Catfish - one of the largest fish living in fresh water, its weight in some cases can exceed 200 kg. Of course, such specimens are very rare, but catfish of 40-50 kg are caught almost every summer. Catching big catfish is a whole science and for a novice fisherman such an undertaking can bring only trouble. Without experience catching catfish on the Donka is an empty undertaking.
The usual habitat of catfish is rivers with a calm, slow flow, it also occurs in lakes and ponds. Usually stands in deep pits, whirlpools during the day, likes to stay near snags, large stones, under a steep bank. With the onset of darkness goes to smaller places for hunting. The catfish is a predator, feeds mainly on fish, but in general it can capture any living creature caught in the water - frogs, snakes, chicks of waterfowl, etc. Small catfish also feed on mollusks, worms, and leeches.
Som loves warm water, so it begins to show activity in late April - early May and until the end of September, the best nibble in the middle and end of summer. Catfish fishing for donkey is usually effective in the dark - at night, early morning or late evening in warm, calm weather. Where there is a lot of this fish, you can catch in the afternoon. Since he prefers to stay at the bottom, then catching catfish on the donka is often the best option, less often use fishing rods. As baits used live bait, bird offal, pieces of fresh meat or fish. Some anglers argue that the best nozzle for a catfish is a frog, as a rule, they hook it on its leg. Catching a catfish on a frog is a very troublesome task, as large individuals peck at this bait. Small catfish are also successfully caught on creeping, bear cubs.
Naturally, for such a large fish you need the appropriate tackle, a powerful fishing rod that can withstand serious resistance to prey, certainly with a reel to facilitate fishing, strong fishing line and hooks. However, one should not go to extremes either, coarse tackle is more likely to scare away catfish, as well as other fish. For catching catfish weighing up to 25 kg, fishing lines with a diameter of 0.7-0.9 mm, hooks No. 10-12, tees or No. 14-16, if single, are quite enough.
It is not recommended to throw the nozzle into the pits, the fish that stands there is usually inactive, in addition, the catched catfish tends to go into snags and entangle the fishing line there, and quite often it succeeds. It is best to catch catfish on the donka in the shallows near the pits, as it is there that catfish hunts. Bite is different. A hungry predator usually boldly swallows a nozzle and often heals himself. A well-fed and careful catfish can circle for a long time next to the bait, try it on the tooth and let it go again. In this case, you can try to hook it with a jerky jerk. In case of success, it is necessary to carry out additional cutting so that the hook reliably hooks the prey.
Like most predatory fish, catfish can be caught by spinning. The choice of lures here is quite diverse - it can be large rotating and oscillating baubles, sinking wobblers and twisters, a dead fish on a snap. The bait is usually slowly lead to the very bottom, with smooth pulls. At great depths, catfish are caught by sheer luster. To do this, use weighted sheer baubles, long and narrow, with a single or triple hook. Sometimes a small twister or piece of fish is additionally mounted on the hook.
One cannot fail to mention such a specific method as catch fishing. The fishermen practicing it argue that this is the best way to catch a large catfish. Usually caught on rivers. Sitting in a boat sailing with the stream, the fisherman strikes the water with a “quack” - a special wooden bucket or a large spoon, making peculiar gurgling sounds. It is not known exactly why these sounds attract catfish, possibly due to their similarity to the croaking of frogs. Tackle for fishing in this way resembles a donka, but the nozzle is usually halfway and only in spring and autumn in cold water falls closer to the bottom. Not only a frog is mounted on the hook, but generally any bait suitable for bottom or float fishing.