Bologna fishing is one of the types of float fishing, which uses a long rod with rings and an inertia-free reel. Such fishing could not win a wide audience, however it is very exciting. And in some cases, when other methods are powerless, only Bologna tackle will help the fisherman to go home with a catch.
Historical reference
In the 90s of the last century, in the Italian province of Bologna, where several large rivers flow, fishermen came up with a universal and efficient way of fishing. He assumed the use of a long rod with rings, on which an inertialess reel and float equipment were installed. The main advantage of this method is the possibility of fishing at long distances, in the wiring. Italian rivers are quite wide, so anglers used rods 7-8 meters long. When in 1992 the Italian team won the championship in float fishing, the Bologna tackle became known throughout the world. Among fans, this method is famous for its versatility, and when used correctly, it gives good results.
Differences from other float methods
To better understand what tackle has earned popularity, we compare it with other float fishing types used on the course. Let's start with a fly fishing rod with a dull snap. When fishing in the wiring, the dead fly gear is limited both in casting distance and in the length of the wiring. To prevent large fish from cutting off rigging, thick leashes have to be put on the fly rod. In Bologna fishing, a reel is used, with which you can level the blows of the fish. Consequently, a thinner fishing line is used in the lap-dog, which clearly affects the result of fishing.
The second tackle to compare the Bologna fishing rod with is the plug. To date, only a plug allows you to snap over bait with an accuracy of centimeters. Bologna gear allows you to achieve almost the same accuracy. However, it is not so bulky and more dynamic. And again, there are no problems with casting distance and wiring length. In addition, plug fishing needs to be selected and prepared, and with a lap-dog, everything is much simpler.
Fishing rod
In Bologna fishing float rods are used, equipped with a reel seat and rings on long legs. As a rule, these are telescopic models, on the two upper bends of which the rings have a floating structure, which removes the load from the top. As already mentioned, the length of such a fishing rod is about 7-8 meters, however, for small rivers, simple float rods 4-5 meters long are quite suitable. Many people ask: “Why can’t you use a short rod on wide rivers?” In principle, you can catch Bologna gear on any rod, but a short form will not allow you to sufficiently control the equipment, and the whole essence of Bologna wiring will be lost.
In the fishing tackle market you can find a lot of suitable rods. When choosing, it is worth paying attention to weight, rigidity, balance, ring fastening. Do not forget that the fishing rod works with the reel, so when choosing, try to hold the gear assembly.
Coil
The second most important tooling element is the coil. As a rule, in Bologna fishing they use inertialess models. In the fishing store such reels can be found more than enough. The main criteria for choosing are: diameter of the spool, comfortable rear clutch and the presence of a spare spool. Let us examine in more detail why such parameters are important, and why everything else goes into the background.
A reel with a large spool in itself weighs quite a lot. It shifts the center of gravity towards the butt and compensates for the length of the whip. As a result, fishing is much more convenient, despite the increased weight. In addition, fishing line wraps around a large spool much faster. And when several hundred casts are made per day, this is very important.
It is much more convenient to work with the rear clutch, especially when a whole series of conditions must be observed during the fishing of the fish so that it does not come down. You can adjust the effort of the fishing line with the rear brake without looking at the reel, which is much more difficult with the front clutch. Other characteristics of the reels: anti-spinner, the number of bearings, the material of the case, spools, arms of the logger are less important and depend on your personal preferences.
Other equipment
It should be noted right away that it is better to store all fishing gear in a special box that will prolong their life. This is especially true for floats, because they are quite gentle and require a delicate attitude. Bologna gear float can be different depending on many conditions. Therefore, it is desirable that in your arsenal there are two loaded floats of each type. This, on the one hand, will allow you to quickly adapt to the conditions of fishing, and on the other hand, in the event of a break, quickly replace the equipment with a new one, without reloading it.
In addition to floats, it is necessary to put spare sinkers in the box. Small grains to correct the load, and large olives - in case of breakage of the entire equipment. Of course, there should be spare hooks in the arsenal. They are known to be selected in size and color so that the nozzle or bait is as invisible as possible. It would be nice to take along a couple of hanks of fishing line, again in case of a break. We examined the basic gear for a Bologna fishing rod. Then, each independently decides what to add to his arsenal. Do not interfere with fishing: wire cutters, cambrices, swivels, an extractor and a marker for tinting the antennas of the floats. Of the auxiliary elements, we note the capacity for bait, landing net, cage, stand for fishing rod and capacity for bait or nozzle.
Rigging
The design of this equipment will not be a discovery for those who know what float fishing is. The tackle consists of a float (more on the design of the floats a little lower), sinkers (divided into two groups: the main cargo and the reserve), stoppers (if the float mount is used for sliding), a swivel and a hook. A swivel is needed to conveniently connect the leash to the main line and reduce the likelihood of twisting the line. It is placed immediately under sub-reserve.
Floats, regardless of design and carrying capacity, are loaded under the base of the antenna. The main load should be about 3/4 of the total load capacity. It usually is a single olive. Another 1/4 of the load falls on the sub-stock, which is collected from pellets. The float must be attached in two places. Otherwise, the fisherman will not be able to make the correct, clear wiring.
Bologna tackle for crucian carp, bream, roach and other types of white fish has no fundamental differences.
Pond selection
Having dealt with the equipment, we go directly to fishing. First of all, it is necessary to determine what type the proposed river belongs to. A river can be a main (basin) tributary, a tributary, a secondary tributary of a main tributary. This is necessary in order to understand whether it is worth going to a particular river at a certain time of the year. In the spring, as you know, fish rushes into small rivers for spawning. This is due to the fact that in small rivers water warms up faster, and therefore fish food appears. After spawning fish leaves small rivers and moves to large tributaries, where by this time there is already quite warm water and plenty of food. Around the end of July, when the last insects leave the underwater world, fish migrate to the main rivers. That is why novice anglers often notice that over the course of a year, fish bites differently in the same area.
Choosing a fishing spot
Having decided on the river, it is worthwhile to find on it several of the most promising points. This can be narrowing of the channel, rifts, turns, bays, tributaries and other places that stand out from the general background. Arriving at the point, you need to find out the flow rate. The choice of the capacity of the float and, ultimately, the result of all fishing depends on it. It’s easy to navigate by the speed and nature of the current, you just need to throw a couple of dry twigs into the water and see how they float.
Fishing preparation
Having gathered the tackle, you need to concentrate all the sinkers at one point, near the swivel. Next, by choosing the depth you need to find the bottom. Having abandoned the tackle, we make the wiring and look at the float. If it runs evenly throughout the wiring, then the bottom is flat, and in this place it is unlikely to succeed in fishing. If the float twitches and changes its position during posting, then there are obstacles at the bottom near which fish accumulation is possible. Having done a similar procedure with an interval of 10-15 centimeters, you can get a comprehensive picture of the bottom and understand where to bite.
Now you can attach a leash to the swivel. It should be 0.02 mm thinner than the main fishing line. This is necessary not only so that the fish does not notice the threat, but also in order to break the leash in case of a hook, and not all the tackle. The length of the leash usually ranges from 20 to 70 cm. It remains only to move the sinkers - and the tackle is ready. Between the main load and the backing there should be a distance slightly greater than the length of the leash, so that during casting the leash does not cling to the load. There should be no separate grains in this gap for the same reason.
Lure
When the Bologna tackle is ready for battle, you need to take care of feeding the fish. Any bait for the flow is suitable here, the main thing is that it contains a lot of adhesives in the form of flour and Hercules. To date, in stores you can find a sufficient number of such bait. Making the mixture yourself is also not a problem. The main thing that experts advise in this matter is to use crumbly type mixtures and refuse porridges. They collect fish better, do not saturate it and do less harm to nature. As for clay, it will not be superfluous in bait until the beginning of July, while insects whose larvae mature at the bottom have not flown away.
Now a few words about feeding tactics. If the depth at the fishing point does not exceed one and a half meters, then the first feeding should be half of the entire bait, so as not to frighten the fish with feeding balls. If the depth is greater, you can reduce the amount of the first feed and after a few postings toss balls the size of a walnut. If the bite starts to fade with regular feeding, it is worth feeding the fish less often (once every 40 minutes), but in large bowls (with an orange). Before starting to feed the fish, check the mixture near the shore. It should be washed out well.
Now it's time to talk about fishing techniques. In Bologna fishing, there are three main types of fishing, we will analyze each of them.
Catching
This is the most common technique for posting Bologna gear. Its essence is to create conditions under which the nozzle swims as slowly as possible, thereby standing out from the general background and attracting fish. Find out how to do this. The tackle rushes higher and further than the feeding point, so that when she splashes, she will find herself in the right place. Then, pulling the fishing line, you need to suspend the movement of the float and hold the fishing rod equipment along the fishing line. In this case, the rod is held slightly raised up, so that the fishing line is on weight. At first glance it’s simple, but in practice it’s not quite so. Before everything works out, you need to practice. It is important that the float does not come out of the water, and the equipment does not go to the shore along an arc.
The float for long casting according to the holding method should be drop-shaped, with a long keel of carbon fiber or steel wire, two attachment points and a thin antenna. Almost all float companies have such models in their arsenal. The float mount must be blind. The carrying capacity of Bologna floats in our latitudes ranges from 2 to 12 g. Under any fishing conditions, you can choose the right float from this spectrum.
Procrastination
Catching Bologna gear on the wire is that the body of the float is towing a rig, in which the sub-stock stretches along the bottom. The antenna tilts downstream. The speed of drawing can be controlled by changing the weight of the backing or by holding the sticks. This is a good way, but it works on a clean bottom, which still needs to be searched. This method is especially popular with bream.
The float for long casting using the “wire” method has the shape of an inverted drop and a thick antenna. Often in this method, large nozzles are used: a worm, corn, a bunch of maggots and the like. By the way, the thickness of the antenna directly affects the capacity of the float. Therefore, for small nozzles (bloodworms, maggot, pearl barley, etc.) thin antennas are used, and for large ones - thick ones.
Free swimming
For those who only find out what Bologna tackle is during the course, this method is most suitable, since it is the simplest. Here you just need to drop the tackle and wait until it floats on its own, with the speed of the current, the desired distance. This is a less lucrative way, but sometimes it gives good results. It can use the same floats as in the previous two methods. There is no fundamental difference.
Fishing process
After playing the first fish, you need to see how it caught sight. If the fish deep swallowed the hook, then you need to reduce the depth by 2-3 cm. Thus, it is necessary to ensure that the fish is hooked only by the lip. This measure will not only extend the life of the prey, but also save the fisherman from the extra time spent on pulling the hook. The bites should be smooth, without any jerking. If during the bite the float jerks randomly, then too much of it is above the water. By adjusting it using small weights, you can solve the problem.
If the biting has stopped, this does not mean that the fish has left the point or ate all the bait. If you fed the place correctly, then most likely large individuals came to it, who, before starting to eat, for some time they examine the situation. In this case, it is worth trying larger nozzles and any combination of them.
When a large specimen is spotted, you need to turn the fishing rod in the direction of the fish and raise it by 45 degrees relative to the horizon. Next, with the help of the clutch, you need to carefully let the fish frolic, and when it calms down (usually this happens after 2-3 jerks), slowly pull it up and send it to the net. Here is such a difficult but exciting fishing. Bologna gear will be an excellent arsenal to spend time in nature.