Interesting facts about catfish and catfish fishing

Yuri 10/12/2020 1074

The variety of catfish fishing methods is a big plus for a novice fisherman. The mustachioed giant is caught using spinning rods, bottom tackle, on mugs and girders, and even with a float rod. An angler who is interested in catching this noble fish for the first time can choose the most convenient option for himself.

The fishing method of catching catfish on a donk deserves special attention. It is this method of catfish fishing that will be discussed in this article.

Types of bottom gear

Already from the name itself it follows that bottom tackle is used for fishing fish that live and feed primarily in the bottom layer of water. These are mainly species such as bream, carp, carp, chub, perch, roach and of course his majesty catfish.

Bottom equipment for catching a certain type of fish may differ from each other. This circumstance depends on the size of the fish itself, the type of water area and other fishing conditions.

Initially, the classic donka was the simplest fishing tackle, consisting of a coil of fishing line, a sinker and a hook. This design had its drawbacks - the tackle was very rough, and when fishing for a large trophy, derailments often occurred.

In the process of evolution, the bottom fishing rod has undergone changes and has been modernized into new types of bottom equipment. So, today catfish are caught using the following types of bottom gear:

• The classic donka “zakidushka” is the progenitor of the entire bottom industry. Its design is extremely simple. As mentioned above, it consists of a fishing line wound on a reel. A sinker is attached to the end, above which two or three leashes with hooks extend. The advantages of this design include ease of manufacture, low cost and compactness;
• Donka on a spinning rod is an improved and most common bottom fishing rod. As a rule, all equipment is mounted on a spinning rod with a spinning reel. The presence of these elements allows you to fish for large fish more comfortably and delicately, and makes it possible to cast all the gear further;
• Donka with a shock absorber, or “rubber band” - is suitable only for catching medium-sized catfish, weighing up to 5 kilograms. This type of gear will only be effective on bodies of water with standing water. It is a roll of elastic for aviation modeling. A weight exceeding the weight of the fish that is supposed to be caught is tied to one side. On the other hand, the main fishing line is tied to the elastic band, on which hooks with leashes are mounted.

In addition to the three types of bottom fishing rods described, there are many other options for bottom rigs. But, they are only suitable for fishing smaller fish than catfish. Of the “catfish” donks, the most effective option is spinning equipment.

Find out what catfish are caught at the Sazanya Bukhta fishing base from our photos.

Secrets of how to catch catfish by hand

Despite the existence of a lot of different devices for catching fish, some men decide to catch this predator with their bare hands. Regarding the name of catching catfish by hand in the USA, it is noodling. The choice of fish to catch with your hands is not random; it depends on their habitat. Also, you should prepare for such fishing in advance.

The hand catching scheme consists of performing step-by-step actions:

1. First, a person must manually explore the maximum underwater depths to discover the habitat of the catfish.
2. Then the fisherman hopes to be grabbed by the hand by the catfish.
3. The person must then react very quickly and grab the fish with both hands.
4. After being captured, the fisherman begins to swim up with his catch.

Basically, fishermen who practice fishing with their hands work together with assistants. Because they help to quickly pull the predator ashore or throw it into a tray.

It should not be forgotten that such fishing is especially dangerous for humans. While fishing by hand, a person can cut himself. Of course, to protect yourself from cuts, you can use special gloves and protective clothing. But even if you use gloves, there is a chance of getting an infection or losing your fingers.

Other aquatic inhabitants pose a particular danger to people who engage in noodling. Snakes, beavers and snapping turtles, which like to settle in abandoned catfish burrows, are considered much more dangerous predators. Fishermen argue that catching catfish in early spring has its advantages, since the fish are not so active during this period and the probability of success is much higher.

Watch a video about how Americans catch fish with their hands.

Donka for catfish with your own hands

Catfish is the largest freshwater inhabitant of reservoirs. When fishing, it can offer decent resistance, and the whole struggle can end not in favor of the fisherman. Therefore, all elements of bottom equipment for catching catfish must have the necessary safety margin.

Rod

The best option for a “catfish” spinning rod is a composite plug with a test load of 250 grams. To cast a donkey from the shore, a whip 2.4 meters long will be enough. To cast tackle from a boat, a spinning rod with a length of 1.5 meters is quite enough.

Coil

An inertia-free reel with a small gear ratio and a reliable clutch is placed on the “catfish” rod. The capacity of the reel should not be less than 3000, and preferably 4000. At least 200 meters of cord should be wound around it so that it is possible to cast the line without forcing events when fishing for a serious trophy.

fishing line

As the main line, use a dark-colored monofilament line or a cord with a cross-section of 0.8 to 1.0 mm. Leashes can be knitted from a thinner monofilament thread with a diameter of 0.5 mm.

Hooks

Most often, no more than two single hooks are mounted on a bottom fishing rod for catching catfish. Doubles and tees are used less often. The owner of the river has an impressive mouth, so there is no need to waste time with hook numbers. For catching catfish weighing up to 10 kilograms, hooks with numbers 5.0-6.0 are suitable, for catching larger specimens from 10 kg. and more, you can attach hooks with numbers 9.0-11.0.

Sinker

The weight of the sinker for casting tackle from the shore or boat is selected depending on the strength of the current and fishing conditions. Usually its weight ranges from 150 to 300 grams.

Spinning tackle

Spinning fishing is considered a difficult activity that involves fighting large prey. To remove a river monster from the water, you need to use powerful, functional and reliable fishing rods with good shock-absorbing properties.

When collecting gear for trolling catfish, you should give preference to special models designed for this method of fishing.

Selection of wobblers

One of the most effective baits for catching catfish is a wobbler. Fish are well attracted to both floating and sinking models, and the key requirement is the depth of the product. This property is provided by the manufacturer, but the angler can change the immersion depth of the wobbler himself.

When catching catfish by trolling, you need to consider the following factors:

1. Diameter of braided line.
2. Distance between boat and bait.
3. The speed of the boat.

The bait will be submerged to the maximum depth when using a thin line. Fans of trolling fishing prefer the following models of wobblers: Rapala Super Shad Rap, Mann's Stretch, Halco Sorcerer and Bomber Deep Down Long A.

The listed wobblers for catfish demonstrate good effectiveness due to the wide variety of colors, stable and attractive play, as well as good immersion depth. And according to experienced spinning anglers, a “bomber” wobbler for catfish is the best solution in its price category, allowing you to attract even lazy fish.

Spoons

Every angler's arsenal should include catchable lures for catfish

Particular attention is paid to thick-walled models with large dimensions and heavy weight

The bait is slowly pulled along the bottom, causing the turbidity to rise, which creates an imitation of the movements of live prey.

Coil selection

If you are interested in how to catch catfish, you need to carefully select a reel. It uses a reinforced product with a spool capacity of up to 3000-5000. At the same time, the predator is caught with both powerful carp reels and models for sea fishing.

For catching catfish by trolling, both power multipliers and inertia-free structures are allowed.

Rod

An important element of equipment for catfish is the fishing rod. It should be as durable as possible, able to withstand strong and aggressive jerks. The optimal length is 2.7−3 m, and the test is 20−60 g. Preference is given to forms with a fast action.

Hooks

To catch catfish with live bait or artificial bait, you must use high-quality hooks. They must be made of durable materials, have sufficient size and degree of sharpening. You can use both store-bought and homemade hooks for catfish (The size of the hooks is determined by the size of the expected catch).

If you expect to catch 5-kilogram specimens, you can get by with carp hooks. Larger predators are caught with hooks numbered 5,9, 10 and larger, depending on their weight. You can't skimp on these products.

Installation

At the stage of installation on a spinner or live bait, the reel is equipped with a strong fishing cord or line, 200 m long. A load is fixed at the end of the main line, and a leash and hooks are attached at a distance of 50 cm from the load.

Swivels or carabiners are used as fastening elements. Fishermen also advise installing a leash with a forged hook, instead of a single product.

Donka fishing from the shore

Catching catfish with a donk from the shore in the summer season will be more effective. It is during this period, with the onset of twilight, that the predator leaves its daytime rookery and goes out to feed in shallow water areas. Before fishing, it would be a good idea to conduct reconnaissance of the area in order to determine the most promising places for placing bottom fishing rods.

By carefully observing the surface of the water, you can notice splashes and craters on the surface. Such phenomena may indicate fattening of catfish.

If you bite a trophy specimen, under no circumstances should you rush to land the fish. The predator must first be tired and only then gradually brought to the shore. When fishing at night, it is advisable to use mechanical and electronic bite alarms - bells, bells, fireflies.

Catching catfish with hooks

When fishing for bait, you should also not rush to catch catfish. Typically, a large catfish fights for life from one to two hours. Often the fisherman receives minor injuries, because the reel can knock off his fingers, and swelling of the hand or bruise of the hand may occur. But a trophy in the form of a catfish weighing several tens of kilograms will be a wonderful result, and the fishing will be remembered for a lifetime.

Catfish is a long-lived fish. If a fisherman catches a catfish weighing several tens of kilograms, then perhaps the fish is already eighty years old. Often these mustachioed giants live to their centenary or longer.

Fishing with bottom tackle from a boat

Most often, catching catfish on a bottom from a boat takes place over holes and edges, the location of which has been determined in advance. This method has both advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages is the ability to position the boat directly above the hole and present the bait as accurately as possible.

The disadvantage of this method is the difficulty in landing really large fish. The fishing process is complicated by the unstable position of the boat and the fisherman. It is advisable to go on such fishing with a partner who can provide assistance in a difficult situation.

To attract catfish to the fishing site, many fishermen use the “kwok”. This is a special device made of lightweight material. When the quok hits the water, the angler creates squelching sounds that attract catfish to the fishing spot.

Catching catfish using kwok

To fish for kwok you need a boat. A fisherman goes down the river and hits the water with a small plank with a groove, creating a croaking sound. A cord with live bait on a leash is wound around the board, the fisherman makes strikes in the water, holding the board tightly in his hand, in anticipation that a catfish will be caught on the hook. But this technology, known since the time of Sabaneev, is becoming a thing of the past, because some old fishermen in some regions are still engaged in fishing “with kwok”, but young people nowadays are actively purchasing the latest fishing equipment for catching catfish in fishing stores.

The fisherman must remember that landing catfish in a wooden or rubber boat is a difficult and time-consuming task. The catfish will definitely rage, actively resist, and if a giant bites, it will pull the boat along with it. But sooner or later the fish will get tired, and then it can be towed to the shore and pulled out there.

Bait on hooks

The best baits for catching catfish on a donk are:

• meat shell pearl barley:
• crayfish;
• crawlers and leeches placed on hooks in clusters;
• the carcass of a small bird singed on a fire;
• fish.

Hook baits should be selected taking into account the fishing season and weather conditions. When going fishing, it is better to stock up on different types of bait so that you can experimentally select the most effective bait.

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Baits and lures for all methods of catching catfish

The best baits for catfish are animal-based baits.

Som likes:

1. Large worms (crawls)
2. leeches
3. pearl barley shells
4. mole cricket
5. locusts

You can put several on the hook at once.

Among live bait, catfish likes the most:

1. ide
2. saberfish
3. little puppy
4. asp

• Fresh fish fillets will also work.
• Some fishermen even use birds smoked over a fire.
• Catfish also eat baits such as frogs and crayfish.

When spinning catfish fishing, diving wobblers, large silicone baits (vibrotails and twisters) with heavy jig heads, and large spoons work well. The placement of artificial baits is carried out at the very bottom very slowly and evenly so that the catfish has time to grab the bait.

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What does kwok consist of?

As mentioned above, you can make a catfish kwok with your own hands; for this you will need wood and some metal, as well as free time and basic skills in working with these materials.

The main parts of the tool are:

• Lever
• Knife
• Piglet

Three main components that you can very easily make with your own hands. It is worth paying attention that only the nickel of the instrument is made of metal, because this is the only way to achieve a distinct, high-quality sound.

• The handle can be completely different, its parameters need to be selected for a specific hand, the shape can be absolutely any, which will be more convenient. In fact, the handle of a kwok is no different from the handle of a regular knife; you can use a ready-made one.
• An important aspect is that the handle should be made of wood. This will prevent accidental loss of the tool if it falls into water. The fact is that the wooden handle will not allow it to drown.
• A knife is a curved oblong part of a tool in the form of a blade. It does not need to be sharpened, and it could well be made of wood if that is more convenient for the fisherman.
• At its tip there is a snout, this part of the instrument is the most important, it is thanks to it that sounds are made that attract catfish. The shape of the piglet resembles a teaspoon, only more rounded.

Particular attention should be paid to its edges; the sharper they are, the better it will capture air bubbles rising from the water.

Accordingly, the sound produced will be better. It is very easy to make a patch; just heat the workpiece and give it the desired look by forging.

Manufacturing process

Let's look at how to make a kwok, the most popular and easiest to perform form - the Atanovsky one. Such a tool will be durable and will be perfect both as a first quok and as a professional tool. First you need to find drawings of the quok on the Internet.

Of course, you can draw them yourself, but usually this does not make much sense, especially if the angler has no experience in making such tools. Nowadays you can easily find the necessary drawings on the Internet.

Drawings from the Internet are not only quite detailed, but also made, as a rule, by practitioners who are aware of important nuances that a beginner may not take into account when developing his own gear.

Next you need to prepare the material. In our case we will use:

• A metal plate 35 long, 2.5–3 centimeters wide and 2–3 millimeters thick. It is better if it is a metal that is not subject to corrosion: duralumin, brass, stainless steel.
• The wooden blank is of such thickness and length that it fits comfortably in the hand - this parameter is selected individually. Typically, the diameter of the workpiece is about 3.5 centimeters, and the length is about 25.

In this case, a kwok will be made with a metal knife and a hoof, equipped with a wooden handle. First you need to make a handle. To do this, you need to use a grinding wheel, knife or sandpaper to grind the workpiece to a shape that will fit comfortably in your hand. To get the classic handle shape:

• 0.5 centimeters are removed from both sides of the workpiece and the corners are rounded, obtaining a cross-section of the handle close to a rectangle with sides of 25 and 35 millimeters, respectively.
• The lower part of the handle is sawn off at an angle of 140 degrees.
• A cut is made inside the handle from below at a similar angle, 25 millimeters deep.

At this point the handle can be considered ready. After completing the entire process, it will need to be coated with a moisture-repellent composition. Next you need to make a suitable cutwater. In order to make it you need:

• Cut a piece about 250–270 millimeters long from the plate, depending on the thickness of the handle.
• Grind off about 0.25 centimeters of width on each side near the bottom edge, making the cutwater slightly tapering towards the bottom.
• Insert the upper edge of the cutwater into the cut in the handle, check the angle between the knife and the handle - it should be approximately 120 degrees.
• If the angle is observed, draw out the remaining plates protruding from the handle from the back and cut them off.
• Without removing the knife from the groove, place the handle vertically and draw the lower end of the divider so that the line starts from its upper corner and is strictly parallel to the ground.
• Cut off the excess part of the knife.
• Sharpen the edges of the cutwater so that it can pass through the water more freely, but without fanaticism - this should not make it become a blade that can cut your hand or boat.

At this point the knife can be considered ready. Next, the patch is made. To do this, a rectangle with sides of 25 and 45 millimeters is cut out of the plate, its corners are rounded, and the edges are sharpened by one-sided sharpening from above so that the plane at the bottom is perfectly smooth.

Next, you need to securely connect the resulting elements. In the case of a handle and a knife, this is quite simple - the knife and groove are lubricated with epoxy resin, connected, after which the connection in the center is drilled through and riveted. This design will hold tight.

In the case of connecting a snout with a knife, options are possible. You can cut a slot in the center of the patch, insert the edge of a knife there and rivet it. You can use aluminum brand, epoxy resin or other options as a connection element - in this case, each fisherman himself chooses a fastening that is convenient for him.

Read Winter roach fishing

In case of connection by riveting, it is necessary to carefully polish the bottom surface of the patch after completion of the process so that it is perfectly smooth. Only in this case will the quok work perfectly.

Thus, making a quok of this shape is quite simple, and a tool made in this way will perform its function in the hands of the fisherman for a long time.

Where to begin

When considering the question of how to catch catfish with a kwok, you should first decide on the type of tool.

• It is easiest to purchase a ready-made device, but the varieties that are needed in a particular case may not always be available for sale.
• Self-production will allow you to create a tool that will be ideal for the fisherman, but this requires certain skills and experience.

If there are none, then you should start creating with the simplest option, this will allow you to gain basic skills in working with materials and gain an understanding of the structure of the quok. As development progresses, it will be possible to create other, more complex models.