Bottom tackle is popular even against the backdrop of the active development of picnic and feeder rods. And this is taking into account the complexity of the manufacture and use of such equipment. Of course, you can use ready-made equipment, but it costs money and does not always surpass the quality of analogues of home origin in quality. In addition, a donkey made by one’s own hands during operation gives more opportunities for making adjustments and additions to the work process.
What is the difference between catching donkey?
This fishing technique is both complex and undemanding for consumables. In the simplest configurations, a standard set of elements with hooks, a sinker, fishing line and a fishing rod is enough for its organization. The main feature of fishing on the donka is that casting is done at great depths. That is, the target hunting area is vertical from the surface to the bottom. Also, the casting distance itself can reach 80 m, which gives its advantages. In the process of fishing, you can use several types of bite signaling devices - sound and lighting devices.
Also, in choosing this fishing method, it is important to consider the restrictions on its use. Even if you assemble a donk with your own hands on the basis of durable spinning, this will not increase the efficiency of the structure on mountain rivers and simply in conditions of any intense current. Water turbulence adversely affects the condition of leashes, feeders and bait per se. And even a calm pond will not allow you to use this scheme on the surface - again, the calculation is done at great depths.
Snap Components
As already noted, the basic set of components includes a sinker, hooks, fishing line and rod. Moreover, the last component is optional. It is quite possible to do without a rod under certain conditions, but to increase the functionality of the donkey, the structure is supplemented with feeders or spinning rods. To a large extent, the choice of fishing rod depends on the target fish - it is obvious that for a large predator, appropriate spinning with a strong base will be required. Conversely, for fishing peaceful fish at a distance of not more than 50 m, you can do with a hand fishing rod up to 1 m long.
The choice of fishing line also depends on the fishing conditions. In most cases, a thread with a thickness of 0.3 mm is used. Hunting for large inhabitants of rivers and reservoirs will require the formation of braids from several forests to ensure minimal extensibility. As for the sinker for donka, the standard is considered an element weighing about 40 g. The development of long distances will require an increase in mass to 100 g, but even more important will be the shape of the sinker, corresponding to the flow velocity. Hooks are also selected individually, adjusted for the purpose and conditions of fishing, but they usually recommend sizes No. 5-8.
For convenient handling of the structure, it will be useful to supplement it with a coil. It is advisable to equip the rod with an inertialess reeling device, as this will simplify the task of casting. In extreme cases, you can use the bobbin-coil, which is a compact analogue of inertial systems, but with a mechanism for braking the spool. In general, when choosing equipment elements, one should rely on improving the ergonomics of the structure, since in the case of a donka, the precise manipulations of the angler himself are very important.
The technique of making classic donkey
The assembly process involves several steps. First of all, a reel with winding leash is prepared - pieces of fishing line that will form a system for distributing hooks. A fishing line with a diameter of 0.3 mm is moved from the reel to the reel so that in the winding it turns out 30-50 m or more - depends on the planned casting distance.
When a length of about 2 m remains, it is necessary to tie 4 knots at the end of the remaining segment. They will be required to fix the hooks of the eyeliner during the fishing process. But how to make a donka, which will combine a large load potential and a moderate circuit with lightweight eyeliners? This configuration is advantageous in that it allows you to focus on a wide range of peaceful and predatory fish at different depths. In this case, a rarefaction of eyeliners (not more than three) is made, formed by a thread 20 cm long and 0.2 mm in diameter. A hook is knitted from one edge, and a loop is made from the other.
A washer is attached at the end of the main line, which is sometimes replaced with an elastic band. The length is adjusted already in place, based on the conditions of application of the donkey. With your own hands, the same gum can be stretched 4-5 times. That is, with a 5-meter length, it is possible to provide an emission of 20-25 m from the coastline. On the other hand, the end of the elastic is attached to a shortened 50-centimeter rope to which the load will be tied. Then it remains to pull the fishing line, put on the bait and organize a bite alarm.
Feeding trough as a snap-in
This structural element eliminates the need for regular feeding to attract predators. The feeder provides the hunting area with feed in a natural manner. Usually, a mesh in the form of a bag acts as a food-carrying device. It is important to determine the relationship between the donkey and the feeder - as a rule, it is formed on the site of approach to the sinker, but there may be other options. The reverse can be called a way to fix the feeder to the rod with its placement on the surface. This may require the installation of floating material in the mesh base. The optimal solution may be to create an auxiliary eyeliner with a feeder, which will be located directly in the area of the hooks.
As for the bait itself, the standard is bread in the form of crackers, cereals, soaked peas, etc. Parsley, dill and anise oil are used as flavorings. The choice of feed depends on the size of the mesh cell - from 0.5 to 1 cm. The higher the intensity of the flow, the less should be the feeder itself and the fixing line of the donkey. With your own hands, you can form a triangular cage weighing 50-70 g from a thin metal mesh. This is the optimal form for working in difficult conditions with active fish. But, in each case, the feeder will need to be shaken periodically. During the course, small friable food forms a whole loop that will attract fish from afar. Large pieces are quickly consumed under such conditions.
Spinning donka
The inclusion of this rod in the set of equipment expands the possibilities of using donkeys on rivers and ponds. The basic criterion for choosing the spinning itself is the mass calculated on the basis of the requirements for the target fish. But it is important to take into account another universal rule for the selection of fishing rods - short devices are used on stagnant water, and long ones - with strong currents. The fishing line must be strong. It is best to use a combination of wicker and monoleski. Otherwise, everything will depend on the fishing conditions.
Installation begins with a sinker. It can be installed on the end of the line or on top of the leash. Accordingly, in the first case, fishing will occur in the bottom layer (the classic donka fishing scheme), and in the second case, the calculation is made for hunting from the bottom. Now you can begin the installation of the functional parts. First, two stoppers are fixed, between which the swivel is placed. In the usual scheme, the sinker is installed at the end of the line and brought to the swivel.
How to make a donka so that it allows you to use several leashes? To do this, use loops with a twist length of 15-20 cm. To facilitate the knitting process in advance, it is recommended to use a fluorocarbon fishing line with a thickness of 0.25-0.3 mm for the loops. It is advisable to come to the place of fishing with a ready-made set of loops.
Features winter application donki
In conditions of ice fishing it is much more difficult to properly arrange the placement of bottom gear. Among the differences between such fishing from the summer will be the use of two sinkers. One, weighing about 10 g, will dissolve the tackle downstream, and the second, heavier, will perform the main function of laying on the bottom. The winter donka does not do without leashes. It is advisable to use three hooks - one at the end of the donkey, and the other two - about 30 and 60 cm above the first sinker.
After the attachment of the bait, the tackle is lowered into the hole, during which a heavy sinker should be held. At this stage, the coil will play an important role. The smoother and more accurate the removal and release of fishing line, the higher the chances of laying the leashes correctly. By the way, it is recommended to use pieces of chopped fish, fry and worms as bait.
Immediately after the holiday, the current will begin to carry the leashes along with the sinker. At this point, it is important to determine when the heavy sinker is fed. According to various estimates, about 5-6 meters of fishing line should first leave, after which they begin to catch the area.
How is winter donka managed? Spacers with a rod are installed on the surface. A simple configuration involves the installation of wire flyers. They are mounted on a rod of the rod and in the future do not allow large predators to drag gear into the prepared hole.
Features donks for catfish
The design, designed for catfish, can be mounted with or without a fishing rod. If you decide to use the rod, then you should give preference to a solid structure with a powerful blank. For example, thick spinning rods allow you to confidently pluck large fish. The donka for catfish from special marine and carp rods is also effective. The same goes for coils. It is best to choose inertialess models with a large spool. The fishing line should have a monolithic structure and a thickness of the order of 1 mm. The sinkers are also rather big. If lead water fractions of up to 50 g are used in stagnant water on catfish, then on large rivers we will talk about a mass of 100-200 g.
Special attention is paid to bait. Although catfish are considered herbivorous fish, their diet varies with age. For example, for small specimens, leeches, shells and crawls are suitable. For large fish, crayfish, mice, small frogs, etc. are recommended.
The fishing process is organized using the stands, and the friction on the reel is weakened. When fishing for catfish from the shore, you can do without a fishing rod, using a tree trunk or bush to attach the fishing line. The main thing is to provide a reliable alarm system, which can be a bell or a firefly.
Suitable places for donkey fishing
The most promising bottom fishing site is considered to be a coastal dump. It is especially recommended to place several vertical lines with leashes on the lower edge. But this option is more suitable for those who use the boat. If you plan the same catfish catching on the donka from the shore, then steep river bends should be preferred. This fish, like bream with large perches, is found in deep holes. Another thing is that bites will have to wait a long time.
Experienced fishermen are advised to approach the catching of sites in an integrated manner. Donka, with its specialization, allows diversifying fishing tactics by experimenting with the depths and conditions of the process. For example, fishing on the donka is popular with placing a leash under the trees, near water lilies and reeds. The successful location of the feeder will add chances of catching small, but rare fish.
Donka Fishing Tips
Initially, even at the stage of assembly of the structure, unpleasant surprises should be foreseen and the process made as efficient as possible. From the point of view of ergonomics of tackle use, the way of fishing, the characteristics of the rod, the configuration of the location of the leashes, etc. will matter. How to catch on the donk so that the chances of biting will increase in the process? If we are talking about fighting with the help of a reel, then we will have to hope for our own dexterity. Spinning will give more chances in processing large fish, so in dealing with it you will only have to rely on sufficient physical strength.
In each case, it is advantageous to use shock-absorbing or softening manipulations with the bottom of the elements. The same gum is welcomed as a means of delivering bait without jerking and unnecessary noise. Also, do not overlook the possibilities for the game. It can very well be organized on a feeder with springs even at great depths.
Conclusion
Properly assembled bottom tackle provides a number of advantages to the angler who plans to hunt large underwater predators. This also applies to a wider coverage area of the fishing space, and the possibilities of a feeder without reducing the attractiveness of the leash.
However, there are weak points in the donka. Equipment for bottom fishing is very demanding on the skill of the user and the conditions for its use. For example, not every angler can regularly provide accurate casting of a hook with several leashes to a certain place, taking into account a range of about 50-80 m.
As for environmental conditions, almost all varieties of bottom gear are sensitive to the flow. This also applies to wind on the surface, which makes signaling devices react.