How to fish correctly in winter fishing. Let's go fishing for perch. How to catch zander and pike in winter
Ice fishing is an activity for those people who truly love fishing and even in the winter season are not going to give it up. Of course, such fishing is associated with some difficulties, but, as avid fishermen say, there is much more pleasure in the process. Especially if the result was a good catch. What needs to be done to make the catch actually significant?
One of the most important points is to choose a good bait. Because this largely determines how willing the fish will be to pay attention to your tackle. What do they use to catch fish in winter?
In fact, the “repertoire” of baits is not that different in summer and winter. For example, you can catch equally successfully with a worm. Of course, the only problem is that the worms that you take fishing in winter are, at a minimum, alive, and even better, active. This allows you to count on the fact that the fish will really “get into” your bait and will be willing to bite. Typically, dung worms are used. They are good because they are not difficult to find - just stir up fresh manure - and because they can maintain their activity for a long time if you take them with a small amount of manure and send them to a cool place.
In addition, maggots can also be a good bait. True, the issue of storing it is somewhat more complicated. Despite the fact that, in principle, it is well stored in the refrigerator, it is important to pay attention to the fact that, firstly, it does not pupate before it is placed in storage, and secondly, it looks quite vital and does not had an unpleasant odor. In this case, you can be sure that fish such as ide or perch will not ignore your bait. After all, live worms in winter are a rarity for the inhabitants of reservoirs.
When ice fishing, it is very important to have an idea of what type of fish you are targeting. If in summer anyone can bite on a worm, then in winter fish such as ide, perch, pike, and burbot are the highest priority target for an angler. That is why it is best to count on them - and therefore, choose the appropriate hole size, fishing line thickness and other parameters that can be decisive when pulling a caught fish out of the water and will allow you in no case to miss a hard-caught specimen that will become excellent a trophy for a fisherman.
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Winter fishing is fundamentally different from other types of fishing. This is more of a passive type of relaxation; the angler becomes more active, except perhaps in search of a “cool” hole, and when he finds it, he can sit near it for hours without moving anywhere. To catch a lot of fish in winter you need to know some secrets and tricks, some of them are universal, and some will only work on one or several reservoirs. And so, the WINTER FISHING section was created specifically to present to your attention exactly those winter fishing tips that will be useful on any body of water
Features of fishing in winter
In winter, the fish loses its activity. This affects not only the number of bites, but also the resistance when fishing. It's not all bad though. The fish is weaker, which means it has little chance of breaking the thin fishing line, which leads to the possibility of lighter gear. But it’s much more interesting to catch fish with a thin line with a light float and a small hook. After all, what could be cooler than dragging a kilogram crucian carp on a 0.1 mm fishing line while feeling all the jerks of the fish? This is what makes winter fishing so attractive. There is a lot of gear for catching peaceful fish in winter, as well as methods. The most popular are jig and float fishing. The first involves active play with the rod, when the angler himself gives the bait movement, and they must force the fish to bite. They are caught using jigs with or without bait. The method of fishing without a bait is called “reelless fishing” among fishermen. This kind of fishing is very difficult and not everyone can do it, but those who have learned to fish this way never return home without a catch. A whip serves as a bite alarm. Float fishing has a slightly different character. It involves drilling 2-3 holes at a short distance, into which hooks with nozzles are immersed. And the fisherman’s task is not to miss the bite. But if you don’t see it for a long time, then you should also feed the fish. This method is also very interesting, although at first glance it does not seem very interesting. But first impressions are deceiving. Catching a predator in winter is especially interesting. A variety of gear allows you to choose a variety of baits for pike, perch and pike perch. This is considered a very active type of fishing, since the angler is forced to constantly move around the reservoir in search of a predator. And at minus 25 degrees this is especially interesting. The main types of predatory fish are caught using all baits. The difference may only be visible on some bodies of water. Winter bait is no different from summer bait, except perhaps in size. But the balancer is a kind of prototype of wobblers. It attracts the predator with arcing movements under the ice, each time returning to its starting point. When fishing vertically, bite indicators are whips, only much tougher than when fishing with a jig. The fisherman's task is to constantly move around the reservoir in search of a predator. Well, and the wiring of the bait, which from the outside looks like periodic raising and lowering of the rod.Secrets of winter fishing on the lake
The lake is an excellent reservoir for winter fishing. Fishing on the lake is considered a fishing classic. After all, only on the lake can you calmly enjoy what you love, you can sit for several hours, the main thing is that it’s biting. And the bite will definitely be good if you choose the right gear, and if there are fish in the pond. You can catch both predatory and peaceful fish on the lake. When going fishing, you must know in advance what kind of fish you will catch and prepare gear specifically for it. Depending on the reservoir, this could be: roach, crucian carp, pike, perch, bream, pike perch or carp. As well as many other common types of fish. Gear is selected and made specifically for a specific type of fish, so it can be considered a rather loose concept and there is simply no exact answer to questions about gear for winter fishing on the lake. Everything is selected individually. The lake itself also has its own personality. Experienced fishermen sharpen their gear specifically for it. And no matter how cool your purchased fishing rods are, there will definitely be a grandfather with a primitive fishing rod who will catch much more fish than you. It is also worth remembering all the places where you fished. Then, if you return to the reservoir, you will already know in advance where the fish are biting and where they are not. Where to look for it, and in what area you shouldn’t even waste your precious time.Winter fishing on the reservoir
Winter fishing on the reservoir is especially interesting, as it allows you to fish those areas of the reservoir that no one could get close to in the summer. Of course, it would be best if you have an echo sounder for fishing in your equipment; with it you can find fish in any part of the reservoir and explore the most promising places. But if it is not there, then do not despair. You can simply pay attention to places where there are a large number of fishermen. There are definitely fish there, because no one will just sit in one place. The main thing is not to forget about politeness. It will also be unpleasant for you if they start drilling a hole under your foot. The second rule is no less important than the first. Always remember safety. On reservoirs there are very often places with great depth, and if you fall through the ice, it will be quite difficult to pull you out. Therefore, beware of areas with fragile ice. There are no secrets or peculiarities of fishing in such places; they are absolutely identical to those used in other bodies of water without a current. The reservoir is a large artificial lake. Therefore, if you know how to fish on a lake in winter, then there should be no problems with such reservoirs. Use the same gear, bait and bait as for fishing on the lake. Although I got excited about the gear. After all, the depth of fishing on a reservoir can sometimes be tens of times greater than the depth of fishing on a lake, and gear must be of proportional size and weight. Moreover, the proportion is taken specifically to the fishing depth. So you should pay attention to the size and weight of the components for your fishing rods.Winter fishing on the river
Winter fishing on the river is an interesting activity. But at the same time it is quite difficult, because most rivers have a current. And fishing in such places will be a little different. Here the bait needs to be different, the bait will also be different, and the tackle will not remain unchanged. But let's talk about everything in order. And so let’s talk about winter bait for fishing in the current. Its composition should be nutritious, but not very nutritious; the main thing is not to overfeed the fish. It is important to highlight the line and respect it. The presence of small and large fractions in the bait in a percentage ratio of 60/40%, respectively, is considered the most optimal. Do not forget also about adding soil to the bait. It serves as a binding material and holds the stain in place for as long as possible. In most cases, baits are selected individually for each body of water and type of fish. Undoubtedly, they are influenced by the speed of the current. And the preferences of fish in reservoirs cannot pass without leaving a trace. Sometimes it is worth giving preference to the classics: bloodworms, maggots and dung worms. They have caught, are catching and will continue to catch fish in winter and summer. Gear for winter fishing is changing dramatically. All their parameters directly depend on the speed of the current and the preferences of the fish. Of course, jigs and floats will be heavier than when fishing in reservoirs without a current. Finding a place to fish is a very difficult task. You can make it easier with an echo sounder or get by with the recommendations of experienced fishermen. Always pay attention to rifts, edges and other bottom anomalies. And of course, don’t forget about safety. She must be on the ice first of all. There is always a chance to stumble upon a gap in the ice or step into a place where an underwater stream flows. There you will inevitably get wet, at best. So be especially careful and try to avoid such places. So that winter fishing always makes you happy and never upsets you.Many anglers like to fish in winter. For them, the presence of bad weather conditions and severe frost does not matter. In order to get a quality product, fishermen are ready to go fishing even in extreme cold and bad weather. However, if the fisherman does not know how to fish at this time of year, it is unlikely that he will be able to get a decent catch.
What do you need to know?
First, it is recommended to study the basic rules of winter fishing and only after that, go fishing. Initially, you need to decide where exactly the fish will be caught. In winter, it is advisable to look for fish in deeper places. Otherwise, there may be no bites at all. If there are more fishermen on the reservoir, then it is better to choose a place where there are more of them. After determining the place for fishing, it is important to find out the greatest and smallest depth of the bottom of the reservoir. A hole is created somewhere in the middle.
It is imperative to create a hole in the center, perpendicular to the flow. If you make a hole with the current, there is a risk of losing the bait.
Properly prepared bait is of great importance for fishing in winter, so further recommendations require attention. When the hole is ready, take a cone-shaped container and fill it with food. There is no need to feed the fish too intensively, but it is important to do this at least a couple of days before catching it. For these purposes, it is allowed to use semolina or peas. The cereal is thoroughly crushed and mixed well, after which it is given to the fish as a supplement.
In addition, sunflower seeds, pearl barley, and breadcrumbs are suitable as winter bait. However, you should not forget that you need to feed the fish with porridge only before you start fishing. Bloodworms are also considered to be quite effective bait. The main thing is not to overfeed the fish.
How should you fish with a fishing rod in the winter?
In this case, it is important to take a responsible approach to choosing suitable gear. The fishing rod must be of sufficient length. In winter, it is better to use fishing line with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.18 mm. At this time of year, you can use both a nod and a float. As for floats, they are often made of polystyrene foam, and therefore have little weight. But nods have a greater range of action. Also, some people can’t decide which is better, jigs or hooks. These two options are used for winter fishing.
Winter fishing is radically different from summer fishing. This is a special kind of sport and recreation that brings great pleasure. But you need to understand the technique in order to return home with your catch and not be disappointed in this type of fishing. For winter fishing to be safe and effective, you need to know the basic rules of the process and behavior on ice.
How to fish in winter
Those who don’t know how to cope in winter need to start with the basics. It should be clearly understood that you cannot go out on thin and moving ice, as this is dangerous. When going to the river, you must have a rope, a change of clothes or shoes, and a blanket with you. I recommend looking through an excellent catalog of clothing and shoes for fishing. You should always tell your relatives or friends where you are going. And for the fishing itself, you need to have with you a drill, a hook, an ice pick and, of course, a fishing rod with a fishing line no thinner than 0.2 mm.
Having arrived at the place, you need to inspect and feel the ice. After making sure that it is strong, you should find irregularities and channel holes in which it is easier to make holes. You should not go to places where fishermen often sit, as such fishing will be ineffective.
In order for winter fishing to allow you to collect a good catch, you need to choose the right bait. You can buy a ready-made one, or you can make it yourself. The main thing is to take into account the type of fish and the characteristics of its behavior.
After this, you can lower the bait itself into the water and wait for the prey to bite, watching the float. Those who do not know how to fish properly in winter need to remember that during the cold season you should not drink alcoholic beverages outdoors. should be warm and dry, shoes should have thick soles. It is strictly forbidden to go out on ice whose thickness is less than 4 cm.
How to make holes
The quality of the holes made in the ice is also of great importance. You need to learn to drill them quickly so that this activity does not take a lot of strength. To do this you need to have a good, sharp icebreaker. The holes themselves should have the shape of an inverted truncated cone (wider on the surface, narrower near the water). The diameter is usually 18-25 cm.
Be sure to trim the edges of the hole, leaving no sharp corners or nicks. This way you can insure against line breaks. You can make several holes at once by placing fishing rods along them. This will give you a better chance of catching prey.
Gear selection
Don't forget that other fishing rods are used. They come in different types and can be strengthened on the ice or supported. Size – up to 17 cm.
As for the fishing line, it is better to give preference to hairline, as it will not freeze so quickly and therefore will not begin to stick to the hole. Hooks must match the type of fish being hunted.
For winter fishing, a light-weight spoon that will fall silently is suitable. White is suitable for turbid waters, while for clear waters it is better to use yellow.
By following these tips, you can easily catch pike perch, burbot, ruffe, and perch, which are quite active in winter and are caught on bait. It is important to behave carefully and if unexpected situations arise, immediately ask for help.
Video: How to fish in winter
Video: How to fish in winter (winter fishing)
That's what we've been waiting for! The golden grove dissuaded me, the rooks flew away, the mosquito did not bite. The frost did its job, imprisoning the water bodies of central Russia in ice captivity. Ice fishing time is approaching. It's time to look into your suitcase with winter gear and make sure that everything is in order: the hooks of the jigs are strong and sharp, the fishing line on the fishing rods is not rotten and there are no knots.
It would also be a good idea to check the cutting tools - ice augers and picks. Typically, the wooden handle of the pick dries out, and the steel rod that secures it can be greatly weakened by time and corrosion. At the ice drill, you should check the sharpness of the working edges of the knives, tighten the threaded connections, and make sure that the rotary handle is intact and rotates freely.
On the eve of the first trip to the ice, it is always advisable to check your clothing, especially felt fur. Make sure it is not damaged by moths. It’s not hard to imagine your condition if, a few hours before going fishing, you find yourself faced with the fact that your clothes are damaged. Another reminder to felt boots lovers. These great warm shoes are also susceptible to moths and often shrink several sizes.
It seems that everything has been checked - rope, rescue gear, first aid kit, anti-slip devices - crampons for shoes. Finally, we are at the coastal edge of the ice. Having waited for dawn, we carefully step onto the ice and test its strength with blows from an ice pick. Having made sure of its reliability, we set a course for the planned fishing spots, not forgetting to periodically monitor the condition of the ice.
Most experienced fishermen strive to find places that were catchy last year and check them first. But it’s not easy to navigate the large expanses of reservoirs. This is where modern navigation technology comes to the rescue. Now it has become available to many fishermen. Our group of ice fishing enthusiasts also got a portable GPS satellite navigation device.
It allows you to determine with great accuracy the points and routes specified and stored in the device’s memory. Having in your arsenal such devices as an echo sounder and a navigator, the success of winter fishing can be ensured already in the summer. For example, during summer and autumn fishing trips, we simultaneously study the reservoir in detail, passing on a boat with an environmentally friendly, silent electric motor from the American company Minkota.
With this 8-speed engine in combination with an echo sounder and navigator, you can conveniently and quickly, without scaring away the fish, study the bottom topography of reservoirs and enter into the navigator’s memory promising places with schooling concentrations of fish during the pre-ice period. Having such information about the body of water where you plan to fish, you always feel much more confident.
After careful preparation, the initial phase of winter fishing passes with almost no unnecessary loss of time searching for places where fish usually come out to feed. The first time on the ice is always an exciting event. Having arrived at the planned place, we check the navigator readings again. Having made sure that the output is accurate, we begin further preparations for fishing.
One of us, using a navigator, marks out future holes with bright flags. We typically install between 15 and 25 flags. The most resilient and strong of our team follows and uses a large diameter ice drill (155-175 mm) to drill holes in the ice. The hole is drilled a meter from the flag so that during fishing the flag does not interfere and the fishing line blown by the wind does not cling to it.
At the same time, one of us brings the bait for fish to final readiness, adding water, bloodworms, coretra, breadcrumbs, bran, millet and flavorings: vanilla, honey, anise, hemp and “Vegeta”. Having distributed the bait and taken out the feeders, we go to the area of the drilled holes and quickly feed them.
I advise beginning fishermen to use a plastic cone-shaped feeder with a volume of 150-200 g; it is more convenient to fill it, and for fish standing under the ice, the clinking of a tin is not the best bait. When putting bait into the feeder, you should remember that it should be moist, not frozen and not dense. Otherwise, it may not reach its destination.
Open the feeder in the bottom zone from 0.5 to 1.5 m, depending on the current. Until the bait starts to “work”, you can have a snack. During this time, the aromatic bait, previously poured into the hole, is actively doing its job. Premature fishing of baited holes will scare away large fish, which usually come after small fish. Read about winter fishing for perch with fry -
We check whether the nozzle bloodworm in the foam bloodworm is not frozen. Having made sure that everything is in order, we go to the holes. We approach them very carefully, trying not to make noise so as not to scare away the fish. Comfortably sitting on a fishing box, sitting with our back to the wind, we prepare the gear for fishing from a depth of 5-12 m, where bream, silver bream, roach - the main object of our fishing - usually feed.
When fishing in such conditions, I usually use a fishing rod with an open reel and a device for quickly unwinding and selecting line from great depths. This integral addition to the rod in the form of two folding, lockable polished metal rods with a diameter of 5 mm, which are located at the edges of the handle, significantly saves precious time and effort during frequent transitions from hole to hole.
We place a bunch of bloodworms on the hook of the jig and send it into the hole. A few words about the fishing line, the nod and the jig itself. The choice of winter monofilament fishing line must be taken seriously, since not all fishing lines retain their best properties in severe frost and temperature changes. The fishing line must be strong, elastic, wear-resistant, low-frosting, clearly visible on snow and ice, and at the same time unnoticeable to fish.
I prefer Gamakatsu fishing lines with a diameter of 0.12 mm. This is quite enough to tire and bring large fish to the hole. Last winter I decided to try braided fishing line while fishing. Out of habit, a lot of problems arose. When hooking large fish, the hooks of proven, reliable jigs often broke. The very soft and thin “braid” became hopelessly tangled and froze.
Now I use a combined option: the main fishing line is monofilament, with a 2-meter thin (0.08 mm in diameter) piece of “braid” tied to it. When hooking large fish, the length of a regular fishing line is enough to soften the load on the jig hook, and when using “braid” “The number of bites increases due to the thinness and sensitivity of the gear.
When playing for a large fish, you can safely lead it into the hole, without fear of cutting and tearing the tackle on the edges, and the sharp edges of the holes of tungsten jigs are not scary for the “braided” jig. With this combination, breakages and losses of large fish are minimized. The nod is an integral attribute of winter gear, with the help of which a bite is detected.
In addition, with certain vibrations and movements, it achieves the effect of playing with a jig. The ability to work with a nod is one of the components of successful fishing. The design of the nod is simple - a stainless metal elastic plate 0.1 mm thick, up to 100 mm long and extending onto a cone with a width of 4 to 1.5 mm. The nod is equipped with bright, clearly visible cambrics through which the fishing line passes freely.
The nod is attached to the vinyl plastic six with a small rubber coupling with a diameter of 10 mm. During the first ice period, I prefer to use a large drop-shaped 2-gram tungsten jig of a dark color with a sharp, polished hook point. It reaches the bottom with great speed without scaring away the fish. Bites often occur in the bottom zone where the jig falls.
This suggests that in the bait area there is a large concentration of fish competing with each other. It is very important not to scare her away. Unfortunately, this often happens and not always without outside help. Many anglers, having seen the catch of fish, strive to drill their own hole as close as possible to your baited hole, as a result of which the bite of large fish usually stops for a long time.
There is nothing left to do but quickly move to the next feeding hole. This is one of the advantages of a large number of single holes drilled 100 m from each other. Having overcome this distance and approaching the hole, carefully push through and remove the formed ice with a slotted spoon. We throw it to the side so that it does not become an obstacle to the fishing line laid out near the hole.
Having settled comfortably on the box, we quickly send the jig into the hole before the bloodworm on the hook freezes. We release the line from the rod attachment and adjust the difference in the depths of the holes being fished with the reel. After catching several fish, bites usually become less frequent. At this point, it is advisable to move to another feeding hole.
Now about the techniques of playing a jig with a nod. The most justified and universal, in my opinion, is this: when lowering the jig, we slow down its movement 1 m from the bottom and smoothly lower it. If at this moment there is no bite and the jig reaches the bottom, you need to pause for 10-15 seconds without letting go of the rod. At this time, when the nod is raised, beautiful bites often occur.
In case of a prolonged pause, we do the following: without lifting the jig from the bottom, we begin nodding movements that imitate the movement and burying of the bloodworm into the bottom. If this game with alternating pauses does not give the desired result, it makes sense to try a slow rise of the jig with small and frequent fluctuations of the nod.
During a short winter fishing day, it is possible to bypass the feeding holes three times, no more, and it is always important to feel in time which hole, where the fish should still be, is time to move. Being carried away by fishing, you almost don’t notice how it starts to get dark. It's time to remove the flags. Having quickly fished a passing hole, we get together, share our impressions and weigh the caught fish.
Returning, we set a course for the car using the navigator, not forgetting to periodically check the strength of the ice. In conclusion, I want to give a little advice to novice fishermen. If you are going on winter fishing, I advise you to go with a group of experienced fishermen who will help you, teach you and suggest things that you will not be able to figure out on your own.
