BiteWave
Guides

Technique guides

General guidance that does not change day to day: speeds, colours, baits, rods and safety. Today's specific tips are on the front page.

Trolling

Trolling speed per species + temperature
km/h · by water temperature · adjust ±0.3 km/h until you hit
Species Cold
<10°C		 Cool
10–15°C		 Warm
15–20°C		 Hot
>20°C
Perch2.0–2.52.0–3.03.0–4.03.5–4.5
Pike2.5–3.03.5–5.04.0–5.04.5–5.5
Walleye<2.02.5–3.52.5–3.54.0–5.5
Brown trout2.0–2.52.5–4.54.0–5.04.5–5.5
Landlocked salmon2.0–2.52.5–3.03.0–3.53.5–4.0
Speed = relative to water, not GPS. Wind distorts — that's why bites only come in one direction.
Lure color · water × depth
Long wavelengths (red) fade fast in water — only bright colors work deep
Water 0–3m 3–8m 8m+
ClearNatural vendace, silver-blackSilver-blue, holographicGlow-white, UV-blue
Stained (humic)Chartreuse, fluo-yellowFiretiger, orange-blackPink-purple, glow
Murky / siltySolid black + contrastChartreuse + rattleUV-pink, rattle mandatory
Walleye sees only green + orange/red (no blue) → chartreuse + yellow is uniquely visible to walleye.
Pro tips · order by impact
1. When you get strikes → copy all rods to the same setup
If rod 2 hit (40 m back, 5 m deep, perch-colored jerkbait), adjust the other rods to the same combination before the next pass.
2. Make a 180° turn back to the same spot
The strike often happens because the boat passed over the school. The turn brings the spread back to the same spot.
3. Run S-curves, not straight lines
In turns the outer rod speeds up, the inner one slows — same spread tests two speeds.
4. Find baitfish schools on sonar — drive around, not through
Predators ambush the edges of the school. Drive around at 30–50 m distance.
5. Check lures every 15–20 min
A bit of debris or algae on the hook = zero strikes. Amateurs' #1 hidden mistake.
6. Regulation: Finland allows 14 rods per boat, Sweden 10
1 government licence covers 1 rod. Extra rods require a local permit from the fishing district.
5 most common mistakes
×Same speed + direction the entire trip
✓Vary speed in 0.2 km/h steps every 5 min until you connect
×Too many rods → tangles in every turn
✓Start with 3 rods, add more only when spread control is automatic
×Stiff rod + braid → you lose fish at boatside
✓Softer (medium-action) rod absorbs head-shakes, mono line stretches

Float fishing

Today's bait recommendations
🪱
Worm (nightcrawler) ●●●●●
Classic — works for almost everything
Target: Bream, perch, roach, burbot
Keep worm alive — bring moist moss
🌽
Sweetcorn (canned) ●●●●○
Bream and roach love it
Target: Bream, roach, rudd
2–3 grains per hook, no more
🎣
Worm + corn (combo) ●●●●●
Bunch-style for bream
Target: Big bream · big roach
Worm on bottom, corn on top → buoyancy
🍞
Bread paste ●●●○○
Great with kids, cheap
Target: Roach, rudd, perch
Mix water + bread → sticky paste
🪰
Maggots ●●●●○
Competition anglers' #1
Target: Roach, rudd, perch
1–3 maggots on hook — lively wiggle attracts
Rod setups · ready combos
Beginner — whole family
€20–40
RodTelescopic 3–4m
LineMono 0.20mm
HookSize 8–10
FloatStick float 3g
Weight2–3g split-shot
Great for kids, easy to carry
Bream specialist
€80–200
RodBolognese 5–6m
LineMono 0.18mm + leader 0.14
HookSize 10–14
FloatBolognese float 1–4g
WeightShot chain + bulk
Long rod = float control + reaches deeper
Roach / competition
€150–500
RodPole 7–13m
LinePole-line 0.10–0.14
HookSize 16–22
FloatPole-float 0.4–1g
WeightMicro-shot + bulk
Precise presentation — fast bites
Bait-fishing tip today: When the sun is high, fish move to deeper and shadier spots. Go before 10am or after 4pm — and target dock edges or weed lines.
Bait fishing is free for everyone — general public-water fishing right. With just a bait pole (worm + hook + float, no lures), you can fish anywhere on general waters in Finland without a fishing-management fee, regardless of age. Perfect for kids and beginners.

Ice fishing

Ice thickness · last season
2024–2025
Max (February) 42 cm
Safe days 112 days
Season (first → last) Nov 28 → Apr 14
First ice-bearing forecast made when temp stays below −5°C for 5+ days.
Ice-jigs · recommendations
1.5g
Jig-fly (mormu)
Classic ice-jig + maggot
Silver
Perch, smelt — finesse jigging
7g
Balance jig
Darting side-to-side, triggers predators
Glow white
Perch, walleye, pike — active jigging
4g
Drop jig
Vibrates near bottom, from below
Red
Perch in deep holes, smelt
12g
Vertical jig + softbait
Larger predators
Motor oil
Walleye, pike — vertical jigging
Ice fishing spots differ from open-water spots: In winter, perch are in deep holes (8–15m), not in the shallows. When the ice arrives, switch to a view with 4–5 winter spots that are hidden during open water season.
Ice fishing is free for everyone — general public-water fishing right. With a single ice-jig you can fish anywhere on general waters in Finland without a fishing-management fee, regardless of age.
Ice safety: Always at least 5 cm of clear ice for a person on foot, 15 cm for a car. Ice picks + flotation vest mandatory. Check local rescue authority guidelines.