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In winter, there is much less zooplankton in the water, roach switches to larger food – insects and their larvae, crustaceans. It can even stay close to the muddy bottom, which other fish try to avoid in winter, as it absorbs precious oxygen. However, she does not come too close to him, since even crustaceans and insects try to rise higher from him, closer to the light ice surface.
Roach activity during fishing in February
During the February fishing roach behaves almost the same as in other months. She does not hibernate and actively feeds all year round. She prefers to stay in those places where there is enough oxygen for her, there is shelter and food.
The main food for roach is zooplankton and small crustaceans. This is one of the few species that eat plankton even at a respectable age, when other fish feed on aquatic insects, beetles.
This is the main harm of roach for water bodies: it eats zooplankton in huge quantities, deprives the fry of other fish of this food, causes the growth of phytoplankton, which is not controlled by zooplankton and causes water blooms.
Fishing spots
The depth at which the fish keeps rarely exceeds 3-4 meters. And only the largest individuals try to go down lower. For those who want to catch exactly large roach and cut off small ones, you should focus on depths of 4 meters or more. Along the way, you can go fishing for silver bream, bream, which also live at a solid depth.
There are often situations when enough crustaceans and plankton live in the thickness of the lake water, and flocks of water, even in deep places, do not stay at the bottom, but at half-water and above, and in spring – generally under the very ice. It is also a means of protection against predators who try to avoid well-lit areas and stay at depth.
However, in most reservoirs, not too deep rivers, ponds, in the coastal zone of lakes, where roach is usually caught, it tries to be near the bottom soil. Often, when melt water begins to fall under the ice, the roach stays close to the shore. It happens that under the ice there is only 20-30 cm of free water, but nevertheless the fish biting is excellent. In such places, you need to be careful and, if possible, shade the hole.
Unlike its relatives, rams and roaches that live in the seas usually keep not very large flocks, up to 100 pieces. In winter, the size of flocks increases significantly, as places that are both rich in food and oxygen become more and more inaccessible. It happens that this fish from all over the reservoir strays into one kind of tight corner and spends the whole of February, January and December there, from freeze-up to ice breakup.
In such places fishing always brings success. Local anglers usually know them well. Here you can meet fans of winter fishing, sitting shoulder to shoulder, who fish at the same time with several rods. Even when three rods are placed in holes at a distance of 20-30 cm, bites on all three at once are not uncommon.
This is a very fun catch! When it becomes sad that perch and pike perch refuse to take on a lure and a balancer, it’s just worth switching to catching roach. Immediately there will be something to do, constantly biting, constantly in the hands of a small, but one more fish! Such an experience will be useful for those who fish for live bait. To immediately come to the reservoir and catch enough roach for the zherlits is half the success, because there is no need to buy live bait before fishing and take care of its transportation.
“Urban” fishing
In “urban” fishing, roach also plays a significant role. Almost all cities and towns are built on rivers and lakes, everywhere there is a reservoir, albeit not very clean from an environmental point of view, but in which fish is found. It is found almost everywhere, it is easy to catch. This does not require a separate day. You can go fishing right after work, taking an ice drill and a minimum of gear, dressing not too heavily.
In urban conditions, it conducts almost the same way as in reservoirs with “natural” shores. She likes to stand in places where there is food. Usually these are some coastal piers, where the depth begins immediately near the shore. In such places, both the current and underwater disturbances in stagnant water “slow down”, and a lot of food suspended in the water settles. There is also some kind of shelter from a predator that cannot rush from at least one side. The concrete surface is a source of minerals, calcium, which is part of the diet of plankton, crustaceans.
How to catch roach in February
The best fishing methods are jig and float rod. Sometimes on the course, especially for catching large roach, they use under-ice gear such as petty tyrants. However, they are not effective everywhere, and they work only on the current. The size of the fish is relatively small, usually no more than 200-300 grams, although it is quite lively. This allows you to use the thinnest fishing lines, 0.07-0.1 mm.
Roach does not like big hooks very much. She has a relatively small mouth. Apparently, this is the reason why she continues to feed on plankton even in her adult life. It is optimal to use hooks number 12-14 according to modern classification, in any case, you should not use a hook larger than 10 even when targeting large fish. A large hook is placed only where it is possible to bite other large fish – perch, silver bream, bream, ide.
However, for fishing, you can choose coarser gear, but you must remember that there will be a significant number of gatherings. On a fishing line 0.12-0.15 it is quite possible to comfortably catch even small fish. But a large hook in winter will immediately cause a decrease in catch.
Another feature when catching roach is the nature of its bite. It is worth considering that the fish repeatedly and very carefully takes and spits out the nozzle, as if trying to pull it off the hook. When fishing with a mormyshka, it is highly desirable to put one so that it has a hook with a maximum reach from the calf. This way there will be much less chance that she will feel the weight of the jig and will not want to take the nozzle.
In contrast to summer, when the roach grabs the bait more confidently, here it can fiddle with the hook for several minutes before taking it and it will be possible to hook it. That is why you should use a thin fishing line so that the bite signaling device has a minimum of interference.
The bite signaling device, whether it is a winter float or a guardhouse, must be built up perfectly. This is the main component of success in catching it. The float must never be overloaded or underloaded. It should move up and down with the same mobility, the moment when it gives resistance down and soars up, or when it falls down and goes up reluctantly, the catch will be reduced by one and a half to two times.
Catching roach on a mormyshka
The most exciting, most exciting fishing takes place in February on jig. Tackle is used the thinnest. The rod is a balalaika or filly. However, many successfully catch on light fishing rods for lure. It is very important that the rod has legs, as often the roach comes to the game, and takes only a fixed nozzle, which should hang for twenty to thirty seconds.
It will be more convenient to endure this period if the rod will stand quietly on the ice, and not be in the hands of the angler. For the same purpose, convenient depth adjustment is needed – in order to reel in the fishing line at any time, stopping the bait during the game, without changing the position of the mormyshka, put the rod and wait for a confident bite of the fish.
Some people prefer reelless mormyshkas for fishing. However, I don’t think there is much point in using them. As practice shows, in terms of catchability, they are no better than mormyshkas with a bloodworm, with a different nozzle. But according to the requirements for the preparation of the angler, they are many times more difficult than the usual mormyshka.
When fishing with ordinary tackle, a nozzle mormyshka is used, which is equipped with one or two bloodworms, maggot, semolina, and occasionally a piece of worm, burdock is planted. As in summer, semolina is the main bait for fishing. The fact is that it forms a cloud in the water when playing, which the roach perceives as plankton, feels the nutritional value and eats with pleasure. In the same way, she behaves when she feels a cloud from a pierced bloodworm or maggot. The fish has an excellent sense of smell, vision, and a sensitive lateral line. This is what you need to use when catching and searching for it.
Fishing with a jig has a significant advantage over fishing with a standing bait. But some skill is required to perform the sweep. Usually the roach does not take “on the game”. She just walks up and pushes, and the sensitive, well-tuned nod reflects it. After that, the angler pauses and waits for the fish to take the jig into its mouth.
Hook should be when the nod is more than a second in a straightened position. Naturally, the specific time is highly dependent on the depth. So, for example, at a depth of more than two meters, it is already difficult to catch mormyshka, you have to use ultra-thin fishing lines. It is this, and not the blurring of the game, that is the main obstacle when fishing with mormyshka in deep waters – a belated reaction of a nod, especially with a thick fishing line.
Mormyshka with a float
When fishing with float rods, you should also play along with the bait from time to time. This is done for the same purpose as when fishing with a mormyshka – to form a “cloud” around the nozzle, to create sound waves under water with the attraction of fish. This is done with the help of a one-two dynamic jerk of the nozzle up, about half a meter, and then the rod is put back. At the same time, the nozzle returns to its original position, and the cloud from it gradually settles, attracting fish.
Before doing this, it is recommended to clear the hole of ice with a scoop. The float, when it gets stuck in the ice, can break the fishing line with this when playing. Of course, you should not count on the formation of a taste cloud in the current, it will quickly be carried down. However, all the same, the game itself attracts fish, the probability of a bite will be several times higher than on a stationary bait.
Quite often, playing with a jig is combined with fishing with float rods with a filly. To do this, drill two or three holes at a short distance from each other, so that a seated angler can easily reach any of them.
Mormyshka is placed in the middle hole, fishing rods with a float – in the extreme ones. The fish is attracted, approaches the game with a mormyshka, and it often pecks at less “suspicious” motionless lures.
How to improve the efficiency of roach biting
The best way to do this is to find fish. To do this, you should drill holes and look for it throughout the reservoir, but first of all, explore promising places. Under normal conditions, it prefers to stay in thickets of plants, at shallow depths near the shore, but due to the fact that perch drives it from there, it is forced to move to the depths and stay where there is no possibility of a surprise attack.
After the fish was found, there was a bite, this place should be drilled, making holes after four to five meters. The fish can move locally over short distances and start pecking from one hole to another. So you don’t have to worry that drilling will scare her away, since the holes are made in advance. And if you want to keep a flock of roach for a long time, you should use bait.
Bait for roach in February
Bait is used, which has a rather strong smell, forms a significant cloud of dust. However, one should be careful with aromatic additives – it is not known what is suitable for roach in this reservoir, and what she obviously does not want. All kinds of bread, biscuit flavors definitely work well. Therefore, it is best to use ready-made dry baits, which have names like “geyser” and “roach” – these mixtures usually dust well and do not have strong odors.
You can not ignore all kinds of cereals. Quite often on sale you can find cereals, all kinds of instant cereals. All of them are good bait for roach. She will gladly grab both small-sized grains and steamed cereals. However, it is better not to use too coarse, heavy cereals. It is ideal to catch with bait hercules of the finest grinding.
The animal component is the basis of success in winter. You can add both store-bought small bloodworms, and cheaper components.
For example, it is great for cat and dog food from small bags, which is with jelly. Also a great addition would be daphnia fish food, which can be bought inexpensively in kilograms at the bird market. Dry cat food is also a good addition, but for some reason it is not very suitable for dry dog food.
The main secret of the success of bait in February is that you need to feed not in order to attract fish, but in order to keep it near the hole when you have already found it. Therefore, the bait should be used in small portions in cases where the bite of the fish is weakening. Roach does not eat food too quickly, and a small amount is enough for her.