory fish, you can interview local fishermen.

Gear equipment

The correct equipment of the girder is of great importance. If you choose the wrong fishing line, leash, or sinker, the pike may simply feel unnatural resistance and spit out the bait.

The fishing line is usually taken up to 25 meters long. Thick fishing lines are not used when fishing for predators, as they make the equipment rough and clumsy. A fishing line that is too thin can break when biting a large specimen, so it is customary to use a fishing line with a medium diameter not exceeding 0.2 mm. You shouldn’t use wicker either, as it will absorb water and therefore freeze.

Once the fishing line has been selected, you should find a suitable leash. Its length ranges from 20 to 70 centimeters. It is usually made of metal or fluorocarbon. The debate about the best material continues to this day. The advantages of metal leashes are their reliability and strength, but they are quite noticeable in the water, which is why they often scare away cautious pike. Fluorocarbon leaders are thin but have average strength.

And also sometimes ordinary fishing line is used as a leash material. In order to increase its strength, anglers fold it in half.

Don't forget about preparing and choosing live bait. After all, the bite and activity of the predator depends on it. It is best to hook such a fry that lives in the fishing area. For this reason, it is better to catch it in the same body of water in which you are supposed to fish for girdles.

Crucian carp is considered the most successful choice, since it lives in almost all bodies of water, and also has high endurance, thanks to which it can remain alive on a hook for a long time. In addition to crucian carp, you can use the following as live bait:

Roach.
Small silver bream.
Rudd.
Bleak.
Perch.

And for fishing to be successful, live bait must meet certain requirements. They are:

The size of the catch depends on the equipment of the rod, the choice of location, the model of the fishing rod, etc. For this reason, you should approach the choice of fishing line, leash and live bait with extreme caution.

DIY making

You can make a “pike catcher” for winter fishing with your own hands. This process is quite simple and at the same time will save the owner a considerable amount of money.

Before making a girder for winter fishing, you need to prepare all the necessary materials and tools. They are:

Installation of the girder on the pike is carried out as follows:

It is necessary to install the clip onto the base using self-tapping screws. It should be located at a distance equal to the diameter of the coil from the center.
The coil is attached to a plastic tube using electrical tape. After this, the tube is inserted into the clip.
Next comes placing a flag on the handset. This can be done using the same electrical tape.

If it is difficult to implement the above points, then you can search the Internet for diagrams; they will show both the appearance of the girder and step-by-step instructions for assembling it.

Making a winter vent with your own hands is quite simple, the main thing is to be patient and do everything slowly. The main advantage of such a pike is that it is very simple to equip and can be easily disassembled. To prepare the pike catcher for fishing, just insert the tube into the clip and adjust the flag.

Attention, TODAY only!

Pike is a coveted trophy for many fishermen, especially specimens over 3 kg. But luring and being able to properly hook this cautious predator from the thickets is not so easy. But the masters found a way to bypass the reeds and snags, without losing part of the expensive equipment and remain with the catch. This is the use of a long-known girder. Although it is considered a winter tackle, it can be successfully used in the summer.

In this article we will look at how to properly make a pike girder in the summer, the main nuances of its installation and operation.

Device design

This tackle has an ancient history. Designed for catching predatory fish:

pike perch;
perch;
pike;
soma;
chub;
asp and other species.

Refers to the passive method of fishing. The bait is live bait carefully placed on a hook. Time of application – winter, summer, autumn.

An important advantage of using this gear is the ability to install it in difficult-to-pass areas of a reservoir or coastline.

By installing several summer girders, the fisherman does not need to constantly be near the gear. They can be placed late in the evening, and the catch can be checked in the morning.

If the tackle was correctly secured, then the fish will not escape from the hook.

The classic design of the device is simple. Consists of several elements:

wooden slingshot;
fishing line or cord;
tee or double;
stick or pipe.

The fishing line is wound crosswise around a slingshot, which is attached to a stick and stuck into the ground on the shore. A tee is knitted on the other edge of the fishing line and a sliding weight is placed. Live bait is put on the hook. The tackle is lowered into the water. If there is a bite, the pike swallows the bait. After which the summer zherlitsa itself is cut.

There are other improved gear options. We will look at their assembly features below.

How to choose live bait

Important Requirements:

The fry must be alive and active.
It is better if the live bait is caught from the same reservoir as the pike. Unusual types of fish can cause fear in the predator, which is why it will not swim close to the girders.
The fry must be properly placed on the tee so that the tip of the hook is not visible, and the fish remains unharmed.

The photo shows examples of the correct bait bait. In the first option - by passing the tee in the upper part of the body, in the second - by the gills, in the third - by passing the leash through the gills.

To catch a worthwhile trophy, the size of the fry must be appropriate. Optimally - medium-sized live bait.

Among the favorite pike delicacies:

silver crucian carp;
perch;
silver bream;
roach;
sebel;
rudd;
gudgeon;
loach.

Silver crucian carp works most often as live bait. In addition, it is distinguished by its long vitality, unlike other fry.

Best places, time for installation

The zherlitsa is an effective tackle for fishing in hard-to-reach areas of the reservoir.

It is better to place them near the habitats of the predator:

in reeds, thickets;
writhing with a flat bottom;
steep banks;
areas of the reservoir with a difference in depth, in pits;
near fallen trees, snags;
on the edge;
in places of strong current.

If you decide to place the tackle in an area with a strong current, then it is necessary to ensure that the weight of the load is sufficient to hold the leash with live bait in one position.

June. Pike begins to fatten up after winter. Therefore, representatives of its family can be caught even in shallow water, where schools of live bait stand and bask in the sun.
July. Fishing at this time is significantly different. The food supply of pike hides in the shadows and goes into the depths. Therefore, the predator hides in thickets and snags in order to attack the fry unnoticed. The optimal casting option is to places where there is a cold underwater current. Fishing will be successful early in the morning or after sunset.
August is the most productive among other summer months. By this time, the water is already cooling down and filling with oxygen. The pike begins to eat, which is why it loses its vigilance and more often becomes a good catch.

If none of the girders brought a catch, you should move them to other places, while observing the installation rules.

Nuances of assembling different types of vents

It’s not difficult to make a summer vent yourself, so even a beginner can handle the assembly process. However, you should not neglect recommendations from experienced fishermen.

Materials for production can be any available means.

Since installation of gear is possible both from the shore and from a boat, there are 3 main types of girders. They have significant differences in design and assembly process:

postavushi;
hanging;
moored.

Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Postavushi

The most ancient zherlitsa. Fishermen still use a simple version of the device. There is a modified device with a coil or a floating one.

Simple

Manufacturing is carried out in the following sequence:

Initially, we make a reel from any available material (plastic bottle, piece of board).
We wind a thickened monofilament line with a diameter of 0.4–0.6 mm and a length of 20 m on it. That is, 100 m of fishing line is just enough for 5 vents.
We tie a weight to the end of the fishing line.
We knit a leash 40 cm higher along the line. We make it from this fishing line, woven in half or three times.
We attach a tee or double to the leash.
We put on live bait.
We attach the other free end of the fishing line to a tree, stone, and, if necessary, drive a peg into the ground.

The photo shows a finished postavushka of simple design.

When installing a fishing line on a summer fishing line, it is important not just to secure it, but to make a loop 1–2 m long and secure it with an elastic band. This is necessary so that the pike, when swallowing live bait, does not feel the resistance of the gear, which leads to a decrease in escapes.

With reel

Such homemade devices work according to the following principle:

A stand equipped with a reel and a flag is stuck on the shore.
The loaded rig with live bait on the hook is thrown into the water.
The flag is charging.
At the moment of a bite, the reel rotates, thereby releasing the flag, which indicates a bite.
At the same time, the pike, without feeling resistance, leaves with the live bait, and the fishing line is unwinded from the reel.

Such girders can be placed from a boat, combining passive fishing with active casting of a spinning rod.

A set-up with a reel is rightfully considered an improved winter tackle.

The two types described above are effective on rivers with strong or weak currents, when the baitfish goes under the water at an angle and its behavior looks natural.

A floating fishing rod is the best option for fishing in still waters.

If such a design is used on a pond, the hook will simply fall to the bottom or hide in the thickets.

In these cases, it is worth using a floating vent.

You can do it yourself this way:

The float is made from a piece of polystyrene foam, a plastic bottle, or a board. An alternative is to build a small raft of reeds by tying the stems in several places. This way the pike won’t suspect anything.
We mount a working line with a weight and a hook with live bait to the float.
We also knit a transport line to it.
The worker is lowered into the water.
The float is pushed away from the shoreline.
The transport is fixed on pegs on the shore.

Fishermen also call the floating set-up a circle. Often they stock up to 5 pieces and cast from a boat or shore, making close casts with a spinning rod.

Hanging

No less ancient and popular type of zherlitsa than postavushi. Made from improvised materials. They come in a classic form or with the use of shock absorbers.

In the case of a wooden base, we assemble in the following order:

In the upper part of the slingshot we drill a hole for a lanyard for hanging.
A line is wound in a figure eight from the narrow part of the slingshot.
At the bottom of the slingshot, cuts are made to secure the fishing line.
The fishing line is equipped with a sliding weight, a leash with a hook and live bait.
The tackle is suspended from a tree at a height that allows the bait to be lowered to the required depth.
When a bite occurs, the line jumps out of the clamp and the slingshot unwinds.

In addition, a regular elastic band for money will be a convenient way to secure the fishing line.

The basis of such a girder can be a wooden flyer in the shape of an inverted letter “Y”. An alternative is a piece of a plastic bottle, polystyrene foam, or part of a polyethylene tube.

Among the main elements are a fishing line with equipment, an elastic band and a pole.

We get a working vent when assembled in this order:

To the edge of a pole or a long wooden stick we tie a fishing line with equipment (similar to other types).
At the same end we also install an elastic band ¼ of the length of the fishing line.
The fishing line and elastic band are re-tied near the leash.
Then the fishing line is fixed at the end of the pole so that its length is equal to the elastic band. The zherlitsa is ready.

A properly assembled girder with a shock absorber is a guarantee of self-hooking of pike and a good catch.

Such a girder will only work if the length of the shock absorber - rubber band - is correctly selected.

Installation and installation are as follows:

We anchor the boat in the right place in the reservoir.
We choose a suitable load that will become an anchor for the girder. We tie a cord to it and lower it to the bottom.
We attach a plastic bottle to the upper end of the cord, which will serve as a float.
Now we knit a meter stick to the bottle at one end.
We mount the working line with all the equipment to the other edge of the stick.
The equipment is the same as that of other species with the exception of the leash. An additional weight should be attached to it in the center. This is necessary so that the live bait does not tangle the tackle.

An anchored girder is also convenient because the live bait does not have the opportunity to overlap the fishing lines.

It is recommended to install this girder in areas of the reservoir that are located away from the shore.

These include the following:

The distance from the hook to the sinker should be equal to the depth of the reservoir at the fishing site.
The size of the hooks is chosen to be almost the same size as for spinners and wobblers.
Nuts, bolts, even stones can be used as weights. The weight must be at least the weight of 2 live baits.
When you see a bite, you shouldn’t rush to hook. Gently twitch the line for a couple of seconds so that the pike swallows the bait properly.
For fishing, you must use a landing net. Otherwise, the predator may simply have time to bite the line and leave.

Zherlitsa is a good solution for passive fishing, which is not inferior in effectiveness to active casting by spinners. And the correctly selected type of gear, completed assembly and installation will increase the chances of catching significantly.