Winter fishing in our country can truly be called a large-scale phenomenon. In Russia there are a huge number of lakes, rivers and reservoirs, so the question of where to fish is practically not raised.
general information
Each Russian region has its own large and small reservoirs where you can fish. Moreover, winter fishing in still water and in the current is quite different from each other. Fishing in this period is very interesting, since it is often possible to pull out real trophy specimens. Especially fascinating is winter fishing on the Volga, because in this river there are many species of large fish. It should be noted right away that not only the quantity, but also the variety of caught prey depends on the site selected for fishing. For example, closer to shore, roach, scavenger, and, of course, small perch are more often found. However, if a person sets a goal to pull out a large fish, then he should go deep into this wide river, away from the main gathering of the same fans of "silent hunting".
Features of winter fishing on the Volga
So, in order for the fishing to set, you need to know some nuances. To begin with, the hunter should not linger even in the most promising sections of the river for more than five minutes in the absence of bites. At the same time, it is important to know that when fishing from ice with the help of bait, only a small patch with an area of only a few square meters can be explored. And if there is no prey there, then you can’t wait for an approach to bait even for a whole daylight hours.
Winter fishing on the Volga involves the constant movement of a hunter on ice. Inveterate anglerfish know that they will have to drill a huge number of holes, go on the ice for more than one kilometer, until they can find the active site. In winter, fish on the Volga try to move less, so even if they notice the bait, but they are far away from it, their potential prey will most likely ignore it. This is especially noticeable during the period when the fish is not in the phase of active hunting.
Recommendations
Those who are interested in winter fishing on the Volga should prepare for it fairly responsibly. And this applies not only to the selection of the right gear and lures, but also to the ammunition and the ice ax. The latter should have sufficiently sharp blades. Throughout the entire time that winter fishing on the Volga will take place, it is imperative to have an ice pick on hand with the help of which it will be necessary to expand the hole in case of capture of captured fish. A hook is also a necessary item of equipment, with which large prey brought to the edge is removed from the hole.
In many ways, the success of winter fishing on this mighty Russian river also depends on the mobility of the fisherman. Also important is his ability to correctly determine the most promising places for fishing. Experienced anglers know that all day long bites of large prey can be unexpected, so you should always be prepared for them. In order for each to end with a successful cut, the hunter must be as attentive as possible. As bait, you can safely use a variety of options. The choice of bait primarily depends on what specific prey the angler is aiming at. When going out onto the ice on the Volga, it is recommended that you always have at least five or six different nozzle options on hand in sufficient quantities.
How to catch zander on the Volga in winter
This fish is most often found in deep areas, so it should be sent to areas where the bottom is more than five meters. Winter fishing for pike perch on the Volga takes place both on artificial baits - lure, mormyshka, balancer, and on natural - bait, sprat. For catching, a diverting winter leash is most often used. For fishing, you should choose places with slow motion. The most promising areas will be those with a hard bottom, where there are snags or other voluminous underwater obstacles. It is behind them that this predatory prey hides most often. Wells need to be drilled a few meters from such a place, that is, at the exit of the pit, since immediately bites will be rare. You need to drill every two meters. On pike perch winter fishing on the river. Volga is approximately as follows. The bait sinks to the bottom slowly, and you do not need to lift it immediately either. Small pauses should be maintained, after which it is necessary to gently tap the bottom of the bait. And if the bite does not follow, you need to slowly tear it from the bottom by about twenty centimeters. After this, the bait should be returned to its original point, and the whole procedure should be repeated again. If there is no bite within five to seven minutes, it is worth moving to the next hole.
Sudak needs to be hooked sharply: if the sting does not pierce the jaw of this prey, then a gathering will follow, and this can happen right at the hole. When fishing, weakening of the fishing line should not be allowed. This can also lead to the descent of zander.
We catch in the winter on the middle Volga
In different parts of the river, ice fishing begins at different times. Its upper part has been freezing since the beginning of November. Winter fishing on the middle Volga begins from the first days of December, and on the lower in the last week of the year. True, sometimes the weather presents surprises, so the ice rises a little earlier or later.
The most common fish in winter catches are zander, roach, bersh, pike. However, the main object of fishing for many fans of ice fishing on the middle Volga is perch. Perhaps, balancers - horizontal spinners are most suitable for catching a trophy "minke whale". They are inexpensive, easy to learn and extremely effective for both fishing and searching for perch. Seasoned winter roads recommend using different baits, but bloodworms, worms and killers “work” best of all.
Winter fishing on the lower Volga
This river gains its full strength after the Kama flows into it. The Volga-Akhtuba floodplain is considered the most popular place on the lower Volga for winter roads. And here, ice fishing in excitement is in no way inferior to summer fishing. If in the lower reaches of the mighty Russian river the water has not yet frozen and remains open, many fish for winter spinning. The prey will be pike, zander, bersh and perch. As for white fish, winter fishing on the lower Volga on the feeder will please lovers of the “quiet hunt” with roach, scavenger, and silver bream.
Fishing in the Volga Delta
Winter fishing in this part of the river is not unique. If you go below Astrakhan, then when narrowing you should take into account the features of the channel, ice cover and, based on this, select gear. If in November-December there is a steady ice condition, and the air temperature does not rise above minus 2-4 degrees below zero, then winter fishing in the Volga Delta will take place without much hassle. You should not look for catchy sites, because at such a time fish are caught almost everywhere fish. If in the cold you can fish pikeperch, bersh and perch, then in a thaw, which is not uncommon, for example, in the Astrakhan region, pike, rudd, bream, and maybe roach are good at pecking.
Interesting Facts
Like any other body of water, the Volga also has its own characteristics, in particular, related to fishing on ice. For example, large predatory fish on this original Russian river are successfully caught on artificial baits, but only in favorable weather for fishing. If the production activity is low, then it is unlikely to provoke it to attack. The only way out is to bring her a natural nozzle right under her nose. I must say that fishermen most often use sprats on the Volga, which can be bought at any local store.