Catching chub on a donk: tackle, bait and technique

The chub is a relatively predatory representative of the carp family. The omnivorous nature of this fish attracts adherents of various fishing disciplines - floaters, fly fishers, spinning anglers and bottom fishers.

The chub enjoys special attention among bottom tackle enthusiasts. Catching chub with a donk does not pretend to be sporty, but in terms of catchability it is not inferior to either a spinning rod, fly fishing or a “float”.

Features of catching chub on a donk

Content

Chub fishing is different due to the energy and strength of the fish, which can cause a lot of trouble if not properly prepared. When fishing from the shore, we recommend that you think about high-quality fastening of your rods so that they do not get pulled into the pond. Even with a good fastening, the fisherman’s reaction still remains an important component. When fishing, it is important to behave confidently, preventing burying in reeds and underwater snags. To get the catch out of the water, it is better to use a landing net.

Chub habitats

In the spring, after the ice melts, the most likely habitat for the chub is the outlet, where the stream after the riffle turns into a reach in the middle part of the stream. The chub, like the carp, likes to stick to the holes, but in the spring, when the water is still cold, it feeds closer to the riffles, as well as before the start of the stretch and near the border of the shallows.

Read Donka from a spinning rod with a feeder

In the summer, as the water level warms up and the water level decreases, chub should be caught on the rifts and behind them, where the water flow becomes less stormy and turns into a smooth stream. It is necessary to take into account the bottom topography; if it has a complex topography, the probability of catching a chub will be higher. It’s not worth fishing further downstream, there will be little chance. You can catch a large specimen right at the place where the stormy stream transitions to the beginning of the reach.

Tackle for catching chub on donka

Making a donk for a chub is not difficult, guided by the basic principles:

The main difference between the gear is the absence of a float; you can find out about a bite by the tension of the fishing thread or by the intense vibrations of the guard

rod The best choice for a fishing rod is a fiberglass rod - it is light, durable and wear-resistant. It has everything you need to successfully fish even a particularly large trophy. The choice is made taking into account fishing conditions, usually the test is in the range of 60-180 g;
fishing line, thread. All fishing gear must take into account not only the impressive size of the prey, but also its strength, which leads to the need to take fishing line with a reserve. It is better to take a closer look at options with a diameter of 0.35 mm or more. The braid is taken 0.2 mm. The shock leader is selected from fluorocarbon (monofilament fishing line is also suitable) with a length of up to 10 m. It is preferable to buy fishing thread from a well-known manufacturer, but other gear from less popular companies also brings good results;
coil. Experienced fishermen prefer a powerful and reliable reel, preferably a multiplier reel. Before purchasing it, a simple “meat grinder” will do. The main thing is the convenience of delivering the tackle to a specific point and ease of fishing. Inertia-free options perform better;
sinker. To prevent the tackle from being carried away by the current, use sinkers of streamlined shapes, often in the form of an oval. Such a load is resistant to being washed away by a stream of water and does not create an unnecessary obstacle when casting. Weight depends on the fishing method and the intensity of the current. Initially, set a 30 g sinker; if it is not possible to securely fix the tackle with it, increase the weight by 10 g. This is done until an option is found in which the bottom will be resistant to washing off;
hooks It is preferable to use large hooks, since the opponent has a tendency to swallow the bait completely with his large mouth. It is important to have several hooks with you, all with a small shank;
bite alarm. For a good bite, it is enough to use a primitive bell. It rarely makes false signals and creates a sound that can be heard from a distance of up to 5 m.

Bottom tackle, wobblers and any other bait for chub are attached using rigs: helicopter and 2 knots (the most common), asymmetrical loop, paternoster, inline.

Tackle

Classic bottom gear for chub fishing is not very complicated and there are no special secrets in them. The main thing is to stock up on a powerful rod, since you often have to cast over long distances and catch large fish that show quite strong resistance.

The sensitivity of the gear is not a key factor and there is no need to worry about it. Usually, the chub bites quite powerfully, so its bites are not difficult to notice both by the tip of the rod and by the bite alarm. Sometimes, a lively fish completely bends the rod into an arc or pulls it off the stand. If you get such a bite, then you don’t need to hook the fish, just raise the rod and start fishing for the prey.

True, everything will depend on the stiffness of your rod. If you fish on a rod with a little stiffness, then an additional hook will never be superfluous. There are no special requirements for the reel, the main thing is that it is powerful and reliable, and also allows you to cast to the required distance and allow you to catch strong fish.

The diameter of the fishing line is selected depending on the size of the intended prey. It is quite difficult to give specific numbers, since the fish are different. Most often, the minimum diameter of the main line is about 0.2 millimeters, and the maximum does not exceed 0.3 mm. The leash, accordingly, will be smaller in diameter and about 0.5 meters long.

The diagram above shows two options for mounting the equipment. The first involves attaching the leash below the sinker so that it lies on the bottom while fishing, and the second option involves mounting the leash above the sinker so that it hangs in the water and plays along with the current. It is difficult to talk about the effectiveness of the first or second option. When fishing in different conditions, rigs exhibit different effectiveness.

The weight of the load must be selected depending on the fishing conditions, namely the speed and presence of current. It is better to choose hooks with a short shank; be sure to choose high-quality and sharp hooks. Gear for catching chub on the bottom is usually equipped with large hooks, since the fish’s mouth is quite large. The choice of hook size is also influenced by the size of the nozzle used.

Catching chub on a donk depending on the season

Successful donk fishing is possible only if you have knowledge of the behavioral characteristics of the prey. Fish change their habits at different times of the year.

You can catch a beautiful and strong chub only if you know its habits relative to the time of year.

To catch a beautiful, large specimen, consider the behavior of prey in different seasons:

spring. Catching chub with a donk in the spring is most successful during the spawning period, since the predator is most active. There is no clear date when chub begins to be caught in the spring on the bottom; more often the bite improves after the water warms up a little. In April and even March, fishing is especially productive due to the tendency of fish to constantly search for food. She spends almost all her time searching for food on the surface of the water, and yet catching chub in early spring on a donk is most effective at the first and last dawn. Now it’s worth lengthening the leash to 0.8-1.5 m and installing light bait that will float on the surface;
summer. The predator is highly active in the summer; its places of accumulation are overhanging trees, where it waits for insects to fall from the leaves. For a good bite, we recommend throwing the bottom into a place where the water flow slows down, where there is a boundary between currents of different strengths. The chub is hooked mainly in July and August, when it rises especially high to the surface of the water. When the air temperature is above 30-35°C, the fish begins to feed more actively in the dark, therefore, it is worth catching it at night;
autumn. The prey is still active, the chances of catching the prey remain very high. It is important to understand that starting in September the temperature gradually decreases, which forces the fish to move away from the shore into deeper water layers. Gradually, morning fishing fades away, and fishermen are left without a catch. The best results are shown by fishing after 10 am in a warm reservoir;
winter. Chub hunting in winter is quite possible, but only at relatively warm temperatures, when there is no thick layer of ice on top. At temperatures of -20°C and below, fishing is pointless; the chub is not interested in any bait; it descends into the pits. Donka for chub in winter brings good results when the first ice appears, as the fish remains active, but at the same time extremely cautious. To get the loot, you need to minimize fuss and conversations; hitting the ice is strictly prohibited.

How to make a snack with your own hands?

Selection of bait and groundbait

Although the chub belongs to the category of predatory fish, it is not averse to eating plant products, in particular berries. This is an omnivorous aquatic inhabitant; to attract its attention you need to have several different baits in stock. On each specific body of water, the taste preferences of the treasured trophy may differ significantly. Among the catchable baits we can distinguish: • worms of various origins • maggots; • small frogs; • beetles and dragonfly larvae; • corn grains; • peas; • bread crust; • live bait; • various insects (grasshoppers, moths, etc.). You can identify your favorite bait through experimentation, throwing several options of baits at once. For information! For each fishing season there must be appropriate bait. For example, during the period of mayfly emergence, most fish prefer this type of food. This means that mayfly will be an effective bait. A brief overview of baits: • A small frog is considered the best working bait for a large specimen. • The larvae of the May beetle, bark beetle, fly and others most often attract small fish. • Dragonfly larvae are of particular interest to chub in spring and summer (from April to July). • Grains of canned peas and corn are not only not interested in small fish, but have also proven themselves to be catchable baits for large predators. • Insects, especially grasshoppers, dragonflies and flies, are excellent fish attractors during the summer season. When placing a cockchafer on a hook, it is recommended to first remove its wings, so it will look most impressive. To increase the chances of a high-quality catch, it is advisable to use bait mixtures in fishing areas, which are thrown in advance and then only updated afterwards. Complementary foods should contain all kinds of steamed grains or bread with the addition of hemp grains or flaxseed oil. The composition of the bait mixture added immediately before fishing is somewhat different. It should contain more aromatic components: flour, bran, rather than less fragrant grain feed.

Donkey baits and bait for chub

Lures for chub in the spring on donka should take into account the predatory tendencies of the fish, although plant baits are also effective. It would be more correct to call it an omnivore. In each water area, the inhabitants have their own dietary preferences; it is better to prepare several types of bait with you in advance.

You can identify your favorite bait through experimentation, throwing several bait options at once.

The best catches were spotted on:

various worms (white and red);
larvae of beetles (bark beetles, beetles, flies). Bites are frequent, but mostly small specimens are caught. It is important to remove the wings of the beetle, this will create additional attractiveness for the bait;
dragonfly larvae are a favorite delicacy from mid-spring to July;
small toads It is the most effective bait for large chubs;
maggots;
corn grains do not create much interest from small animals, but attract large individuals;
bloodworm;
live bait;
bread;
insects - all kinds of grasshoppers and bloodworms are more attractive in summer.

Only experimentally it is possible to determine the most catchable bait. Taste preferences tend to change even over time. So in the summer, prey prefers food that falls from trees; it is better to use mayfly. In autumn, it is preferable to use protein baits.

It is advisable to use bait; it is immediately delivered to the fishing spot, and then gradually only thrown in. Mixtures are prepared with the addition of steamed grain, bread with hemp grains, linseed oil, etc. At the stage of casting gear, the best results are achieved by aromatic mixtures with bran and corn flour.

Bottom tackle for chub and equipment

For bottom fishing, a rod with a height of 1.5 to 3 meters is suitable. The specificity of fishing is to cast the equipment onto the stream, which carries the feeder under the near shore, where the fish are kept. As a rule, in the spring the shore is covered with fallen reeds and cattails, so a long rod has an advantage. It is more convenient to fish out strong prey from reed thickets and underwater obstacles with a three-meter spinning rod.

Many anglers prefer telescopic models because they are easier to transport without the help of a car. Plug rods are of higher quality, but carrying them requires a special tube and case. The test form ranges from 60-150 grams. A strong current dictates its own conditions, so fishermen equip the feeder with an additional sinker, locked above the installation. When fishing with this equipment, you need to monitor the location of the feeder when casting. Often the hooks catch the sinker and the tackle loses its functionality.

Slow action rods perform well when fishing in a strong current. Spinning rods with a soft whip are not suitable for this type of fishing. The chub has a powerful bite, so the fish’s approach to the bait will not go unnoticed.

A spinning rod is equipped with an inertia-free reel. There are no special requirements for it, since fishing lasts quickly. For chub fishing, so-called “winches” are used - power models capable of carrying heavy loads. A strong opponent and current put corresponding pressure on the tackle, so the reel must be powerful.

Installation of bottom tackle for chub fishing

Bottom fishing involves the use of spring feeders. Each feeder has its own outlet, located on one side of the body or in the middle. Depending on the type of bottom, the weight of the spring is selected. If the soil is muddy, then you should take lightweight models. It is less convenient to fish on a soft bottom, so anglers use hollow products with long leads. Catching chub with feeder rigs does not bring results, since small roach with silver bream are more often caught on the hook.

Foam plastic is used as a nozzle. The length of the leashes depends on the fishing conditions. On sandy soil it varies in the range of 4-6 centimeters. On a muddy bottom, the leashes are extended to 8 centimeters.

For equipment, carp hooks of the fifth or sixth number are used. A large hook detects passive fish worse. An important detail is the size of the foam ball. The bait should not be large, but it must keep the hook suspended. The color of the nozzle does not matter.

For equipment you will need:

• lead sinker;

• silicone stoppers;

• sliding feeder;

• two hooks, a winding ring or a swivel;

• braided cord.

The load is placed at a distance of 30-40 centimeters from the feeder. The leashes should be gathered together so that when fishing, the free hook does not catch vegetation. Many experienced fishermen use tackle with one leash, thus cutting off escapes due to the hooks of the second hook.

Feeding mixture for chub in spring

For chub fishing, different types of bait are used, but homemade recipes give the best results. One of the most effective for chub was a mixture consisting of boiled peas and breadcrumbs. The addition of bloodworms, maggots or worms attracts small fish, which prevent the redfin river inhabitant from biting.

Unlike feeder fishing, where the fisherman casts gear into a promising area every 10-15 minutes, chub hunting requires silence and waiting. The gear is transferred no more than once an hour, which does not alarm the timid predator. With such fishing dynamics, it is necessary to master precise casting and clearly place the feeder in the intended place.

One of the important criteria for a good feeding mixture is its density. Classic bait should easily mold into a ball and just as easily fall apart when it gets into the water. The chub mixture should be dense and kept in the feeder for sixty minutes. A strong current quickly washes away the soft mixture, and the fish does not approach the bait.

Chub hunting is an interesting activity for lovers of outdoor recreation. Every spring, the handsome redfin pampers anglers with its greedy bites and worthy fight. If you guess the moment and place, you can count on an excellent catch.

Choosing a place and time of day for catching chub on a donk

More often, the desired prey is found in small and medium-sized rivers with clean water. More promising areas in such water areas are:

Considering that the chub prefers to live in areas with fast currents, where hooks often get caught in aquatic vegetation, it is advisable to choose places more suitable for casting

cliffs;
trees hovering over the water and providing food for the predator;
whirlpools;
places with fast currents;
areas on the border between intense and weak currents;
areas with noticeable active movement of fry.

The fishing season begins in March and ends in severe cold. The greatest activity is observed in summer. During the day, it is easier to find prey on the surface, and in the evening - closer to deep places. To catch a trophy specimen, it is better to come at night (in warm weather). In early spring and late autumn, prey is more often found on the hook during the day. It is worth fishing with bottom gear at night.

How to catch carp using a spring?

Choosing a location and weather conditions

Chub are caught in small or medium-width rivers with a good current. These aquatic inhabitants love fast and moderate movement of water, so you don’t have to look for them in standing reservoirs. They prefer shallows with a sandy and rocky bottom. They can be seen in pools and river mouths, as well as in places where there is a lot of snags under water. This could be a fallen tree or an area near the shore where there are bushes with branches falling down. When fishing, you should change the place from time to time. Fishermen recommend doing this 5–7 times during the day.

Important! During the day, in the light of the sun, the chub approaches the surface of the reservoir, and in the evening it swims to the depths. Therefore, when it gets dark, you need to fish with bottom gear, and during the day - with feeder gear.

It is also necessary to carefully study the direction of water flow. A good sign will be the presence of its reverse movement. In this case, the fishing rod is cast to the boundary between opposite currents.

Often, where the river bed passes, depressions, riffles and whirlpools appear on the water surface near the shore. If trees and shrubs grow nearby, then this is a suitable place. The chub loves to eat insects that fall from plants. In this case, in warm weather, the equipment is thrown near the shore. Fishing places are located immediately after the rifts, where the water movement slightly loses its speed.

Did you know? The chub belongs to the Karpov family. It can reach a length of 80 cm and a weight of 8 kg.

In winter, when choosing a site for fishing, you should also pay attention to snags and trees - this is the source of food that these river inhabitants stick to. If there is no such area, then you need to take a closer look at the exits from the pits that have a sandy-rocky bottom, where the depth becomes noticeably shallower.

In spring and autumn, fishing should be done after lunch, when the river warms up from the sun. At night and in the evening, when it gets colder, the catch will no longer be so successful.

Chub loves warm and clear weather. In cold and rain, its activity decreases, and fish are more difficult to catch. From the second half of May, these river inhabitants move from the depths to the rifts, where they remain throughout the daytime. In the summer heat, the fish hides in the shade near the shore, and when the heat subsides, it becomes active and swims out in search of food.

Here you can learn how to choose the right lure for winter fishing.

In search of frogs and goose, the chub swims close to the shore, so in the summer a larger catch can be obtained at night or in cloudy weather. In this case, the fish becomes active at 18–19 hours, and by midnight it becomes passive. Activity reappears at 2 a.m. and lasts until 10 a.m.

Tactics and techniques for catching chub on a donk

Fishermen have been practicing techniques for catching chub using spinning rods, donks and other gear for decades, but now there is no need for practical experience, since there are already collected recommendations.

How to catch chub on a donk in the current, according to experts:

use only 1 tackle, otherwise the current will confuse the fishing line and you should not expect productive fishing. If you use 2 gears, be sure to adjust the friction brake.
send the donkey only along the current, ensuring a stable position;
if the fish does not bite, it is recommended to shift the nozzle in the water column, it is better to raise the tackle by 50 cm and again wait for a reaction;
change the place of fishing if there are no bites for a long time. The fish is standing nearby, just move 10 meters above or below the current point;
At the preparation stage, you should stock up on 2-4 gear and types of bait.

Tackle without rods for current

There are current donks that do not have a rod in their design, these include:

"rubber bands";
snacks;
carousels.

The advantages of such donks are their compactness, because they are more convenient to transport and store due to their small size. The reels on which such donks are wound have a design that allows them to be secured to the shore and held firmly.

When a river fish bites strongly, there is a chance that the tackle will be pulled into the water, so you need to secure it well and monitor the condition of the reel. They fish with donkeys without rods from the shore; it is more convenient both for casting and controlling the tackle, and for fishing.

Inertia-free reels, which are required for a feeder, are not needed on a cast or elastic band; this simplifies the design of the tackle, but complicates pulling the fish to the shore.

Rubber

The design of the elastic band throw for the current has a rubber shock absorber, thanks to which you don’t have to throw the tackle all the time, it goes into the water itself, and in the right place.

The disadvantage of fishing with a bottom rubber band in the current is that the shock absorber is stretched under water pressure and it is difficult to achieve good accuracy. An elastic band is more of a tackle for still waters, although there are many anglers who use it on rivers with a current.

Carousel

The tackle is similar to an elastic band in that it is equipped with 5–10 leashes with hooks, there is no fishing rod, the load is carried on a boat and the equipment is pulled into the water. Let's imagine a double-tied fishing line stretched into the eye of a weight located at the bottom of a reservoir.

Read Catching sabrefish

When one of the parts is pulled, the other, to which the leashes are attached, also moves and goes into the water. After this, the fishing line is fixed on the reel, the alarm is set and all you have to do is wait for the bite. After the alarm goes off, all you have to do is pull the fishing line with hooks, and it will go to the shore, pulling the other end into the water.

After the angler removes the caught fish and re-hooks, the process is repeated. The donka carousel is more convenient for the current than an elastic band, because it does not stretch out in the water, but it is difficult to catch trophy fish with it due to the roughness of the equipment.

Mushrooms and nipples

Similar multi-hook rigs are used both in still waters and in currents and show good results. True, you will have to be patient and wait for a bite, because the principle of operation of the gear is based on the fact that the bait or a cube of macaque is washed away and attracts fish.

Having come to feed, the fish are hooked with one or more hooks on which foam is mounted, providing good buoyancy. The fluff takes a long time to wash away, and bait in the nipple is not much faster, although when fishing in the current this process is, for obvious reasons, accelerated.

But trophy fish are caught both on tops and nipples, which are not afraid of noise on the shore or rough elements of equipment. So such gear is used for fishing in the current, with or without a rod and reel, on hooks.

Recommendations and tips for catching chub on a donk

There are some other useful tips for catching chub using a donkey:

strong fixation on the shore. The desired prey tends to suddenly and greedily grab the bait; if you do not tie the fishing rod, it will fall under the water. While pulling out the rod, the fisherman will scare away the entire potential catch;
maintaining silence. The predator's hearing is well developed, a frivolous attitude towards fishing will lead to a lack of catch;
not to be near the gear. The eyes of a fish instantly notice a person; you should not walk near fishing rods or approach them at all. It is better to move a distance away from the donkey or hide behind the bushes.

The chub is a predator that is used to fighting for its life. Its capture attracts fishermen because of the amount of adrenaline and emotions in the process of fishing. Catching a wary fish is difficult without special knowledge, but using the tips outlined above, the fishing process will become extremely effective and enjoyable.

Originally posted 2018-07-09 14:06:11.

Bottom tackle set

The main components of the gear are:

Spinning. The best option for a fishing tool is a fiberglass rod, which is sufficiently hard and light enough to land any trophy fish on the shore.
Fishing thread. Considering the large size of the trophy specimen and its ability to dodge and get off the hook, it is necessary to choose a fishing line with a diameter of 0.35 mm. As for the manufacturer, it all depends on personal preference.
Coil. It is recommended to equip the donkey with a high-quality and powerful reel; it is better to choose a multiplier model. But at first, a standard “meat grinder” will do. The main condition is convenience when casting and landing prey ashore.
Sinker. For fishing in the bottom layers, it is advisable to use an oval, streamlined sinker that will not create obstacles when casting the tackle. Depending on the strength of the water flow, its weight is calculated; you need to start with 30 grams and increase the weight to the point at which the sinker will reliably hold the bait at a given point.
Hooks. The object of fishing is a fairly serious opponent with a large mouth; the fisherman’s arsenal should include several varieties of large hooks, preferably with a short shank.
Signaling device. A bell can be used as a signaling device; it does not ring in vain and can be heard at a distance of several meters.

One of the most primitive, but productive options for bottom gear is a meter-long bamboo cane, at the end of which a fishing thread is mounted. But two-handed spinning rods equipped with powerful reels are becoming increasingly popular among professional fishermen. Such bottom tackle allows for the most accurate and long-range casting of bait, as evidenced by numerous observations by fishermen.

Photo 2. Reliable, strong, balanced tackle.