Catfish fishing is considered one of the most exciting varieties of fishing. This fish - the largest representative of the family of the same name, impresses with its size, which is why, having caught it, hunters experience incredible pride and pleasure.
The length of her body can reach five meters, while the weight of individual individuals is more than three hundred kilograms. Catfish live in water bodies in the European part of our country. Spawning it occurs in the spring in coastal aquatic vegetation. Females lay eggs in the nest, and males guard them.
The choice of a fishing spot for this large predator depends not only on weather conditions, but also on the time of year and even day.
Spring fishing
When the catfish wakes up after hibernation, the water can be warmed up to only eight degrees. At this time, the fish is still very sluggish, although there are chances to catch it. You need to find the warmest place on the pond - coastal shallows or estuaries of small rivers, next to which there is depth. It is from there that this predator comes out to hunt.
When the water warms up to fifteen degrees, the catfish begins zhor. At this time, he does not understand the choice of prey, throwing himself at everything that is possible to eat. Therefore, in the spring, fishing with artificial bait is very productive.
Fishing in summer
When the water bodies warm up to twenty degrees, spawning time comes for the catfish. It lasts up to three weeks. At this time, mostly small specimens fall into the bait, but after the end of the spawning season, during the time of the zhor, there is the greatest expanse for fishermen.
Closer to mid-July, the catfish becomes active in the evening, at night or in the early morning when it hunts closer to the surface. You can determine its presence by powerful bursts or a kind of chomping. If the reservoir has muddy water, then this mustachioed predator can be active all day, and before a thunderstorm, it completely forgets about the danger, actively and intensively hunting.
Autumn fishing
When the season of downpours and cooling begins, the place of stay and time of hunting of this fish becomes very difficult to guess. The hours when she goes out in search of food can change every day.
Therefore, for many novice anglers, catching catfish in the fall is somewhat difficult. Often they return home empty-handed. Catfish can feed on quiet nights, preparing for hibernation, and on foggy and cloudy days.
It is difficult to name the exact time of his feeding or biting. However, experienced anglers know how to catch catfish in the fall. A good guide this season may be those places where there are bream, chub and other trifles. Catfish will definitely be nearby.
After the onset of the first frosts, he begins to go to the wintering pits, but also continues to feed from them. As in the spring, fishing in the catfish in the fall during this period is very difficult. Extraction is already less active.
Catching catfish
In autumn, this simple device, which makes specific sounds in skillful hands, attracts a mustached predator to itself as if with a magnet. Most often, quakes are made from hardwood: maple, ide or apple tree.
The correct sounds that attract prey depend on various factors: the shape of the fixture, the material, as well as the skill and experience of the fisherman. Catfish catching in the fall with a quack should take place without unnecessary splashes and splashes. Privada should not scare away, but rather attract. Therefore, some training is required for a good catch.
You need to quit measuredly - up to three beats with pauses in a few seconds. The equipment for such fishing and the one with which catfish are caught in the Donka in the fall are very similar - this is a powerful fishing rod, multiplier reel, thick braid from 0.6-0.8 millimeters, a weight sinker, a leash about sixty centimeters long, a power swivel and impressive hook tee.
Most popular tackle
It is especially common among lovers of catfish fishing for donkey. In the fall, this type of fishing gives good results. Donka is simple in execution, in addition, it is more reliable than spinning. In addition, she has one big advantage - affordability. For example, one branded spinning rod at a price equal to as many as thirty donks.
Many anglers very successfully catch this mustachioed predator on the most common models. After all, a donka is much easier to catch, track a bite, snatch. In addition, she has more “snacks” than spinning rods.
In the fall, catfish catches for Donkey begins the day before the fishing itself. First you need to get crawls and bears. Catfish are usually caught with this tackle, starting at dusk, all night. Therefore, it is necessary to come to the reservoir in advance in order to decompose and throw the tackle.
Catfish Pranks
Depending on the choice of fishing location, their number also changes. Sausages for catching catfish are made as follows. A fifty-meter fishing line is wound on the reel, at the end of which a one or two hundred gram sinker is attached. About half a meter a leash about forty centimeters long is tied to it.
The size of the hook is selected depending on the size of the intended prey, however, it must be so large that a bunch of crawls or a bear can be baited on it.
Donkey selection
In each particular area, anglers use their own types of gear, with features and secrets. And although they are all similar in principle to their action, some differ in nuances.
For example, to equip a donkey with a fishing rod, you need a high-quality strong fishing rod. It can be a duralumin variety or a modern carp stick. The main requirement for this equipment is the ability to withstand strong impulses of large prey. A similar approach for the coil. It must also be reliable and durable. The weight of the catfish, the inhabitant of a given reservoir, affects the correct selection of fishing line. In some cases, fishermen wind a monofilament up to one millimeter, and on trophy fishing a braid with a diameter of up to 0.8 mm. The sinker is placed sliding or stationary. With a shallow depth, its mass can be from one hundred to one hundred and fifty grams.
Catfish caught in the fall during the course can occur without the use of a traditional fishing rod. This is due to the insignificant distance to the fishing spot of this fish. In this method, it all depends on how the angler will manifest himself when fishing for catfish.
In Astrakhan
In autumn, a wide variety of fish is found in the waters of this region. Having visited the Lower Volga catfish once and enjoyed the trophy catch, a person will come here every year. In general, many believe that it is difficult to find a better place for autumn spearfishing than the Astrakhan region. Moreover, there is an excellent catch all year round.
Catfish catching in Astrakhan in autumn suggests great opportunities for large trophy specimens. There is a lot of production in the main riverbed, in its pits and whirlpools.
This is not the first time those who come to the banks of the Volga know what to catch catfish in the fall. An insatiable predator at this time is best managed to catch on frogs or ground bait. As soon as in September the temperature of the water begins to fall, it is time for trolling. Gambling fishing by all available means can last until late autumn.
In October, when catfish slides into pits, the season for bottom fishing begins. It continues until the first frost, until the middle of November.
Bait
On catfish in the fall, you can use worms, frogs or insides of birds. The most effective is considered to be a set of decoys from a dead small fish, vibro-tail or silicone twister, oscillating baubles or foam rubber. Autumn fishing always presents fishermen with surprises.
Experienced "hunters" know what to catch catfish in the fall and which bait is better not to take with you. For example, a fast-moving artificial bait is not suitable, because a predator sometimes simply does not respond to it. While deep-sea wobblers and large vibro-tails with various sound effects give good results, especially when fishing in cold water, up to ten degrees.
Fishing features
Autumn catfish should be approached with special responsibility. Every detail in the gear should be checked many times, because there is no point in going fishing with a seizing reel or a battered fishing line.
In general, catching catfish in the fall has certain features. You should not, for example, rush to hook catfish. The predator always first tries the nozzle and only then thoroughly grabs it. And even after a powerful bite, you need to wait a bit. Cutting needs to be done sweeping and strong. And then the fighting begins. This is the most important fishing step. Slaughtered prey always behaves differently. Sometimes even a small fish arranges a powerful struggle, and sometimes it behaves calmly and itself goes to the boat. But even in such a situation, you must always remember that everything can change at the last moment.
Experienced "catchers" know: in no case should one allow the prey to go into snags. In this case, there is a great danger of being left without gear at all. If the catfish lies at the bottom and cannot be moved, you need to make a good noise - knock on the rod of the rod or on the side of the boat. This fish does not like noise, so it is likely to move.
Catching catfish, in autumn or summer, in any season, requires good physical fitness and stamina. Survival should be carried out slowly, without rushing and without fussing. The main thing is not to do too heavy loads on the rod. Having tired the prey, you need to start gradually dragging it to yourself. It’s good if there are two fishermen, since in some reservoirs the weight of the prey can reach up to seventy, or even more, kilograms, so in such cases it can be somewhat problematic to pull it out.