Minnow: description of fish with photo, habitat, spawning

The carp family is quite numerous, as it includes hundreds of genera and thousands of species of fish. The family is represented by both huge, up to 3 meters Siamese carps, weighing up to 300 kg, and very small representatives, growing in length up to a maximum of 15 cm and gaining weight a little more than 100 grams. Gudgeon fish is just that small representative of the carp family. This fish does not represent any commercial value, but it is an object of amateur and sport fishing. To catch her, you need to know in which parts of the reservoirs she prefers to be, as well as to know what she eats.

Minnow: description

Gudgeon fish is a freshwater fish of small size, which is not of commercial interest, due to small populations, as well as the difficulty of catching. Despite this, amateur anglers are happy to catch the gudgeon, as the fish has excellent gastronomic data, and it is found almost everywhere. As a rule, a fish up to 12 cm in size is caught on the bait, although there are also larger individuals, up to 17 cm in size. There is official evidence that a specimen was caught, 22 cm long and weighing 192 grams.

The minnow has an unusual appearance, so it is almost impossible to confuse it with another small fish. The features of this fish include:

• The minnow’s body is noticeably elongated, similar to a spindle.
• The back has a greenish-brown tint.
• In the corners of the upper, protruding lip, you can see a powerful mustache.
• The eyes are large and located in the frontal part of the head.
• The pectoral fins are well developed.
• The sides are distinguished by a silvery tint, with the presence of dark spots located along the midline.
• Abdomen light yellowish.
• The scales are relatively large.
• The dorsal fin is not large and looks like a regular triangle.

The minnow prefers to lead a benthic lifestyle, so its abdomen is slightly flattened and slightly expanded. The fins have a basic gray or yellowish color.

Where does the gudgeon live

Minnow can be found in fresh water bodies, such as rivers, lakes and ponds, located in the European part of our country, in the Far East, as well as in the North Caucasus. It prefers to always be in the bottom layers, while the depth is not of fundamental importance, since the gudgeon is found both in the shallows and in deep pits. His favorite bodies of water are those with clear water, rocky, pebbly or sandy bottoms with a moderate current.

The minnow feels great in large rivers and ponds with a complex bottom topography, with extensive shallow water and dense coastal vegetation. In such conditions, there is a rapid increase in the population of this small fish. In the summer, they appear in shallow water, in search of food, and with the advent of winter, they move to the depths in the pits, where they stay all winter, until the freeze-up.

Underwater photography of minnow life

Minnow is a rather cautious fish, as waterfowl, pike, perch, asp, pike perch and ruff do not mind profiting from it. In order to timely escape from threats, the minnow keeps in large groups, which include individuals of various ages.

Diet

The minnow mainly feeds on living things and can only occasionally feed on aquatic vegetation. The basis of the diet includes benthic objects of animal origin, such as mollusks, invertebrates, worms, larvae, insects, as well as eggs of other fish. In addition, they can eat animal excrement and carrion.

A pair of fleshy whiskers play a very important role in the life of the minnow, as they represent very sensitive organs of touch. Thanks to this tool, the fish unmistakably finds food for itself among placers of pebbles and stones, as well as in the bottom layer. On the current, the gudgeon practices “lazy” hunting, being in ambush. To do this, he hides in a shelter that is below the bottom level and watches the objects that float by. If an edible object comes into its field of vision, the gudgeon immediately rushes to the attack and quickly grabs the prey, after which it immediately returns to the shelter.

Spawning

Females are ready to spawn when they reach 3 or 4 years of age, depending on the habitat. They go to spawn as soon as the water warms up to + 7-8 degrees. The spawning process is carried out for 2 months, while the females lay their eggs in stages, several thousand eggs each. The process lasts from the beginning of April to the end of May. Females spawn in shallow water and, thanks to this scheme, the minnow has a better chance of survival. During this period, the fish calmly feeds on nutrients by eating the eggs of other fish.

Interesting fact! The minnow offspring survive also because the eggs have a special sticky substance. Thanks to him, the caviar is securely held in place of the masonry, and any debris and sand are glued to it, which makes it possible to disguise the caviar, as it becomes similar to an inedible object.

Somewhere, in a week, fry appear from the eggs, distinguished by the presence of developed front fins. Thanks to this, the fry immediately sink to the bottom, where they continue to actively develop. Within a few days, minnow fry switch to constant feeding on various small invertebrates.

How to choose a place for fishing and what to catch a minnow

As a rule, the gudgeon is found in areas of the reservoir where the bottom is hard, in the form of sand, pebbles, clay, etc. It hunts in sandy shallow water, rocky river rapids, in rapidly warming deep water areas, in areas of dumps that are not very deep.

To catch a minnow, he needs to offer baits of animal origin. As for plant-based baits, the gudgeon will ignore them.

It is important to know! For catching a minnow, it is better to use an iron worm, but since it is listed in the Red Book, you can use other nozzles, in the form of a dung worm, maggot, bloodworm, etc.

Bloodworms are planted either one at a time or several pieces at once, and the dung worm is not in large fragments, without a long hanging tail.

As a rule, minnows are caught without bait, although earthen balls can be used, interspersed with chopped worm. When lowered in the water, they create a cloud of turbidity that attracts fish.

Sandfish tackle

Since the fish is not impressive in size, a float rod with a thin fishing line and light equipment is suitable for catching it. For example:

• The thickness of the fishing line is from 0,1 to 0,2 mm.
• The leash is short, 0,08 to 0,18 mm thick.
• Hook size No. 16-17.
• Float, carrying capacity from 2 to 4 grams.
• Sinker, weighing from 1,5 to 3 grams.

When fishing on the current, the method of fishing “in wiring” is more suitable. Given the fact that the minnow is at the very bottom, the depth is set in such a way that the sinker is close to the bottom, and the float floats with the flow. The gudgeon grabs the bait greedily, so hooking should be done when the float goes under water.

If the current is significant, then it is better to catch the gudgeon on a “lying” float, setting a slightly greater depth. When the minnow pulls the float, then you need to cut. When a fish grabs the bait, it lifts the rig along with the float. This is the signal that the minnow has taken the bait. In the daytime, this fish does not show much activity, and even more so at night. Therefore, it is better to catch minnows early in the morning or late in the evening.

The fish, although not big, but its fishing is of particular interest to amateur fishermen. Since the minnow prefers to stay in numerous flocks, once in such a flock, you can get a lot of pleasure from frequent bites. This fish can be fried in vegetable oil or cooked on its basis of delicious canned food. In other words, the minnow can be used to prepare various, quite healthy and tasty dishes at home.

In addition, minnow is considered a favorite delicacy of many predatory fish species, so it can be used as live bait.