Common roach, belonging to the family of cyprinids, is one of the most common fish in the world. Ichthyologists know up to seventeen of its species. The most famous among them is the common roach, which has several subspecies: it is a chebak, ram, revered by the adherents of beer, roach and others.
general information
Many consider this fish of little value - not for everybody. However, our Russian fishers often catch this flocking semi-aisle freshwater representative of the cyprinid family.
Many people prefer it primarily because of the high activity throughout the year, and the hostesses like it because of its meat with a delicate texture and good taste. Roach lives in many lakes, ponds, rivers, reservoirs, estuaries and canals. It prefers mainly areas overgrown with vegetation. In our country, its habitat is the basins of the Azov and Black Seas, in which this fish is found almost everywhere. Roach is also caught on the Yamal Peninsula, in particular in the Seyakha River, in the deepest lake in the world - Baikal, in the Aral and Caspian Seas, in Siberia. Fishing for this representative of cyprinids is an interesting and time-consuming activity. Although this fish is abundant in almost every body of water, angler catch is not always large. Success depends on several reasons, in particular, on the skill of the fisherman, the choice of gear and lures, weather, etc.
Roach fishing seasons
Fishing for this representative of cyprinids can be successfully completed at any time of the year. And if the best biting periods are the end of spring and the beginning of June, then winter roach fishing among lovers of “silent hunting” is characterized by unpredictability of prey and increased excitement.
In spring, this fish is so active that this period is called by the fishermen “move” of this representative of cyprinids. Depending on the region, the open water fishing season starts in March-April. Fans of this fish rush to the ponds still before dawn, as those who come later find it difficult to find a convenient place for themselves. The fact is that at this time there is literally nowhere to throw gear, there are so many people who want to return home with a rich catch. The summer season of roach fishing begins in late May - early June and lasts until mid-autumn. It should be noted that, depending on the seasons, the technique of fishing varies significantly. This is especially true for the choice of bait and gear used. For example, more finely tuned equipment options are used for spring roach fishing.
Seasonal fishing performance
The fishing of this fish is interesting all year round. It is hunted both in open water and from ice. Autumn fishing, as well as winter fishing for roaches, is not an easy task. Moreover, this statement concerns not only the bite, but also the preparation for cohabitation. In the fall, the mood of prey changes very often. In the same way, roach fishing in winter is also characterized. Weather is one of the main reasons for this unpredictable mining behavior. Significant changes in her lifestyle begin when the water temperature drops to 10 degrees.
Roach, gathering in large flocks, goes to deeper areas, where it continues to feed. Therefore, in the fall, and even more so in the winter, the most effective method for attracting the attention of this prey is its feeding. When fishing in conditions of lowering the temperature of the reservoir, you need to be very careful about the choice of bait. The addition of flavorings to complementary foods can be used, but in small quantities. However, in this article we will talk about what is interesting in catching roaches in winter, how to catch large prey, which gears and bait are the most effective when fishing from ice.
Features of this difficult lesson
As soon as the ice cover reaches a height of twenty to thirty centimeters, a huge army of anglers is sent to the beds of large rivers for fishing "white" fish. Ram, sorog, chebak are one of the most common items for hunting in the cold season.
In general, winter roach fishing is considered one of the most popular ice fishing. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, this representative of cyprinids pecks in almost any month of winter. Secondly, it can be found in any body of water. True, those who claim that roach fishing in winter is an easy task, to put it mildly, are cunning. The fact is that with the onset of cold weather it becomes less active, and its appetite decreases noticeably. In addition, in winter the fish is not swimming as freely as, for example, in the spring or on hot summer days. Therefore, in order not to return home without a catch, the fisherman needs to know in advance the places of her parking and master the basic secrets of winter roach fishing - how and what to catch this representative of cyprinids.
When to catch
Experienced anglers will say that the best results can be achieved by narrowing on the first ice. The ram or soroga locked under the ice layer is still active at this time, consuming oxygen, which is dissolved in large quantities in water.
But with a decrease in the latter, the underwater inhabitants become more sluggish, and in the dead of winter the bite in most species of fish is completely weakened. As for the time of day, the regulars immediately notice three peaks during the day with uniform bite: early morning, immediately after dawn, hours in the afternoon and just before dark. Penetration under the ice of the first spring water jets, which carry the long-awaited oxygen, activates production again. It was at this time that roach fishing in winter was particularly successful.
Key tips for finding prey
This representative of cyprinids in the cold season can be located in various places of the reservoir. In many ways, this factor depends on its type. For example, in the river, the best places for roach to stand are the edges along the steep coast, bays and backwaters with a depth of one and a half meters, as well as river pits, especially the exits from them. This fish also pecks well near non-freezing areas of water. This is where excellent roach fishing takes place in winter. The recommendations of experienced anglers suggest that in such places you need to be especially careful and not get carried away by fishing in order to avoid the risk of falling into the water. In lakes or large ponds, the most catchy are steps in areas with a depth of more than two meters, as well as sections of the channel of a ravine flooded with water.
In reservoirs, the best places for winter roach fishing are the zones at the inflowing rivers, the edges and the pits along the river beds, which are blocked off by the dam. In addition, in almost all water bodies, battering ram should be sought near snags and hydraulic structures.
Tackle
The technique of winter roach fishing in winter is different. It depends on the gear used. It can be a float fishing rod with a nod, a rewind mormyshka. In some cases, tackle provided for the flow is used. The use of a fishing rod is suitable for those anglers who do not want to make a few holes, and then keep track of which bite started in them. This tackle is good in that a person, having fed future prey in one place, waits for the whole flock to swim.
Some avid anglers believe that roach is best caught with a nod and mormyshka. However, this option is only suitable for stagnant water. In general, tackle for roach fishing in winter should be neat, elegant. This is especially true for reservoirs located near megacities.
For winter roach fishing, thin fishing lines (0.08–0.12 mm), as well as medium-sized hooks and mormyshki, are used. Equipment needs to be selected for each specific reservoir.
Fishing methods
There are only two of them: fishing for the game and static bait. In the first case, an Mormon fishing rod is used. As a bait, both non-nozzle and mormyshka are used with replanting of any bait, for example, bloodworms. Roach prefers a smooth, low-frequency game. The range of motion can be different, ranging from a barely perceptible wiggle with a nod and to sweeping turns.
Methods of fishing roaches in the winter are different in the number of holes. Judgment of the game involves the presence of several holes in the ice. You need to feed prey in advance. Fishing for the game is used both when fishing on a jigsaw with a nozzle, or fishing with float gear. Another way - on a static bait - can hardly be called athletic and active. A man stays motionless over the hole for hours and waits for the nibble to begin. For fishing with a static bait, it is quite enough to drill one working hole, under which all the active roach has gathered.
Tactics
In order for fishing to please you with all your heart, you need to know some secrets of successful roach fishing: in winter, you should first scout the place and feed the fish. For this, many experienced fishermen in the selected area drill about ten holes at a distance of five to seven meters. A small portion of the bait is sent to each of them. After some time, the search – catching process begins. After completing the bait of the tenth hole, you can already check the first.
Weather
Going fishing, it is very important to consider many climatic factors. You should not expect a good bite when atmospheric pressure is not established. It is best caught in cloudy weather with a slight wind. If there is a lull or, conversely, there are heavy gusts, the bite stops. It is better to catch roach from early morning until noon, then take a break, and towards evening again resume fishing.
If prey is constantly fed, then it can be pulled out throughout the day, right up to the first twilight. Towards the end of February, roach, more active, begins to eat well.
Lure
In winter, this representative of cyprinids responds well to bloodworms. However, you need to know the features due to which roach fishing in winter will be successful. For beginner anglers, it can become quite interesting if, of course, you prepare for it in advance.
Tightly rammed lure from bloodworms should be placed in an iron feeder and lowered into a bait hole. Moreover, the latter should be located next to the one from which to catch. If the bottom is soft mud, then the feeder needs to be opened at a distance of about forty centimeters from the ground, and if it is rocky, 5 cm is enough. Depending on the reservoir, and, consequently, on the preferences of the prey, the bloodworm can be mixed with a worm or a tubule.
If the depth is shallow and the bottom is silty, from time to time it is recommended to tap the ground with a pole, raising dregs that will interest the roach.
In addition, feeding can be carried out two to three days before the main fishing, lowering the feeder in the same place daily. It is advisable to do this at the same hour, so that the extraction is waiting for the next portion.
Fishing for mormyshka with a bloodworm
This method has its own characteristics that you need to know in advance. Catching roaches in the winter on a mormyshka with a bloodworm with proper wiring can result in a pretty decent amount of prey. Two types of game are used for this. Mormyshka sinks to the bottom, then rises about twenty centimeters and sways in different directions. This must be done jerkily, smoothly. Another option is to lower and gradually begin to raise up the mormyshka, while creating a slight vibration, and then again direct it down. If desired, you can put on the hook not only bloodworms, but also maggot, or a delicious worm. Roach bite is uncertain, so it should be hooked instantly.
Recommendations
Winter fishing of this representative of cyprinids will be a very exciting activity only if you prepare for it in advance. Roach rarely reaches an impressive size: mostly one hundred gram fish come across the hook, although, of course, if luck smiles, you can pull out a larger specimen.
For successful fishing, it is advisable to cut more than seven holes with a small diameter, check them for the presence of prey, catching each of them for at least five minutes. This is necessary to understand whether there is a fish at a given place. If in one of the holes there was a bite of a sufficiently good specimen of roach, then you need to thoroughly feed it and go to the next. Finding two or three using this method, you should begin fishing. After two or three bites with fighting, you need to change the hole. Do not knock it out completely. It is necessary to give a new flock to swim to the feeding place, and the fish remaining near the hole will attract the others.