Chebak fish (Siberian roach): appearance, habitat

Chebak is a subspecies of roach, which is why it is also called Siberian roach. Chebak belongs to the carp family, and is distributed mainly in the waters of the Urals and Siberia. An interesting fact is that of the species of roach, only chebak is harvested on an industrial scale. The fact is that it grows quickly and actively multiplies.

What is a chebak, where it is found and breeds, as well as what and how it is caught and will be described in this article.

Chebak fish: description

Appearance

This type of roach is distinguished by a high body, on which there are large scales. The head is quite short, and on the back there is a high fin with numerous rays.

Basically, the back of the chebak is painted in a bluish or greenish tint, and the sides are distinguished by a bright silvery color. The fins are orange or bright red. The eyes are orange.

Despite active growth, the chebak does not grow in length more than 40 centimeters, with a maximum weight of about 900 grams.

Where is this fish found?

Chebak, like any roach, prefers fresh water bodies, such as:

• Not big rivers.
• Ponds.
• Big rivers.
• Big lakes.
• Reservoirs.

In almost all water bodies that the chebak inhabits, this fish is the most numerous. In Russia, the chebak is found in the waters of the Urals and Siberia. It is found in large quantities in the following rivers:

• Tobol.
• Irtysh.
• Indigirka.
• Kolyma.
• Hilock.
• Chika.

This species of roach is also found in the lakes of the Urals, Siberia and the Far East.

Spawning

The chebak begins to spawn when it reaches 3-5 years of age, when its length reaches 10 centimeters. The breeding process begins in May, when the water warms up to +8 degrees. During this period, the chebak gathers in small flocks and spawning begins. As a rule, the Siberian roach lays eggs at a depth of 2 to 10 meters, depending on weather conditions. The colder it is outside, the deeper the fish lay their eggs.

Chebak is considered a prolific fish, since the female can lay tens of thousands of eggs at a time. After spawning, the fish goes to the depths, where it restores its strength, actively feeding on algae and mollusks.

After about two weeks, fish fry appear from the eggs.

What does a chebak eat

Siberian roach eats:

• Algae.
• Larvae of various insects.
• Small crustaceans.
• Worms.

Commercial fishing

Siberian roach is caught on an industrial scale. In terms of taste characteristics, the chebak is inferior to the voble that is found in the Volga River, but some types of chebak reach large sizes and gain significant weight. Of course, if we take into comparison the subspecies of roach.

Fishing for Chebak

Tackle selection

As a rule, chebak is caught with an ordinary float rod, although some anglers also use spinning for this.

Catching a chebak on spinning

To do this, it is recommended to take light spinning with a minimum test. As a bait, turntables and spoons of the smallest sizes are suitable. As a rule, these are the sizes of spinners from 0 to 1, and it makes no sense to use larger spinners. Chebak is not a predatory fish, so catching it on live bait also makes no sense.

Nowadays, edible rubber baits that can mimic various insects may be the most attractive.

Catching a chebak on a float tackle

To catch this fish, it is enough to arm yourself with an ordinary float rod and find a suitable place. As bait you can use:

• Worms.
• Maggot.
• Motyl.
• Rucheinyka
• Bark beetle larvae.
• Lamprey larvae.
• Various insects.
• Barley.
• Dough.
• Bread.

It is better to experiment with baits, because the chebak, like any other fish, is unpredictable and can peck at any of the baits, while refusing the rest. In this regard, when going fishing, it is better to stock up on several types of nozzles of various origins.

Choosing a place to fish

As a rule, chebak is found in places where there is either no current, or it is present. In other words, it can be found anywhere in the reservoir. According to some anglers, the chebak prefers shallow water with a lot of aquatic plants. In addition, it is found in riffles. In other words, a chebak is where there is something to profit from.

To attract a chebak to the place of fishing, it is better to use bait of any origin, either purchased or homemade. To prepare bait, you can use the well-known pearl barley, which can collect entire flocks of chebak at the fishing point.

Favorable periods for fishing

Chebak is a fish that is caught all year round, but spring is considered the most productive. As a rule, before spawning, the fish has a real zhor, and the chebak can bite on any bait. With the advent of summer, the activity of the chebak decreases, although not significantly. To catch larger individuals, it is necessary to fish either early in the morning or late in the evening.

No less active biting of the chebak is also observed in the fall, when he intends to stock up on nutrients, setting off for the winter. As a rule, in spring and autumn, it is better to give preference to animal-based baits, as they are more nutritious. During this period, the Siberian roach is caught around the clock, but the most weighty individuals are caught early in the morning or at night.

The active biting of the chebak depends on the weather conditions.

According to many fishermen, on cloudy days there is a much better chance of catching this fish, especially the larger one.

Use in cooking

Local residents mainly dry, smoke and fry the chebak in flour. Due to the fact that there are a lot of bones in this fish, it is not advisable to cook fish soup from chebak, and it boils quickly, so no fish soup is obtained from it. The small chebak serves as food for pets such as cats, for example.

Chebak is a fairly common fish in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. Despite the fact that this fish is caught on an industrial scale, it is not of particular value. Is it for the inhabitants of these regions who use chebak in their diet. Chebak – like any other fish, it is distinguished by the presence of many nutrients, especially if used raw or half-cooked. Therefore, it is often smoked or dried, since in this form the fish is preserved for a long time.

It is not difficult to catch a chebak even with ordinary float tackle, it is enough to seriously prepare for fishing, taking bait and bait with you and finding a promising place.