Do-it-yourself fishing for catfish on a donk from the shore and from a boat, fishing technique, do-it-yourself donk

Bottom tackle is a fairly effective tool for catching various fish, including catfish. Catching a catfish is the ultimate dream of many fishermen, as this fish is large and, in the process of playing, you can get a lot of pleasure and positive emotions. Therefore, when going fishing, the fisherman always takes with him tackle and bait for catfish. As a rule, large earthworms, called crawls, are used as bait.

Tackle selection

Bottom tackle, despite its primitiveness and simplicity, is a catchy fishing tool, therefore it is widely used by anglers when catching catfish. The most important thing is that the “donka” is not an expensive tackle and is available for all categories of anglers. If this tackle is compared in price with the classic feeder tackle, then for such money you can easily mount several dozens of ordinary donks that most anglers use.

Two types of bottom gear for catching catfish

Donka with a rod

Each fisherman has his own gear for bottom fishing, but the principle of their operation is almost the same. For starters, you can stop at the donk with a rod. Given the fact that the catfish is a strong and large fish, the rod must be powerful, like sea or carp rods that can withstand the efforts of large specimens of fish. This condition can be applied to the choice of coil. Alternatively, you can stop at the multiplier reel, which is increasingly taking over the minds of modern anglers. The same applies to the fishing line, which must certainly have an appropriate breaking force, otherwise it will hardly be possible to pull out a large catfish.

Bottom tackle for catfish is completed with monofilament fishing line 0,5-1mm or braided fishing line with a diameter of 0,5-0,8mm. Leashes are used with a slightly smaller diameter. The sinker is attached blindly to the main line or a sliding sinker option is used. The weight of the sinker is selected depending on the conditions of fishing and can have a weight of 100 to 150g. To keep the bait at the bottom of the pit, it is better to use a load weighing up to 1 kg, which is a stone that is connected to the fishing line in such a way that when biting, the load breaks off and remains at the bottom of the reservoir. As a rule, the bait is delivered to the place of the alleged location of the catfish by boat.

Tackle will not be reliable if it contains ordinary hooks, but not hooks of increased strength. Very often, to reduce the risk of a river giant coming off, fishermen use 2 hooks at once.

Thrower, no rod

When fishing on the river, when there is no need for long-distance casting, it is possible to use ordinary bottom gear, which are called snacks. This is a fairly simple and inexpensive bottom tackle that requires careful and professional handling, otherwise overlaps and tangles are possible. This is especially true when fishing at night.

After casting, such tackle is firmly attached to the shore for a tree or for a securely driven stake. A nylon cord is often used as the main fishing line, and a fishing line with a diameter of 0,5-0,8 mm is used as a leash. A powerful hook, either single, or double or triple, is firmly attached to the leash. The size of the hook depends on the size of the intended fish.

How to make a donkey yourself, with your own hands

As the main fishing line, you should take a nylon cord or monofilament, with a diameter of 0,5-1 mm, a “braid” up to 0,8 mm thick is also suitable. Hooks can be taken in size No. 10-40 and you can’t do without a good (heavy) load.

Bottom tackle is a very simple design, which makes it possible to build it for anyone, even a novice angler.

1. A load is attached to the end of the main line and a leash is attached at a distance of 30-50 cm from it. To secure the leash, a loop is knitted on the main fishing line, to which the leash is attached, at the end of which there is also a loop. The connection is called loop-to-loop. Despite the fact that such a connection is very simple, it is quite reliable.
2. A homemade device has its own advantage, which is that it can be used to catch large catfish.
3. The breaking load of the main fishing line should be in the range of 25-35 kg and not less. In this case, the length of the fishing line or cord is taken with a margin of 50-150m.
4. The load can be bought or made independently.
5. The load is attached to the main line with a reliable knot at a distance of 40-90 cm from the hook. The weight of the load is selected depending on the fishing conditions: in the current, the load can have a weight of 60-100g, and in still water it will weigh 30-60g.

Bait for catfish

Since the catfish is a large fish, it prefers large baits in the form of insects, fish, meat, etc. Among them, one can note the bear and the locust, but in our time it is very difficult to get them. Catfish will not refuse mussels, or rather, the contents of the shell. Fishing for live bait is very effective for catfish, which can be used as a frog, which can be found in the area of ​​​​the same reservoir. On such a bait, you can catch a catfish, a fairly decent size.

Technique for bottom fishing from the shore and from the boat

Catfish can be easily caught from the river bank if you know where the habitats of this fish are located. The main thing is that these places are located within the reach of bottom gear. Since catfish go hunting at night, they begin to prepare for such fishing in the daytime. The main attention is paid to the organization of the fishing place so that there are no unnecessary items in the immediate vicinity that could in any way affect the effectiveness of the process.

With rod

If tackle with a rod is used, then stands should be installed on them, coils should be set up, each tackle should be equipped with a bite signaling device (bell or electronic version).

Without rod

Most importantly, it will be determined what the end of the fishing line or cord will be tied to, since during the bite of a large specimen, if the support is weak, then you will have to say goodbye to the tackle.

Fishing from a boat is carried out only in the daytime, luring the catfish to the bait with the help of a quok. This device makes a special sound – kwok, which attracts catfish. Having risen from the bottom, where he is in the daytime, he falls into the zone of action of the bait, which he can immediately take. For fishing from a boat, tackle with a short rod or reel is suitable.

Safety measures when catching catfish from a boat

If fishing is carried out from a boat, then you need to take care of your safety, as fishing can cost your life itself.

1. When fishing from a boat, the supply of line is directly with us and when a good specimen is bitten, as a result of a jerk, this supply of line can catch on the leg and, together with the line, a fisherman may end up in the water. You should always have a knife with you, which will help you get rid of the fishing line at a difficult moment.
2. You should not wind the fishing line or cord around your hand, thinking that this will help to keep large fish. It is unlikely, but it will become much easier for him to drag a person under water.
3. You should not try to lift a large catfish into the boat, as this may cause you to dive into the water against your will. It is quite possible that you will have to forget about the fish. In such cases, large fish are pulled closer to the shore and already there the fish continue to be fished without fear of being in the water.

Subtleties of seasonal catfish fishing

Spring

In the spring, you can get productive fishing using bottom gear, as well as using the same quok. Promising places may be the exits from the pits in which the fish spent the whole winter. In the spring, the catfish begins to leave these places at a time when the water begins to warm up under the influence of direct sunlight, especially in shallow water, where the catfish loves to bask. As a rule, this happens in the afternoon and you can count on catching catfish.

Summer

Most of all there are opportunities to catch a river monster in the summer, as at this time he leads an active lifestyle, constantly getting out of his usual places to hunt. As a rule, this happens at night and it is during this period that the catfish actively peck.

Fishermen mainly choose places where the fish spend most of their lives, and these are, as a rule, holes where there is an impressive depth. The bait is thrown to the border, the transition of shallow water to a depth where an effective bite is possible. At this time, catfish can be caught on any bait or live bait, while it should be borne in mind that catfish have different preferences in different water bodies.

Fishing gives good results when several bottom gear are used at the same time, thus catching a large area of ​​water. By installing several donoks, you can determine exactly where the fish is concentrated. In this case, you should focus on the gear on which bites occur, experimenting with baits.

Autumn

With the onset of autumn, when the water temperature drops, which indicates the approach of winter, catfish, like all other types of fish, begin to actively feed, stocking up on nutrients. During this period, biting can be very active, especially on cloudy days. In autumn, catfish can be more actively caught in the daytime than at night, and it is very important to decide on the right place, as it can leave its usual places in search of food. At the same time, it was noticed that catfish peck more actively in autumn early in the morning, in conditions of complete silence. This condition is very important to observe if the emphasis is on productive fishing.

Catching a catfish is a doable task if you are well prepared and stock up on its mobile baits, although it can also be caught crawling out. Most importantly, you need to know where and in what place the fish is at the moment, and it is ready for active biting, as natural conditions can interfere with this. All fishermen know that fish bite when the weather favors it: atmospheric pressure, wind direction, air temperature. When there is a frequent change in weather with pressure drops, then one should not hope for a good bite, which means effective fishing. You can hope for luck when warm and constant weather is established, which means that atmospheric pressure is at the same level as the temperature regime. This is about optimal temperatures. If the weather is very hot outside, then you can not count on productive fishing. In such weather, the fish becomes lethargic and is constantly looking for a shaded place or goes to the depths.