The Khoper River is the largest left tributary of the Don. It flows through the lands of the Volgograd, Voronezh, Saratov and Penza regions of our homeland. The length of the river is 979 km. It takes its beginning in the Penza region. Hoper freezes at the beginning of the first month of winter. Ice holds on the river, as a rule, until mid-April.
About the Khoper River
The unique nature of Prikhoperye has made this waterway a favorite destination for tourists. The bed of a flat river meanders and abounds in old women. The depth of the river is 1-3 meters, in some places it reaches 6-7 meters. The bottom relief is diverse: there are also sandy areas with clay rifts, a rarity and a rocky bottom. The approach to the shore is generally difficult, therefore it is more convenient to fish, rafting on boats. The Khoper River in the 50s of the last century was navigable (from the Don to Balashov) and was distinguished by both quality and number of aquatic inhabitants.
In the distant 1970, UNESCO was not without reason considered Khoper the cleanest river in all of Europe. For half a century, the situation, unfortunately, has deteriorated radically. The river, in the recent past, is clean and full-flowing, heavily overgrown and shallow. The Khopra channel within the city of Balashov and the district narrowed almost 3 times. Attempts at cleaning Khopr in the 21st century have been undertaken repeatedly, but have not achieved the desired result. The utilities of Balashov and the waste from the Arkadak distillery (Arkadak is located 58 km up the Khopr) significantly pollute Khoper. The Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation classifies the waters of the Khoper River as a third class (“very polluted”).
Despite this, a lot of fish still live in the river. These are pike, bream, perch, catfish, roach, pike perch, chub, asp, common carp, burbot, pike perch, bleak, crucian carp. Summer fishing at Khopre in Balashov attracts not only local residents, but also many visiting vacationers. This is eloquently indicated by the numbers of regional codes in the numbers of fishermen's cars in the coastal zone.
About Balashov
There is where visitors stay. There are two hotels in the city (Khoper and Lexx) and several guest houses. Recreation centers (Prostokvashino, Old Mill, and others) are actively developing at Khoper. Sanatorium "Pada" knows all of Russia.
In Balashov, a developed trading network, there are leisure centers, cinemas, a drama theater. The city is located on the left bank of Khopra, at the intersection of the railway lines Povorino - Penza and Tambov - Kamyshin. The territory of the city is 78.1 square meters. km Balashov was and remains the largest city between Saratov and Voronezh. This is the administrative center of the Balashov district. The population is 78 thousand people. In 2002, Balashov was awarded the title of the most comfortable small Russian city. Today he is going through difficult times. The volume of industrial production has decreased many times. Closed most industrial enterprises.
Honestly about fishing in Balashov
Despite all the problems, there is fish in the river and a catch, with a competent approach, is guaranteed. In the thickets of powerful reeds you can catch: bream, carp, carp, crucian carp and ide. In open water, roach often comes across. Of the predators, you can catch pike, zander, catfish, perch and asp. Pike in Khopre is mainly large, from 800 g to 1 kg and above. This applies to the vicinity of Balashov. Since it grows to a size of one or two kilograms in old women, lakes of the floodplain and the terrace of the river, and only after that in the flood it gets into Khoper itself.
A characteristic feature of Khopr is the so-called "labor" fishing in the river Balashov. To catch the coveted large fish, you must try. Previously, there were a lot of fish in the full river Khoper, and serious trophies were not uncommon, but due to the shallowing, a large number of poachers and the influx of ordinary law-abiding fishermen with modern gear and semi-legal feeding of fish, it becomes smaller every year. But this does not mean that she is not here. It just got harder to fish.
A real fisherman is not afraid of difficulties. Difficulties add value to the catch. If you master the skills and technique of fishing in reservoirs with high attendance of fishermen, then it is quite possible to achieve serious trophies, both in quality and quantity. You just need good gear, professional skills and a reserve of patience.
There are very beautiful places for fishing. Picturesque beaches and coastal landscapes with coniferous and deciduous forests can be admired endlessly. Fishing in Balashov is very diverse and multifaceted. The fact is that Khoper has sections with a very rapid and relatively slow course. In places with a rapid course, you can successfully catch a chub, asp and pike. Catfish are hiding in the pits, and a large pike is waiting for its prey on the brow or exits from the pits. In areas with a slowed flow, perch, scavenger or crucian come across.
Annual fishing in Balashov
Fishing on the Khoper River in Balashov is diverse and depends on the time of year. In early spring, it is good to catch roach and pike. In May, the time has come to catch a chub for various variants of the May beetle.
Moreover, you need to use a variety of gear, you can try, for example, a floating bombard.
In hot summers, Aboriginal fishermen advise catching catfish in whirlpools and pits and at the exit from them. Autumn is the right time for fishing pike and perch for spinning. Fishing on the Khoper River is unpredictable and exciting. It’s possible that sometimes you don’t catch anything worthwhile in this river (but you will receive thanks from your cat), but you may return home with a rich catch. Definitely worth a try.
Paid fishing in Balashov
In the case of persistent bad luck with a catch, there is always a fallback - paid fishing in Balashov on stocked ponds. There are many such ponds, fish farms that invite fishing on a fee basis. Basically, these are rented, privatized or private ponds in which fish are bred specifically for fishing by decent fishermen. However, such ponds have their own big minus: as a rule, the number and weight of the fish you catch is widely limited by the rules of the owner of the reservoir, and the maximum sizes of the caught individuals are also set. That is, if a fish smaller than the set size is caught on a hook, then the fisherman must release it back home. Let it grow further.
Also, if suddenly luck turns to face you and a good nibble begins, you cannot recklessly continue fishing beyond the limit of weight or the number of fish caught, which the pond management established. In addition, fishing time is often also limited and pre-paid.
Balashov, fishing: bite forecast
For the purpose of a scientific approach to the fishing process, expert predictions and forecasting are necessary. An approximate forecast of fishing in Balashov can be found in special calendars for fishermen. It is displayed in numbers from 100% of the level of an excellent fish bite by time of day. Attention! If you click on the icon above the name of the city, you can print the weather forecast and bite for fishing in Balashov for the next two days. No tail, no scales!