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A large fish that lives in the Far East in the Amur River basin. It is a common species for this region. Often forms large flocks. Pelargic predator, but in summer it actively switches to feeding on flying insects. In juveniles, zooplankton makes up a significant portion of the diet. The weight of the fish can reach more than 15 kg. A feature of fishing for this fish is the fact that it has very careful bites. The angler needs to get used to carefully hooking the skygazer.
Ways to catch skygazer
The skygazer is a typical predator, so in the summer the best way to catch it is spinning. In addition, during the active flight of driving insects, the skygazer can switch to feeding from the surface of the water, which makes it an excellent opponent for fly anglers who prefer fishing with “surface lures”. The skygazer is well adapted to the cold climate, therefore it is also caught in winter on spinners and fry.
Catching skygazer on spinning
The choice of gear for catching skygazer directly depends on the fishing conditions and the experience of the angler. When fishing from the shore on large rivers, it is necessary to make the most distant casts in order to get into the accumulations of this fish. To do this, it is better to use long rods with a “progressive” system. The same can be true when fishing from a boat, but for smaller vessels it is more convenient to use shorter ones, which makes it easier to play the fish. Spinning rod tests must match the required baits. As a rule, various spinners, medium-sized “oscillators” and medium-sized wobblers are chosen. Large individuals rarely rise to the surface and stay alone, so catching trophy specimens is associated with the search for depressions in the bottom of the reservoir and the choice of suitable deep-sea baits. It is necessary to have reels with capacious spools for a large supply of reliable cord or monofilament.
fly fishing
The choice of gear depends on the experience and desires of the angler. It should be borne in mind that the conditions of reservoirs where you can catch a skygazer, as a rule, allow you to make long-range casts. The fish are very finicky and wary, requiring the use of long-bodied lines with a neat presentation. Skygazer fishing may require the use of boats. One-handed tackle of class 5-6 is quite suitable for catching this fish. The most successful and active skygazer fly fishing can be considered at the beginning of summer, during the mass flight of insects.
Baits
A variety of lures are used to catch the skygazer, depending on the fishing conditions and the chosen size of the trophies. As already mentioned, large individuals differ in behavior and lifestyle. Many anglers prefer to catch skygazers from boats when they find feeding fish. Most people prefer to use various castmaster type long-range spinners. The use of wobblers is especially convenient when catching large specimens, varying models in search of a layer of water where there is an active fish. For fly fishing, flies are suitable for the size of the food objects of the fish.
Places of fishing and habitat
Skygazer is found in some rivers of Southeast Asia. In Russia, fish is found in the Amur basin and in the northern part of Sakhalin. In the upper reaches of the Amur it is absent, but for the lower and middle reaches it is a typical representative. Also found in some lakes in Primorye.
Spawning
The fish becomes sexually mature at the age of 5-6 years. Fish spawn in the middle of summer. Pelargic caviar, portioned spawning, therefore somewhat stretched.