In the lower reaches of many northwestern rivers flowing into the Black Sea, there is often a water inhabitant, whom the locals call the king. This fish is a sunny perch, so named for its unusually beautiful color.
American Guest Story
For the first time, kings were brought to Russia in 1965 from the water bodies of the floodplain
of the Prut River. Their homeland is
North America. At first they appeared in Europe, where in 1877 the offspring was first obtained from them. Soon, sunny perch began to be bred in ponds, and when it got to the Danube, it settled in the lower reaches of the rivers flowing into the northwestern part of the Black Sea. Excellent adaptability to changing living conditions allowed the kings to become quite widespread in the water bodies of Europe.
Sunny bass continues to spread today. This is facilitated by the fact that the fish reaches puberty by the year. Males actively guard the clutch in more than three hundred eggs.
The sunny perch, of course, impresses with its beauty: blue spots with neon tint adorn the whole body of the fish. It has golden yellow fins, and a dot with a scarlet-edged black dot is striking on the gill lid.
Habitat
Currently, this fish of the perch family is found even on the middle reaches of the Dnieper. Almost all rivers and even reservoirs in Ukraine are rich in it. It easily tolerates tangible increases and decreases in water temperature, and can easily winter in an ice-covered pond.
Caught American sunfish in Ukraine all year round. But he pecks especially well in sunny weather. Apparently, thanks to this, it got its original name.
Inhabited in rivers or lakes, sunbirds always stay close to the shore. Accordingly, finding it there is easier than in the middle of the river. Preferring shallow depths - up to a maximum of two meters, the sunny perch moves in small flocks, keeping the direction either along the cut of grass, or along the coastal brow. The fish, as it were, patrols its territory.
In such a place, sunfish can be caught easily and quickly. And some flocks, generally occupying a certain area, do not leave it for a long time. Most often this is a place under a bush or overhanging trees, as well as a glade in algae or reeds.
Fishing
The sunny perch, a photo of which demonstrates its resemblance to the American piranha, is a predator. He has a small mouth, therefore he eats only small crustaceans, insects, worms, and caviar. But despite its small mouth, this food-hungry fish swallows even fry of other inhabitants of the reservoir.
Based on this, experienced fishermen use large hooks of a sufficiently large number, the tenth, when catching kings. The best delicacy for this fish is maggot, although when fishing with fly fishing on dry flies, it swallows the hook almost completely.
I must say that some consider the sunfish to be “weedy” fish, which, quickly multiplying, begin to destroy the eggs of more valuable commercial species, thereby causing harm.
Tackle
They say that the sunfish is so bred that it can be caught everywhere even on a spinning rod. At the same time, he pecks often and eagerly. Today he is caught very little, because he, by virtue of his small size, is not a trophy.
If the king does not respond to the lure, then you need to try to mount a snap, which is a small jig. A creep or earthworm mounted on a hook is an attractive treat for this inhabitant of water bodies. Such equipment helps to catch even a very passive perch, regardless of where the fishing is carried out - in open water or on ice.
Features of fishing
Many people believe that the most suitable season for catching sunfish is its spawning season. Indeed, in this case, the fish is clearly visible in shallow water. But if the moment is missed, and the king rears deeper, then it becomes much more difficult to determine his location. In this case, complementary foods help.
Those who purposefully go fishing for kings, before fishing, walk along the shore and throw some feeding bloodworms into the water. Feeding simply collects a huge amount of potential prey, and bites begin to follow after casting. Catching on a silicone bait is not recommended, since the mouth of a sunny perch is very small, and even inch twisters are difficult to swallow.
Fishing in winter
With sharp bites in the winter, the fisherman often has to put the next bait on the hook. Therefore, for more intensive fishing from ice at such "hot" spots, bait is better suited, which will attract the sun perch with its smell, as well as taste and game. Another prerequisite is that the bait is well kept on the hook.
In the middle of winter, the sun perch sometimes takes it so carefully that the angler often does not notice the bite. In some cases, the fish, taking the bait, rises with it up. Therefore, experienced "hunters" must distinguish even the weakest bites in order to make a reliable hook.
It is better to catch perch in a darkened tent or “peering”, shading the hole with something. This makes it possible to clearly see what is happening under the layer of ice. And if the water is also clear, then you can even see how the fish swallows the bait.
If the bait is at a considerable depth or the reservoir is already cloudy, then most likely, it will not be possible to observe a similar picture. However, if you take the bait with a very bright color, then notice when it disappears, perhaps.
When catching a perch from the ice, it’s difficult to keep track of the float, so many anglers install a lantern. If you raise the light source high, the hole will be better visible, regardless of power, whether it is a small candle or a very large lamp. And the play of light and the brilliance of the tackle will attract fish such as sunfish.
Is it possible to eat kings
This is asked by those for whom they are exotic. The answer is one: of course. This fish is perfect for baking in foil on a fire right on the shore of the reservoir. In general, sunny bass has a very pleasant and delicate taste. He has moderately dense white meat. Fish at home is suitable for all types of cooking, but it will be especially juicy if you fry it in oil.