Fishing for bream in August

When to catch bream?

Bream bite almost all day long, but they prefer one bait or another, depending on the time. For example, during the day it is easy to catch it using plant or artificial bait, and in the evening or at night it will switch exclusively to animals.

After the winter lull, bream begins to bite in mid-late April, when the surface of the reservoir is completely free of the ice crust, the water warms up, and the sun begins to shine brighter.

Having recovered from hibernation, the bream will have an excellent appetite, because over the winter it has lost a little weight and is hungry. This biting period is observed until spawning.

During spawning, bream, like all other fish, loses its appetite and shows less activity, but after it ends, the bream has a voracious appetite for almost any bait.

Typically, bream spawning begins in mid-May, so the peak of the bite occurs in May - June, with a short interval at the end of May.

We must not forget that bream does not particularly like coastal zones, even if there is sufficient depth for it.

However, in the spring, before spawning, and in the summer after it, it moves in flocks closer to the shore in search of the required amount of food to gain weight.

In summer, bream is not particularly active, apparently it does not particularly like hot weather. And if in June bream is active to various kinds of bait, then in the middle and towards the end of summer it becomes sluggish, and therefore bites become less frequent.

However, even under such conditions, you can count on success by experimenting with complementary foods and bait.

However, at the end of August, the bream bite increases sharply and continues almost until November. With the arrival of cold weather, bream goes to the very bottom for the winter.

Secrets of success: how to catch bream in August

Such bream can be smoked.
Photo: Andrey Yanshevsky. Very often, fishing in the summer is combined with a family vacation, for which the shore of a large lake or reservoir is preferable. It is important to choose the desired fishing option, depending on the behavior of the bream in a particular body of water.

First of all, you need to try to understand what now constitutes the basis of food for fish.

For example, in a shallow, heavily overgrown lake, the main food for this fish is worms and snails. In a reservoir without developed coastal vegetation, bream feed on zebra mussels, young shoots of uruti and bloodworms.

In a small river it eats caddis flies, bloodworms and worms. In large and full-flowing, that is, deep rivers, bream no longer refuses fingerlings, as well as worms and other food of animal origin. But he does not disdain food of plant origin, provided it is easily digestible.

Therefore, fishing in the hot season is varied, interesting and exciting, but at the same time difficult and careful.

Very interesting are flowing lakes with well-developed coastal vegetation, in which the average depth is one and a half to two meters, and in the holes - four to five. It is these reservoirs that are most favorable for the reproduction and growth of large bream. It combines an optimal food supply with good conditions for spawning.

Promising places for fishing here are very diverse. A good section of the coastal zone is where the bottom slopes gently from the very shore. If the bottom is not clayey, then almost all of it becomes overgrown. Bream comes here by chance in August.

Another characteristic part of any lake is the deepest part. The hole can be either near the shore or somewhere near the riverbed. The top edge of the pit is the most promising place. The only thing that complicates matters is that it is not always possible to fish here without a boat. But large bream feel the boat very well. You have to use match tackle for long casting or a feeder.

Between the coastal “vegetation” zone and the pit there is an “irrigation”. It is possible to find bream here at certain times of the day, but only if you can find feeding areas. Such places are almost always areas “rich” with bloodworms, zebra mussels or caddisflies. To find such a place, it makes sense to “tap” the bottom with a depth gauge or echo sounder. As a last resort, you can dive.

I should note that if you are really hunting for bream, then it is better to fish from the shore, at dawn, and even better at night, when the fish is approaching the shore.

There is more choice of places on the reservoir, but there is also decent pressure from fishermen and vacationers. It’s definitely better to fish here at night. Good places are channel edges that come close to the shore. So close that you can fish with a long fly rod or pole. The fishing depth can be only 2-3 m, but more often bream prefers depths of about 4 meters.

Another good location might be a shallow water or shallow watering area with zebra mussels. Then you will need a feeder.

In any case, in order to tie the fish to the fishing spot, you will need a decent amount of high-quality bait. It is necessary to add components of animal origin to the bait. Maggot in “bream” bait almost always dramatically increases the effectiveness of its action. The total volume of maggots per 5-10 kg of bait can be 0.5 liters.

Fishing with traditional fly fishing gear has the undoubted advantage that the casting range of the equipment with an 11-meter rod will be greater than that of any plug. The disadvantages include the fact that the fly rod does not allow you to absolutely accurately deliver and hold the bait at the fishing point. This is impossible because there are no landmarks at night.

Using a plug rod allows you to get rid of all technical problems. I personally take a float with a thick antenna, and through a silicone adapter tube I put a “firefly” on it. It’s even better if the float is designed specifically for replaceable antennas with a diameter of 3-4 mm.

Despite the fact that bream bites more accurately at night than during daylight hours, it is still preferable to use bloodworms, caddis flies, small dung worms or a “bow” made of bread as bait on the hook. Of the vegetable baits, I would put bread and pearl barley in first place.

The fishing technique does not contain anything unusual, except that the bait can be played effectively. To do this, after the bait has reached the groundbait at the bottom, a pause is made. After a pause, by moving the rod upward, you pull the bait towards you a few centimeters, and then by lowering the tip of the rod, you let the equipment fall freely.

To create an effective and natural game, you will have to increase the length of the leash to half a meter, or even more. If during fishing, especially at dawn, there is disturbance in the water, then the most effective thing can be to hold the anchored equipment in place. You just need to make sure that the bait does not fall into the ground.

Fishing in the shallow water zone is good even during the day, but only if there is a good surf and several meters of water from the shore are stirred up with silt or clay. Bream visits such places at any time of the day. In the surf it is better to fish with a worm lying on the bottom. I advise you to choose a fishing spot in the middle of a strip of muddy water with a depth of 1-1.5 m, near flooded trees and away from coastal vegetation.

With the onset of the fog season, bream visits shallow places less and less, moves to the depths and comes to the shore at very specific times and in certain places. As the water cools towards the end of the month, bream fishing in small and medium-sized, but deep lakes and quarries becomes productive. It's easier to spot here.

As the temperature drops, microscopic algae gradually die off and the water becomes clear. Aquatic plants stop growing young shoots. With a further decrease in water temperature, the plants acquire a brown color and begin to sink to the bottom. As plants begin to die, the crustaceans, worms, larvae and mollusks that inhabit them leave the plants and burrow into the ground or move to deeper places.

As the water gets colder, the fish continue to feed in deeper places. The best hours for biting are also changing. The colder the water, the more often the peak of the bite occurs in the afternoon hours.

There is a fairly rough pattern. In spring, when the water is cold, it is better to look for fish in shallow places when the sun warms up. In summer, biting hours shift towards night. With the autumn cooling of the water, it is more profitable to catch fish when the sun warms up, but at depth or at the border of vegetation.

It becomes very important to adapt to fishing with minimal weight equipment. As practice shows, usually for fishing from a depth of four meters at the end of August it is enough to use equipment with a total weight of no more than one gram. If a strong side wind blows, then you have to use slightly heavier equipment. This is due only to the windage of the fishing line.

The design of the equipment, regardless of the fishing method, must be complex, that is, with a distributed load.

As the water gets colder, it is necessary to make adjustments to the composition of the bait, reducing the amount of flavorings and increasing the proportion of the animal component. Color becomes important. The bait can be easily darkened by adding soil or peat to it. If the soil in the reservoir is sandy, then peat should be discarded.

Approximately half of the amount of bait is immediately transferred into small balls and you need to throw them as accurately and as closely as possible at the selected fishing point. After this there is some waiting period. As long as there are bites, there is no need to feed additionally. But the bites stopped or became more cautious. Usually there are three reasons.

The first is that the fish does not have enough tasty component in the bait, then it needs to be supplemented. Secondly, you may literally run out of fish. The third reason is the weather change. Then feeding is useless. You need to be patient and wait for the moment when the bite is restored.

Andrey Yanshevsky August 18, 2021 at 05:32 pm

What is bream most likely to bite on in August?

• The worm is one of the most versatile and easily accessible baits, but it is often the one that allows you to catch large bream. By stringing it with loops, it forms a very appetizing moving bunch, which is what attracts the attention of bream, as well as other large fish. However, when small fish are actively biting, the worm loses its “marketable” appearance, and the chances of catching a trophy become somewhat lower.
• The maggot is extremely active, so much so that it can sometimes be difficult to get it onto the hook. Several maggots are placed on a hook at a time, usually from 3 to 6 pieces on a medium hook. Unlike a worm, a maggot is more resilient on the hook and creates greater vibrations, thereby stimulating the fish’s appetite. Maggot has a thicker skin, which allows it to survive after “idle” bites from small fish.
• Artificial and vegetable baits are most effective at the end of summer, since this is the time when the crops ripen and at this time the fish are accustomed to feeding on them. Balls of dough or mastyrki, with thread inside, are very effective when fishing in the current as they do not wash off the hook.
  Instead of thread, you can also use special hooks with a spring around the forend. If you fish on a reservoir with a muddy bottom, then it is very useful to use polystyrene foam. In addition to lifting the bait, it is a good bait for bream and other bottom fish.
• Mastyrka.

To prepare mastyrka you need brand, peas and honey:

1. Soak the peas in cold water for 12 hours. This is necessary in order to reduce the cooking time of the peas.
2. Fill the pan with cold water and add the soaked peas to it. Cook the peas until they are completely swollen (about 2 hours).
3. Drain the cooked peas.
4. Puree the peas through a fine sieve or meat grinder until a thick porridge forms.
5. Add a teaspoon of honey to the resulting mixture to attract larger individuals.
6. To get the desired consistency, gradually add semolina, constantly kneading it.
7. Wrap the finished mastyrka in a damp cloth.

Secrets of catching bream with lard

Recently, most professional bream fishermen use lard as a bait. Indeed, large bream are more willing to take lard, and at the same time lard is a very convenient bait, it holds firmly on the hook, does not fly off when casting and has a pleasant smell for the fish.

It is best to use fresh, not salted or frozen lard.

You should choose a layer of fat that is closer to the skin and has many veins.

Before traveling, cut it into sized pieces and put it in the freezer.

During the fishing process, part of the lard is kept wrapped in paper or a rag, and a few pieces are placed nearby so that they melt a little.

If possible, it is advisable to dig a hole, lightly moisten it with water and store it there. This way you can avoid spoilage and changes in the smell of lard.

To increase the effectiveness of this bait, the lard can be painted in colors that are attractive to bream. But the greatest benefit comes from the combined use of lard and moving animal baits.

Lard has a specific smell, attracting fish from afar, and the maggot or worm, with its movements, draws attention to the hook.

Bait for bream in August

In professional fishing, a special role is given to bait. Its effectiveness is influenced by various factors: weather, season, feeding characteristics of the reservoir, fish diet, etc.

Bream is a very skittish fish, but even for it you can find a successful fishing method using bait.

A successful addition must have the following properties:

• The basis of the bait should be those foods that the bream like and that it usually eats. Groundbait with added particles of working bait: worm, maggot, corn, etc. shows very high efficiency.
• In practice, it has been observed that the color of bait for summer fishing should be light in color. There is a secret to this: the white spot on the bottom attracts much larger specimens, while the bream is frightened by this and is attracted to darker baits.
  But you need to take into account that too bright colors, on the contrary, scare away the fish. The color of the bait can be easily changed using special food dyes, which are sold in almost any fishing store.
• The consistency of the bait should be quite viscous, and all components should be evenly mixed and crushed. If you use coarse feed, such as corn, peas, wheat, they must be crushed, because the fish will quickly get enough of it and lose interest in your bait.
  To avoid this, you need to add some earth or clay to the bait, but some professionals use a laxative for these purposes. As a result, the bream eats up the bait, and after a while it comes out naturally, and the bream eats the bait again. If you want to catch a really large trophy, and you do not need to be distracted by small fish biting, then you should not use powdered components, as they form a cloud of dust that attracts small fish, which in turn will scare away large fish.

Among the various ingredients that are mainly suitable for bream:

• Corn;
• Semolina;
• Rice;
• Bran;
• Sunflower cake;
• Breadcrumbs;
• Wheat porridge

Bream is also partial to sweets.

In summer, the most effective scents are:

• Vanilla;
• Honey;
• Cinnamon;
• Strawberries;
• Anise;
• Currants.

The aroma of the bait should be appetizing and excite him to eat. However, it is unnecessary to overdo it with the scent; a strong or unnatural scent can scare away the bream.

Groundbait in August

Probably everyone knows that peaceful fish react well to grains, seeds, and confectionery waste. It is taking these features into account that bait mixtures are made both at home and in factories. If you don’t have time, the easiest way is to go to the store and buy an already mixed version, but homemade porridge will definitely work better.

Choosing bait in the store

In August, choosing food for bream is not easy; it all depends on weather conditions and the characteristics of each reservoir. The main preferences of the cyprinid representative at this time are:

• the presence of sunflower seed cake in the bait;
• the presence of wheat bran and other cereals;
• must be corn or its derivatives.

But the main thing is not to overdo it with flavorings. During this period, bream will also respond well to the natural odors of sunflowers; if there is no bite, you can add molasses with the aroma of plums, strawberries, fruits, and cinnamon to the food. The natural aroma of this additive is also attractive to bream.

Tips for baiting bream

Spring baits

Depending on weather conditions in the spring, bream can actively react to different baits: March: bloodworm, worm, semolina, dough. April worm, maggot, bloodworm. May peas, corn, dough, pasta, semolina, bread, boiled wheat, pearl barley. The higher the air and water temperatures, the faster the bream switches from animal baits to plant baits.

Summer baits

In the summer heat, many complain about a complete lack of bite, but this is not always true. Properly selected bait can attract the attention of bream even in the heat. June: worm, maggot, corn, peas, pasta. July: steamed barley, maggot worms in the form of sandwiches. August: bread, pasta, corn, maggot worm. Temporary decreases in temperature indicators will entail a return of bream to animal types of bait ; vegetable bait should be offered in hot weather.

Autumn lures

In the autumn, bream continue to be actively caught on the feeder; groundbait and bait, as before, should work in tandem in such gear. As the temperature drops, bream will again want “meat” baits. September: earthworm and dung worm, maggot, hominy, bread, steamed cereals. October: bloodworms, worms, less often maggots. November: maggots and bloodworms, plant-based baits will not work. It is important to understand that the bait used in crushed form must be added to the bait .

Winter lures

In winter, bait for bream is very important; it is more difficult for passive fish to attract attention. Therefore, the selection of bait should be approached very carefully. December : sandwiches made from pieces of worms, bloodworms and maggots, less often boiled peas are used. January : bloodworm, worm. February : worm, bloodworm, semolina, peas. You can experiment and try using the dough as bait; at the end of February, bream can respond well to this species.

DIY cooking

Many fishermen with experience prepare their own bait; the porridge is cooked according to special recipes and with certain ingredients. The most catchy are considered:

• steamed pearl barley;
• boiled peas;
• Salapin porridge;
• millet.

Additionally, fragrant vegetable oil or other flavorings are added to each option.

Bream fishing gear

Donka

This tackle is popular not only for bream, but also for almost all fish of the order Cyprinidae. Despite the effectiveness of this gear, it is quite cheap and can be assembled almost from scrap materials.

What do we need?

• Feeder (spring or other feeder weighing about 30 grams);
• Spinning rod (almost any piece with rings and fastening);
• Coil;
• Line and leader material (0.3 and 0.15);
• Hooks (preferably with a curved point);

In this rig, the rod does not play a particularly important role; it only serves to facilitate the fight against fish, and also dampens jerks. Therefore, any rod up to three meters long is suitable.

You should also take the simplest and cheapest reel, because casts are made rarely, and most of the time you are waiting for a bite, and the tackle is quite rough.

To assemble the working equipment, you need to take about 30 cm of the main fishing line, at one of its ends you need to firmly fix the spring, and at the other, fix the swivel with a carabiner.

The feeder itself should hold enough complementary foods and have its own weight.

Next, you need to cut and attach a hook from the driving material, at a distance of about 5 cm from the end of the spring.

As already mentioned, hooks should have a curved point, since self-hooking often occurs, and it will be easier for the fish to break off from a straight point.

It is recommended to place several hooks at once: one below the feeder, the second above it, and the third above the rest.

Choosing a fishing spot for catching bream in August

Promising places are straight river runs, where a smooth current prevails and which are formed at the exit from the pits.

In general, such places are a real paradise for fishing, because a huge amount of fish accumulates in them, not only bream, but also other representatives.

In such places, the bottom is characterized by a broken topography with complex jets, which is especially to the taste of fish.

Effective catches can also be found in still waters with little rip current. In such places, a fairly large depth is formed and many large individuals are always present.

Also a good place for fishing are the oxbow lakes adjacent to the river. In most cases, such reservoirs are not deep and therefore warm up well, due to which there is a large growth of microorganisms in them, which is what the fish feed on.

If we talk about lake fishing, it should be noted that finding a place in a lake where a large number of fish accumulates is very problematic, with the exception of cases of coastal fishing.

Techniques for catching bream in August on still water

The main difference between pond bream and river bream is that river bream usually live in approximately the same areas and depths throughout the day, while pond bream, on the contrary, migrate in schools during the day in search of food.

In the morning and evening, pond bream usually comes out of the depths closer to the shore, and during the day it is at depth. In cloudy weather, bream can linger in shallow water for a long time, but with sudden changes in weather, bream can even spend the whole day in the pits.

But on a hot sunny day, the bream may not bite at all. Although if you look at the echo sounder, you can see that it stands halfway in the water and flatly refuses to take any bait.

Most likely, he is simply looking for water with the optimal oxygen content and optimal temperature. In such a situation, it is very difficult to catch it; the only thing that can help is a summer jig in combination with maggots or bloodworms.