Where to catch chub
With the onset of spring, it is best to catch chub in small rivers near the shore. During such fishing, you should throw the bait a couple of tens of meters, and then slowly pull it up.
If you use a wobbler, you must drive it at a distance of approximately half a meter from the shore. In this regard, the depth in the fishing area should be more than 1 m.
This article is dedicated to bottom fishing for chub; if you are interested in catching chub with a spinning rod, go to the article “wobblers for chub”, there you will find many useful tips, photographs and reviews of baits.
When does the chub start to bite?
After the ice melts from the rivers, the chub comes out of the wintering pits and begins to feed before spawning. It does not feed immediately, but approximately 1-2 weeks after the reservoir is freed from ice.
This process intensifies with a gradual increase in temperature, and already reaches its peak in the third week of April. In April, chub are caught using spinning rods and donka. Chub spawn, like most fish from the middle zone, at the end of April.
The spawning of chub is lightning fast, it takes 1 day, it takes much longer to reach the spawning grounds. Before spawning, chub gather in schools, and each school can spawn at different times, depending on the spawning location.
In this regard, fishermen think that there are few chubs, or they bite poorly. In fact, there are always chubs, but the peak of their bite occurs in mid-May, when all the individuals have spawned and recovered from illness.
Chub spawning
In March-April, the spawning of chub comes to an end, which means you can start fishing effectively with donkeys. After the spawning period, the chub becomes tired and often rests in various holes. Then he begins an active search for food throughout the reservoir. Chub fishing in the spring season can take place throughout the day, since the bite disappears only in a short period from 12 to 3-4 am.
In spring, the water in reservoirs is often quite cloudy, which is to the advantage of fishermen. In muddy water, a very shy chub will not notice the fishing line or the fisherman himself, and the fish detects the bait by its movements or its smell.
It is best to fish in areas of reservoirs with a flat, clay bottom. The depth at the fishing spot should be 1-2 m, and the current should be average or even slow (in reservoirs with fast currents you can fish in quiet backwaters). Due to the fact that after spawning the chub tries to find quiet areas for feeding, it can often be found at river mouths.
Bait for catching chub
Until the May beetles appear, you can catch chub using crayfish, dung beetle and May beetle larvae, worms, and small live bait. In addition, you can catch chub using baits of plant origin, but the truth is that he shows much less interest in them than in animal baits. The chub bites worst of all on the blue cockroach, black cockroach, breadbox, pearl barley. The chub swallows the bait immediately after taking it. The moment of the bite is expressed by a sharp bend of the nod, after which it is necessary to immediately perform a smooth hook.
How to catch chub in winter
Chub fishing: advice from professionals
Fishing with a bale
If fishing is carried out in a wade, it is recommended to use a fishing rod up to 6 meters long, which is equipped with a reel. There is no need to install a float and weight on such tackle. All that is required is to wind 50 meters of fishing line with a diameter of 0.3 mm onto the reel. A medium-sized jig is attached to the base of the fishing line. The bait is attached to the jig, after which it simply lies on the water and is released with the flow. It's important to keep an eye on that. So that the bait always remains at half-water, since it is at this depth in most cases that chub bites occur. You will not miss the moment of the bite, as you will feel a sharp blow, at the moment of which you should hook.
Lures for chub
- Chub are caught with a variety of different baits such as: dough, bread crust, lard, cheese, meat, liver, pieces of fish.
- Let us also note the natural food for the chub: beetles, dragonflies, various insects, butterflies, maggots, worms, leeches, mollusks, tadpoles of frogs, baby frogs, fry.
- Among the vegetable baits, we note the following: peas, boiled potatoes, steamed grain. Although this may seem surprising, chub are also caught using berries: cherries, currants, gooseberries and mulberries.
For spring chub fishing, you can also use lamprey larvae. They can be dug up in muddy soil near water, but it is worth considering that they may not be available at the planned fishing location.
For spring fishing, larvae of 10 cm in size are taken. If the larvae are smaller, then several can be planted at once. They are inserted through the mouth so that the larva cannot burrow into the ground. You can also use large earthworms.
Let us repeat that the most effective spinning baits for chub are wobblers, then oscillating and rotating spoons; you can read more about them using the links at the top and bottom of the page.
Equipment for catching chub in spring
At the end of May, the chub begins to rise to the surface of the reservoir and it is at this time that you can safely start catching it with a float rod. The tackle must have high-quality guide rings and a reliable reel. A fishing line with a diameter of no more than 0.25 mm is wound on the reel; you should definitely use a leash, which is made from a fishing line with a diameter of 0.2. The load must be selected in such a way that the float always remains strictly in a vertical position after casting. It is important to note that the load must be sliding.
A piece of oval-shaped foam plastic is suitable as a float, but it is important to note that it should only be painted in natural colors (gray, black, brown).
In the last days of May, when caterpillars begin to appear on the leaves, you can start trying to use them as bait for catching chub. The most promising place for catching chub with a caterpillar will be a section of a reservoir where a tree leans over the water. The bait must be cast very carefully and as quietly as possible; the slightest noise of the chub is alarming, and it will immediately leave the fishing spot.
Tackle for catching chub on donka
In spring, you can use mobile gear. This could be a regular donk with a light sinker.
Such tackle will provide the opportunity to carry out wiring to all the so-called “fishing” places.
This type of gear also uses a spinning reel.
The best time of day for fishing is after sunset. A good bite begins around 7-8 pm and often lasts for a couple of hours.
At night, the intensity of the bite drops, but you should not sleep, as at this time there is a chance to catch a large specimen. Again, active biting begins early in the morning (4-5 hours) and continues until 8-9 hours.
In addition to wobblers, spinners, both spoons and spinners, are very catchy for catching chub; read more about them in the article “spinners for chub.”
Chub fishing in spring
Chub are caught perfectly throughout the entire light bottom before spawning and on time. However, its greatest activity is observed in the early morning and at sunset. During this period, the fish sticks to half the water, and more often to the very bottom.
In spring, chub fishing is carried out using bottom rods. The gear must be adjusted as accurately as possible. The main line has a diameter of 0.3 mm, the leader has a diameter of no more than 0.2 mm. To ensure that the bait is always at the bottom, it is recommended to use a flat sinker. The weight is selected based on the fishing conditions; the most important thing after casting is that there should be enough weight to withstand the current. As for the hook, number 6 will be enough.
Fish activity
March. As soon as the reservoir is freed from ice, the fish leave their wintering grounds and begin to actively search for food. During this period, fishing should be carried out in chub feeding areas. At the beginning of spring, baits should be lightweight, no more than 2 grams. Cast the bait with the current in mind, and when it is carried to the desired point, play with the bait a little. Since the chub will not be interested in a stationary target.
April. In mid-spring, fish begin to gather in schools, and the water becomes clearer. During the day, fish can change their location in the reservoir several times. Now for successful fishing, you need to be even more careful and carefully select bait and gear.
May. At the end of spring, a successful bite continues day and night. We select an area for fishing: snags, stones sticking out of the water and depressions of 1-2 m. At this time, bottom fishing is practiced, so the sinkers must be heavy. For baits, leeches, worms and larvae are good. During the period of mass summer of the cockchafer, you should give preference to this bait. Cast in such a way that the bait stays near the bottom or closer to the middle.
Fishing places
Before spawning, the chub avoids areas with current and tries to stay near all kinds of shelters. It can be:
- At shallow depths near riffles
- Areas of the reservoir with bottom anomalies
- On steep shores
- In snag areas with medium depths
- Near bridge supports and various water structures
The bottom in these places should be rocky or sandy. The chub avoids silted areas.
Chub spawning begins when the water temperature reaches 12-15 degrees. Its duration will depend on the weather - when it gets colder, the spawn may be delayed.
After the end of spawning, the chub goes to the nearest bottom holes to recover. The post-spawning bite will begin in about a week, when the fish go to their summer camps. These places:
- Edges and slopes
- Flooded trees and bushes protruding from the water
- Shallow shoals with medium to fast currents
- Behind the islands dividing the water flow
- Trees hanging over the water
In the spring, the chub can change its location throughout the day. At dawn, before the water has time to warm up, it stays in the bottom layers. And as it warms up, it begins to shift closer to the surface.
The same is with the weather - on clear sunny days the chub stays near the surface. In strong winds or rain it goes deeper.
You can catch chub throughout the day, including in the evening and at dusk. At this time he is often especially active.
What gear can you use to successfully catch chub in the spring?
When fishing for smut in the spring, you can use the following gear:
- Donku , which works perfectly in the period after the ice melts and until the end of April. It is best to go chub fishing early in the morning, as well as before sunset, 2-3 hours before sunset.
- Spinning. In spring, chub are not interested in large-sized baits, so you should give preference to ultralight class tackle and the same baits - small wobblers up to 4-5 cm, micro-oscillators and small silicone.
Chabik from Dzhakal is a classic crank for catching chub throughout the season, including in spring - Fly fishing . The best bait in this case will be an artificial fly, and in May, after the mass emergence, May beetles and mayflies.
Before you go fishing, you should thoroughly study the habits of the cunning chub.
Fishing for chub in May using a spinning rod
Today we offer the topic: “catching chub in May with a spinning rod” from professional fishermen. We tried to cover the topic as fully as possible. You can ask all questions in the comments after the article.
Active chub fishing in spring can begin as early as the first warm days in early March. This is a rather interesting, very cautious and strong enemy, whose habits have not yet been fully studied by the fishing community.
It is mainly distributed in large and small rivers in the central zone of our country, where you can find very worthy specimens. The average weight of the forehead is 800 - 900 grams , but there are known cases of catching representatives of this species up to 5 kg. They catch it with various types of gear, using both artificial and natural baits.
Among other things, spring chub fishing is interesting because many anglers start their spring-summer fishing season with it. Chub fishing in early spring usually begins one to two weeks after the ice cover disappears from the rivers . At this time, the big-headed predator leaves the wintering pits and begins to actively feed before the spawning period.
Starting from the moment when the chub begins to peck in the spring and before the start of spawning, its activity gradually, along with the warming of the water, increases and reaches its climax in the second half of April, early May. However, on the rivers of the southern part of the country, chub fishing is also active in March, in the last week of this first spring month.
In those places, due to the rapid increase in air and water temperatures, the chub begins to actively gain weight somewhat earlier in early spring. Therefore, you need to determine when to catch chub in the spring not by the calendar, but by how quickly the river is freed from ice and the water warms up .
It is well known that in March, immediately after leaving the pits, chub begin to gather in schools, after which they gradually move to the spawning grounds. And these, most often, are small tributaries of rivers with a calm flow, well warmed by the spring sun, or shallow bays. It is to them that the chub usually strives in the spring.
Depending on where this place is located, the flock can sometimes take quite a long time to get there. Schools spawn at different times, depending on location and water temperature. But the spawning of the forehead itself occurs very quickly, it only takes one day.
During the period of its movement to spawning grounds, the spring chub can appear and attack the bait literally anywhere in the river, even in a backwater with coastal mud, where at other times it is practically not seen. But still, the most promising places to look for it are:
- Sections of rivers with riffles. In such places, chub do very well on spinning rods in the spring.
- Areas of the reservoir bordering bottom holes. Here, productive chub fishing in the spring is possible with almost all types of bait.
- Places where there are several submerged large boulders .
- In places where the river bed narrows , even if the bottom there is not rocky. Here, fishing for chub with a spinning rod in the spring can be quite effective until the end of May.
- Sections of the river under overhanging trees , where chub in the spring and at other times of the year feed on the larvae of a variety of insects. You can determine that it is here by frequent splashes on the surface of the water.
- On the border of areas with different flow intensities.
It can also be found near a flooded snag, next to the bridge supports, in the area of small islands. Most likely, catching chub with a spinning rod in March, after the ice has completely disappeared, will be successful at the exit from the pits, before the rifts.
Chub fishing in April is quite active and can be successful in a variety of places. But still, after some warming up of the water, first of all you need to look for it in the places where various tributaries (eriks, streams, etc.) flow into the main channel , not far from the shore, where it is now easiest for it to find the food it needs.
In such places, the average chub usually does very well on a spinning rod in April and early May. In this case, there is no need for long-distance casting of baits; it will be much more effective to place them parallel to the shore at a distance of 2-3 meters from it.
Chub fishing in May will be more productive near holes and steep banks . Here the bighead usually rests for some time after spawning. After which, in the second half of the month, he begins to actively hunt throughout the entire water area of the reservoir, searching for food in various places. Therefore, fishing for chub in May should begin with identifying such promising places.
There are many ways to successfully catch this fish. Each angler usually chooses for himself what and how to catch chub in the spring, taking into account his skills, favorite gear and bait. The following methods are considered the most common and effective:
- Spinning fishing.
- Donk fishing.
- Fly fishing.
Fishing with float tackle is not suitable for spring conditions.
If you prefer the first option, then it would be useful to know that catching chub with a spinning rod in early spring should be carried out only during the daytime , since during this period it is active almost around the clock.
To hunt for it, you need to select light or even ultra-light tackle, since chub baits for spinning in the spring should not be large . Most likely, he will be interested in small but noticeable bait options, such as spinners no higher than number two, surface wobblers up to 3 cm, etc. At the same time, you need to know that the chub goes wrong on a spinning rod in March, immediately after the ice melts willingly, as in the following months.
Fishing for chub with a spinning rod in April becomes much more active; it is no longer so picky in choosing bait and can attack both the lightest and medium-sized baits.
But it is especially common to catch chub on a spinning rod in May, after spawning. At this time, he tries with renewed vigor to replenish his energy reserves and attacks any bait that is more or less attractive to him, located in his sensitivity zone. And this usually continues until the onset of summer heat.
What can you use to catch chub in the spring using a spinning rod? all types of bait can be quite catchy , except, perhaps, the jig. At the same time, to increase efficiency, catching chub with wobblers in the spring can alternate with fishing, for example, with different types of spinners. This way the spinner will quickly attract attention to his tackle and achieve success.
Among wobblers, you need to choose models that closely resemble small roach, ruffe or gudgeon, equipped with one or two tees. Their color should be as natural as possible , without bright elements, as they can scare off the spring, extremely cautious chub.
There is a certain time when chub bite on bottom tackle in the spring. This period begins in March, with its spring activation, and, as a rule, lasts until spawning. After spawning, it is very difficult to catch it with this type of gear.
One of the advantages of this method of catching bigmouth over others is that it can be caught with a donkey both during the day and at night . For night fishing you need to install appropriate bite alarms.
In addition, given that at this time the water in the rivers is usually very muddy, you can equip it with a rather thick fishing line, which at other times can scare it away. But it is worth remembering that a fishing line with a large cross-section is more likely to be carried away by the current, so determine for yourself the most acceptable option that combines thickness and strength.
Experienced fishermen will always tell you what the chub bites on in the spring from the bottom of a given reservoir. The generally accepted baits that have proven their catchability are:
- large worms;
- bunches of maggots;
- large insect larvae, for example, it works very well for the larvae of cockchafers.
It is known that this fish is practically omnivorous, the bighead happily eats both plant and animal food, so it is usually not a problem at all what to use to catch chub in March, April or May.
But probably not everyone knows that catching chub in the spring using chicken liver . Moreover, such bait works best in early spring, when there are not so many insects and their larvae, and the fish’s appetite is rapidly growing. Therefore, the most successful way to catch chub with liver is in the spring, usually from March to the end of April.
In May it is already quite warm outside and the chub has already finished spawning, and after spawning it begins a period of good feeding and eats everything that comes into its sight.
In May, you can look for chub in several types of places. First of all, in May you need to look for the chub in shallow water near the shore under the bushes, which will bloom very soon and there are a lot of bugs on them, which often fall into the water and the chub is not averse to snacking on them.
On small rivers with a current, the chub will stand at the beginning of the pool, facing the current, where food will roll down the stream.
On large rivers, they look for chub near the shore in holes or in places where the bottom is rocky; the chub likes to sit in ambush, hiding behind a stone. Chub can often be found near bridge piles.
And the chub is also not averse to wandering along the rifts on a hot sunny day; on rivers with large currents, the chub often enters bays and small tributaries of these rivers.
As you can see, there are a lot of chub habitats, so the success of fishing will often depend on how quickly you can find the place where the chub lives.
The chub is active throughout the day, but in the spring in May, when the nights are cold and the water cools quickly, you should go fishing around 11 o’clock so that the water has time to warm up and the chub leaves its overnight holes.
The optimal weather for catching chub in May is sunny weather, without wind or with a slight breeze; there are often cases of chub biting becoming more active right before the rain, but this happens more often in the summer, towards the end of May.
When catching chub with a float rod, you need to use a thin but strong fishing line, usually a diameter of 0.18 mm is enough, use a hook of a size below average, and it is better to use a feather float.
The chub is famous for its timidity and when catching it with a float rod, you need to be extremely careful and secretive so as not to scare it away, and places should be chosen so that the sun is always in front of you and your shadow does not fall into the water.
To catch chub on a float rod, you can use baits such as a worm, maggot, and the chub catches well on the cockchafer.
Sometimes, especially in places with a reverse current or with an ordinary small current, a chub can be caught with an ordinary bird feather, tying it to a hook, while the float is lowered directly to the weight, and the tackle is lowered into the water and you simply let it float with the flow, as already written This is especially convenient in places with reverse currents, when our bait can swim a long distance from one place.
Well, this is where we'll end.
