A person who has never gone fishing may suspect something wrong in the name of this bait. But no, this is just a spinning bait for predators invented in Siberia.
During the tea-drinking, one avid fisherman, to keep his bored hands busy, took a piece of sleeping pad, sharpened it with sandpaper, inserted a pair of tees there, and left the human-made masterpiece on the table. Another avid fisherman entered and asked with perplexity: “What's that?”. “I haven't the faintest idea! Maybe a mandula of some kind”, was the answer. As a consequence, on a fishing trip, they tried using that mandula to catch something. And, surprisingly, the predator began to bite their new bait more actively as the floating material of the sleeping pad provided a kind of active game.
Mandula is the youngest bait of all the existing baits, but despite this fact, it has honestly carved out its special place on the podium, placing next to such well-tested lures as silicone and foam fish. This is an artificial composite bait representing a mixture of a foam fish and a composite wobbler. These ready-made baits are available in the stores or you can make them yourself specifically for your needs.
What's a mandula, and what does it do?
This bait was occasionally made up and is used to catch predatory types of fish, particularly walleye. Still, consequently, it showed excellent results in fishing for pike and perch. Mandula for walleye is made of three cylinders; meanwhile, the material should have positive buoyancy. The tail of the bait shouldn't lie at the bottom. This fact makes the exact difference between mandulas and silicone fish. This bait is very flexible and consists of connected sections that allow it to imitate a smooth movement of a fish. The cylinders that are made of polyurethane perfectly hide the presence of tees.
How to equip a mandula properly
The most important thing is that the fishing rod for mandula fishing should be very sensitive. Fish takes this kind of bait very gently; that is why the angler must feel every touch and motion of fish or watch the tip of the fishing rod not to miss the bite. The spinning test has to be approximately equal to the bait weight but should not exceed the weight of 0.88 oz. The plait is pretty good for further equipping. The sinker weight doesn't matter on the whole and will not affect mandula’s game. But long-range casting will only work with a heavy sinker.
How to catch on a mandula from the shore and from the boat
Mandula fishing provides a wide range of techniques for bait playing. It all depends on the specific conditions of fishing. In summer and spring, the fish hides at the bottom of holes, under steep coasts, and in seaweeds. If you fish from the shore, you’d better use a rod with a length of 7.8 ft - 8.8 ft; use a fixed-spool reel also. The plait diameter is 0.05 in - 0.07 in, length should be not less than 328 ft.
The prepared bait is equipped with the sinker and installed on a fluorocarbon leash or string leash, then tied to a cord. The most convenient place for casting is coastal edges; anglers throw the bait from the far edge to the depth. Due to this kind of fishing technique, there’s a risk of hooks but a unique jerk technique helps to avoid it.
When fishing from the boat, select an appropriate sinker for plummet fishing (according to the fishing conditions) that is lighter than the one used from the shore. In this case, the bait will sink to the bottom slowly and gently, which will reduce to a minimum the chances of hooks. But in this case, the mandula's acting is barely noticeable. Though with a heavier sinker, the bait begins to vibrate, making it more attractive for a predatory fish. The choice of the sinker depends on the presence of snags in areas where you are fishing. When fishing from the boat, the vertical line is used with alternating jerks and frequent pauses.
Mandula for pike
Such a bait should consist of several sections, the optimal number is 3. The segments are ranged from the first and largest to the last and the smallest one. The mandula is fitted with tees. The bait size can vary up to 11,8 in, but it is pretty enough when its length is 3,5 in - 4,7 in. The average weight of the finished product is from 0,1 oz to 0,3 oz. Choose bright acidic colors in combination with black and white. The most versatile combinations, regardless of the season, are red-white and blue-white.
Spinning wiring for pike
Spinning wiring for pike is characterized by energetic and active animation. And if there is a current in this place where you are, it will be impossible to distinguish the bait acting from a real fish.
The best methods of wiring:
- Cast the fishing rod and wait for a while;
- Wind for a couple of three turns of the fishing reel and again pause for five seconds.
Exactly at this stage, there is the highest probability of a pike attack. If it does not happen, repeat once again. When the currents are heavy, you might increase the duration of the pauses to 20 seconds.
A lot of anglers soak their baits with the smell of fish. Pike is more willing to hunt them and bites them longer.
When choosing a corresponding mandula by its color, you should remember that this is a seabed type of bait; therefore, it should contrast with the color of the bottom. If you are fishing in a pond with a sandy and light bottom, you might choose the dark-colored baits for fishing. But if the pond bottom is muddy and dark, use acidic yellow and orange lures. it will allow the predator to see the bait better and become interested in it.