Mandula is a jig bait consisting of several segments of polyurethane foam placed on treble hooks, which are connected to each other by wrapping rings. Almond is the "youngest" of all spinning lures, but has become very popular among anglers and is a worthy competitor. Mandula was created starlings for fishing, but proved to be very effective for pike and for perch.

In this article, we will talk about what almond is, what are its advantages over other baits, we will talk about the materials used for its production, how to make it yourself.

How the almond is made

An almond is a set of polyurethane foam segments that can be cylinder, cone, sphere or cube shaped. These segments are placed on triple hooks, which are connected to each other with the help of rings. It usually consists of 2-3 components. The larger hook is placed in the head part and the smaller one in the tail part. The tail hook often comes with fluff, made of wool, sequins or synthetic yarn. Through the ring is attached to "cheburashkas” weight. The weight is selected depending on the fishing conditions.

Due to its buoyancy and the weight suspended at the front, the almond takes on a vertical position at the bottom, resembling a small fish feeding on the bottom. Due to the vertical position, it is more visible to the fish and can work even when the angler is not doing anything. The weight falls to the bottom and raises the sediment, which attracts the attention of the predator. The attractiveness to the predator is enhanced by a tail made of shiny materials attached to the last trident.

Materials used

Mandula components can be made from various foam synthetic materials: EVA, polyurethane, etc. All these materials are often found in the form of various household goods: beach slippers, children's toys, various technical products.

The most suitable material for almonds is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). An angler who plans to make almonds himself can order them from various stores, in the form of sheets of various colors and thicknesses.

The main properties of the production material are density and color. The ideal material density for production is from 180-200 to 280-300 kg/m3. (0.20-0.30 g/cm3). A material of this density is characterized by high strength and good buoyancy. A mandula made of such material is characterized by high durability and high wear resistance.

Lower density materials have good buoyancy, but have low strength and wear resistance. Higher density materials have good strength but poor buoyancy, and a lure with poor buoyancy will sit on the bottom and not work as effectively. Brightly colored materials are mostly used.

Forms

The form can vary greatly. Almond components can be: cylinder, truncated cone, ball shape. The most popular form of composite elements is a simple cylinder. Some anglers make pieces in the form of cones with sharp or rounded corners, sharp corners can in some cases improve the game of the lure and be more effective in fishing. The surface of the almond components can be completely smooth or rough, both work equally well.

Colors

Almonds are mainly produced in two-color and three-color, single-color almonds are very rare. The color contrast resulting from the combination of several colors makes the bait more attractive to the predator.

The most popular almond two-tone colors are black and white, black and yellow, black and orange, black and green, white and red, white and green, white and blue, yellow and blue, yellow and green, yellow and red. .

Mandalas of three colors give good results: yellow-white-black, orange-white-black, red-white-black, green-white-black, green-yellow-black, white-red-white.

Mandals that contain the elements: red, orange, black and blue work well in muddy water.

In late autumn and winter, when the water is especially clear, mandalas with elements: pink and purple, green and yellow, white and blue are perfect.

When fishing at a depth of more than 10 meters, there is so little sun that the color of the mandala does not matter much.

Many jiggers create a point of attack on the bait by adding a red or orange color to the area of the hook.

When choosing bait for specific fishing conditions, the angler must remember that the mandula is a bottom bait and choose a bait that contrasts with the color of the bottom, for example, when fishing a dark bottom, use a yellow mandula. Or black when fishing on a light bottom. In this case, mandalas consisting of several alternating light and dark colors have an advantage, they are the most versatile because they have color contrast.

Sizes

The dimensions of the almond depend on the number of constituent elements and their dimensions. The length of the mandala is usually between 5 and 15 cm. The total number of parts of the mandala is usually 2-3 pieces, less often there are 4-5 elements. The number of components affects the game of the bait, a 2-3 piece almond hits the bottom, it plays more attractively. Sometimes the fish is very picky about the size of the bait and chooses small almonds 4-5 cm long.

Features of fishing with mandula

• The best places for fishing for almonds are various anomalies of the bottom: pits, edges, parandes. Fishing flat bottom, although possible, but less effective.
• Although it is fished in ponds with stagnant water, it fully reveals its full potential when fishing in the river. In the current, the almond additionally swings when it touches the bottom, thus strongly attracting the predator.
• Mandula works not only at great depths, it can be caught in shallow places, even with weights of 20-30 grams.
• Don't be afraid to use large jigs when catching trophy fish. A big fish is a big bait.
• The preferences of the predator are constantly changing, so the angler must have in his arsenal different types of mandules of different sizes, colors and designs in order to choose a bait for specific fishing conditions.
• Almond is a passive bait, that is, a bait that does not have its own game. Almond requires an active angler animation.
• In order to catch a good catch, you need to constantly experiment with the color, size and routing of the bait.
• Most predator bites occur during the pause when the bait falls to the bottom. The duration of the pause should be chosen long taking into account the fishing conditions and the activity of the fish. A 1-second pause may be enough for an active fish, and a 10-second pause for a passive one.
• When fishing for mandula, baits are often felt as a very gentle touch of the fish to the bait, therefore, in any incomprehensible situation, an undercut should immediately follow.
• Almond very well provokes even the most passive fish to bait.