Minnow fish: description with photo, appearance, habitat, fishing

Minnow fish is a representative of the carp family, which is not distinguished by its large size. These fish prefer fast-flowing and clear waters, which are located in European, Asian countries and North America. Some of the subspecies of this interesting fish live in lakes, tributaries and even swamps.

How the fish looks, what it eats and how it behaves is described in this article.

Description of minnows

Types

In total, about 19 types of minnows are distinguished, among which there is the most common type, such as the common minnow, which is also called the “Bella Minnow” or “Bruise Minnow”.

Appearance

The common minnow is distinguished by a rather interesting coloring and the presence of small, barely noticeable scales. On the sides of the minnow, dark spots are located in vertical rows, in an amount from 10 to 17 pieces. Just below the sideline, they merge into one line.

The body of the fish has an elongated shape in the form of a spindle. There are practically no scales on the abdomen, even small ones. The tail is elongated and the head is small. Minnows have a blunt snout, small mouth, and rounded fins. Before spawning, the minnow is painted in more interesting colors. The back and sides acquire a darker shade, and the fins are distinguished by a bright red tint. The belly is painted in crimson color. Small bumps appear on the head in the form of a “pearl rash”, and a whitish sheen appears on the gill covers. Females are painted in not so elegant colors. They only have a little noticeable redness at the mouth, and spots of a red tint can be seen on the belly.

Females from males can be easily distinguished after they reach sexual maturity. As a rule, the pectoral fins in males are fan-shaped, while in females they are not expressive small in size.

Minnows are a fairly small fish, reaching a maximum length of 10 centimeters, although some individuals grow up to 20 centimeters in length. The minnow weighs about 100 grams, although there are also more massive specimens. The minnow lives for about 8 years.

Features of behavior

Minnow prefers to live in rivers and streams with clean and cool water, in which the bottom is characterized as pebbly. In addition, some species are found in ponds and lakes with water rich in oxygen. Minnows prefer to lead a flock of life, while they do not move long distances.

Individuals that have reached sexual maturity can rise to the headwaters of rivers, while younger individuals prefer to stay downstream, since they do not yet have enough energy to fight the current. Minnow has excellent eyesight and sense of smell. In addition, these fish are cautious and shy. In case of danger, they instantly blur in all directions.

Minnows, as a rule, form numerous flocks. In water bodies, this fish can hide behind stones or other shelters located closer to the shore. Flocks of fish move with the onset of darkness, and they look for food during the day in areas well lit by the sun’s rays.

Where does minnow live

Minnows prefer fresh water, so they are found in many rivers in Europe, such as the Dnieper and Neman, as well as in Russia within the Arkhangelsk, Vologda regions and Karelia, as well as in almost all rivers of Siberia. In addition, minnow is found in rivers flowing within the Ural Range. The minnow is also found in lakes with clean and cool water.

At times, minnows behave quite aggressively, especially in the evening hours. They attack other types of fish, sometimes larger than themselves. After that, they can eat this fish.

Diet

The minnow diet consists of:

• Small invertebrates.
• Various insects such as mosquitoes.
• Algae.
• Plant pollen.
• Caviar and fry of other fish.
• Worms.
• The plankton.
• Dry fish food.

The minnows themselves are included in the diet of other predatory fish of a much larger size.

Spawning

After 2 or 3 years of life minnows are ready to spawn. Minnow spawning takes place in the same periods as in most fish species: late spring – early summer. Spawning occurs at a water temperature not lower than +5 degrees.

Commercial catch

This fish is not of interest for industrial catch, because it is small. The taste of the fish, according to many, is not bad at all. Minnows are sometimes bred and kept in aquariums.

Minnow fishing

Despite the fact that it is not caught on an industrial scale, amateur fishing for this fish is very popular in many regions of Russia. Although the fish is not large, many anglers catch it and use it as bait to catch larger fish such as:

• Chub.
• Pike.
• Nalim.
• Trout.
• Perch.

For those anglers who do not chase large specimens, when they have to wait a long time for a bite, minnow fishing can be very interesting and reckless. If you manage to get on a large flock of fish, then bites will follow one after another, which will allow you to catch a lot of fish, albeit small ones.

When is the best time to catch minnow?

Minnow can be caught all year round, but in the dead of winter, when severe cold sets in, the minnow stops pecking, burrowing into the mud. On the first and last ice, it can still be caught with mormyshkas, as well as with other baits, both artificial and natural.

Technique of fishing

When it is warm, the minnow gathers in flocks and prefers to stay close to the surface of the water. At the same time, they rush at everything that can fall into the water. And during warm periods, a lot of things get into the water, including objects that are included in the diet of minnows. Therefore, with regard to bait, they are not picky.

Catching small minnows is not difficult, but catching a larger minnow is not at all easy. He prefers to be either in snags or in the grass. With excellent eyesight, he can easily see a fisherman moving along the shore of a reservoir. Sensing danger, he immediately swims away from this place. Therefore, catching a large minnow requires patience, camouflage and thin tackle from the angler, which will not be able to alert the minnow in the water column.

>Used gear

This small fish is caught:

• On an ordinary float fishing rod with a thin line.
• On a mormyshka.
• With the help of bullshit.
• networks.

There is also a fast way of fishing, which is used by the locals. In this way they catch it in order to eat it or to use it as live bait.

To do this, they take an old bucket and make many holes in it so that the water drains from the bucket when it is pulled out of the water. A crust of bread lies on the bottom of the bucket, and the bucket itself is placed in water, to a depth of 1 meter. Somewhere in a couple of hours, you can check the bucket for the presence of fish. As a rule, by this time, there are already a lot of small fish in the bucket, including minnow.

Many predatory fish species will not refuse bait, in the form of a small minnow or gudgeon.

Bait for fishing

Since the minnow is not picky in matters of bait, you can use:

• Worms.
• Maggot.
• Motyl.
• Dough.
• Bread crumbs.
• Mushek.
• Grasshoppers.

Minnow, although a small fish, but it often serves as an object of gambling fishing. This fish is caught by those who want to use it as live bait to catch larger predatory fish. The minnow is also interested in those anglers who prefer frequent bites to ordinary sitting indefinitely in anticipation of one bite, albeit a large fish.

Some anglers claim that quite tasty fish soup can be cooked from a minnow. In some European countries, minnow is fried and pickled. Real minnow fishing is an interesting and unforgettable sight.