Unlike most other fish, silver carp eat plant foods - this is especially worth considering when fishing. Silver carp bites in most cases begin in mid-June and end at the end of August.
During this period, silver carp are especially active. Experienced fishermen note that the bite can begin early in the morning and not stop all day.
Bait for silver carp
Silver carp are caught using technoplankton and plant baits.
Technoplankton is a compressed barrel of bait. It can be used to catch a variety of fish. It is secured using the “silver carp shelf” tackle.
If you want to learn how to make technoplankton with your own hands, you can learn about it from our article. You can also use some plant baits to catch silver carp. When approaching, the silver carp will suck them in and bite accordingly.
Let's highlight some of them:
- Polka dots.
- Pieces of cabbage or cucumber.
- Vegetables.
- Fruits, etc.
The main requirement for bait is its freshness. The bait should be firmly attached: for the most part, you have to wait a long time for a bite and a poorly secured bait will fall off the hook.
Silver carp baits can be prepared without much difficulty at home. As for plant food, everything is simple: it will be enough to break the bait into small pieces. It’s better to bait them in several parts per hook.
To make technoplankton at home you will need:
- Pea powder.
- Carp bait.
- Powdered technoplankton.
- Baby food.
- Groundbait "green silver carp".
You need to mix all the ingredients so that they are used in equal parts. To press the mixture, use a mold that you will clamp in a cleaver to compact the mixture.
Bottom fishing for silver carp (at depth)
First of all, when it comes to tackle for silver carp, it should be noted that it must be very durable. Some specimens of silver carp can reach 30 kilograms.
The gear used for catching silver carp is as follows:
- A rod measuring from 3.5 to 4.2 m.
- The reel must be inertia-free with a friction brake to reduce the resistance of the fish.
- We use fishing line 0.22-0.4.
- Hooks are selected depending on the expected size of the silver carp, but you should not use too small ones.
The main element of the equipment is the spring. This spring is clogged with bait, and you need to put pieces of foam on the hooks. This will help create good buoyancy in the leash. After the tackle hits the water, the foam swells and floats above the spring. Usually there should be no more than three leashes. The length of the leashes should be between 5 and 7 cm.
Plankton fishing
Relatively recently, fishermen had the opportunity to fish for technoplankton. In this case, it is necessary to use special equipment, which uses a sliding sinker and a barrel with technoplankton. Technoplankton dissolves in water and forms a cloudy cloud that attracts silver carp.
When fishing with plankton, the leashes float above the cloud, and this allows the silver carp to be hooked. Technoplankton contains special components that increase the appetite of fish.
In order to fish with technoplankton, you need to put foam on the hooks. This fishing method implies that the silver carp comes up to filter the clouds that have formed and is hooked. This type of gear produces pretty good results. And on some days your catch will be very significant.
Fishing with porridge
When fishing for silver carp, you can use springs and porridge to fill. It can be anything, but it is important to add at least one of these elements to it:
- Semolina.
- Vanillin.
- Cookie crumbs.
- Bran.
- Honey, etc.
This will help add additional taste and smell to the porridge, and therefore will better attract silver carp. The porridge also creates a cloudy cloud in the water, which, due to the consistency of the porridge, will remain stable in the water.
Lure
When preparing bait, you should remember that silver carp does not like strong odors. Here are some proven recipes:
- One kilogram of peas needs to be boiled over low heat to make a puree. Then, while stirring, you need to add 100 grams of milk powder and half a kilogram of semolina. Mix until a very sticky consistency forms. It is important that the peas do not burn, this will have a negative effect.
- Prepare equal proportions of the following ingredients:
- Powdered milk.
- Breadcrumbs.
- Cake.
- A couple of pinches of dill.
Mix the above ingredients in one bowl. Prepare water in which you need to put a teaspoon of soda and citric acid. Then little by little add the resulting liquid into the container. Mix until you get a thick consistency.
We fill the spring with the finished porridge and throw it in. It is necessary to take into account that the porridge needs to be changed after each cast. This will increase the attractiveness of the resulting cloud after each cast.
When bottom fishing for silver carp, there are some nuances that are important for the fisherman to know:
- Silver carp is a rather finicky fish. Therefore, he may peck one day and not the next. If you decide to hunt silver carp, then at the same time fish for other fish. This will help you not to be left without a catch if something happens.
- Before casting the tackle, be sure to fill the feeder with bait and put foam on the hooks. If this is not done, then such fishing is impractical.
- Try to throw in the same place. This will help you feed a large number of fish in one place.
- You need to choose a place where there will be no coastal bushes, floating trees, snags, etc.
- If you use technoplankton for fishing, cover the leashes with bread crumbs. This will allow them not to get confused during the flight. In water, the bread will simply become soggy and fall off, and the leashes will level out.
Catching silver carp from the surface
Silver carp are caught from the surface using float gear. Let's look at the main components of the gear for this fishing:
- It is best to use carp or feeder rods. The length of the rod should be from 2 to 4.2 meters.
- The coil must be power. It will help to withstand the heavy load that the silver carp will create. It is best to use reels that are equipped with a rear drag.
- To fish from the surface you need to use a carp line with a diameter of 0.3 - 0.5 mm.
- The hook should be very strong with a medium shank size. It should not be too short and not too long.
- The float must be installed so that it can withstand this weight and stand on the water.
Equipment for fishing for technoplankton
Most often, technoplankton is used for fishing on various bottom rigs and on a float rod, for fishing in surface layers of water.
Float
To catch silver carp in the upper layers of water:
- a rod of 4-5 meters, capable of casting equipment of 40-80 grams;
- any reel that is convenient for the fisherman and provides a cast of 15–20 m can be used;
- monofilament line 0.4-0.7 mm. Braid does not compensate for fish jerks and contributes to rod breakages;
- leashes with a diameter of 0.3-0.4 mm;
- hooks No. 8-9 according to domestic classification;
- in case of strong wind or current, a sliding sinker is placed above the float, which holds the tackle in place;
- The carrying capacity of the float is selected in accordance with the weight of the equipment.
Donnaya
Bottom tackle allows you to catch silver carp at a great distance from the shore, in places where the fish feel safer and less cautious. Requirements for bottom tackle for catching silver carp:
- spinning rod with dough 40-100 g and length 2.6 - 3.5 meters;
- inertia or inertia-free reel, capable of withstanding casting 50-100 g of loads and with a capacity of 100-150 m of fishing line 0.4-0.7 mm;
- The main end sinker is attached below the “silver carp stick” or on a separate leash;
- the hooks are equipped with foam balls, which prevent the hooks from sinking in the ground or bottom grass;
- in the second version of the bottom rig, an underwater float is placed above the “silver carp stick”, which holds the barrel of technoplankton in a vertical position, but does not signal a bite. There is no need for foam on the hooks. The height of the bait above the bottom is adjusted by the length of the leash between the end sinker and the “stick”. The sinker can be expendable if the leash is made thinner than the main line.
Equipment for catching silver carp
To create equipment for catching silver carp you need:
- Thread the sinker through the main line.
- We pass two stoppers and a float through the main line.
- We tie a “trempel” to a feeder from which three leashes hang.
The result is equipment for catching silver carp from the surface.
Let us point out that there is also another option for equipment, which excludes the use of a “trempel”. In this case, place a sinker on a leash at the bottom of the feeder, and two leashes on top. This equipment is best used when fishing on a reservoir with a clean bottom.
It is best to secure these tackles on a cambric. To make it convenient to remove it if necessary. This may be necessary if you need to replace the tackle with a bottom one.
Fishing process
After the tackle has been thrown, you need to make a couple of pull-ups. Do not forget that the sinker must completely roll along the line and fall to the bottom of the reservoir. After this you need to wait for bites. Usually the silver carp comes up to filter the resulting cloud and swallows the hook.
So, when the float sinks sharply, this is a sure sign of a bite. After you have made the hook, start dragging it to the shore. Just don't do it too quickly. Better wear him out.
Nuances of fishing
- If you see that the float is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees, then this is a sure sign that the feeder is empty.
- If purchased technoplankton does not dissolve well in water, pre-soak one barrel. And when you rethrow the tackle, install it.
- If there is no bite within an hour, then it is best to re-throw the tackle. Try to throw in one place to collect more fish.
Techniques and features of catching silver carp
In the rarest cases, catching silver carp is possible without technoplankton. For example, when a reservoir has a high population density. And when the fish feeds directly from the water surface. This phenomenon can be observed visually by the splashes and jumping of the silver carp to the top. The height of the jumps sometimes reaches half a meter.
In this case, of all the gear, only the float and hooks with foam balls are left, or even without them at all. The tackle is thrown into the largest concentration of fish “for good luck”. By swallowing water with phytoplankton, silver carp may well swallow a hook.
The best time to catch silver carp is morning and evening. During the day it moves away from the shore, and it can be almost impossible to get it, since fishing from a boat in such pond farms is prohibited.
Anglers who value time change gear for carp when fishing at night. Which, unlike silver carp, continues to peck at this time of day. And they return to catching silver carp again no earlier than sunrise.
Fishing places
The places most preferred by silver carp are a hard bottom without a hint of siltation, with depths of 2–4 meters. If there is an edge from the shaft to greater depths, the likelihood of the presence of silver carp increases.
The bite of this large fish is very soft, almost unnoticeable. The float sinks at a slow pace, and the tip of the donkey rod slowly slopes towards the water.
In this case, you should also cut gently. Then immediately place the rod vertically to absorb the sharp jerk of the mighty fish. If the silver carp makes a jerk earlier, a break in the tackle cannot be avoided.
Fishing for silver carp takes a long time. Holding the rod so that it does not form a straight line with the fishing line, the silver carp is driven until it is completely tired. And only then they bring it to the net and capture the fish without a sudden movement, which could frighten the silver carp at the last moment and prompt it to make a decisive leap.
In order to have the right to boast of catching and not missing fish, you should make it a rule to change hooks more often, especially if snags occurred during previous fishing trips. Or at least remember to sharpen them before every fishing trip. This is especially true for silver carp, which mostly catch themselves.
Silver carp killer tackle
When catching silver carp from the surface, you can use gear with a self-explanatory name – “Silver Carp Killer”. The tackle contains a large float, to which a feeder with hooks is attached at a distance of 30 centimeters. The hooks should hang below the feeder to get into the cloud of turbidity that forms in the water.
The silver carp swims up to this cloud and sucks in the mud and hooks. This rig uses a sliding sinker that is positioned above the float. The sinker is installed to act as an anchor. The float stands vertically due to the fact that the feeder pulls down.
To make such gear yourself, you need to use the following algorithm:
- We pass a sinker weighing at least 30 grams through the main line.
- We insert a stopper and a float into the line.
- We connect the fraction with a bead;
- We tie a silver carp stick, which we equip with either a spring or technoplankton. This type of tackle is a metal trempel with a welded stick from which the leashes come out. It will be enough to thread the base of the stick through the hole of the technoplankton and the tackle is ready. This stick is sold in any fishing store.
Equipment
To catch silver carp, the equipment includes a special stick or “trempel”. This equipment, which has the shape of a triangle and is made of wire, has a pin in its design on which the technoplankton is located. On both sides of the “silver carp stick” there are leashes with hooks. The main fishing line is also attached to the same structure.
Bottom equipment
With the bottom fishing method, the structure is assembled somewhat differently. A “silver carp stick” is attached to the main fishing line behind the central eye. Leashes with hooks are mounted to the remaining ears; foam plastic is used as bait. Technoplankton is installed on the trempel pin and fixed with a special rubber tube. The design allows you to attach a third leash.
Float equipment
In this case, the equipment is formed as follows. An anti-twist tube is placed on the main line, and a sinker is attached to the end of the line in a rigid manner. A float is installed in the upper part of the tube. A “trempel” with a leash is mounted to the place where the tube is attached. The “silver carp stick” has the same fastening as in the case of bottom tackle. The only difference is the absence of foam balls on the hooks. In this rig, the hooks should be 5-15 cm below the technoplankton barrel, which is ensured by the length of the leads.
When to catch silver carp
What time of year to fish
- The best time of year for catching silver carp is summer. During this period he is especially active. The number of bites will be especially high during the spawning period. At this time, he is especially hungry and will try to eat more. Don't be surprised if the bites happen one after another.
- Usually the best time for biting is considered to be early morning and evening. However, in some reservoirs the bites may not stop throughout the whole day.
- Already in September, silver carp stops pecking and behaves passively. Every bite at this time is worth its weight in gold. So try to do everything right.
- In winter, silver carp are not caught. At this time, it goes deep to the bottom and buries itself in the silt.
What time of day to fish, features of fishing at different times of day
- It is best to catch silver carp in the morning and evening. At this time of day, the silver carp is looking for food. Therefore, it is best that before this time your gear is already in the water. In this case, your chances of getting a bite increase.
- During the day, the fish usually go to the bottom, and at night, silver carp bites occur very rarely. But you shouldn't neglect this. Leave one “silver carp killer” in the water.
Choosing a fishing spot
It is best to catch silver carp in those places where it was launched a long time ago. This fish usually stays far from the shore: even in the morning and evening it does not come within 20-30 meters.
How and what to catch silver carp
For winter fishing you need to choose the following gear:
- donks;
- float gear;
- mugs;
- zherlitsy.
Read: Catching roach on the first ice
You can purchase similar gear in fishing stores, or make it yourself at home.
Bottom fishing rods come in two versions: with or without floats. Floats are usually made from a piece of foam and attached at a distance of 1.3-1.4 m from a lead sinker. In this case, the bait will not fall to the bottom of the reservoir, but will stop a few centimeters above.
If the depth of the reservoir begins immediately at the shore, then you can use such a fishing rod with a shortened rod. When the depth begins far from the shores, you will have to take a longer rod. The length of the rod also depends on the time of day. Usually, at night, silver carp prefers to feed near the shore, so a long rod will be of no use.
If an angler goes out to fish on ice, it is better to use float rods for the winter period. Such a fishing rod consists of a rod, a fishing line tied to it and a float that will signal bites. When choosing such gear, you need to pay attention to the reliability of the nod, the reel should be resistant to low temperatures, and the handle should be made of a special material. You can take with you several fishing rods, on which different types of bait are attached.
You can also use mugs and girders to catch silver carp. The basic principle of their operation is the same, only the mugs are installed directly on the water, and the girders are installed on the hole.
To make a circle, a reel with thick fishing line wound is attached to a piece of foam plastic; a sinker and a leash with a hook are also attached. When bitten, the foam is turned upside down by the signaling device. The fisherman just needs to hook and catch the fish. However, if you do not immediately react to the bite, the silver carp can drag the light circle into the depths.
Bait for silver carp
You can feed silver carp using both purchased and homemade baits. The undoubted advantage of self-made ones is that you can adjust the composition depending on the fishing conditions. There are many bait recipes.
Pea bait. To prepare it we will need:
- 1 kg of pea porridge.
- 1 kg semolina.
- 100 grams of milk powder.
Cook the peas until they form a puree-like consistency. Remove the porridge from the stove and add dry milk and semolina. Cool the porridge and knead it until a thick mass is formed. The end result should be a dough-like mass. If there is no semolina, then you can use bran or flour.
Another fairly common recipe is the following, for which you will not need:
- Corn flour – 1 kg.
- Wheat flour – 1 kg.
- Rice flour – 200 grams.
- Powdered milk – 100 grams;
Mix everything except milk powder and pour in sweet syrup. To prepare this syrup, use sugar (200 grams) and water (200 grams). After the syrup has been added, we leave the resulting mass to soak for several hours. After two hours, pour everything into cellophane and roll it up.
This bait needs to be prepared several hours before fishing.
Blitz tips
- When buying technoplankton, try to buy a high-quality product from well-known manufacturers. Low-quality technoplankton may not dissolve in water at all, which will ruin fishing.
- Replace hooks if they are no longer in good condition. A dull hook will not be able to catch in the mouth of a silver carp.
- If bites do not occur for a long time, then change the place of fishing.
- Experiment with bait. If it doesn’t bite on one, then you need to replace it with another.
- Don’t be upset if the silver carp doesn’t quickly peck at the tackle you prepared. And catch other fish in parallel.