Winter fishing for catfish using a drak smyk. Catching catfish in winter: the most promising areas and the best gear. Silicone baits for catching catfish in winter
Catching catfish in winter. Methods and techniques for catching winter catfish.
Catch catfish from the ice in winter? Many anglers will say that this is impossible. However, this is not so... As practice has shown, in winter you can catch catfish of a fairly large size. The main thing in such fishing is to know the topography of the reservoir and accurately find the catfish hole. You need to study the reservoir in advance in open water using an echo sounder. If this has already been done, then fishing in this case is very simple.
What time of day is best to catch catfish?
As in summer time, the peak nutritional activity of this powerful fish occurs during evening time days. Therefore, it is precisely before sunset that the most active bite of this fish occurs. But there is some exception, which is described below.
What gear do you need to have to catch catfish?
Since catfish is a large, active and extremely powerful fish, the tackle for catching it must be appropriate. The main thing in winter fishing for catfish is that the fisherman can comfortably handle the fishing rod, since fishing takes place in a hole and at a considerable depth. And give special game Lures can only be cast with a light and comfortable rod. Accordingly, having hooked a catfish, you need to successfully deliver it to the surface and pull it out of the hole. To do this, you should get a hook, and when preparing the hole, expand it as much as possible using an ice drill with an increased drilling diameter or using an ice pick (ordinary axe). In this case, the fishing line should be of increased strength, but at the same time very soft, since the “oak” equipment will not give the bait an attractive game.
What to use to catch catfish in winter?
Experienced fishermen who have caught more than a dozen catfish in winter note that catching catfish at this time of year is only possible by “throwing bait right under the catfish’s nose,” since this fish is not inclined to search for food throughout the reservoir in cold weather.
Thus, you should have in your arsenal a silicone bait with a heavy sinker jig head in order to quickly lower the bait to the bottom and actively hit the bottom - following the example of jig wiring. The optimal length of a vibrotail is from 10 cm. Its color should be bright: from poisonous lime to bright white. A good option would be a bait with a characteristic shine similar to the silver scales of a fish.
How to catch catfish with silicone bait?
First of all, you need to decide whether there is a current in the fishing area and what is the fishing depth. With a strong current and a depth of about 4-6 meters, you should select a jig head of at least 20 grams. Accordingly, from this value, depending on the depth of the intended fishing and the strength of the current, the weight of the gear is reduced or increased.
Useful tips for catching catfish
On cloudy days or during heavy snowfall, catfish can be active throughout the day. Therefore, fishing at lunchtime can be successful.
In winter, catfish will never take a bait that is not active, so in order to attract this fish, it is worth constantly adding action to the tackle.
When landing this fish, you must have maximum patience, since it is not so easy to tear a catfish from the bottom and the tackle can easily be torn off.
There is another “old-fashioned” method of catching catfish, the so-called “samoder”. But this method of catching fish has nothing to do with sport or recreational fishing, and if you catch a catfish in this way, you can get a substantial fine from the fisheries authorities. In addition, with this type of catfishing, you can injure or kill a lot of fish that roll into wintering pits. And real fishermen are against poaching!
Winter catfishing is a popular activity among real professional fishermen, since catching a predator on a frozen body of water is much more difficult than in summer. In order for fishing to be enjoyable and the catch to please you with its quantity, you need to know how to catch catfish in winter, how to find the predator’s habitat in a body of water and choose the right bait. Advice from professionals will help you master the technique of catching this predator.
Success winter fishing for catfish depends largely on the place of fishing and the chosen bait
The success of winter fishing largely depends on the fishing location and the chosen bait. It is no secret that catfish are in a passive state in winter, they move little around the reservoir, and therefore catching catfish in winter is the pinnacle of fishing skill. Based on many years of observations, it became clear that catfish spend the entire winter in such places in the reservoir as:
- wintering pits;
- on half-dams;
- on washed out shores.
Depending on the size of the wintering hole, quite a few individuals can live in it. They are most often located at the depth of a lake or river, where the smallest circular current is observed. Usually the bottom in such places is not muddy, but hard. The deeper the hole, the greater the chance of catching a particularly large catfish.
When it comes to catching catfish in winter, every fisherman has his own opinion. Some believe that this activity is quite tedious and unprofitable. The passivity of the catfish and the difficulty in finding its wintering sites really complicate the task. However, due to the fact that catfish are severely deprived of food in winter, they quickly respond to bait.
What time and what to use to catch catfish in winter? Catching catfish using silicone bait with a jig is quite successful. Weighted baits are suitable as they sink well to the bottom. The color of silicone depends on the characteristics of the water in the pond. When catching a predator in muddy water You should give preference to bright neon lures. If the pond is clean and the water is clear, then silver, gold or glitter-coated baits are suitable.
Traditionally, predator fish become more active in the evening at dusk or in cloudy weather. According to reviews from experienced fishermen, during heavy snowfall you can get good catch large individuals.
To catch catfish in winter, you will need to drill more than one hole in search of wintering holes. It will be much easier to fish in a familiar body of water where the bottom has already been studied. Beginner fishermen are usually surprised by the strong resistance of a catfish caught on a hook. However, this also causes a special excitement and thrill.
To catch catfish in winter, you will need to drill more than one hole in search of wintering holes
Features of winter catfish fishing A
IN winter time Poorly trained fishermen rarely manage to catch catfish. It is necessary to take into account some features of winter fishing for catfish from ice. In cold water, this predator moves little around the reservoir and can spend many days and weeks in one place. Only depletion of food can force the fish to look for a new wintering place, and this does not happen often.
In winter, the process of digesting food slows down greatly for catfish, so one eaten fish lasts for a long time. All of these factors have an extremely adverse effect on the number of catfish reactions to bait. Bites in winter are rare and, according to reviews from experienced fishermen, there are only 1 or 2 bites in a few hours spent on the ice. An actively moving bait, such as a jig or, can interest a predator in winter.
Jigging is a good opportunity to attract the attention of a passive catfish while hunting. This period begins in the first hours after dark. Periodic bouncing of the bait, its impacts on the very bottom of the reservoir can arouse the interest of the catfish, which will instinctively react to it.
According to fishermen, catching catfish in winter with a bunch of worms leads to positive results. To increase efficiency, they are pre-moistened in a fragrant attractant. Worms are a good bait for catfish at any time of the year, so it’s worth trying this method of catching a predator.
How to catch catfish in winter using a balance beam, video:
Interested in how to catch catfish in winter? This is not an easy task, which the most persistent and resourceful fishermen can cope with. However, if a positive result is achieved, a lot of positive emotions and a delicious dinner are guaranteed to the blue field worker and his family.
This is an unusual matter and requires a lot of diligence on the part of the fisherman. Catching catfish is not easy in the summer, but in the winter it’s just hard. Winter catfish enters an intermediate state of suspended animation. We can say that he is sleeping and does not react to anything. But in fact, it is possible to achieve a bite, but for this you need to do a lot of exhausting work. Catfish lives on great depths, which means that in places number one there will be holes and deep dumps. Catfish mainly live on large, deep rivers and rarely leave their permanent camp sites. We can say that the catfish is tied to one specific place. Catching catfish from the ice is almost impossible. Even if it bites and if the specimen is large, it simply won’t fit into a hole even with a diameter of 130 millimeters. There is one wonderful piece of equipment that will allow you to catch catfish throughout the year, both in summer and winter - this is a spinning rod. Catching catfish with a spinning rod in the winter season is a matter for strong and experienced fishermen. Sometimes it takes a lot of time to find at least one point. To catch catfish in any season, you should use only powerful, proven gear. Now we’ll talk about how to catch it yourself and what tactics to use, but I want to start with choosing the right powerful gear.
Choosing gear for catching catfish
We will need spinning with high power and a good deterrent resource. Usually such sticks seem bulky, but in fact you can choose very good model with light weight and excellent fittings for a reasonable price. Since in winter we catch catfish from the shore on an ice-free river, we will need a long stick. The optimal length of a catfish spinning rod should be at least 270 centimeters. The large length allows for long and extremely accurate casting, and the long spinning rod absorbs all jerks of the fish well. Having decided on the length, you need to choose the appropriate system. Som will be able to bend any rod into an arc and when catching this fish you will need a stick of maximum rigidity, namely with an ExtraFast action, which means super fast. Only a super fast stick allows you to keep the fish on a short leash and prevent it from diving under a snag or sticking to the bottom. The weight range is 10-40 or 12-56 grams. The result is the most powerful kit possible. I almost forgot to say that we will need a sensitive rod. If we feel all the nuances in the wiring, we will be able to hook the catfish correctly and in a timely manner. Let's summarize. A spinning rod for catching catfish with a dough of at least 40 grams, a length of at least 270 centimeters with a fast action and a sensitive tip. Choosing a spinning rod is easy, but more stringent requirements are required for the reel. And here's how to choose a reel.
The first thing you should pay attention to is the size; do not take a reel smaller than 4000 thousand. Such a massive reel will allow you to cast very far and, in addition, it has a strong mechanism. As a rule, the main pair of such meat grinders is enlarged and endures all hardships and impacts. U catfish The coil simply must have a decent powerful braking friction system. The approximate load on the brake is about 11 kilograms, and only Japanese gear has this feature. Good line laying and smooth running should be at top level. As you understand, such a reel costs a lot of money, but the costs will be justified.
Fishing line for catfishing We will use exclusively wicker with a diameter of 0.22 millimeters. A smaller diameter will easily tear, but we still need to maintain sensitivity, so 0.22 millimeters is beyond competition.
Choosing bait for catching catfish in the winter season
In winter, catfish are caught exclusively with two types of baits that you must have in your travel arsenal. The number one bait will be a wobbler. Wobblers are not simple ones, but deep versions with large blades. The class of wobbler depends on the place of fishing, but mostly these are minnows and shads. The color of the bait should be given Special attention, I often use baits in provocative colors such as yellow, green and red. Moreover, catfish react very, very well to the color red. Another type of bait for catching catfish is vibrotails and twistors. It is best to choose large sizes, ranging from 8 centimeters to 10 centimeters baits.
Now let's talk about the type of wiring of this or that bait. If we are talking about a wobbler, then direct monotonous animation will be beyond competition. In this case, the wobbler must draw the bottom with a spatula and raise the turbidity, but such a bait will be good in local places, not in a large water area, like, for example, a jig, but in a miniature section of a reservoir. Twisters and vibrotails are designed for fishing a large area of water and serve mainly as search baits. If we skim off the quick cream with a wobbler, then with twisters and fantails we catch stuck or inactive fish. Wobbler models should be chosen in the floating version. A few turns of the coil, and only then give a short pause. Silicone should be applied with twitches and jerks; monotonous dragging along the bottom often helps; of course, a pause in this case is also very important, especially at the moment when som alert or when it needs to be brought out of hibernation. If your mustachioed friend doesn’t want to peck, you need to experiment with the speed of the retrieve and, of course, with the colors.
Tactics
Tactics are based on correct fishing of a point. The edges of pits and pits are fished with wobblers, but we fish with jig baits at considerable depths and in huge backwaters with a decent depth. If the catfish is active, then it attacks the wobbler instantly. In the winter season, do not stay long in one place; the fisherman’s feet feed him, just like the wolf from the Russian proverb. Changing the bait angle does not affect this fish in any way. And be sure to apply an attractant to the bait, then the chance of a bite increases significantly!
I hope you will find a lot of interesting and informative things in this article. No tail, no scales.
Video about catching catfish in winter
Catching catfish in winter requires special skill and patience. Winter fishing in search of catfish is considered an activity only for a real fisherman, because not everyone will dare to drill holes and collect gear when there is snow or frost outside. You need to prepare for such fishing in advance, so experienced fishermen select fishing spots and collect fishing equipment in the summer. Catfish is a worthy opponent in the fight for survival, and therefore offers very strong resistance, which, of course, causes great excitement among fishermen. There are many conflicting opinions regarding winter fishing for catfish; some believe that such fishing is practically useless, while others successfully catch decent specimens. Everyone knows that catfish gain weight very quickly and can reach a weight of three hundred kilograms.
Closer to winter, catfish move to pits in search of a secluded place. There may be several individuals in one hole, where they spend the winter, however, at the sight of a passing bait, this fish will not remain indifferent. The catfish will instantly grab the bait, and then you can safely hook it.
In winter, catfish are deprived of food, so they can easily be attracted by artificial bait in the form of a jig. According to experts, this fish is more active at dusk, but if there is snow or cloudy weather outside, then you can safely hunt for catfish during the day.
Our ancestors went fishing with a drill and a special device in the form of several hooks with a fixed load; this equipment was tied to a strong fishing line or rope. This method, of course, cannot be called sports or professional, but still the results of this method are very effective.
Old-fashioned fishing method
In winter you need to look for catfish in half-dams or near washed-out banks. The most difficult thing will be to find the hole where this fish is used to living in the winter. Therefore, experienced fishermen are in a hurry to identify such areas in the summer. And remember, the deeper the hole, the greater the chances of catching the desired prey. First, you need to cut a hole the right size, then you need to throw the equipment, called a self-propelled gun, into the hole. If the hole is cut correctly, near the fish site, then the result will not take long to arrive. Carefully remove the sauger from the hole; several individuals may be caught on such a device at once. The catch must be pulled out with caution, try not to slow down, as the fish can easily slip under the weight of its own weight. To be on the safe side, on the surface of the water, you need to pierce the flaccid fish with a hook.
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Catching catfish in winter
Features of winter fishing for catfish
This powerful and heavy predator is the dream of any angler with a spinning rod, rods and donks. There is an opinion that when ice sets in, catfish fishing stops. This is true for most reservoirs in central Russia. But it all depends on the temperature regime of the reservoir and the density of predators in it. Many cooling reservoirs of nuclear power plants do not freeze at all in winter. And if there are catfish in them, then fishing for them is possible all year round.
In the Astrakhan region, in the Volga delta, catfish also do not lose activity during winter period. It's warmer there and more fish. A sort of fishing Eldorado, where you can indulge your soul in real fishing. And the catfish, apparently, thinks the same. Therefore, he does not sleep, with a mustache, in the wintering pits, but still goes out to rob the deep pit edges of the channels and reed eriks. The only difference is that in winter, catfish spend much less time hunting. Everything is connected with the so-called metabolism, that is, the metabolism in the body, which is slow in winter for all fish. In cold water, catfish have no time for fat, if only they were alive... And therefore they eat as much as is required so that the strength in their powerful blued bodies, possessing fierce strength, does not fade away. In the warm summer they will bask at night in the moonlight, coming to the surface with a quiet splash, recklessly attacking sleepy fish, on a sunny day snatching unwary chicks and ducks in the reeds, picking up from the bottom everything that has protein and calories, be it a lying one. carrion.
Places for catching catfish are selected in advance, from the period of open water. And there is nothing new here. Just like in the summer, these predators stand in deep holes, and go out to hunt on nearby pit edges, without going far from their camp sites, as happens in the summer.
Since during this period catfish are in a borderline state between sluggish slumber and periodic episodes of activity, then fishing for catfish requires something drastic to interest the predator, even to the point of knocking on the strong head of the catfish with some heavy and fast bait . This, of course, is ironic, but you really need active and fairly large baits. And such baits include balancers.
Winter fishing for catfish using balancers and spoons
To catch catfish, of course, you need large and active baits, preferably bright colors, with the addition of article F, that is, phosphor shades. Why are such shades needed? The fact is that catfishing occurs at great depths and often under a layer of snow. Even on a bright day, when the snow-covered expanses of the reservoir or the channels of the Volga delta are flooded with sunlight, this light barely breaks through the ice.
Such catchy and active lures include Spider Pro balancers measuring 90 mm in colors 27, 29, which are popular colors in pike fishing. They will also be appropriate for catfish fishing. These colors are best used during the day. In the evening or early in the morning, as already mentioned, you need phosphorus colors with the addition of the letter F. Glowing baits when catching a predator at dusk can give a head start to any of the most advanced and expensive balancers of regular colors.
Why exactly can balancers be considered successful baits for catfish? Classic balancers, which include Spider Pro lures, have a very active and wide game, which largely depends on the stabilizer of the bait. Spider Pro balancers have a stabilizer, which is also called the tail, made of special impact-resistant plastic. At the expense of their design features the balancer deviates far away from the centerline of the hole, and then on the way back it makes movements that sometimes resemble a “figure eight” or a steep loop. With the next swing, the bait turns around and moves in the opposite direction. And we have already said that sleepy under-ice catfish sometimes lack such a show so that, shaking off the remnants of drowsiness, they rush after the impudent fish, even if it is just an artificial bait. Considering that in winter several catfish accumulate in the pits, the joke about poking a catfish in the head with a heavy bait may turn out to be a reality. Underwater filming has repeatedly demonstrated similar episodes when the bait literally hit the fish’s head.
When fishing for catfish in the deep-water sections of a reservoir or the Volga channel of the lower Volga, there is one important detail: the balancers will work actively and to the fullest of their capabilities if you use a non-standard stroke of the fishing rod, that is, shorter and sharper than, for example, in fishing at depth up to five meters. When fishing in relatively shallow water, you just need to lift the balancer and it will immediately “start up”. Greater depths level out and average out the jerks of the fishing rod. Therefore we have to make more effort so that the bait can deviate from the vertical and then glide back in its famous florid dance...
Spoons are also successful baits for catching catfish, but most often they turn the fish red. Apparently, predators are only curiously interested in the strange fish that dared to invade their living space, but the decision to grab it has not yet come. And then the fish itself grabs the king of the underwater kingdom and drags him up.
For fishing at great depths, according to the logic of fishing conditions, it would seem that narrow and heavy spinners are required, like pike perch spinners, only even heavier. But these baits will work too sluggishly at depth, which may only interest equally sluggish pike perch or pike, especially if fishing occurs in the middle of winter. Which lure should you choose to catch catfish?
Recently, summer oscillating spoons have become widely used in ice fishing. Their advantage is that they play well at all depths: from coastal shallow water to a depth of 8-10 m. At the same time, summer oscillating spoons have additional phases of play, when at the moment of a pause the bait rotates around itself for some time. Sometimes it is during this phase that the predator grabs the bait. In addition, the oscillating spoons of the summer series have a long game on their own due to the wide body, which allows you to make a lot of waddling movements, sliding in the water column away from the vertical, nimble dives, which distinguishes these baits from ordinary winter vertical spoons that fall to the bottom with a heavy nail. But for fishing at great depths, even such a widely playing bait must receive an energetic impulse in the form of a sharp short throw of the fishing rod.
As already mentioned, in order to stir up a sleepy catfish, you need an active bait that irritates the predator and forces it to attack. Oscillating spoons for summer fishing are also excellent as winter active bait. The only condition: the oscillating spoon must weigh at least eighty grams, be large and light, reminiscent of a silver roach catfish. These lures include, in particular, the following baits: Catfish Spoon - 85 g, Detector Spoon - 80 g, Mad Max Spoon - 80 g.
Silicone jig baits are also successfully used in winter. In the twilight light of the underwater deep world, luminous fluorescent vibrotails and twisters 12-15 cm long work especially well. Recently, the so-called edible rubber has become widespread. These are also very effective baits, which, in addition to the visual effect, have a smell that attracts a predator. The weight of the sinkers or jig heads is about 50 grams. At greater depths, more massive baits are also used.
Fishing for winter catfish requires durable fishing rods made of composite materials. The length of such a fishing rod can reach a meter. Also, to equip a fishing rod for catfish you need a winter spinning reel, which is capable of operating without failures at sub-zero temperatures. The reel is equipped with a braided cord with a diameter of 0.18-0.2 mm.
Catching catfish using baits and girders in winter
Despite the emergence of more and more new and natural-looking, most expensive artificial baits, the predator unerringly chooses live fish. In addition to its appearance, the fish has a whole gallery of bright and subtle odors, vital fluids, a spectrum of frequencies and vibrations to which any predator, including catfish, reacts. Therefore, live bait gear for catfish is the most practical and effective for the winter period. In addition, fixed gear there is another very important advantage: when they are placed in the right places, the fisherman moves away from them and does not create excessive noise on the ice, which the fish can hear very well, be it just the creaking of fishing shoe covers in the snow. Any girder will confirm this, because when approaching a girder that was just in the grip of a predator, no matter how quietly the fisherman tries to sneak towards it, the pike will still hear him and try to leave, whistling as he spins the girder reel. And this despite the fact that the depth in this place can be ten meters.
The simplest gear among home-made live baits are the so-called “postavukhi” for catfish. This is just a piece of strong nylon cord on which there is an end sinker, and above it - a leash made of strong monofilament fishing line with a diameter of at least 0.3 mm and a length of about 30 cm. A large single hook No. 16 of our numbering or a double of the same is tied to the leash numbers. A fairly large roach or any other “white” fish is attached to the hook. The most reliable way to attach a live bait is to pull the leash through the gills of the fish and secure the hook in the mouth of the bait fish. To do this, the leash must be detachable. This method will not give the predator a chance to grab the bait and leave. True, the service life of live bait with such equipment is shorter than with the method of attaching live bait under the dorsal fin. But in cold water this is not as noticeable as in the summer. The difference in the lifespan of live bait using these methods in winter is insignificant.
At the top, in the hole, the postaukha is secured with a strong stick placed across the hole.
These simple tackles are used mainly by local fishermen, for whom fishing is not only a recreation of the soul, but also a serious addition to the table. Therefore, these rational and catchy gear often bring good catch, since local residents know all the catfish holes and put out several gear, sometimes quite a lot.
Catching catfish on a girder can be no less productive, but there is already such an important factor for the fisherman as a bite, that is, the grip of a predator when the scarlet flag of a girder is raised over the ice silence. And this makes catching catfish with live bait much more interesting.
We have already considered the main types of vents more than once. The most popular option is the one in which a stand with a reel and a flag on a spring is mounted on a plastic stand. But there is another type of girder, which was also once a clever homemade product, but is now produced by well-known companies, which include Akara.
This vent has an original design, which has its pros and cons. The advantages include the simplicity, functionality of the gear and the availability of ready-made equipment on the girder. Moreover, unlike other ready-made rigs, made “anyhow”, which are not even capable of catching, on the Akara 3601-002 girder the rig is ready for fishing without any modifications, but... for catching pike. If you use tackle for catching catfish, it is better to replace a monofilament line with a diameter of 0.35 mm with a braided cord with a thickness of 0.3 mm or with a monofilament line of a larger diameter, for example, with a line with a thickness of 0.6 mm. You will also have to replace the tee with a larger one, for example, No. 12-14. Another advantage of this girder is the sound background, or simply a click when plastic parts collide when turning the flag over. On ice in frosty, calm weather, such a click will be heard quite far away, which will allow you to react to the bite in time and hook the fish.
The disadvantages include the small size of the plastic flag, which will not be visible if the girders stand at a distance of more than a hundred meters from the fisherman. At least, such a flag will be less noticeable than the flag of a homemade girder fluttering in the wind. However, when catching catfish, you should not go far from the girders so as not to lose your tackle. Catfish is a serious fish.
Zherlitsy and postavukhas are baited with large live bait and placed along the pit edges, where exits of hunting catfish are possible. Predators most often come out early in the morning, sometimes while it’s still dark, but it happens that catfish grab live bait before lunch, and closer to spring, the period of daytime hunting for catfish increases.
In review articles: and you will find a lot useful information about fishing during the period of cold weather and frosts.
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