Chebak fish: photo and description of Siberian roach, fishing features

Appearance

Chebak is one of the subspecies of roach, found in the rivers and lakes of Siberia and the Urals. This is a fish of the ray-finned class, belonging to the carp family. Chebak has a small, laterally flattened body, covered with medium-sized silvery scales. Like many other species of fish, its color darkens as it approaches the dorsal fin: while the belly of the chebak is usually light silver in color, the back may have a gray, bluish or greenish tint. The eyes of Siberian roach are usually yellow, with a reddish dot at the top of the iris.

The dorsal and caudal fins of this fish are gray, while the pectoral, ventral and anal fins can have either a specific orange or reddish tint or be the same color as the tail. The head of this fish is proportional to the body, jaws of equal length end in rather thin lips.

In most cases, the lateral line running on both sides of the body is quite clearly visible in this fish due to its light scales. As a rule, the common roach has a greater bend in the front than the chebak, since its body is taller.

Typically, the Siberian roach has a relatively small size of 200–400 grams, but the largest representative can reach 700 grams or even more.

What does chebak fish look like?

Content

Having learned what a chebak is, a logical question arises: what is the difference between a roach and a chebak. The main difference by which it is easy to distinguish a chebak is its high body, covered with large scales. The difference between the chebak and the roach is a short head with a high fin (consists of a large number of rays).

Mostly, there are individuals with green or blue backs and silvery sides. The fins are bright: either red or orange. The characteristic eye color is orange.

Chebak, from its family of fish, is one of the most useful and promising species for both private and industrial fishing. The fish grows actively, eating various insects, but does not grow to large sizes. It is extremely rare to catch fish longer than 40 cm, and the maximum weight is 900 g.

This fish is a subspecies of roach

Habitat

Chebak fish lives in the reservoirs of Siberia and the Urals and has a fairly large concentration, especially in rivers. It is found in significant quantities in the Irtysh, Tobol, Iset, and lakes in Siberia, the Far East and the Urals. In addition, Siberian roach is found in reservoirs of Yakutia, such as Indigirka and Kolyma, as well as the Trans-Baikal Territory - Khilok and Chikoy.

Chebak resembles bream in its behavior, since it also prefers to spend most of its time near changes in the bottom topography: in holes, on deep slopes and sandy plateaus, where fishermen usually look for them.

In general, this fish is quite unpretentious and can be found both in a stormy river and in a small pond. Usually the chebak avoids too cold water, which is why it is practically not found in mountain rivers. In larger bodies of water it usually moves in schools and can be found both at fairly great depths and in shallow waters.

Habits and nutrition

Chebak fish is an omnivorous species, its natural food is:

various algae, prefers young ones;
any greenery from the shore;
larvae of all kinds of insects;
small crustaceans;
shellfish;
worms

Reliable survival units

Fresh water is the main condition for the presence of chebak

Lifestyle

Depending on the body of water, the chebak can choose a variety of habitats, but usually its favorite spots include various edges, channel holes, depth changes near shallow waters, preferably with abundant vegetation, underwater rocks, snags and other uneven terrain.

The Siberian roach feeds in the same way as any normal peaceful fish. Its diet includes insects, algae, larvae, mollusks, crustaceans, worms, etc. One of the favorite delicacies for the chebak is considered to be caddisfly, after which it often rises from the bottom in the evening, going out to the coastal shallows.

In winter, the chebak begins to feed less, but does not stop completely, although it goes deeper. This is very pleasing to fans of ice fishing - often, even in the dead of winter, they manage to find a promising point and catch a full cage of Siberian roach on it.

The only difficulty in catching chebak in winter is to find the hole in which it lives. Since in winter these fish gather in fairly large schools, one successful hole can bring almost a dozen bites in a row.

In the spring, this fish mainly feeds near the bottom, actively collecting larvae, mollusks and worms from it, which is why anglers at this time have to use gear with the possibility of great depth.

Towards the end of summer, chebaks flock into fairly large flocks and rise from the depths in order to actively fatten up. During this period of time, the Siberian roach becomes unpretentious in food and actively and in large quantities feeds on both plant and animal foods. Such outings usually do not last long - after a couple of weeks, schools of chebak again slide to the bottom, repeating their path for food in early autumn.

In comfortable conditions, the chebak reproduces quite quickly, taking over its habitat, and often becomes the most numerous species in the reservoir. It does not touch other fish, but consumes a fairly large amount of food, thereby crowding out its “neighbors.”

Issyk-Kul chebak

Separately, it is necessary to mention the fish, which is called the Issyk-Kul chebak. So, this fish is a distant relative of the roach, as it belongs to the genus dace and is a pelagic fish.

The habitat of this chebak is limited to Lake Issyk-Kul; it practically does not enter the rivers that feed it, although it tries to stay in coastal areas desalinated by them with depths of up to 15 meters. The Issyk-Kul chebak overwinters far from the shore, where the bottom drops 50-70 meters.

This fish reaches a weight of 500-600 grams with a body length of up to 35 centimeters. It begins to spawn in the fourth year of life in coastal thickets of grass or snags in late March - mid-April, depending on weather conditions.

Spawning

Some fishermen mistakenly mistake the “rough” roach for a sick one due to the presence of unusual-looking pimples all over its body, but there is nothing dangerous in this phenomenon - it is normal for most subspecies of roach.

The lifespan of the Siberian roach is relatively short and rarely exceeds ten years, which is why it reaches sexual maturity at approximately 3 years. Upon reaching this age, the chebak goes to spawn for the first time. This stage in its life occurs in the spring and begins with a moderate migration to the spawning grounds. They are usually located in shallow areas with no current - often water meadows.

The optimal water temperature for chebak spawning is considered to be approximately 9 degrees Celsius - in different regions, water bodies warm up to it from mid-April to the end of May, and it is at this time that spawning occurs.

Another interesting feature of this fish is that during the spawning period, its males become rough - their entire body, including the head, is covered with small transparent pimples, by which it is easy to recognize the sex of the fish, as well as understand at what specific time on this or that spawning is taking place in the reservoir.

This is interesting! The spawning process of Siberian roach begins with juveniles, and only after two or three days do older individuals join them. This action is quite noisy, which is why the mating games of the chebak can be heard at a fairly large distance.

After the end of spawning, the fish’s body becomes smooth again, and no traces remain in place of the roughness.

Catching

Due to its high numbers, the chebak is the only freshwater subspecies of roach that is harvested on an industrial scale. If we talk about amateur fishing, then both float rods and donkeys are suitable for this. Particularly inventive anglers catch chebak using spinning rods and even fly fishing sets, but the vast majority do not resort to such complex methods.

On a note! Fishing for Siberian roach can be done in almost any body of water. During the period when it comes to the shore to feed, fishing with float gear becomes extremely important, and during periods of its stay at depth, it is preferable to use feeders, donks and hooks.

Fishing for chebak

Tackle

For catching chebak, a regular float rod is best suited. Although some fishermen catch Siberian roach using spinning rods.

Spinning

Experienced fishermen advise taking a light spinning rod with minimal dough for chebak fishing. It is also recommended to use small turntables and vibrators.

The sizes of the spoon are from 0 to 1, otherwise with larger options you simply will not notice the bite.

Remember: the chebak is not a predator, so fishing with live bait is, as a rule, not practiced.

Float rod

For chebak fishing, any float rod is suitable, preferably a light one, as they may have to work a lot if the bite starts.

The fishing line is suitable with a diameter of up to 0.2 millimeters, the float should be small and sensitive, and the weight should be light. A reel for a fishing rod is not necessary, but if you have one, the tackle will be more convenient to fold and unfold.

Nozzles

The following are suitable attachments for chebak when fishing with a float rod:

worm,
maggot,
bloodworm,
caddisfly
bark beetle,
lamprey larva,
insects,
pearl barley,
dough,
bread.

Experiment with attachments! Any of them can be suitable, at the same time, any chebak can be rejected. Therefore, when going fishing, it is best to have several bait options in stock, finding out the preferences of the Siberian roach in a particular body of water.

Where to fish?

In Siberian reservoirs, chebak can be found in both calm and flowing water.

According to fishermen, the best places to catch Siberian roach are shallow waters with a lot of algae.

In the river it can be found on the rapids.

Also, bait will be good for successful fishing - it doesn’t matter whether it’s homemade or purchased. With the help of bait, even ordinary boiled pearl barley, you can collect entire flocks of chebak in one place.

When to catch?

Chebak can be caught all year round, but the best fishing is guaranteed in the spring. When the fish gets hungry on the eve of spawning. At this time, according to anglers, the chebak rushes to any bait.

In summer, the bite of Siberian roach decreases somewhat compared to spring, but is still quite active. At the same time, small fish bite throughout the whole day, but larger individuals are caught in the early morning or evening.

The chebak also actively bites in the fall, when it tries to gain fat on the eve of winter, so it feeds actively. It is best to catch chebak at this time using animal, more nutritious bait.

You can catch Siberian roach around the clock, but the best bite is observed in the morning and at night. It is in the dark that you can catch quite large individuals.

At the same time, in the evening, according to fishermen, there is either an active bite or no bites at all. Experienced fishermen attribute this to the weather: on a cloudy evening, the chances of catching a chebak are much greater.

Fishing methods

You can feed the chebak with cake, bloodworms, bread, bran, porridge, cottage cheese, and crushed seeds. An important point is that feeding should be done quite often, almost every 2-3 minutes, but the portions should be small.

There are such methods of catching chebak as:

Fishing with float tackle. This kind of fishing is considered the most common. For this method, baits of plant and animal origin are used. These are various insects, their larvae, worms, small pieces of intestines from poultry, various cereals and even steamed peas are also suitable. Small hooks should be used. You can also use flavorings, but their quantity should be moderate, since excess odors can scare away the fish.
Fishing with a spinning rod. The chebak takes the lure well. It is necessary to take into account that the spinner should be small in size. You can choose a regular rotating spoon No. 0-1, all oscillating spoons show a less effective result, and simply throw it into places where fish are expected to be standing.
Fishing with picker (bottom) tackle. For this, a fishing line of 0.12-0.14 is best suited. It is better to use jigs, bloodworms and bread crumbs as bait.

When they catch a chebak

Siberian roach can be caught all year round, but catching this fish in winter is a topic for a separate discussion.
Fishing for chebak in open water begins in early spring. Moreover, in the spring it is caught much more actively than in other periods. This is due to the fact that he begins to have a pre-spawning glutton and he grabs any bait offered by the fisherman. Therefore, the largest catch is expected during this period. What is most interesting is that chebak attracts fishermen not because of its special nutritional value, but because of the intensity of the bite, which brings a lot of pleasure. In the summer, chebak is also caught, but not as actively as in the spring. “Small fish” are caught throughout the day, but larger individuals become active in the early morning or late evening. Large chebak are excellently caught on a lamprey larva or on a bunch of dung worms. As for small individuals, they bite on all of the above baits, as well as on baits of plant origin.

With the arrival of autumn, the chebak begins preparing for winter, which is expressed by gaining fat mass. Without additional replenishment of nutrients, it will not be possible to store up energy, so the chebak begins to actively “hunt” various living creatures. As with any other fish, bait of animal origin is of particular interest to chebak. Without such food it will be difficult for him to survive the winter. Therefore, dung worms, maggots, bloodworms, as well as various bugs can be used, if they can still be found.

Chebak can be caught around the clock, but during the day small chebak predominate, which go to rest in various shelters at night. To replace it, a large chebak comes out to hunt at night. This way of life is characteristic of the entire species of carp fish.

For almost all fish, weather conditions have a great influence on the bite. Therefore, when the weather is unstable, the chebak’s bite becomes unstable. This may be instability of atmospheric pressure, as well as jumps in air temperature, which affect the heating of the upper layers of water. This is wind, rain, fog and thunderstorms, which always make adjustments to the fishing process

Therefore, when going fishing, you should pay attention to the stability of the weather. If the weather has been stable outside for several days, then you can safely go fishing

If there are jumps in pressure and temperature, then you should not count on the active bite of the chebak.

Some anglers note that the bite of this fish is not stable in the evenings. One evening he will bite on any bait, and the next evening he will refuse almost all baits. Experienced fishermen have noticed that the evening bite is very dependent on weather conditions. If the evening is cloudy, then you can count on an active bite; if the evening is characterized by a bright sunset, then you can’t count on the chebak biting.

Winter gear

Fishing for chebak in winter is carried out using three types of gear:

float rod;
jig with a nod;
fishing rod for the current.

The winter float fishing rod differs from others in that it is tied to a feeding area; this method is used by bream fishermen on large lakes and reservoirs.

More popular fishing for chebak in winter is carried out with a fishing rod equipped with a nod and jigs. In this option, reelless fishing with baitless jigs and flies is also possible.

The fishing rod for the current is equipped with a bright guard, a feeder and feeder equipment, most often a helicopter or paternoster. Fishing for chebak in winter is carried out with such gear using a stationary feeder or a miniature one located directly in the gear.

Where to catch chebak

First of all, we need to remind you that chebak is the same roach, only Siberian. It differs somewhat in its appearance, as well as in size and growth rate, but otherwise these fish are similar. Therefore, the habitat of the chebak is Siberia. It gets along well in both flowing and stagnant bodies of water, although it prefers rivers. If a chebak inhabits any body of water, then most likely its number significantly exceeds the number of any other fish, so finding fishing spots will not be difficult.

The chebak lives in numerous flocks, so its bite is very stable. If a chebak bite occurs, then most likely you have found a school and fishing will be successful. When looking for places to catch chebak, it is usually enough to probe 2-3 promising areas, find a school and simply catch these fish one after another.

The most promising places for catching chebak are shallow areas of the reservoir, shores overgrown with algae, bushes and areas with trees that have fallen into the water. In general, the chebak looks for shallow areas of the reservoir with all kinds of thickets and obstacles. On rivers it is often found in riffles, where it likes to eat algae adhering to underwater rocks.

Well, the most promising place for catching chebak will be a baited place. Chebak responds well to bait. This can be any homemade or purchased bait. It is enough to simply boil pearl barley, peas or any other porridge and this will become an excellent bait for chebak, which will be able to gather a whole flock of this fish in a fished place.

Where and when to catch chebak

The places where the chebak lives are very vast; it prefers calm water, but does not disdain the current at all. It is often found throughout the reservoir, and is caught at all depths and bottom topography. Feeding patterns and observations by fishermen help to conclude that the largest number of fish are found in shallow water with lush algae. Chebak often stands on the rifts.

It is not difficult to attract fish, just use bait, regardless of the origin of the mixture. Pearl barley is often used as bait and groundbait; a whole flock can swim to it.

The pre-spawning period is the best time of the year for fishing for chebak. A large number of fish actively absorb all the food that comes along the way. Now any food can lead to constant bites. As the weather gets warmer, the fish become somewhat more passive, but are still caught well with regular float tackle. In autumn, fish activity increases; this subspecies of roach tends to stock up on nutrients for wintering. Autumn fishing is interesting because of the active bite at any time of the day.

Vast places where the chebak lives

Chebak (Siberian roach)

Chebak is a small fish of the carp family; chebak is also known as Siberian roach or soroga. It is found in almost all lakes and rivers of Siberia and the Urals, with the exception of mountain rivers with intense currents and a transparent rocky bottom.

The body structure of the chebak is slightly soft to the touch, it is muscular and elongated. The coloring is, as a rule, light tones, the back is slightly darker than the abdomen, colored greenish-gray with a bluish tint. The belly is usually white with a grayish coating, the sides are silvery. The scales of the chebak are large and easily detach from the body of the fish. The dorsal fin is high and bright orange or red in color. A distinctive feature of the fish is the presence of a characteristic red spot on the upper part of the eye shell. The chebak weighs on average about 500-600 grams, and the size of an adult fish reaches 20-30 cm.

The chebak usually feeds on worms, crustaceans, insect larvae, as well as various green algae. Consequently, a wide variety of plant materials, including those of artificial origin, can be used as a nozzle. Roach in Siberia is a very good live bait for catching predatory fish both in winter and summer. But it has one drawback: when placed on a girder, it behaves too restlessly and often tangles the fishing line. But on the other hand, it is precisely this activity of the live bait that attracts the predator.

The chebak begins to spawn in late March-early April and finishes in early May. Typically, spawning sites are rocky areas overgrown with vegetation at the bottom. Large schools of fish go there and lay a lot of eggs. Each female chebak can spawn at least 60 thousand relatively large eggs. Having completed spawning, schools of fish go into the deep parts of the reservoir, where they feed intensively for some time, eating algae, mollusks, and also the eggs of other fish species.

The eggs laid by the chebak attach to aquatic plants and develop in this way for about two weeks. After this, the hatched larvae rise to the upper layers of the reservoir, where they begin to actively gain weight. By autumn, the fry grow to 4-5 cm. After two to three years, the chebak reaches sexual maturity, its size increases to 15-20 cm in length.

Siberian roach (chebak) is harvested on an industrial scale. Of course, in terms of taste, chebak is inferior to the Volga vobla, but in some reservoirs it is no less, and maybe even more fatty than its southern sister. Very often in Siberian stores they sell our Siberian dried chebak at prices and under the sign of “vobla”. Outwardly, they are not much different from each other (at least, it is difficult for the average person to distinguish between them), with one exception: the roach smells of the sea, and the chebak smells of the body of water where it was caught.

In cooking, roach is almost never used to prepare fish soup - it is too boiled and very bony. But roach is good when fried in flour. A well-fried carcass can be crunched and eaten whole, along with the bones (it turns out something like a chip). Roach is good when dried and smoked. But keep in mind that roach, due to its habitat (grass and mud), is one of the most opisthorchiasis-infected fish and must be thoroughly salted or boiled before use.

During the summer, the chebak actively moves, in June it moves closer to shallow water areas to the shore to feed. It is at this time that fishing with chebak is most effective. From July until almost the end of autumn, schools of fish migrate, not staying anywhere for long. With the onset of frost, the chebak gradually moves to deeper places for wintering.

The optimal time for catching chebak is immediately after the end of spawning and until the onset of cold weather. The most common way to catch chebak is with a float rod. The bait can be used of both animal and plant origin. Worms, various insects and their larvae, and small pieces of bird intestines can be used as bait. Various types of cereals, for example, steamed peas, are usually used as vegetable bait. Chebak bites well on dough flavored with some flavorings.

Due to its relatively small size (about 500 grams), chebak is highly durable

When hooking such fish, it is important to control the tension of the fishing line so that the fish does not break off and go into snags or deep into the bottom of the reservoir. As a rule, the chebak does not resist very actively, it gets tired quickly, so catching it is not particularly difficult

Where to catch chebak

Since the habitat of the chebak is extended to Siberia, it is only here, in Siberian rivers, that this fish can be caught. This is practically the same roach, although it differs from the widespread roach in appearance, size and growth rate. It prefers to live in rivers, although it can also be found in lakes with standing water. If there is a chebak in any body of water, then there is more of it than any other fish. Therefore, finding a promising reservoir is a matter of time.

Chebak moves around the reservoir in large flocks. If this fish starts biting, it means a school has arrived and the catch is guaranteed. The bites happen one after another, so the adrenaline rush is also guaranteed. The pace of fishing can be quite high and you need to be prepared for the fact that the next day you will feel serious fatigue throughout your body.

If you know the behavior of the fish, you can quickly decide on a catchable place. Chebak likes to stay in shallow areas of the reservoir where there is aquatic vegetation. His favorite places are the rubble of fallen trees and other, possibly even artificial, obstacles. The chebak can be on the bottom strewn with stones, where it feeds on algae adhering to these stones.

In addition, the chebak can be lured to the fishing point using bait. Then you won’t have to look for a promising place. Both purchased and homemade bait are suitable for this. Chebak can be lured by the most common pearl barley porridge or boiled peas. Such bait can gather a huge flock in one place. Then just have time to cast your fishing rod.