Crucian carp is a common fish, but unpredictable. Maybe that's why her catch has a lot of fans. Among them there are both beginners and experienced people. Beginner fishermen often cannot catch crucian carp. In the absence of a catch, they complain about the small number of fish in the pond. In fact, such people simply do not have the proper level of skill. How can you catch this fish? To do this, you need to know the features of fishing for crucian carp.
Acquaintance with a crucian
This fish belongs to the carp family. Crucian carp is of two types: gold and silver. Goldfish reaches a length of up to 50 cm. Its weight can be 3 kg or more. Silver carp is a bit more modest in size. It reaches up to 30 cm in length and weighs 2–2.5 kg.
Crucian carp is a very recognizable fish for fishermen. The scales of this representative of cyprinids are large and smooth. Its color depends on the place of residence. Crucian feeding on small invertebrates and vegetation. It lives most often in marshy lakes and slow rivers. The range extends to almost the entire territory of Russia.
Specific features of fish and habitat
Crucian carp is quite tenacious and not picky about the purity of the water of the reservoir, resistant to low temperatures, oxygen starvation. In those periods when drought or severe frosts occur, the crucian hides in the pits with silt, burrowing into it almost completely, and successfully experiences adverse conditions. In the spring, the fish wakes up from hibernation and begins to gradually eat and prepare for spawning, which can take place all summer. In the summer, fish actively feeds during the day and sometimes at night.
In order for crucian fishing to be successful, fishermen are advised to go to the "classic" crucian places - all kinds of ponds, small lakes abundant in aquatic vegetation. It is almost impossible to meet such a tasty and strong rival in mountain rivers.
Types of gear and fishing methods
Carp fishing can be carried out on the following gear:
- on a fishing rod;
- bottom tackle;
- mormyshka;
- plug rod.
Those who want to go fishing with a fishing rod should take a telescopic or match fishing rod, an inertial or inertia-free reel, a skein of monofil or fluorocarbon fishing line, boxes with different-sized hooks and a set of weights with floats.
Fishing using bottom gear is fishing with powerful short spinning rods or a skein of fishing line with a sinker and hooks. Mormyshka is used in winter fishing for crucian carp. Thin fishing line is wound onto a fishing rod. Then tied mormyshka. As a bait take bloodworm.
Fishing with a plug rod is not much different from float fishing. The bait is presented to the fish dosed in a cup at the end of the rod. If fishing takes place on the current, the float adheres to the fishing rod over the lured point. The main advantage of the plug is its length, which can reach from 5 to 10 meters or more.
Are there any peculiarities of fishing for crucian carp in the spring? At this time, it is recommended to catch a fishing rod with a side nod. This fishing method is practically no different from winter fishing using a winter fishing rod. There is only one feature. Fishing is carried out in the early spring after ice melting.
Bait and bait
The bait for crucian carp is a great many. They are divided into animal and plant species. The most common bait animals are dung worms, earthworms, maggots, bloodworms. Plant bait is much more. This canned and boiled corn, peas, bread crumb, pearl barley, semolina, boiled potatoes, a variety of dough.
Bait can be divided into purchased and home-made. Go to the store and buy complementary foods for crucian carp or other fish is not difficult. You just need to find the package with the inscription "Fishing for crucian carp." Homemade bait can be made from anything. Milled or boiled any cereal, sunflower seeds, biscuit dough or bread crumbs will do.
Only the fisherman decides which hook to attach. In the case of fish such as crucian carp, there is no specific recipe. Sometimes he likes peas or corn, and sometimes a worm or maggot. However, it is important to consider 2 nuances:
- In the summer, fishing for crucian carp can be carried out using either vegetable or animal baits. The representative of cyprinids pecks at them perfectly. Sometimes you need to combine them.
- If you plan to winter fishing for crucian carp, then only bloodworms will serve as bait. However, a small number of fishermen practice such fishing, since crucian carp is still a heat-loving fish. In winter, she practically does not eat.
Alternative fishing
In fishing for crucian carp they still use unconventional methods. These include jig and ultralight oscillating baubles. Both methods involve the use of gear, consisting of light sensitive spinning with a small and light inertialess reel, a thin cord or monofilament fishing line.
When jigging, silicone types of lures are used. Most often these are a variety of worms and vibro-tails. Fishing for crucian carp with a jig consists in a very slow dragging of the bait along the bottom of the reservoir, imitation of a worm or some larva. Hesitant lure is carried out slowly to simulate a small wounded fish. This method is effective, because crucian carp, like other species of cyprinids, can often eat other fish representatives.
How can caught crucian be useful: use as bait fish
Everyone knows what a fish called "pike" looks like. So, the best live bait for her is crucian! When fishing, pike take small carp, the size of which is smaller than a palm. Fishermen use them as bait fish for a simple reason - they are tenacious and mobile.
The fishing process is quite simple and efficient. Small crucian carp are hooked on a triple hook by the upper fin or upper lip. The tackle used in catching pike for crucian carp is a ventilator, mugs, bargain or simply a donka. The meaning of fishing is that the fish was alive, but could not hide under the snag or in algae. To do this, mount a sinker on the fishing line, which does not allow the bait to deviate strongly from the main line.
The use of crucian carp in cooking
Probably there are no people who would not try fried carp in an egg or sour cream. White, juicy and tasty fillet with a small percentage of fat is loved by all housewives. And the fishermen do not mind eating such a dish. You can also cook from this representative carp ear. It is important to know that the taste of the same dish prepared from different crucian carp may vary. The taste is determined by the habitat of the fish. Crucian, as is known, can live both in the purest reservoirs and in swampy lakes.
Crucian carp is not only tasty, but also healthy. It is rich in vitamins, iodine. That is why people who care about their health should get carried away by fishing for crucian carp on the lake. And for those who buy this representative of cyprinids in the store, it is important to know that fresh fish has an elastic body, transparent mucus and, most importantly, bright red gills.
Uncontrolled catch - poaching
Crucian along with other inhabitants of rivers and reservoirs is often exposed to such misfortune as poaching. Poachers most often use networks and many options for traps using networks. But some such anglers use electric fishing rods. After the poacher walked along the pond with an electric fishing rod, he collects fish that has surfaced on the surface of the pond. A very large percentage of fish drowns and dies, and those individuals that survived cannot spawn for a couple of years.
In many countries of the world, electric fishing rods and networks are recognized as poaching tools, and their use is prohibited by law. If you use these methods on fishing, despite all the prohibitions, then think that you will leave your children and grandchildren after yourself in a river or lake.