Roach: description of fish, habitat, lifestyle and fishing method

Roach is a schooling or semi-anadromous fish from the cyprinid family, living both in freshwater and semi-salt water reservoirs. For lovers of fishing, this fish is interesting because it leads an active lifestyle at any time of the year, so no one will be left without a catch. In addition, roach is also of interest to housewives who cook various dishes from this fish.

Roach: description

This fish is different in that it has many subspecies with their own names, such as ram, roach, roach, etc. In Siberia and the Urals, it is called no other than chebak.

The color of the back of the roach is dark with a green or blue tint, and the rest of the body, such as the sides and belly, are silvery. The fish differs from its closest relatives in that it has non-sharp pharyngeal teeth on each side of its mouth, the body is covered with rather large scales. At the end of the muzzle is the mouth, and on the back you can see the fin, which is located above the ventral fin.

The scales of the fish are painted in pure silver tones. The lower fins are orange-red, while the caudal and dorsal fins are darker in color. According to many experts, roach, in comparison with its related roach, has brighter tones. Adults feed on a variety of foods, both animal and vegetable.

Depending on the habitat conditions, sexual maturity in roach occurs at the age of 3 to 5 years. The spawning process begins in early spring and ends in the month of May, when the water temperature is kept at +8 degrees. Roach eggs are small, only 1.5 mm in diameter, which the female sticks to plants.

The spawning process is very noisy, as the fish go to spawn in numerous flocks. Depending on age, the number of eggs ranges from 2,5 to 100 thousand. The female sweeps all the eggs at once. Somewhere in a couple of weeks, at most, roach fry appear from the eggs, which begin to feed on their own on the smallest invertebrates.

Semi-anadromous species, such as roach, grow much faster, and their fecundity is also higher, at least 2 times. After spawning, adults return back to the sea. Here they are engaged in fattening up.

Where common

The roach lives in almost all water bodies, choosing for itself areas of the water area densely overgrown with aquatic vegetation. In the basins of the Black and Azov Seas, roach is found everywhere. Roach is found in Yamal, in the Seyakha River, including in the deepest Lake Baikal. Its habitat is not limited to these places, since this fish is a representative of many rivers and lakes in Europe and Siberia.

Dependence of sizes on age

A roach can live an average of 20 years. During this period of life, it grows in length to almost 40 cm and gains weight up to one and a half kilograms. After five years of life, her weight is no more than 100 grams. In a couple of years, she will weigh at least 200 grams. Often at this age there are specimens weighing up to half a kilogram, but this is subject to the availability of a good food supply.

Roach lifestyle

Roach prefers to lead a flock of life. Each school is formed depending on the age, so only one large individual can be present in a school of small fish. As a rule, roach prefer to stay as close to the shore as possible. At the same time, larger individuals choose deeper areas, and a trifle keeps in shallow water. Basically, roach keeps in areas overgrown with reeds or reeds, or on the border of clean water. Roach hibernates in dense flocks, and after the ice melts, it moves to shallow water, where it begins to actively take baits. During this period, you can notice the movement of a flock of fish from afar, but you should take into account the fact that the roach is quite shy and, in case of danger, immediately leaves for another place. When the water starts to warm up actively, roach is not so easy to catch.

The roach behaves actively at any time of the day, while it does not experience problems with nutrition, since it can eat both living organisms and algae. In the middle of summer, when there is an abundance of food, it is unlikely that roach will be surprised by anything, but if the nozzle is attractive, then roach should be looked for at a depth of 2 to 3 meters in areas with a clean bottom. But in the fall, when aquatic vegetation begins to die off, roach is no longer so picky.

Roach is an unpretentious fish and feels great in various conditions, as long as there is enough oxygen. For non-algae outskirts or areas of clear water surrounded by dense aquatic vegetation, these are favorite places. At the same time, larger individuals prefer to stay in clean areas with considerable depth.

Starting from mid-autumn, fish begin to flock before wintering. In winter, flocks of roach prefer to be near thickets of aquatic vegetation in deep water areas. At the same time, the fish feels good next to underwater obstacles, among snags, in rivers flowing into reservoirs. During this period, she prefers to be near the bottom, but sometimes rises closer to the surface, especially during periods of thaw. In winter, roach is caught well, if you get on a flock. With the advent of spring, the roach leaves the deep-water areas and goes upstream, where it actively feeds. After some decline in water, the fish goes to spawn somewhere in the second half of April. As a rule, this period coincides with the moment of bud break on a birch.

After the water has subsided, the roach is especially active in taking such bait as a worm or bloodworm. To catch roach during this period, you will have to find a promising place in the mouths of rivers and upstream, in the channels between water bodies, in well-warmed areas near thickets of aquatic vegetation, as well as in areas of clear water surrounded by thickets of reeds or reeds. The most important thing is to accurately calculate this period, which does not last long. As soon as the fish spawn, the biting can stop immediately and resume only after a week, while the biting will be no less active.

Best biting period

A week before spawning and after spawning – at the end of May and June. But at this time, fishing is prohibited in most reservoirs. In the spring, when the water is slightly warmed up, intense biting is more often observed in the afternoon, in the summer it takes better at dawn.

Way to catch roach

Fishing is one of the most exciting activities for a person, but this does not mean at all that the fish itself will cling to the hook. Fishing is also hard work, without which it is unlikely that you will be able to catch at least one fish. Despite the fact that roach is always enough in any reservoir, it is not so easy to catch it, since several factors influence successful fishing. This is the personal skill of the fisherman, and the ability to choose the right tackle along with baits, and the ability to choose a promising place. Often, factors beyond the control of the angler are included. As a rule, these include natural factors such as atmospheric pressure, water temperature, etc.

Roach can be caught all year round, but in moments of severe cold it is better not to go fishing, as you can be left without a catch. The most active roach in the conditions of the first and last ice, in the spring in the period before spawning and after spawning zhora, as well as in summer, especially at night. Before spawning, roach gather in numerous flocks and stay within aquatic vegetation, where they actively feed. During this period, it can be caught on almost any bait, such as a worm, bloodworm or maggot.

When fishing for roach, the use of bait is purely symbolic. For this, ingredients such as breadcrumbs, cake or cake, hercules, small bloodworms with the addition of dry clay or pure sand are suitable. Roach is well caught on an ordinary float fishing rod with a mormyshka. The fishing rod is equipped with a fishing line with a diameter of about 0,12 mm and a leash with a mormyshka equipped with a long hook number N14-N16. The length of the fishing line is chosen somewhere 20 cm shorter than the length of the rod. So that when the fish jerks, a sufficiently thin fishing line does not tear, it is better to use a rubber shock absorber, about 50 cm long, in the equipment. At least 3 sinkers should be present on the fishing line, of which the lowest should have the smallest weight. When the roach takes the bait in his mouth, he raises the equipment, while he should not feel the weight of this sinker. With the advent of spring, when there is no more ice on the reservoirs, the roach stays as close to the coastline as possible or enters the bays, where the water is cleaner. After spawning, the roach chooses quiet places with a slight current for its parking.

When the real heat sets in the street, this fish goes to the depths or hides from the heat in dense thickets of aquatic vegetation. The roach does not take the bait from the very bottom, as it prefers to feed at a slight distance from the bottom. Before the water warms up to +10 degrees, roach moves in numerous flocks along the coastline and eats everything that is in its path. For catching it during this period, a rod, about 5 meters long, is suitable. Casts should be carried out as close as possible to the thickets of aquatic vegetation and bites will follow one after another. As a nozzle on the hook, baits of any origin are suitable. The roach is actively caught until the spawning stops. During this period, the fish is not afraid of anything and can be caught with bare hands. Large pike and perch are especially lucky during this period, which follow the flocks and also actively eat it, and it does not even try to hide. Therefore, during the spawning period, fishing for roach can be the most effective.

After spawning, this fish is not so easy to catch, especially without bait. After catching a dozen individuals, it is imperative to add bait. Catching roach in the summer is difficult because the fish are no longer so hungry. As a rule, during this period, her bite is rather sluggish. She can take the bait in her mouth and immediately spits it out. But even at such a time, there are baits that the fish are unlikely to refuse. This is, first of all, greens, or rather silk.

A grasshopper can be no less seductive for a roach. Fishing with this bait is necessary near thickets of aquatic vegetation. Roach can stay at the fishing point for a while if the fish are constantly fed in small portions. As bait, you can use any ingredients, even ordinary bread. Biting may be most active if the place is fed in advance with cereals or any cereals. With the advent of autumn, the roach begins to show somewhat greater activity, if you use a dung worm, bloodworm and other baits as a hook attachment, throwing them into the aquatic vegetation. When the arrival of winter is already felt, the fish gather in numerous flocks and go to the depths.

From this moment, a new stage of catching roach with a winter rod begins, especially if the reservoir is already covered with ice. For fishing in winter, you will need a fairly thin fishing line, 0,1-0,12 mm thick, as well as a pellet-type mormyshka, weighing about 4 grams. The roach does not tolerate sudden movements, so the manipulation of the pellet should be slow and smooth. During this period, the fish can easily feed from the bottom, so there should be systematic tapping of the bait on the bottom. And yet the most frequent bites are observed at a slight distance from the bottom. Starting from the end of December and until March, it is better to catch roach on small bloodworms, putting no more than two larvae on the hook. In order for the bite to be constant, bait should be systematically added to the hole. During this period, bites on standing tackle are no less frequent. The nozzle must be constantly changed to a fresh one, without leaving a gnawed bloodworm or mucus from the fish on the hook, as this alarms the fish.

In such conditions, winter fishing should use the thinnest fishing line. Approximately 0,08 mm thick, or maybe thinner. The mormyshka is also chosen small, about 2 mm in size with a hook number N18-N20. When playing, the roach practically does not resist in winter, but already with the advent of spring, which the roach certainly feels, a fish weighing no more than 100 grams can easily break such a thin tackle. Therefore, with the advent of spring, it is already necessary to arm yourself with more reliable gear. A simple float rod is more suitable for fishing in still water or in slow current. In this case, it is necessary to lift the bait from time to time, and this must be done slowly. It is during the ascent that roach bites occur. The bait rises to a height of no more than 30 cm from the bottom. Some experienced anglers use artificial flies as bait to spin roach. The better the quality of the bait and the more realistic it depicts an insect that has fallen into the water, the more effective the fishing.

The most effective fishing for roach can be from early morning until 10 o’clock, and also from 18 o’clock in the evening and ending with full twilight. When fishing in winter, you can count on a significant catch in thaw conditions, when fish can rise from the bottom to the upper layers of the water. In any case, to stay with the catch, you will have to work hard, regardless of the season. If you do not know what roach eats and where it can be found on a pond, then you should not count on a productive outcome of fishing.