Despite the fact that the modern gear market is characterized by a large abundance of various devices designed for fishing, many outdoor enthusiasts prefer to use the "grandfather" methods of extraction of underwater inhabitants. One of such methods is fishing on a seine, which does not require much effort from a person. Perhaps that is why such fishing is strictly prohibited in the Russian Federation. Therefore, our article is for informational purposes only. We do not urge readers to break the law.
What is seine?
Fishing on the seine is well known to our grandfathers and great-grandfathers, when instead of fancy spinning rods, one had to use ordinary bamboo fishing rods equipped with a goose feather instead of a float. However, with the help of such gear it was hardly possible to catch a lot of large fish. That is why the so-called seine was invented - a network with numerous hooks, which can have a different design depending on the type of fish that you plan to catch.
Usually amateur tackle contains no more than 10 hooks with bait, since a large network on the river will immediately attract attention. Typically, nets are located near the shore and reeds, where large fish spawn. Also, every fisherman must understand that when installing too many hooks, he risks not only incurring problems with the law, but also significantly reduce the amount of fish resources in the river.
Seine design
To organize fishing on a seine on the river, it is necessary to make tackle, the number of hooks in which will not exceed 10 pieces. In addition, the following elements must be present in the design:
- a long rope, cord or cable to pull out a seine;
- several leashes of strong thread, which are necessary for fastening hooks;
- no less than four wooden stakes, which are needed to secure the seine near the shore.
Leashes must be attached at the same distance, otherwise the structure will not work as it should. The fastener method can be chosen by anyone, however, the loopback connection with carbines remains the preferred option.
As for the stakes, they should be sharp enough and long enough to pierce the ground. For fishing in bodies of water with a strong current, it is desirable to use metal elements, since they hold the seine more reliably.
Types of seine
Decided to make a seine for fishing? Then, for starters, you need to decide on the kind of gear you plan to make. Professional fishermen distinguish the following items for fishing on the river, which can be easily made with your own hands:
- horseback - an ideal specimen for fish that prefers to inhabit the surface (trout, asp, chub and small individuals of almost all species);
- medium - used for fishing under the water column (as a trophy you will get pike, sabrefish, rudd perch and so on);
- bottom - is installed in the lower layers of the reservoir and is used to catch the largest individuals of deep-sea fish (carp, catfish, burbot).
So before you make a seine, be sure to decide on the kind of fish that you plan to catch. Otherwise, you will make bottom tackle, which is suitable for catching species that simply are not in the pond.
Installation Nuances
To catch fish on the river on a seine, it is necessary to follow certain installation rules, without which it is unlikely to achieve a large catch. In total, professionals identify three basic rules that are most often ignored by novice fishermen:
- When fishing on horseback tackle, it is imperative to attach a seine to a wooden peg near the shore. Even if the freshwater body is not characterized by a strong current, the nets can shift to the side due to the resistance of the fish, after which it will be difficult to find them.
- Also, on a fishing line or rope with hooks, it is necessary to install several sinkers, which will hold the bait in a static position. Otherwise, the underwater current will overturn the hook behind the net and all the tackle will be confused, and the fish will not find the bait.
- Middle heels are set similarly to riding ones, however, in the cords between the leashes there should be floats that will signal whether the fish got on the hook or not. The depth of fishing is regulated with the help of weights, the resistance to which is given by the floats.
It is also strongly recommended to install gear only in those places where there are no prying eyes. Otherwise, one of the fishermen will want to appropriate or ruin the seine. It is best to set up the nets in the evening to check the catch in the morning.
Varieties of lures and bait
It is not difficult to guess that for fishing on a seine on the river you will have to use a variety of baits and baits. The choice directly depends on the species of freshwater inhabitant that the fisherman plans to catch. Here is a quick guide to help novice fishermen:
- predatory fish is best caught on bait fish or emitting bait;
- fry are best to cling to the upper lip so that they hold on tight;
- dead bait will be the perfect solution for snag sites.
As for peaceful fish, for its fishing you will need to use the most ordinary bait, which is found in every house. For example, rudd, roach and crucian carp are pretty good at pecking, barley, dough, peas and corn. And most predators will not refuse to eat dung worms.
Making a catfish seine
To make it easier for novice fishermen to make tackle at home, we have compiled special instructions that will help to realize the idea. To catch catfish on a seine, you will need to use the following elements:
- fishing line with a section thickness of 0.7 to 0.8 millimeters;
- several hooks of the tenth or fifteenth number;
- a sinker with a total weight of 250 grams;
- kapron cord from 15 to 25 meters.
If you plan to catch a large catfish, the number of hooks should be reduced to 2-3, since too many individuals can simply pull out stakes holding the seine from the ground. You should also increase the number of hooks to the seventeenth.
Features of fishing for burbot on a seine
In winter, many fishermen go to frozen ponds to catch several large burbot individuals. Usually, for this event, a bottom type of gear is used, which is immersed in water with a heavy weight. The length of the seine should be from 15 to 25 meters, and the optimal number of hooks should be from 5 to 7 (depending on the size of the individual).
As for the bait, the best option is a fresh movable live bait attached to snap 12 numbers. Although in the winter season, the individual does not disdain the usual dung worms. But it is best to refrain from using any imitating lures. The seine is in a static position under water, and the burbot is interested in the bait moving or smelling.
How to catch a large sterlet?
Have you decided to organize sterlet fishing on a seine? As a rule, this species of fish lives at a shallow depth, so you will have to use a horse or medium rig to catch it. In most cases, seines are set in the winter season. To do this, several holes are drilled in ice, after which nets with small weights are immersed in water. So that the current does not pick up the seine, it is well attached to the pegs.
As for the bait, the sterlet is considered one of those varieties of fish, extremely unpretentious in food. In the winter season, it is best to use an earthworm or dung worm, maggot, or bloodworm larva. Peas and corn will show a little worse. Well, in order to lure fish from a long distance, you should use a pre-prepared bait from the flies.
Winter pike fishing
Why is winter fishing so popular? The thing is that this equipment shows its greatest effectiveness when using live bait as a bait. And who is the best pecker at small fish? That's right, predators that are most active in the fall and winter, while the rest of the fish species are not fast.
To catch several large pikes, you need to attach 10 to 7 hooks on a seine. If you plan to use a simulating bait, then its quantity should directly depend on the size. After all, the larger the spinner will be, the more powerful the individual will fall on it. You can also simply hook a few worms onto the hook, but in this case perches can also be caught.
To lure a large pike, most amateur fishermen use various pheromone-based lures. However, professionals in their field know that there is nothing better than a bite activator - a special electronic device that allows you to lure large individuals from all around. Something like the decoys that hunters use.
Catch a zander on a seine?
The most promising thing is to hold this event in the autumn season, when the fish is stocked up with fat for the winter and increases in size. As gear, of course, you will have to install a bottom seine. It is best to do this in a narrow riverbed, since it is there that the zander is most often found. In summer, they practice the installation of bottom gear on the shallows, because in hot weather the predator goes hunting for small fish.
It is best to install gear in the evening, because the zander is most active at night. Any small fish (bleak, roach, rudd) is suitable as bait. When mounting a seine, be sure to consider the nature of the current so that the pike perch does not tear out the stakes. In addition, thirteenth-sized hooks should be used to prevent the catch from escaping from the fisherman.
To increase the likelihood of catching zander, many professional fishermen use echo sounders to scan the bottom topography. Such devices make it possible without any particular problems to determine exactly where large pits are located under water, in which zander prefers to inhabit. You can also use an additional bait with pheromones, which will lure underwater inhabitants from all around.
Conclusion
As you can see, fishing on the seine is a rather promising activity, which allows you to catch several large individuals at once. However, such fishing is characterized by a rather large share of passivity. That is why it is prohibited by Russian law.
Some fishermen argue that it’s okay to use gear with 10 hooks, but that’s not the case. It is forbidden to use any rafts, at any time of the year, designed to catch any species of fish. We strongly do not recommend our readers to apply this fishing method, as this is punishable by an administrative fine, the amount of which depends on the number of fish caught. We wish you a good bite, dear readers!