How to catch saber fish correctly

Chekhon fish: description and photo

Chekhon is a fish with an elongated saber-shaped body. This is why fishermen call it “Sabre”. The back is greenish, the lateral line on the lower fins is red. The tail and fin are gray with a silver tint. The taste is excellent. Moderately greasy without any specific odors. This is a real storehouse of protein, nutrients and vitamins. Dried and smoked are especially good. The meat is hypoallergenic, so it can be given to children after removing all the bones. The average weight of one individual is 0.4-0.5 kg. Some specimens grow up to 0.7 meters, reaching a mass of 0.9 kg.

The most common habitats are bodies of water (rivers, reservoirs) in the basins of the Baltic, Azov and Black Seas. Prefers deep water with a strong current, found near reaches and slopes, and lives in flocks.

The strategy for catching saberfish depends on the season. In the summer, huddled in flocks, the saber stays in deep-water areas with active water exchange, near underwater boulders and sunken trees. Also lives in places where the branches of bushes or trees are inclined towards the water.

In winter it hides at the bottom, choosing areas with slow currents. For effective fishing, you need to fish the reservoir in several places and change the point often. In winter they fish only from the ice, drilling holes in the middle of the reservoir. There are simply no bites near the shore during this period.

Chekhon: description and behavioral characteristics

Chekhon is not only a representative of commercial schooling fish from the carp family, but also the only species of its kind. For its family, it has a very non-standard appearance, significantly different from other related breeds. For its appearance, it was popularly nicknamed the saber fish or Czech fish.

Externally it can be described as follows:

1. The body is long, elongated, strongly compressed on the sides.
2. The back is unusually straight, the abdominal region, on the contrary, is an arch-shaped bulge.
3. The head is small, the eyes are set high.
4. The width of the gill openings is quite large.
5. The mouth is very small in size.
6. The anal fin is distinguished by its length, and the caudal fin has a pronounced notch.
7. The dorsal fin is very unusual - it is very short and has a remote location.
8. There are no scales on the abdominal part.
9. The body color is silver, the fins have different colors - from gray to yellowish-sand.

The maximum dimensions that this fish can reach: body length no more than 60 cm with a weight of up to 2 kg. Previously, cases of catching larger representatives of this species were known, but today the most common specimens are significantly smaller than the maximum size. Usually fishermen come across specimens with a body length of up to 40 cm and a weight of about 300-400 grams. The average life expectancy is from 9 to 13 years, depending on the location and living conditions.

Young individuals feed exclusively on various types of plankton, gradually switching to insect larvae and pupae. Only at the age of 1-2 years do they begin to catch fry of other fish, mainly bleaks, which later form the basis of the diet throughout life.

What to catch saberfish with

Saber fishing is convenient with a wide selection of baits. Their choice is determined by the usual diet on a particular body of water and the time of year. If you don’t have time to deeply study the features of the location, you can use one of the proven options:

• Bloodworm;
• Maggot;
• Worm;
• Wasp;
• Live bait;
• Fly;
• Grasshopper;
• Dragonfly;
• Butterfly;
• Artificial fly;
• Small spinners.

If you plan to fish using a grasshopper, it is better to place it on the hook without legs. They are large and hard and will interfere with swallowing the bait. Bleak fry are suitable as live bait. The size of the fry should be no more than four centimeters. Preferably 2 centimeters, so that not only large, but also medium-sized individuals are caught. During the spawning period, the fish show increased activity; even a bright thread is suitable for bait, but this is a last resort.

What to fish with

Chekhon is undemanding when it comes to choosing bait. The main thing is that she is an animal. But still, among the menu offered to her, she makes a choice in favor of maggots. He is her delicacy

When fishing, it is important to place not just one on the hook, but several. Even better if they are different colors

In fishing stores you can now buy maggots of all colors of the rainbow

Even if among the bait of the same color there is at least one red one, this will already attract the attention of the fish. Can use worm, fly, butterfly and other baits

You can add foam balls and even red thread to the bait. First he is baited, then the bait itself.

It will be very good to bite saberfish on live bait. True, the fish used as bait should not be too large. After all, even very large specimens of sabrefish are still not pike or pike perch.

Tackle for sabrefish

The choice of gear for catching sabrefish depends on the reservoir, personal preferences, season and other factors. However, there are several basic universal tips that will help make fishing more effective:

• Gear must be of good quality and selected for the season.
• Active fish often tear the equipment, so it’s a good idea to take a spare shock absorber and rubber band with you.
• A prerequisite is the presence of ready-made leashes connected by swivels. A soft leash is not used, since the saber tries to twist the tackle. Hard fishing also does not give a good result, since the soft lips of the fish are easily torn. We need to look for a compromise option.
• If the bite is bad, you can change the depth of lowering the tackle. As a rule, this gives results.
• It is better to fish from a boat, since long casts of gear will be required, and the Czech fish does not often approach the shore.

In autumn and spring, the fish prefers to stay in the middle layers of water, going deeper at night. There the temperature is more stable. In the off-season, catching sabrefish using bottom tackle is effective. In summer, when the water warms up and the fish rise to the surface, you can use a float rod. Among the effective types of fishing are the following:

• to the bombard;
• to the feeder;
• with an elastic band;
• on a float rod;
• for spinning.

Each of them showed itself positively at different times of the year and on different bodies of water. To choose the optimal gear, you need to study the features of the water location.

Where and when to catch saberfish on a spinning rod

One of the most important conditions for successfully catching this fish is the correct choice of fishing location. You need to look for where the school feeds (in spring and autumn), and in the summer you need to fish the approximate habitat area, since at this time the fish are still somewhere here, they are present here sparsely and often do not manifest themselves in splashes or boils.

The places themselves are usually deep-sea, but sabrefish are often caught in the upper meter of the layer or at half-water, collecting living creatures or driving fry. From a tactical point of view, it is already important to select the fishing horizon on which the bait is offered.

In relatively shallow water areas, you can catch sabrefish with donks or a feeder, setting this level with special equipment for the water column. In spinning, if fishing is not near the surface, you need to achieve the required horizon by selecting the weight of the bait relative to the current and the speed of the retrieve.

Article about catching sabrefish on a feeder

In principle, you can catch sabrefish with a spinning rod from breaking ice until next winter - it is important to find the fish, select the right horizon and offer the right bait. The optimal time is, after all, spring and autumn, when the saber gathers in large flocks, actively feeds, revealing its location in bursts, mainly from the surface - there is no need to bother searching for the horizon and working depth.

The bite and activity of sabrefish are naturally weather-dependent, like other fish. It is primarily affected by light, wind and the absence of sudden changes in pressure and weather. It has been noticed that it takes better on calm and cloudy days, in sticky weather, gray haze, with a quiet breeze without gusts, forming small ripples on the surface of the water. In calm conditions, the saberfish are much more careful, and getting close to them, especially on a boat, is more difficult.

In small rivers, especially in summer, flocks of sabrefish can number only a few heads, so after catching them, you need to look for the points again. In autumn or spring, especially in large water areas, schools number hundreds of animals, and under successful circumstances you can catch all day from one point.

Catching sabrefish using a bombard

The specificity of fishing with a bombard is that you need to carefully choose a place for fishing and choose the right float. A bombard is a sinker that is strung on a fishing line with bait placed on it. Insects or small fish are most often used as the latter. It is best to fish with a bombard in the summer. The optimal places are near rifts and slopes. The equipment set includes:

• rod up to 6 m long;
• float (50 grams);
• inertia coil;
• fishing line 0.2-0.25 mm;
• 18 meter braided line;
• two-meter fluorocarbon leash;
• hooks No. 17-19;
• swivel

Catching sabrefish with a bombard is carried out using small suspenders that move the equipment. The movements should be smooth, but sufficient to hook the fish. The bait in the water should resemble the natural movement of a bug or fly. Despite all the caution and timidity of this species, the catch with bombard is very good (this is noticeable in the video).

Fishing with sbirulino (bombard) video:

On a float rod

The most productive fishing occurs in the early morning. During this period, the sabrefish hunts for aquatic midges and small fish. She announces her presence with characteristic splashes on the water. If they are there, it means the place has been chosen correctly and there will be a catch. An ordinary annelid worm or maggot is suitable as bait. The most catchy ones are considered to be: grasshopper, fly and wasp. It’s not difficult to get such bait in the summer.

For example, to catch a wasp, leave a glass jar outside, coated with jam inside. After a few hours, a sufficient number of insects will gather in it. Pour boiling water into the jar and close the lid. Free bait for sabrefish is ready. Unlike worms, the wasp is dense and does not knock it off the hook. You can catch several individuals with one insect.

Fishing with a float rod does not require deep skills. The main thing is to prepare fishing gear and take consumables with you. The fisherman will need:

• Rod 4-7 meters;
• fishing line 0.18 mm thick.
• Preferably a reel that can hold at least 50 meters of fishing line;
• Leash up to one and a half meters with 1-3 hooks;
• sinker and float.

You can use bamboo with a fixed long fishing line, but the result will be poor. The fact is that catching sabrefish with a float rod has its own peculiarities. The float is only needed to fix the depth. In our case, it does not serve as a bite indicator. During the fishing process, you will need to carry out wiring, playing with bait.

The technology of the process is reminiscent of spinning fishing. First, a careful cast is carried out. Next, the line on the reel is released, and the float is removed further downstream. When the bait is a sufficient distance away, you can begin to pull the bait, imitating the play of the fly.

The sabrefish is a schooling and active fish. It doesn’t stand in one place. It quickly changes location and depth. During fishing, the sinker needs to be moved, experimenting with depth. With the right approach, it is possible to catch up to two fish in one trip.

Garland for saberfish

A garland is a fishing line with a sinker, to which five leashes with hooks are attached. The number of leashes may be greater. The main thing is that they do not get confused causing inconvenience. The garland is attached to a spinning rod, which allows for long casting. Feeder fishing with a garland requires taking into account a number of factors:

• current intensity in a reservoir;
• weather features;
• weight of the feeder (up to 60 grams).

How to mount a garland - video:

Bait should be supplied to the fishing site regularly. To simplify fishing, use a 2-meter leash, and also equip the fishing rod with foam balls. The feeder should not be too heavy so that it sinks to the bottom gradually when casting. You should not compact the complementary food too much so that it is washed out in the water column easily and gradually. Crumbly porridge is used as bait, and maggots are used as bait.

The fishing technique is as follows. After a fishing spot has been chosen, the fishing point is fed by making 5 to 10 casts with a large-diameter feeder filled with bait. This allows you to feed the point faster. The next stage is casting gear with hooks and bait. Casting is not very convenient due to the long leashes, but you quickly get used to it.

Feeder tackle (garland) for catching saberfish - video:

Catching sabrefish with an elastic band

Donka-elastic band is a simple tackle made from a fishing line with leads and a long elastic band. One of the features is the cost. Any fisherman can buy or make such tackle. There is no need to purchase an expensive spinning rod and reel. Equipment includes:

• reel;
• 50-meter fishing line;
• meter carabiner with elastic swivel;
• leash;
• sinker.

You can catch sabrefish using an elastic band both from a boat and from the shore. Bait: grasshoppers, fry, worms, maggots. The fishing line with hooks must be pulled towards you periodically to attract fish to the bait. When fishing with an elastic band, the tackle is kept in the middle layers of the water.

A weight is tied to one end of the elastic band. A fishing line with leashes is attached to the other. The number of leashes is not limited. The tackle is thrown into the water, and when biting it is simply pulled towards you with your hands. Next, they remove the fish, adjust the bait and loosen the line. The elastic band itself returns the tackle with hooks to the water. This method saves effort and time, freeing the fisherman from the need to cast. An important condition is a heavy load that will not move along the bottom after each haul. The technique is not particularly complicated:

• install the tackle so that the hooks are placed in the right place;
• feed the fishing area;
• periodically twitch the line, creating a game with bait;
• When there are distinct bites, sharply pull the line towards you.

The fishing strategy depends on the weather. On a cloudy day, the sabrefish tackle is lowered about one and a half meters closer to the bottom of the reservoir. If the weather is sunny, then the equipment remains on the surface. At the same time, it is important to look for algae, since there is a risk of fishing line snagging, which means the fishing will be ruined.

Fishing with an elastic band - video

Methods of catching sabrefish

In fact, sabrefish can be caught by any means: with a float rod, bombard, elastic, feeder, donka, fly fishing.

Fishing with bombard (sbirulino)

When fishing with this method, it is important to consider the fishing location and select a sinking float. A bombard is a sinker strung on a fishing line with sinking baits. It is preferable to fish with a sinking bombard baited with fry, midges, and insects.

Fishing is successful in the summer in the morning or in the evening near rifts and slopes.
When choosing a bombard, you should pay attention to the equipment and select:

• rod up to 6 m in length;
• float weighing 50 g;
• inertial coil;
• braided fishing line up to 18 m in length, 20-25 mm in thickness;
• fluorocarbon leader up to 2 m long;
• swivel;
• sharp hooks No. 17-19.

Small suspenders will serve as wiring, which will move the tackle through the water when fishing with a bombard.

Bombard rig

Chekhon is careful, but bites on Sbirulino usually don’t take long to arrive. Even peaceful fish on the river can be caught well with a bombard, although it is not worth fishing from the shore with it.

On a float rod

When fishing with a float rod, you need to adhere to the tactics of fishing with saberfish. It is better to fish in the morning, when the fish begin to hunt for fry and midges on the water.

If small splashes appear, then we can assume that the place was chosen well and there are fish nearby. Suitable for maggots and worms. In this place it is worth playing with the fish, either throwing the tackle or lifting it up.

It is better to take biological bait for long-term retention on the surface of the water.

For fishing, a standard float rig with a rod length of 8-10 mm and a fishing line up to 0.18 mm in diameter is quite suitable. When using float gear, it is best to send it to float on its own with the current.

On the rubber donk

An elastic band is an easy tackle to use. This is a regular donk with a rubber shock absorber. It is good to catch crucian carp and saberfish.

Includes:

• reel wound around the tackle;
• fishing line 50 m long;
• leash up to 25 mm in diameter;
• carabiner with elastic swivel up to 1000 mm in length;
• sinker with 500-600 g of fishing line.

It is better to fish with an elastic band from a boat, and use fry, grasshoppers, maggots and worms as bait, periodically pulling the fishing line with hooks towards you to attract the attention of the fish at the moment of capture.

When fishing with an elastic band, it is better to keep the tackle in the upper layers and make up to 8 knots on the line as boundaries beyond which the floats should not go. You can use a non-slip float.

The technique of fishing with an elastic band is quite simple:

• throwing the tackle with a sinker and elastic band into the water so that the hooks are located in the right place;
• attaching the float and feeder to the tackle.

If the weather is cloudy, then it is better to lower the tackle closer to the bottom to 1.5 m. If it is clear, then leave it on the surface of the water, but check that there are no algae nearby, otherwise the activity of the fish will lead to snagging of the fishing line, and fishing will go down the drain.

To the feeder

When fishing with a feeder, it is important to consider:

• weather;
• current intensity in the selected area of ​​the reservoir;
• feeder weight not exceeding 60 grams;
• speed of delivery of equipment to the right place.

Food should be supplied to the feeding area on time and without problems. When fishing on a sabrefish feeder, the tackle is somewhat different from the traditional one. The fish prefers to vibrate and go into the depths, so when catching it is necessary to increase the length of the leash to 2 m, and equip the fishing rod with foam balls to make catching easier. The length of the leash should be at least 18 mm, the feeder should be light in weight and slowly sink to the bottom when casting.

There is no need to compact the complementary foods in the feeders too much. In the water column it should be gradually and easily washed out.

For bait, fishermen most often use maggots, so you need to attach foam balls, stringing up to 6 pieces at equal distances. More often, porridge is placed in the feeders, but it should be crumbly.

Fly fishing

If you want to fly fish, you need to select a special cone-shaped rod. As bait - flies, streamers.

When fly fishing, you first need to get used to it and beginners cannot do it. Fly fishing for saberfish is rarely used because it is neither comfortable nor convenient.

Where to catch saberfish

This fish prefers space. It cannot be found in small ponds overgrown with grass. There are 2 types: sea and freshwater. Marine is found in seas such as the Black, Azov, Baltic, as well as in some salt lakes. The freshwater fish sabrefish is found in large rivers: the Danube, Dnieper, Don, Dniester, Volga, and freshwater lakes (Ilmen, Onega, Ladoga). Due to too intensive fishing, the number of this fish has decreased significantly. In the Bryansk region, on the Seversky Donets, fishing is strictly regulated.

Finding a suitable body of water is not the key to success. You need to understand where the jamb is. As a rule, these are places near boulders and snags under water. On rivers, you should look for saberfish at the junctions of strong and weak currents. In summer, it quickly reveals itself by rising to the surface of the water and playing in the sun. At night it goes to the bottom, so daytime and night fishing are different.

Places for catching sabrefish

Flocks of saberfish inhabit large, deep rivers. If during daylight hours the fish stays near the surface of the water and in the middle horizons, then with the onset of darkness it moves to significant depths, resting in underwater holes and channel ditches. This species of carp is found in lakes and reservoirs, but it is still more promising to look for saberfish on strong river currents. Throughout the daylight hours, flocks constantly migrate along the river, looking for areas richest in food, staying in precisely such water areas.

The fish likes to spin around the boundaries of deep holes and in areas of contact between currents of different strengths. With a high probability, the flock can be found near a riffle, where a weak current of water sharply increases its speed, and it can also enter backwaters clear of aquatic vegetation with a good oxygen regime in the water.

Important! Often, a concentration of fish is indicated by gulls concentrated in a small area of ​​water, hunting for sabrefish feeding in the surface layers of the water.

Finding fish in small rivers is a futile task; schools of saberfish, even during the spawning period, do not enter reservoirs with small volumes of water and strong aquatic vegetation.

Fishing for sabrefish on the Don

The Don is an ideal place for fishing. The river current is strong, the climatic conditions are suitable (hot summers, mild winters), and the food supply is excellent. The best places are considered to be near the Donskoy and Vetryachiy farms, not far from the confluence of such rivers as the Khoper, Chir, Bogucharka, and Medveditsa into the Don.

Good conditions for fishing near the city of Kalach-on-Don. There are also fishing spots near the villages of Shilovo, Krivoborye, Medovka in the Voronezh region. The only drawback of these places is that they are well known, and you need to occupy fishing areas in advance.

In the warm season, natural baits are used in the form of a worm, bloodworms and maggots. With proper wiring, artificial flies also give an effect. It makes sense to use complementary food only in places without current, but the saber rarely swims there. It is better to concentrate on the selection of gear, bait and wiring strategy.

Fishing for sabrefish on the Volga, in Astrakhan

The best conditions for fishing in the Lower Volga. Here you can catch both relatively small riding schooling fish and large specimens. The saber prefers places close to the shore, with great depths, whirlpools and average current speed. The joint makes its presence known in bursts.

The location of schooling fish can be recognized by the concentration of seagulls. This is a sure sign that the saber is actively hunting small fish. The best time for fishing is from spring until the onset of severe autumn frosts. Wasps, grasshoppers, and flies are used as bait. The most preferred types of gear are a float rod or a spinning rod.

The minimum permitted size for catching sabrefish in Astrakhan is 22 cm. All smaller specimens must be released.

Catching sabrefish in winter

In winter, activity is minimal. The fish chooses deeper places for wintering. The favorite wintering place is holes up to 15 meters deep. At the same time, it takes a position a meter from the bottom. It also winters in long, wide underwater ditches and deep reaches. In frosty weather it sits out in the depths and is difficult to tempt it to bite.

When thaws occur, sabrefish fish come closer to the surface. For winter fishing, use a garland or jig. It is recommended to change holes frequently, without staying on one for a long time. In the cold season, the main task is to find where the joint is located. The advantage of fishing with a garland is that you can quickly determine the optimal horizon. The jig is mobile and compact, but it is only effective when the fish comes closer to the surface. The secrets of successful winter fishing are knowledge of the water area of ​​the reservoir, the ability to adapt to the weather and good command of various gear.

When catching saberfish in winter, it is important to follow a few tips:

1. The tip of the tackle is equipped with a bright nod, which will be noticeable against the background of white snow.
2. The length of the fishing line is selected according to the depth of the reservoir, but it is better to wind it with a reserve. Recommended length from 15 meters.
3. The sinker is selected taking into account the strength of the current.
4. For bait, maggots, bloodworms, worms or artificial flies are used.
5. If there are no bites in one place for an hour, change the hole.

The sleepy saber takes a non-moving bait poorly. The play of the line, smooth and believable, plays an important role. If there is no effect, it is recommended to experiment with the attachment or make a sandwich.

Fishing for sabrefish

Catching sabrefish
The most optimal time for catching sabrefish is spring and autumn - the time of its migration, when the fish gather in huge schools. At the same time, the saberfish begins to zhor - the most intensive feeding. In the spring it prepares for spawning, and in the fall for winter. This is a great sign for anglers. As for the time of day, the best option is morning and daytime, since saberfish lead a predominantly diurnal lifestyle and practically do not feed at night. So it is not possible to catch saberfish at night. For fishing, it is better to choose deep and spacious places in the reservoir, since this fish can rarely be found in cramped and shallow places, as well as with dense vegetation. You should also pay attention to the condition of the water and bottom. The bottom should be sandy and the water clean.

The baits used for catching sabrefish vary depending on the season of the year. The saber fish bites best on worms and maggots, but in summer you can use insects such as flies, dragonflies, and grasshoppers and catch them on the surface of the water. In the fall, it is good to catch other fish with juveniles, and you can also deceive sabrefish with pieces of polystyrene or foam rubber, which the fish will mistake for a worm or larva. Some fishermen use attractive spoons and wobblers as bait, and not without success.

For greater interest and excitement, use such gear as a float rod, fly fishing tackle, elastic band and spinning rod. When choosing gear, you should pay attention to its quality and equipment. So the length of the rod should be 4-6 meters, the diameter of the fishing line should be 0.2 millimeters. For a leash, the fishing line used is thinner - 0.15-0.17 millimeters. The choice of hook depends on the size and quality of the bait, but most often they use No. 3-5.

The sabrefish bites quickly and confidently swallows the bait. When biting, the float abruptly goes under the water and to the side. Catching saberfish is not difficult, but you still need to be careful and careful. They land the fish carefully and slowly, gradually pulling the line towards themselves. The fish is fished on the surface of the water, and not lifted above the water, as it can jump off (siberian fish have very thin lips, and they can tear under the weight of the fish). If everything is done carefully and without unnecessary noise and fuss, then in the same place you can catch a sufficient number of fish from one school. But if you startle the flock, you will have to move to another place. Also, you should not be zealous and fish for a long time in one place if there is no bite for a long time. The flock moves quickly, so the best option would be to catch sabrefish from a boat. Only for this you will have to use oars, and not a motor, which can scare away all the fish. When catching sabrefish, a little bait won’t hurt, although you can do without it.

Catching sabrefish in spring

In spring, it gathers in numerous schools on rivers such as the Don and Volga. Found in river tributaries. The main requirements for a reservoir are significant depth and fast current. Trying to find even a single specimen in oxbow lakes, flooded river valleys or shallow lakes is a futile exercise. During the day it stays in the upper and middle water layers, and at night it sinks to the bottom.

April is the month when fish that have safely overwintered in the pits become active. The bite begins after the ice melts. With the onset of the warm season it becomes more intense.

In May, biting activity reaches its peak. Before spawning, which occurs in May and June, sabrefish become especially aggressive, not disdaining any aquatic life. During this period, she excels at using a spinning rod or a donkey with a rubber shock absorber. It comes right to the shore, so catching it is a real pleasure. The most popular bait when catching sabrefish in the spring on a spinning rod is a spinner or wobbler. The so-called “flies” - realistic imitation of insects - have proven themselves well. The behavior of fish in different bodies of water differs, so the behavior of the bait is selected experimentally.

A good bite is observed in the spring on float fishing rods - “lapdogs” or match ones. Bait - fry, horse flies, flies, caddis flies, grasshoppers, earthworms, maggots, bloodworms. If elastic fishing is used, sometimes they do without bait altogether, replacing it with pieces of red thread attached to hooks. This technique works especially well before spawning, when the Czech fish becomes voracious. This saves time because once caught, the thread remains on the hook and does not need to be replaced.

The choice of bait depends on the behavioral characteristics of the fish - on what layers of water it is in. If you need to lower the bait to the bottom of the reservoir, it is mixed with clay or soil. Fish located closer to the surface are fed with ground sunflower husks, breadcrumbs and even coconut flakes.

Where to fish

Fishing locations for sabrefish depend on the fishing season and, accordingly, its location in the river. During the pre-spawning run, they are caught mainly from the banks, since the fish in the spring move close to them, hoping to profit from insects, larvae, worms and other food washed into the river.

Attention! Even in such a wide river as the Volga, fishing from the shore during the pre-spawning season is possible with a float rod!

During this period, the main thing is to know where the fish are moving and get out to the river in time. Therefore, you need to prepare gear for sabrefish in the winter, keeping in mind the well-known saying about a sleigh and a cart.

In summer, fish migrate from the upper reaches to their permanent locations. Now the “saber” should be looked for in the following places:

• near deep holes: at the entrance, exit and edge;
• at the boundaries of streams: fast and slow currents, clear and muddy water;
• in deep sections of the river;
• in fast currents near rapids;
• at river bends where reverse currents form;
• in large bays free of vegetation.

At dawn, the fish rise to the upper layers, and during the summer they often even hunt insects on the surface. In the evening, saberfish sink to the bottom of the pits, so they are usually not caught at night.

Anglers use frequent rises of sabrefish to the surface when fishing with artificial flies.

In winter, sabrefish sink to the bottom of deep holes and can be caught if there are currents near such locations that vary in strength, purity or composition of water. In this regard, preference should be given to places near channel bends with variable deep bottom topography: steps, pits, navels and similar anomalies.

Catching sabrefish in summer

In June, fish that are tired after spawning for about two weeks bite poorly. Having recovered, she tries to eat and the bite becomes stable. Its intensity increases. They catch it in the summer with a float rod, a garland and an elastic band (the latter option is the most catchy). Dragonflies, grasshoppers or maggots are used as bait.

In windy weather and during rain, sabrefish come closer to the shore to feed on insects that accidentally fall into the water. However, most of the time it stays at depth. Therefore, you need to purchase a boat or a rubber suit. This will increase the chances of a good catch.

The peculiarity of summer fishing is that the bite is unstable, and there are often long breaks. The reason is that fish during this period are more picky about food compared to the spring months and get full quite quickly. You can try to solve the problem by experimenting with the depth of lowering the bait.

When to catch sabrefish

When we know where it is best to look for saberfish, it’s time to decide on the best time to catch sabrefish. Of course, the best period for catching sabrefish is the pre-spawning period. It starts around mid-April and lasts about 3 weeks. During this period, sabrefish greedily grab almost any bait in order to gain strength before spawning. Dense schools of sabrefish play into the hands of the fisherman, because in one approach of the school you can catch a dozen specimens. True, then you have to wait until the next group of this fish approaches. During spawning, the sabrefish bite stops and resumes only after a few weeks, when the sabrefish gets sick.

In general, sabrefish begin to be caught in early spring and their bite continues until the river is covered with ice.

The time for catching sabrefish is around the clock. On hot summer days, saberfish are best caught in the morning, at night and in the evening. With the arrival of autumn cold weather, saberfish begin to bite better in the afternoon, when the temperature reaches its autumn maximum.

In winter, saberfish are practically not active, although winter fishing for it is also practiced and quite successfully by some fishermen.

Catching sabrefish in autumn

With the onset of Indian summer, the bite becomes more intense. The fish actively hunts for grown fry. There are significantly fewer insects, and you still need to eat something for the winter. As long as it stays warm (until about mid-October), donk fishing gives good results.

Corn porridge is used as bait. The best bait is maggots or annelids. But with the onset of cold weather, the sabrefish fish goes deeper and deeper, and with the first frosts it settles tightly at the very bottom of the reservoir. Therefore, in late autumn they switch to spinning fishing using the smallest baits.

Before the onset of cold weather, some fishermen fish by fly fishing. Not many people know this kind of tackle and casting technique. Fly fishing is not very common in Russia. The method involves casting a line and a special type of wiring in the upper water column. Small-caliber artificial baits are used for baiting. In the current, this is one of the effective ways to catch a saber.

Lure

It is necessary to feed in reservoirs with weak currents. Otherwise, the bait will be carried away and there will be no point in it. The bait is thrown upstream from the casting point or along the path of the entire wiring. If numerous splashes are clearly visible on the surface, bait will keep a school of fish in one place for a long time.

You can make your own bait or buy proven options on sale in our store. They are perfect for both summer and winter fishing.

Pearl barley is used as bait, but the ingredient used for fishing must be added. For example, maggots, worms, and so on. To attract more attention, add dyes and coconut flakes. Feeding is not carried out in large portions. The fish needs to be teased, but not fed.