Autumn season, like no other, brings together the age-old diversity of “predatory” fishing styles. But it is important to restrain yourself and not fall into poaching - with excessively dense rows, circles, girders and brutal overfishing.
Hunting for pike with a donkey has been and remains a classic of fishing: it happens that the best spoon, tested in more than a dozen fishing trips, for some reason is silent, well, if the predator does not want iron, then you need to serve him meat.
Previously, for fishing with live bait, I used a regular donka with a supply of fishing line on the reel, a spoon weight and a leash with a hook. On the one hand, it’s convenient - you cast four hooks and sit, fish with your favorite float rod, and periodically remove the “bottom cream”. But there is no main beauty - the soul-satisfying bite is not visible! And problems arise with the condition of the live bait - either it falls asleep, or the pike will pick it with impunity. In addition, hand casting does not always turn out the way you want. Yes, and there may be problems with fishing without an assistant - a fishing rod.
So I started using two spinning rods. One with a dough of 15-45 g and a length of 2.6 m, very hard, I use it when fishing very “strong” places where instant hooking and forceful retrieval are needed, which does not give the fish a chance to go into the wilds. The second stick with a dough of 15-28 g and a length of 3 m, the fast action of which was excellent for live bait fishing, at least for me. As a main line, 0.19 mm braid is sufficient. I have several types of sinkers, all sliding ones. You can, of course, use a “deaf” one, but in this case the sensitivity of the gear is lost, and many bites go unnoticed. It often happened when a pike grabbed a live bait and stood in place for a long time, despite the current. However, even in the presence of a sliding weight, the bite can be confused with the movements of the live bait itself or a slight drift of the equipment with the current, when the toe of the rod bends a little, and then it immediately returns to its original position. Still, a sliding sinker is better!
Donkey rig for pike
The first version of the equipment is mounted on the basis of an anti-twist tube for a feeder feeder , only together with it a lead weight is attached to a clasp, the weight of which depends on the strength of the current and depth. The shape of the weights is flat (holds the bottom more reliably) and as streamlined as possible - for better passage through bottom obstacles when fishing. I use this type of equipment in relatively clean areas, but it still tends to get stuck at the wrong moment due to the bent tube. But there is also an undeniable advantage over other equipment - in a matter of seconds you can change the weight of the load. In addition, tangles of the leash when casting are practically eliminated.
The second type of equipment with a conventional sliding sinker that moves freely through a through hole along the braid . Lately, I’ve been using the “airplane” type cargo most often. Thanks to its triangular and simplified shape, it practically does not cling to any bottom obstacles and withstands the pressure of any current well. The only thing you need to do with any sinker is to remove all the sharp edges so that when fishing they do not fluff up the braid.
Selecting a location
Like other representatives of the ichthyofauna, with the advent of cold weather, crucian carp begins to move away from the shore. Previously known “fishing” places do not give the same results, which forces fishermen to move impressive distances from the shore. In the autumn, fish can settle at a depth of three meters, preferring areas with a relief bottom, underwater ditches, as well as islands of remaining vegetation. Large schools of crucian carp stop among water lilies and in places with silted bottom. This is where the chance of getting a real trophy appears.
A very promising point for fishing is the border of reed thickets, especially if there is a steep slope behind it. This place needs special attention.
In ponds with a high population of crucian carp, deep areas with variable topography should be examined. Also, special attention should be given to the old beds of flooded rivers.
Read: Equipment for “hair”. Secrets of carp fishing
When choosing a suitable location for fishing, it is important to take into account both personal experience and recommendations of local fishermen.
Do you need a leash when catching pike on a donk?
Disputes still continue about the advisability of using a metal leash when fishing for pike. Does it alarm the fish? Does it always save you from cutting lines? There are many questions and different answers.
Choosing a leash for catching a predator
I will express my opinion: I put a leash only when it is not possible to make an instant hook, and the fish has time to swallow the hook deeply, cutting off the whip. Although a pike leash is not an ironclad guarantee, it always saves you from sharp teeth. Not that often, but regularly we had to find baits with leashes and bitten off lines in the stomachs of caught predators. And these were not pound monsters at all, but 1-2 kilogram individuals. It also happened that when fishing with a spinning rod, a pike bit off the braided line above the leash. Be that as it may, I am sure that a metal leash plays a negative role in catching pike with an active bottom, so I decided to exclude it from my equipment.
Although a leash, of course, wouldn’t hurt, a soft one, for example, made of fluorocarbon. In a couple of seasons there were only two cuts of the fluorocarbon leader, and those occurred due to a long time of fishing for pike. I use pieces of fishing line 30-50 cm long with a diameter of 0.4 mm. At one end I knit a loop, with the help of which I connect the leash to the main lash through a reliable carabiner with a swivel, and I tie a hook to the other end.
For bottom live bait fishing I use only a single hook, which is least alarming to cautious pike. And snags on the grass and snags are much less common in the single-single. True, due to the presence of only one sting, the requirements for the hook are especially strict - strength and sharpness must be impeccable.
I tie a single line to the leash with a regular fishing knot for tying hooks. At the same time, I take into account that fluorocarbon is hard, I try to tighten the knot tightly on the shank of the hook, in order to avoid it coming undone at the most inopportune moment. For reliability, I additionally lubricate the finished assembly with high-quality instant glue. It was not possible to burn the free tip - real fluorocarbon melts very poorly with the fire of a match.
Before going to the pond, while still at home, I prepare a foam leash. The vast majority of my hooks are number one with a short shank, a slightly curved tip, forged hooks - for the best penetration into the bony mouth of a predator. I rarely use ready-made bottom mounts.
Features of donka fishing in autumn
Oh, this sad time! It is very famous for frosts, slush and other crappy weather, in which you can’t really get away with fishing. Wind, cold and precipitation can significantly impede fishing with most gear, and this is where bottom gear turns out to be indispensable - due to its exceptional independence from weather conditions. And if we take into account the increased transparency of the water and the equally increased caution of the fish (and therefore the need to cast the bait further from the shore), then donka in the fall may turn out to be the only correct option for a fisherman who does not want to return from a river or lake without a good catch.
Autumn donka - tackle
There’s no need to think anything special about rigging a donkey for autumn. You can fish with any variety of this gear, be it the most primitive and simplest bait, or a hastily constructed donka from a spinning rod, or a fully equipped feeder. However, in bottom fishing in the fall, two directions are clearly visible - with or without a feeder. A feeder may be needed as a very necessary element for fishing some types of “peaceful” fish (bream, ide, crucian carp, etc.), which without it can only be attracted to the fishing site with bait.
But for catching species such as pike and burbot, a feeder is not needed at all, but a tungsten leash is necessary, because there is a high probability of rubbing a regular fishing leash with your teeth.
By the way, about leashes. As mentioned above, in the fall the fish becomes cautious. Therefore, when catching peaceful representatives of the ichthyofauna, it would be very useful to pay due attention to the “invisibility” of the leash in the water. Here the fisherman has two options - either reduce the thickness of the leash, or tie a fluorocarbon line instead of nylon.
If we take into account all the nuances described above, there is only one thing left for us to do - mount some kind of universal bottom tackle - with the ability to re-equip it with the necessary equipment elements directly while fishing. And which, if something happened, could be attached to an ordinary spinning rod.
Rice. 1. Universal bottom equipment for autumn fishing: 1 — loop for attaching to the main fishing line (for example, to a spinning rod), 2 — silicone stoppers; 3 — swivels; 4 — fasteners for quick change of equipment elements; 5 - a feeder, which also serves as a sinker (the figure shows a feeder, but you can also attach a regular spring; a simple sinker is enough to catch predatory fish); 6 - sliding section of the equipment (length - 40-50 cm); 7 - fluorocarbon leash (length - 30-40 cm, can be replaced with tungsten when fishing for pike or burbot); 8 - hook. Important: if you use a spinning rod as a fishing rod, it is best to use a bell as a bite alarm.
Choosing live bait for pike when bottom fishing
A little about live bait . For me, gudgeon is universal. Pike eat it with great pleasure in the fall. In addition to her, the gudgeon will not be missed by perch, chub, asp, pike perch, and even catfish. The gudgeon is a schooling fish, so catching it is not difficult; the main difficulty is finding the location of the school. Gudgeon, of course, is stored worse than crucian carp, but if you follow all the tricks of live bait, it can remain in good shape for a long time. This fish is bottom-dwelling, so when hooked, donkey behaves appropriately, unlike roach or rudd, which strive to rise to the middle water horizons. Roughly on the same level as the gudgeon is the sculpin goby, which predators, especially pikes and large perches, rarely let past its hungry jaws. Next, it is worth mentioning the perch, about 10 centimeters long - also a very worthy bait for pike. Closer to winter, when fishing in holes from the bottom, bleak worked perfectly. It happened that pike and pike perch were mixed together when using this fish on the bottom. Although I won’t say that the most common live baits – roach and crucian carp – are not suitable for bottom fishing. There is just a small nuance: casting the equipment, which is usually quite far, and is often accompanied by a subsequent impact on the water, the minnow and crucian carp do not always survive it successfully, but the gudgeon and goby, in this regard, are stronger. But even when using them, I try not to use forceful throws over my head, I throw the pendulum smoothly away from myself.
If when float fishing with free swimming of live bait it can be baited under the dorsal fin, then when fishing with a donk I hook it by the lips or tail so that the fry does not get twisted by the current. With this baiting method, the fish will live longer. In general, there is nothing difficult in bottom fishing for pike, like any other predator.
Someone may say that you shouldn’t bother yourself with all this, but it’s better and easier to catch pike from a boat using mugs, slingshots, or just a spinning rod. Be that as it may, fishing trips very often happen when a lively fry on a bottom rig catches expensive wobblers, vibrating tails, and branded spinners by an order of magnitude, not only in the number of fish caught, but also in size.
Author Yuri D.
The nuances of catching bream in September on a donka
I would like to ask a question about September fishing for bream on a donk. Where to look for fish in the fall, and are the equipment, groundbait and bait different in any way? I read somewhere that activity decreases towards the end of summer.
Autumn fishing for bream and bream is just as interesting as summer fishing. Biting activity depends on many factors: weather, pressure, characteristics of the reservoir, etc. Unlike the warm water season, the fall bream bite may begin closer to 10 a.m., rather than at dawn. At the beginning of autumn, flocks of white bream do not leave their usual habitats, but with a significant drop in water temperature they slide into deep channel holes. The equipment is, first of all, distinguished by its delicacy. The thickness of the leash should not exceed 0.16 mm, while hooks are used from thin wire; they are most successful at cutting fish. In reservoirs with a current, the bream bite is a little more active, since the circulation of water saturates the space with oxygen, and the rivers become covered with ice more slowly.
The behavior of the fish forces you to adapt to it. Feeding is carried out pointwise, in places where bream are definitely present. It will not be possible to lure him with an aromatic mixture to another point, since in the fall he behaves warily and leaves the fishing zone at the slightest danger. Feed is used in small quantities so as not to frighten off the fish. When working with a feeder, it is necessary to replace large feeders with smaller models. Donk fishing also does not require a huge feeding spot on the bottom. The optimal bait is considered to be a worm and maggot. The plant option has its place, but in most cases it is less effective. It is better to leave the use of additional attractants for the next summer season. The basis of the bait is pea or millet groats. Chopped worms, food bloodworms or ground zebra mussels must be added to it. It is also necessary to darken the mixture with clay or sifted soil.
To learn more:
Subtleties of eel fishing: places and gear
You should start fishing in the upper reaches of the holes where the fish are accustomed to go out to feed. If there are no bites, it is worth experimenting with the fishing location, throwing donks to different parts of the reservoir. In shallow water, autumn bream is extremely rare, so you need to look for deep-sea edges and depth changes. If the hole is located under this bank, it is advisable to use a fly rod. The bait should lie motionless on the bottom, since passive fish react weakly to fishing with the wire. Elements of equipment must be delicate. The sinker is used as a sliding one, and it will serve as the main load of the float.
Bait when catching peaceful fish on a donk
Bait is very important in bottom fishing. And most fish from the carp family are especially dependent on bait. Since we are talking about bottom fishing, bottom baits are, of course, of interest. In this section you can familiarize yourself with the types of ready-made bottom baits and recipes for preparing homemade mixtures.
As in the feeder, the role of feeding the place is very important, that is, preliminary feeding of the place is definitely necessary, preferably without fishing for some time. If only a day is allocated for the entire fishing, then you need to be in place while it is still dark. Let's say the place is already familiar to you and a catchy edge has been found. Then, from the very early morning, you need to throw heavy balls with bait there or throw a net filled with the same balls. But the most effective way to feed a place is with bait. This is a long-term bait for 4-5 days without fishing. Balls of bait can be dropped into the fishing point or brought in by boat. During the current, a net with bait is thrown to the desired place on a strong cord. If the fishing is done with a picker, that is, with a long-range bottom, then it is possible to deliver bait by shooting balls from a special slingshot for feeder fishing or a “cobra” tube for throwing boilies in carp fishing. A more reliable way would be to use a boat to lower the bait in the right place. But you will need to mark the baited area with a buoy. Attracting fish is done with some simple but effective bait, for example, “Salapinskaya” porridge. It is quite acceptable and effective to add crackers, cake, and mixed feed.
At the end of the baiting period, you can safely start fishing and, we can guarantee, there will be success, especially if the ingredients of the bait were selected correctly. And the bait does not require harsh attractants and flavorings. All this is used for one-time fishing for one day.
Installation and equipment of the donkey
Installation method with one leash
To install the equipment for burbot you will need:
- Long rod;
- Fishing line;
- Coil;
- Sinkers;
- Hooks.
Install as follows:
- We wind the fishing line onto the reel. Its diameter is about 0.4 mm. This diameter is needed so that the fishing line can withstand strong resistance. It is desirable that its length exceeds 40 m. The color of the fishing line can be any, since fishing occurs at night.
- We attach a sinker to the tip of the fishing line. Its weight will depend on the current, but not lower than 45 g. The shape of the sinker should be round or oval so as not to overlap with the fishing line. In addition, this shape will allow the bait to lie on the bottom and not move during the current. If it moves, it may scare away the burbot. It is necessary that the load be sliding; it must be properly secured with the help of stoppers.
- You need to attach a leash. Its diameter is about 0.25 mm. The length is about 25 cm. There is a fastening method called a carabiner. It provides for a quick change of leash if it is not possible to remove the fish from the hook.
- Hook attachment. It should be large, thin and sharp. Suitable hooks size 7-12. It is important that there is a long fore-end. The thinner the hook, the less the fish is injured when pulled out of the water.
Installation of equipment with two leads
The design of the device is identical to the previous one. But here you need to attach one leash to the sinker, and the second one a little higher. The distance between them should be greater than the length of these leashes. Otherwise they may get confused.
The design of a fishing rod for burbot with two leashes is not so convenient - the burbot can get caught on two hooks at once, and it becomes more difficult to pull it out of the water. There is a possibility that the bait on the second leader will not be on the bottom.
