Underwater fishing :: Pikeperch

A pikeperch is a desired trophy of the hunters, because of three reasons: it is rare, grows up big and very tasty in a jelly. But there is no sport interest in the pikeperch hunt, because it is a very phlegmatic fish (the second after a burbot). Usually there is no need to be very careful to come to even openly staying pikeperch in a length of a shot. It mostly stays near something: a horizontally lying log, a vertical pile, a stone, between some trash and branches lying on the bottom. In the fishing literature there are some articles, in which it is affirmed, that this predator doesn’t stay in the grass. How it does! If to calculate all the pikeperches I found and caught in the thick grass in the different reservoirs there will be several tens. And you will agree that this is already not the randomness. It is true that it prefers dark places, but again not always at all. For example, one of its favorite places is a pit in sand in the open place. In the still water reservoirs the pikeperch digs sand itself moving vibratory and uses this ‘trench’ after as an ambush while hunting. Such deepenings look like bright spots and sometimes can be seen just from the surface, because a grey uliginous cover is washed away from the bottom. It makes a hunter free from non-stop diving. Usually the pikeperch, which is staying in such hole, lets you come close in a shot distance. At this time there is no need to think a lot, but just to go straight to it from the surface or any side. Of course, without unnecessary noise and sharp movements.

   The common pikeperch usually swims in the deepest part of a river with no growth and covered with sand. Closer to spring these fishes can gather in a group (it can’t be called ‘a flock’) in the spacious and deep place. For example, in the river junctions or big reaches. It is noticed that the pikeperch often follows a bream. That is why if you met a flock of young or normal breams and you are able not to shoot, then you better let them pass. In the end of the flock a pikeperch can be swimming. The hit pikeperch doesn’t storm on an arrow even if it is very big. It twitches several times and calms, then twitches and calms again. The pikeperch meat is thick, skin is steady, that is why it very seldom breaks away from a harpoon.

   It is well known that the pikeperch and the perch have sharp barbs in their dorsal fins. If you hung this fish on the stringer without any precautions, then your diving suit pants will be pricked or torn for sure. Some hunters take scissors with them in water and cut fish barbs right there. Some original hunters even use their own teeth instead of scissors. But there is another way. When you are putting such fish on the stringer through its eyes, don’t make mistake and turn its belly to you. If a pikeperch or a perch is not strung with back to you, in other words with barbs, you can just pull it to a belt after you reeled all free part of the stringer on the front load. In such position the fish will not dangle in legs, turn round and prick.