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The catfish is considered the most desirable and strong trophy of the river depths. European catfish reaches a weight of half a ton, so a more powerful rival in fresh water cannot be found. The mustachioed giant is caught all year round, preferring the warm season. In the cold season, the predator hides in wintering pits, under large snags or dumps, often gathering in flocks of several dozen individuals.
Habits and seasonal features of biting
Finding a mustachioed giant is not easy. At different times of the year, it occupies the same sections of water bodies, but goes to feed in different zones. The diet of the small catfish includes benthic invertebrate organisms, insects and their larvae, worms, fish eggs and leeches. With weight gain, the predator switches to larger prey, now it feeds on fry, tadpoles and frogs, bivalve mollusks.
An adult catfish is able to attack a duck, large fish and waterfowl rodents. There are opinions that the river giant attacks even dogs, and is also capable of harming a child. However, giants of this size have not been found in large rivers and reservoirs for a long time, not to mention small water areas.
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Catfish spawning takes place when the water temperature reaches 18 ° C, it falls on May-June, when the ban on angling is in effect. At this time of the year, catfish fishing is prohibited. Individuals who have reached the age of 3-4 years with a mass of 1 kg or more participate in spawning. For throwing sparks, the catfish chooses calm places with clear water and a depth of 0,5 to 2 meters. You can always clarify the terms of the fishing ban on the official resources of water protection institutions.
The structure of the predator has several features:
- scaleless body;
- spotted color;
- large head;
- long anal fin;
- hard mouth;
- small teeth in large numbers.
This species is classified as a predator, although it often picks up food from the bottom, showing the behavior of a scavenger. Large individuals attract prey with the help of a front pair of long whiskers. They hide at the bottom, moving their whiskers, imitating water worms. Interested prey quickly falls into this trap, the catfish lets the fish in at a minimum distance, after which it makes a throw.
spring activity
Catfish begin to wake up from hibernation in March, when the water temperature rises. The first activity takes place in mid-March, although at this time it is not easy to catch the mustache.
At the beginning of spring, the predator responds to bottom gear and reluctantly falls for spinning.
Catfish biting on a jig in March is an exception, since a sluggish giant is not able to pursue active prey. In March, biting is episodic, falls on sunny calm weather. In the early morning, you should not expect the approach of the river giant, he will rather find himself closer to noon or in the evening. Experienced anglers note that catfish are able to feed on outlets, this is evidenced by information about several fish catches in one reservoir at the same time. In March, the fish takes from the depths, so you need to look for it only there.
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April and early May is the most favorable time for catching “whiskered”. During this period, he is awake throughout the daylight hours, besides, larger specimens come across than in summer. In April, the catfish goes to shallow waters in search of food, it comes to the coastal edges, swims into bays, visits beaches and grassy waterings. In April, catfish can be found at depths of up to 3-4 meters, so it is better to loosen the clutch in advance.
At this time of the year, fish are actively pursuing artificial baits:
- edible silicone (slugs and vibrotails, frogs and ducklings);
- wobblers (cranks, sheds, fats);
- large vibrations (atom, spoon and others);
- spinners (Aglia Long 3);
- foam fish, cicadas.
If the angler is faced with the task of catching a catfish for spinning, then there is no better time than the middle and second decade of spring.
More experienced anglers claim that the beginning of high catfish activity in 100% of cases coincides with the flowering of acacia. The folk sign finds its confirmation from year to year, this is more likely due to a similar temperature regime during the period of flowering and biting of a predator.
Summer nibble
Immediately after spawning, the catfish goes on a two-week break. At this time, babies up to 500-600 g are caught on hooks of bottom gear. Catfish refuse to take on spinning in June, all large individuals are involved in spawning.
Biting resumes towards the end of the month, when summer days reach the highest temperatures. During this period of the year, night fishing is popular, because the catfish comes out only at night.
Summer activity peaks a few hours before midnight and in the morning before dawn. In the dead of night, bites may not be at all or follow every 1,5-2 hours. As a rule, immediately after dark, a trifle responds, and only after large specimens approach.
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At night, the catfish moves in search of food upstream, if we are talking about a river. The “whiskered” returns to the pits in the morning. Catching it in the pit itself is impractical. It is best to place rods upstream, placing them at different depths.
Promising areas for fishing on the donk in the dark:
- coastal edges;
- exits from the pits;
- drops, uneven terrain;
- cattail edge, water lily wall border;
- trees that have fallen into the water;
- large snags.
It should be remembered that at night the fish is looking for prey, therefore it visits areas that are not typical for parking lots. Catfish does not occur in strong currents, it is attracted by blockages of snags, structures, platforms, logs and flooded trees.
Often the predator is found on the shell rock, where bivalve mollusks remain the main food component. You can detect it at night by its characteristic gurgling sounds, reminiscent of the work of a quok. Since catfish have large gill covers, the sound is deep and cannot be confused with pike perch or splashes of white fish.
Autumn peak fishing
If in the warm season the weight of trophies is unremarkable, then with the onset of autumn, really large specimens can come across on the hook. Since September, the number of bites has been reduced, however, the little thing also stops taking the nozzle.
The best option for fishing in the fall is fishing from a boat with a donk to a kwok. In early and until mid-autumn, catfish are looked for in pits, channel brows, dumps and shell spits.
The best animal baits for fishing in September-October:
- a bunch of creeps, large worms;
- barley, mussels and other bivalves;
- liver, offal, meat scraps;
- pieces of fish, frog;
- leeches, locust larvae of the cockchafer.
Live bait occupies a separate place in fishing methods and nozzles. For trophy specimens, the appropriate bait is used: crucian carp, bream, carp, up to 1,5 kg in size.
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Autumn fishing on the donka brings good results both during daylight hours and at night. Closer to October, the number of bites is still reduced, now the capture of catfish is a rather rare event. It is replaced by freshwater cod – burbot.
Spinning in autumn is as popular as in summer. An expedient search for a catfish with a jig or a wobbler is rarely done. The mustachioed giant comes across as a bonus when catching zander and large river pike.
Ways to catch a river giant
Humane fishing methods include spinning, bottom and float gear for live bait or other bait, fishing from a boat on a kwok. For lovers of active fishing, spinning or exploring the reservoir from a boat is suitable. Supporters of stationary fishing will like snacks and other bottom gear.
Spinning fishing
For fishing for catfish, plug-in rods of increased strength are used. The blank test is in the range of 20-70 grams, since large artificial nozzles are chosen for the mustachioed.
Catfish are caught both on large and small rivers, with the same success. It is much easier to find a predator on a small flowing reservoir. It is more likely that you will be able to get to the exit of the mustachioed giant in spring than in summer. Fishing is possible both from the shore and from the boat. In the second case, popular plumb fishing.
What to catch with sheer fishing:
- twisters and vibrotails;
- sheer baubles;
- large rattlins;
- sinking wobblers.
Often a piece of meat or liver is hung on a hook for greater attractiveness. Among silicone, active models in light shades are in the lead. As a rule, classic rigs on a hinge or a jig head are used to catch catfish. The presence of a leash is an important component of fishing. Sharp sandpaper frays any cord or fluorocarbon. The length of the lead material must be at least half a meter.
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One of the most popular postings is dragging with stops. In this form, the bait imitates a fry or other organism moving along the bottom. Bite occurs on pauses. In the first seconds, one cannot estimate the weight of the trophy, since its approach is slightly felt in the hand. Further, the catfish can lie down on the bottom or abruptly go to the side if the hook gets into the nerve endings. An unadjusted friction brake in 100% of cases will end with a fish coming off, a break or a straightened hook.
Also, smooth animation is used to catch the “whiskered”:
- slow “step”;
- single toss with pauses;
- drawing with lifting elements;
- dribbling near the bottom with stops up to 5 seconds.
Catfish needs time to approach the bait, look around and attack. The by-catch will include zander, bersh, perch and pike. In some cases, it was possible to persuade even asp from the bottom.
In the spring, fishing with large spoons is popular. One of the most effective models is the Atom, which is currently produced by many manufacturers. The oscillators drive slowly, on the verge of a petal failure. Many anglers use a step, but the problem remains in frequent hooks on the bottom. In this case, the tee can be replaced with a powerful single hook. The percentage of implementation will not suffer from this.
Kwok fishing
For this type of hunting for a trophy mustachioed giant, you will need a boat equipped with a motor. It is problematic to walk with a quok on oars alone, because you have to control everything at once: the speed and direction of the boat, the position of the bait in the water, the rod, the sound of the quok. Many anglers make their own tools, although you can now get a handy kwok on the market.
The sound produced depends on the position of the heel, the angle of the leg and the length of the implement. The deeper it is, the more often the predator will rise from the depth. You can check the sound of the quok in shallow water by going into the water up to your waist.
There are several versions of why catfish responds to kwok:
- The sound from the surface reminds a predator of bursts emitted by the gills of relatives when feeding.
- Splashes and deep gurglings can be produced by prey to which the catfish swims.
- Some anglers believe that the sound of the quok tells the giant about the approach of spawning, and he comes to the surface.
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Be that as it may, the kwok attracts the “whiskered” best of all, lures him out of the depths, which is perfectly visible on the screens of echo sounders.
The tactic is simple:
- the fisherman sets the boat at the beginning of the pit;
- throws tackle, finds the bottom and raises the nozzle by a meter;
- then the melting agent is fused with the flow or with the help of a motor;
- every 4-5 quok claps, the horizon in which the bait is located changes;
- at the end of the hole, the angler enters the second round or goes to another place.
As a tackle, side rods with a test of up to 300-400 grams made of composite fiberglass are used. They have good rigidity and flexibility, which is necessary when fighting large fish. Equip such a rod with a high-quality multiplier.
Using braid improves the angler’s tactile contact with the catfish when biting. At the same time, the cord has a higher breaking load compared to fishing line with the same diameter.
In no case should you wind the cord around your hand when biting or playing. Large fish easily injure with a sharp jerk. Before catching catfish, you need to equip yourself with durable gloves.
The equipment consists of two elements: a lead sinker of 100-200 g and a triple hook. The distance between the lead and the tee is 50-100 cm. Catfish bite, as a rule, is neat, reminiscent of light tingling. Some anglers make do with a hand reel and millimetric line, holding the rig in their hands. Hooking should not be done immediately, after waiting a pause of 10-15 seconds, until the fish swallows the hook with a nozzle.
The main nozzles depend on what the fish eats in this area:
- a bunch of creeps;
- mussels, barley;
- locusts, leeches;
- fry the size of a palm;
- frog or fish live bait.
In the best way, catfish takes large worms on a bunch, but where to look for them in the heat is a serious question. When the crawl is not available, you have to be content with bivalve mollusks and live bait.
Fishing on the bottom tackle
On the donk you can catch catfish of various sizes: from 100 g to trophy specimens over 100 kg. Bottom tackle is of manual type (snack) and feeder (using a rod).
Catfish or heavy feeders are suitable for catching catfish, if there is no specialized form. The rod test often exceeds 500 g, and the length is 3 m.
There are two types of rigging, with and without a float. In this case, the float is in the water column, lifting the nozzle above the bottom. Experienced anglers believe that in this way the catfish sees the bait better and approaches it more willingly.
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The float is used for live bait fishing. A bunch of mussels or worms is often placed on the bottom. For fishing with a donkey, single hooks are taken, since they go into the hard mouth of a mustachioed giant more easily. Tees are usually more flimsy, so they are used in rare exceptions.
The rig is a sinker from which the leash extends. A foam float is mounted on it, fixed between two beads. Next comes a hook with a nozzle. The floats are painted in dark colors so that they merge with the environment without standing out against the background of the bottom.
Donks are installed in promising places with the help of a boat, a boat or with manual casting:
- under steep banks;
- near fallen trees;
- at the exits from the pits;
- on the upper steps of the slopes.
The peak of activity on the bottom gear depends on the time of year, a particular reservoir, its area and the density of the catfish. Large fish bite in the dark, but in cloudy weather it can respond throughout the daylight hours. It is important to know how to catch catfish where its density is low. Having learned how to hunt for “whiskered” in difficult fishing conditions, you can count on an excellent catch on any reservoir.