For everyone, and especially a novice fisherman specializing in catching predatory representatives of the underwater world, an important factor in the guarantee of success is the ability to correctly place live bait on a hook. This skill consists of the accumulated experience of many fishing trips that take place under different fishing conditions, in different weather conditions and on reservoirs of different types.
It’s good to at least roughly know these conditions in advance, then you won’t have to take with you a huge arsenal consisting of different types of hooks and leashes, but be content with exactly the type that suits these natural conditions.
In this article we will try to clearly present options that will tell you how to attach live bait based on fishing conditions.
Hook selection
Hooks, their type and size are selected according to certain criteria. The most important of them is the one that will simultaneously ensure the most durable activity of live bait and reliable detection of the trophy that covets it. But still, it is the type of fish that we are going to see in our catch that is considered primary. To catch pike and pike perch, strong, thick steel hooks are used that can easily pierce the bony mouth of a predator. Perch and burbot require thin and miniature hooks; catfish, due to the possible enormous mass of the pecked specimen, especially needs a reliable component of the hook and therefore forged steel hooks are used for it.
The interesting thing is that all these predators can be caught with the same type of bait, all you have to do is put the bait on the hook differently. Variations in baiting, even with such a variety of hook sizes, provide conditions for the natural location of live bait in the water, its activity and resistance to rapid falling asleep. It is these components that are the main guarantee of success in predator fishing.
Other baits
A variety of baits are used to catch burbot. Among them are bunches of red worms, chicken giblets, crawlies, and leeches. But the real delicacy is crayfish and frog meat. All kinds of attractants are often used. The predator bites on all of the above baits. Some are better, others are worse, but they bite. In its diet, burbot is very similar to catfish. Often, tackle with a spinner or jig is good for catching burbot.
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When catching a predator, experienced burbot fishermen inspect its belly in order to determine the most catchable bait. If undigested fish are found in the belly, you should catch them with live bait. If crayfish are found, you can try to take them as bait. The risk of using worms is that they can be eaten by small fish.
Silicone baits are practically not used for catching burbot, since the predator uses smell and hearing when feeding. In this regard, baits that make a ringing sound are more advantageous.
The unpretentiousness of burbot in nutrition opens up a creative approach for some fishermen when choosing bait. And the most savvy ones succeed in this. Thus, when going for burbot, you should prepare a wide variety of tasty treats, but still the best bait for burbot is live bait!
Live bait is a small, still living fish that is used in fishing as bait for predators. You can use it to catch pike perch, perch, pike, and even non-predatory fish in times of famine, if you use fry of the same species.
Live bait is a small, still living fish that is used in fishing as bait for predators. You can use it to catch pike perch, perch, pike, and even non-predatory fish in times of famine, if you use fry of the same species.
- Common mistakes ↓
- Fishing gear ↓
- Tips ↓
Let's look at 5 ways to put live bait on a hook:
The methods are generally the same in any case - only one sting is almost always used to attach live bait.
Where there is a current, live bait can be fixed quite firmly. Where there is no current and everything depends on its own game, you need to give the baitfish freedom of movement.
Small individuals live in groups and often visit the coastal zone. Large specimens (weighing more than 2 kg) live as hermits, occupying places in the reservoir with the best conditions: next to cold springs, near whirlpools, snags.
How to properly place live bait on a hook
In this part of the article, we will consider various fishing conditions, linking with these factors methods for effectively baiting bait. One of the most popular and favorite fishing conditions among fishermen is fishing for predators in low-current or stagnant water. Such conditions apply to fishing for pike, burbot, perch and catfish in river oxbows, backwaters, lakes and reservoirs. You can fish with a variety of gear: starting with float rods, hooks, donks, floating circles and stationary girders, ending with setting winter rates for underwater fishing.
It is most rational to attach live bait for pike fishing through the gills onto steel leashes using double hooks. The thick, massive steel double does not injure the body of the baitfish, and this installation allows the baitfish to move with a slight roll towards the bottom, which perfectly imitates a sick fish, which pike prefer to see in their diet. In addition, the hooks in the snout of the baitfish will in any case fall into the catfish’s mouth, since it always swallows the prey from the head. In most cases, such bites do not require hooking; the fish is caught on its own at the beginning of its movement after swallowing the bait.
Minnow: description and external features
Small freshwater fish are not of the slightest commercial importance due to the small number of populations and the difficulty of catching, but they are found everywhere and are distinguished by excellent gastronomic qualities. The average size of a common gudgeon is 10-12 cm, a large one is 15-18 cm. Officially, the record holder is considered to be a specimen weighing 192 g and 22 cm long.
Thanks to its unusual appearance, you can understand what a gudgeon looks like without a picture. For this, a short description of the main features of the fish is enough:
- the elongation of the body is noticeable already in the area of the head and in the area between the dorsal and caudal fins, which makes it look like a spindle;
- greenish-brown tint of the back;
- a powerful pair of mustaches at the corners of the upper lip, protruding forward;
- large protruding eyes located in the frontal part of the head;
- well developed pectoral fins;
- silvery sides with dark spots along the midline;
- light yellowish abdomen;
- fairly large scales (40-45 pieces from gills to tail);
- a small dorsal fin forming an almost regular triangle.
The gudgeon lives on the bottom almost its entire life. This explains why the belly has increased width and pronounced flatness. The main color of the fins is gray or yellowish.
To learn more:
Description and characteristics of Baikal grayling
Nozzle through lip or nostril
When considering the option of fishing using fry to catch perch, it is preferable to use the method of hooking the fish by the lip or nostril. Thin hooks make this method of attachment more preferable. The fry, with any defect in their body, are prone to quickly falling asleep on the hook, which entails frequent checks of gear, as well as replacement of bait, and this negatively affects the maintenance of peace and quiet in the place where the striped robber is supposed to be caught. But it is precisely this attachment of a fry on a single hook, described above, that has the least traumatic effect on its well-being.
The nuance of the method is the obligatory installation of a rubber buffer in front of the hook tip for the spontaneous movement of the placed fish during its hyperactive behavior, which, in principle, should be achieved when catching perch. The perch sucks its prey into the throat regardless of its spatial position and the probability of getting hooked with this method of baiting remains quite high in any case, and this is exactly what is needed for successful fishing.
How to choose a place and what to catch minnows with
Cool flowing water bodies with a hard bottom (sand, stone, pebbles, clay) can be considered promising for fishing. Sandy shallow waters, rocky river riffles, well-heated pits and dumps at moderate depths are optimal for gudgeon fishing.
The gudgeon will only bite on bait of animal origin. As for bread, dough, cereals and other vegetable attachments, they are of little use.
The iron ore worm can be considered a universal bait, but since it is included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, it is better to abandon this idea and use other baits.
The gudgeon is well caught on bloodworms, maggots, honeydew and caddis larvae, and dung worms. The first two are planted either individually or in a bunch of several pieces. It is best to use the worm in sections, without forming a tail that hangs down too long.
Fishing for gudgeon does not require bait. The exception is earthen balls with the addition of chopped worms and bloodworms, which, when released into the water, create a cloud of turbidity that attracts fish.
To learn more:
Burbot: what kind of fish is this?
Live bait when fishing for burbot and catfish
When considering the installation of live bait when fishing for burbot, we can confidently state the fact that here all options are practical and equally effective. A bait bait for catching this bottom predator in various ways will be correct if it is pressed as close to the bottom as possible. Hooks for live bait also do not play a special role. After all, even a dead fish will be an excellent treat for this predator. It is most convenient for the fisherman to hook the fish under the upper fin and use a short soft leash made of fishing line or braided cord not exceeding a diameter of 0.2 mm.
When fishing for catfish, the requirements for baiting with live bait are completely opposite in relation to the same manipulations when fishing for burbot. It is believed that live bait should be correctly placed under the upper fin, paying attention not to damage the fish’s spine and thereby completely immobilize it.
Catfish fishing initially involves catching a trophy, so you shouldn’t stand on ceremony with live bait size either. A crucian carp weighing two hundred grams or a loach two to three centimeters thick can easily endure injury to the soft tissues of the back behind the fin, which are pierced right through by a thick hook and in most cases survive until the next fishing trip if there are no bites from the mustachioed predator this time.
Catfish also use the method of suddenly sucking up their prey, and baiting a live bait in this way allows you to quickly deliver the hook tip into the predator’s mouth and fix it on the tackle. It doesn’t make much sense to dress live bait in a different way, trying to disguise the hooks as much as possible. The catfish has rather poor eyesight and hunts, focusing purely on the vibration waves created by the prey, and therefore, the hook protruding from the baitfish will not be a real obstacle to the attack of the predator.
We make donks for burbot
Fishermen have developed several types of this gear. A detailed manufacturing scheme for the 3 main structures will be discussed in this chapter.
Donka with a hook
For work we will need:
We carry out all work in several stages:
You can make tackle with a feeder for feeder equipment instead of a sinker. This way you can use animal feed and attractants for predators.
With two leashes
Making such a tackle is simple. We use the previous set of materials, only add a second leash with a hook. We attach the first hook with line directly to the sinker, and attach the second, equipped with a carabiner, at a distance from the first, at least 500–600 mm.
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The main thing is to remember the basic rule of a fisherman - you cannot knit leashes so that the distance between them is less than 2 lengths of the line segments. Otherwise, the line of leashes or the sinker will constantly get tangled or overlapped.
Fishermen consider such equipment to be complex and not affect catchability. There is an increased risk of the line getting tangled and one burbot getting caught on two hooks at the same time. When casting over long distances, such a donkey will get confused even when entering the water.
Conclusion - two leashes increase the area of probable detection of the bait by a predator, but increases the possibility of tangling the equipment.
Using a noose loop, we fix the line to the body of the can. We wind a supply of cord around it and secure it with an elastic band for money. At the free end we place a swivel with a carabiner, with the help of which we attach a piece of fishing line with a weight and a hook.
Before casting, remove the rubber band and take the can in your left hand (if you are right-handed). Right, we cast. The line will unwind freely from the body of the can and will not cling to grass or ground. After casting, we take out the slack, fix the homemade reel to the peg, tighten the line and set up a bite alarm.
Catching burbot in January on a donk will require minor changes to its design.
Fastening with rubber band
More difficult fishing conditions using live bait are rivers with moderate and fast currents, as well as reservoirs with draft generated from the spillway with frequent regulation of the water level in the reservoir.
If, when catching catfish, the conditions for attaching live bait in still water and in the current will not differ, taking into account only the nuance of installing a rubber buffer in the current to prevent the bait from being pulled off the hook, then catching pike perch with live bait presents some difficulties. In particular, one of which is the installation of the favorite delicacy of pike perch - bleak, which, as is known, is very sensitive to injuries and any even minor defects. But there is an effective method for such thin and specific bait. The so-called fastening of live bait on a hook through an elastic band.
The method allows the use of hooks of any modification and size, including both tees and single specimens. Before fishing, rubber rings are prepared that can be tightly fixed to the body of the fish in front of the tail. Having put the ring on the live bait directly behind it, they hook the hook. Obviously, this method allows you to completely avoid injury to the delicate fish and one hundred percent preserve its natural movements and a long period of natural activity.
When using other species of fish as live bait for catching pike perch in the current, it is preferable to attach the live bait to the back, but not behind the dorsal fin, as in the case of catfish, but in front of it. The pike perch tries to swallow the victim from the head, and in this position of the hook the probability of a faster hook increases significantly compared to the method of attachment closer to the tail. Here it is also necessary to install a rubber buffer behind the hook tip, since the current can easily remove the bait from the hook.
Artificial bait
When deciding what to use to catch burbot using artificial equipment, it is recommended to give preference to snitches. This is a special type of spoon designed specifically for this predator. When the rod moves, it creates sounds and vibrations that attract it.
Rice. 3. Squealers for burbot.
When catching a predator using a spinning rod, you can use silicone “edible” baits. These baits have a special smell that attracts burbot from a distance of several meters. It is best to choose one with shrimp, fish or worm flavors. There are silicone models equipped with a double. This allows you to avoid clinging to snags and pitfalls.
Rice. 4. What are silicone baits with a double?
If, of course, the fisherman thinks of pulling out the donk at the moment when the burbot is holding the bait in its mouth, the burbot will become his prey. And if not, he has at least several hours of wasted time. But the burbot does not bite all night: at 2-3 o’clock in the morning you can already reel in the donks.
If, of course, the fisherman thinks of pulling out the donk at the moment when the burbot is holding the bait in its mouth, the burbot will become his prey. And if not, he has at least several hours of wasted time. But the burbot does not bite all night: at 2-3 o’clock in the morning you can already reel in the donks.
Now we will talk about how to avoid such unpleasant situations. To do this, you just need to bait the bait correctly, and don’t forget to regularly check the donks: maybe a burbot is sitting on the hook.
A similar option is used by carp anglers - “hair” installation of gear. They attach the bait (boilies, potatoes) not to the hook, but to the hair. The hook remains bare and lies to the side. This type of equipment took root among amateurs back in the 60s. Who would have thought that carp in 100% of cases would also retract the hook along with the bait?! And he will do this with much less fear: he saw the fishing line and noticed its resistance! This also affected the confidence of carp bites.
Tips for fisherman: What time of day to catch burbot - What to choose for fishing
We have the same principle. Although burbot is not famous for such caution as carp (or rather, burbot is not famous for discretion at all), but sluggish bites are not uncommon. This type of equipment will help you detect it more often.
Checking the donks To catch burbot, several donks are usually used. At least three, abandoned in different places (at different distances from the shore). Of course, burbot does not always bite in this way: (stands with the bait in its mouth for several hours). It is quite possible that fishing will proceed as usual, with loud bells ringing. But still, periodic checking of the donks (depending on the burbot weather - with rain and wind) is a mandatory program in burbot fishing.
The first burbot bites can be expected an hour after sunset. That is, at 5-6 o'clock. It is at this time, if you don’t see any bites, you need to double-check the donks. One by one, we pull the donks out of the water, check the bait, and throw them back (if the bait is intact). It is quite possible that a burbot will sit on one of them.
Then you need to repeat checking the donks every 1-2 hours. More often it is not necessary: burbot is not famous for its active bite. Therefore, it is better not to freeze your hands again. You will still freeze them when fishing it and updating the bait.
18.01.2013
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Tags: burbot, donka, bait
In this video we will show: How to tie a catchable tackle for burbot How to prepare a bait for burbot What kind of bait to catch burbot How to knit a tee with a universal knot How to mount a sliding hook and a tee How to attach live bait to two hooks - a tee and a single How to catch burbot on feeders How to assemble tackle with a sliding feeder How to assemble a tackle with a sliding load
In this video we will show: How to tie a catchable tackle for burbot How to prepare a bait for burbot What kind of bait to catch burbot How to knit a tee with a universal knot How to mount a sliding hook and a tee How to attach live bait to two hooks - a tee and a single How to catch burbot on feeders How to assemble tackle with a sliding feeder How to assemble a tackle with a sliding load
Video How and what to catch burbot? How to attach live bait to a tee? Feeder, bait, bait for channel burbot Fishing with Ivanovich
It would seem – what’s so complicated here? Left hook, right bait. Is the nozzle ready? But everything is not as simple as many beginners in this matter might imagine. If you hit vital organs, the baitfish will die and will not attract a predator. If it is difficult for him to move underwater due to improper “installation” on the hook, the predator will not notice him. You could go on and on about all these “ifs” that, to one degree or another, could deprive you of the main thing – the trophy!
Conclusion
Obviously, the bait of live bait significantly affects the effectiveness of the fishing outcome. An incorrectly chosen method can negate all other efforts of the fisherman aimed at catching a predator, as well as increase the labor intensity of fishing, expressed in the frequent change of live bait due to its premature death or loss. All these troubles obviously will not bring pleasure from going fishing and satisfaction from the catch.
I hope that the above information will help direct your thoughts towards choosing a competent and correct strategy for your planned fishing, bring confidence in its positive outcome and help in improving your skills in this interesting and exciting business.
