Fishing for many is not just a hobby, but a kind of outlet in this hectic world, a special way of life, and someone perceives it simply as a kind of relaxation in the bosom of nature. But no matter how a person relates to fishing , he is interested in the largest possible catch. Even if this is not the main thing for many, because the livelihood of a modern person does not depend on the number of trophies caught, however, leaving a reservoir without prey is always a disappointment. In this publication we will try to reveal the secrets of successful fishing so that you have less of these disappointments.
Each angler has his own chips, developed by practical experience, but they always rely on certain patterns. It is on these general principles that determine the productivity of fishing that we will stop today. Our article is addressed mainly to beginners, but those who have already repeatedly watched the float or the bottom tackle signaling device with a sinking heart will surely extract a rational grain from it. For us – the theoretical component, for you – the implementation of it in practice.
Here is an overview of the content of this tutorial, feel free to jump to any section you care about:
For more fishing instructions, take a look at these popular Trizily links: Best Spinning Reels, Best Fishing Kayaks.
- How To Tie Fishing Knots
- Choosing A Fishing Line For Spinning Reel
- How To Determine The Bottom Topography
Learning theory
Fishing is a purely practical exercise, but it is unreasonable to start fishing without some theoretical training. This is especially true in our time, when the number of fish in reservoirs has significantly decreased.
We recommend that you start by examining the habits of the various fish species most commonly found in your area. You need to know whether it lives mainly in the bottom layer of water or right at the surface, what it feeds on, what it prefers at a certain time of the year in a particular body of water.
You can also familiarize yourself with a general description of the appearance, habits and diet of all kinds of representatives of the freshwater ichthyofauna on our resource, but it is best to ask experienced fishermen about the local specifics . If there are none among your friends in real life, you can try to find them on thematic forums. With respect, they will share information about the most promising bodies of water in your area, the best fishing methods and the selection of lures. These are local realities that can vary significantly from region to region.
If you go fishing in the spring or early summer, be sure to browse the internet for a spawning ban time for your area . At this time, fishing is allowed only from the shore, with passive gear and with one hook, and even then not on all bodies of water. Violation of the fishing conditions at this time entails an administrative penalty in the form of a decent fine.
Preparation of gear and equipment
All variety of fishing tackle can be roughly divided into two broad groups: active and passive.
Active tackles are designed for maximum human participation in the fishing process: he not only watches and waits, but acts. The most famous representative of this group of gear is spinning , which is used mainly for catching predatory fish. This also includes all kinds of fly fishing rods . Even a feeder can become an active tackle if you use it to wire.
Passive tackle offers a quieter, less physically demanding fishing experience. The fisherman throws the tackle, observes the signaling device (if such is provided by the equipment), after the bite he hooks the fish and pulls it ashore . The main secret of successful passive fishing is thorough preparation of the equipment. It is technically and physically easier to fish for passive gear, so they should be recommended for beginners. It is wise to start with a versatile hybrid of telescopic and fly rod , but some newbies prefer to start with rubber-type bottom gear or rod-based donuts.
When preparing for fishing, you need to carefully equip the rod in accordance with the rules that you can find in our thematic publications. There can be no universal advice here: spinning, bottom and float rod are equipped in different ways. Do not forget to check the reliability of fasteners and assemblies and pack your gear in bags for easy transport.
In addition to the basic gear, do not forget to take accompanying equipment with you , namely:
- Spare accessories . Problems with tackle, arising from hooks and playing large specimens – this is a common occurrence, from which no one is immune. In addition, during fishing, you often have to experiment: change leashes, artificial lures, and so on. Therefore, in the arsenal, the main elements of the equipment must be duplicated. Prepare spare leads with hooks of various sizes, feeders, floats, sinkers, fishing line – in general, duplicate all the equipment.
- Baits and lures . The selection of baits is a topic for a more substantive conversation, so we will cover it in the next paragraph. The only thing that can be said is that you should have several different types of baits with you, because it is not known what the fish will prefer at the moment. In addition, the baits can be successfully combined, offering potential prey a kind of “sandwiches”: simultaneously put on the hook bloodworms and corn or pasta and maggots – there are a lot of variations.
- Supporting equipment . To successfully play large specimens, a landing net is necessary: line breaks occur most often near the shore. It is best to store the caught fish in a cage, fixed on a spear in a pond. In addition to them, do not forget to take with you a flashlight, knife or extractor (useful for removing the hook from the mouth of the fish), as well as a rod holder (it is very difficult to hold a fishing rod in your hands for many hours, especially since it is often not alone). Do not forget about such an important little thing as a few clean pieces of rags: you will have to wipe your hands regularly.
Take care of yourself, because comfortable equipment is one of the keys to success. Put on high waterproof shoes (wading boots are ideal), dress in loose clothing that protects from the wind. Don’t forget a hat and sunglasses, and a light snack like sandwiches and a thermos of tea. Think about what you will sit on: here the best option would be a folding fabric chair, preferably with a back. All equipment is best packed into a backpack.
Selection of bait
In our time, fishing cannot be successful without preliminary bait. Avid fans sometimes weld on potential prey a few days before the fishing session, but at first such time-consuming delights can be dispensed with. However, you still need to prepare the groundbait. You can buy a ready-made composition in the store and prepare a bait mixture right on the pond. You can also use homemade bait based on compound feed, cereals, cereal grains, bread, cake and so on. A higher efficiency of bait mixtures is facilitated by the addition of special attractants.
When fishing for a predator with active tackle, artificial baits are usually used: spinners , twisters, vibrotails, and so on. In passive fishing, the leading positions are taken by live bait (small fish), as well as other baits of animal origin: worm, maggot, insect larvae.
If you intend to fish peaceful fish , when choosing baits, take into account the seasonality and temperature of the water: the colder, the more justified the use of baits of animal origin (except for live bait) becomes . In summer, representatives of the carp family switch mainly to a vegetarian diet, preferring bread, dough, cereals, semolina, steamed cereal grains, local algae, and so on.
Now any bait and bait are sold in specialized stores. Therefore, there is no special need to achieve the optimal consistency of barley or dig worms. If you purchase attachments in advance, store them in the refrigerator, but no more than a day or two.
Choice of time and weather conditions
We have already spoken about the spawning prohibition, we will not repeat ourselves. However, if you decide to go fishing in the spring (observing the rules of fishing, of course), keep in mind that fish are caught in cool water during daylight hours, and the bite picks up its maximum intensity by noon.
In summer, at noon, there is usually nothing to do on the pond, especially if you are fishing with a float rod from the shore: the fish goes to the depths. The chances of a good catch during the day are improved by using bottom gear or a boat. But with a float rod, it is better to go to the reservoir in the early morning (preferably dark) or in the evening. Sometimes night fishing is also productive: at this time large bream comes to the shore to feed , and pike perch goes hunting exclusively at night.
Going to a body of water without reading the weather forecast is an undertaking doomed to failure in advance. The fish does not like sudden jumps in atmospheric pressure, changes in wind direction , significant temperature fluctuations. It is best to choose a day when no sudden changes in weather, extreme heat, hurricane winds or thunderstorms are forecasted. Firstly, you yourself will be, to put it mildly, uncomfortable, and secondly, a good bite is clearly not expected. However, a little rain is quite acceptable: during it, intense burning is often observed.
Determination of the catching place
It is possible to determine the catchable place both by visual signs and by conducting a study of the bottom relief . The fact is that the fish prefers to feast in the area of bottom anomalies: the flat bottom does not appeal to it – food does not accumulate there. Fishing is always promising near the coastal thickets of aquatic vegetation, as well as in the windows of clear water in the duckweed, especially in the first hours after dawn. The main problem in this case is to protect the gear from the hook, but this is already a matter of technology.
In addition, the fish loves to feast on shell rocks, near sinkholes, under trees overhanging the water, on the borders of holes, on the edge and on dumps, in places where the direction or speed of the current changes. When fishing from the bank, you should especially pay attention to the drop-offs: the slopes between the upper and lower edges.
If you are fishing in a crowded body of water, the most promising places will be obvious by eye: you will immediately notice traces of a person’s presence. If they are lucky, they will be unoccupied and prepared for comfortable fishing: at least the casting area will be free of sedge and cattails. If there is no such in the visibility zone, you will have to clear and equip the “den” yourself.
It happens that it does not bite in a visually attractive place, then it makes sense to change the place of deployment. You should not run from place to place every ten minutes, you will only scare away the fish, but after an hour of fishing “idle” it is worth moving along the shore of the reservoir.
Rules of conduct while fishing
As soon as you arrive at the pond, ask the already present anglers for their successes . Put special emphasis on the choice of a nozzle – just ask what it is biting on today. As a rule, they answer honestly.
Prepare the site slowly . Before unpacking the tackle, feed the fish in the intended casting square: you can prepare groundbait with the addition of soil right on the spot, roll apple-sized balls and just throw them with your hands. It is also necessary to feed potential prey during fishing, however, in small portions, balls the size of a walnut.
Fishing success depends a lot on proper behavior in the water. Have you heard that the fish loves silence? When preparing and actually fishing, try to make a minimum of noise : water conducts sound many times better than air.
Feel free to experiment . When it bites, remember the saying “they don’t look for good from good”, but if you sit for an hour without a single bite, something clearly needs to be changed. First, try varying baits and hooks, casting distance and fishing depth. Useless? It means that the time has come to change the location and experiment in a new place.
Ice fishing
Winter fishing is fundamentally different from free water fishing: different tackles and tactics are used. The set of equipment necessarily includes an ice drill – a tool for drilling holes. Fishermen of the past used a special crowbar for this purpose, an ice pick, but it is rather difficult to punch a hole in a half-meter layer of ice for them.
When fishing on ice, the angler is not limited in choosing a place: you can get anywhere over a thick cover. However, it is rather difficult to determine the location of the wintering pits, where most of the inhabitants of the ichthyofauna are stationed, by visual signs. It is good if you know the body of water by the open water season, when the study of the bottom is not so difficult.
The most popular tackle is the nod. In most cases, an imitation of a miniature crustacean – mormysh – is used as bait. There is a great variety of jigs: “witches”, “devils”, “jellyfish”, “graders”, “bulldozer” and so on. They all differ in design nuances and the number of hooks. A number of modifications provide for the additional use of animal bait (for example, bloodworms). The predator is caught both with a jig and other artificial baits, mainly winter spoons and balancers .
In this case, the result of fishing largely depends on the correct preparation of the tackle, as well as adequate play with the rod: the bait must be in motion. After biting and hooking, it is recommended to put the rod on the ice and carefully pull the fish out by the line, gently fingering it with your hands.
Ice Fishing Success Secrets
Fishing on ice has a lot of nuances, to list which you need more than one similar article, therefore, we list the main ones:
- The most promising times are the first and last ice. At the height of winter, it is worth giving preference to periods of thaws, as well as clear sunny days without precipitation and gusty winds.
- Don’t forget about bait. For this purpose, it is best to use mixtures with the addition of animal components and special winter feeders. If you go fishing in the wilderness , remember about the extreme desirability of feeding holes for several days.
- You can’t save on equipment. Be sure to get a special box with a seat, where you can put your tackle and caught fish. Do not forget to get a small boat hook for large trophies, as well as a scoop to clean the hole of ice residues.
- Progress should not be neglected. If you plan to drill a large number of holes (for example, when installing live baits on a predator), it is better to purchase an ice drill with a gasoline or electric engine. It is best to use an echo sounder to find fish sites.
- The more passive the fish, the more delicate the rig should be. For example, when fishing in the wilderness, you need the finest line and installation without rough knots. Some anglers even refuse to use leashes when fishing for pike.
Let’s summarize. The fish can bite poorly even in ideal weather, with optimally prepared tackle and bait, in the seemingly most promising place. Sometimes the lack of bite is difficult to explain by objective factors. However, if you follow our recommendations, you will know for sure that you have done everything necessary to ensure productive fishing. And everything else is in the hands of His Majesty Chance!