Catching dace in winter with a jig with photos and videos!

Lure

Finding fish in fast water means spending a lot of calories. In this regard, the fish regularly shows an appetite, which helps to collect the dace with properly prepared bait. In winter, I prepare bait according to the summer principle, that is, I make balls from certain components, but such that they fit into a large cone feeder. In this case, you will need balls no larger than a table tennis ball. If the current is fast, you need to weigh down the feeder with a lead plate, otherwise it may be strongly deflected by the current.

The balls of bait placed on the bottom should slowly erode, otherwise the dace will quickly become full. Even in winter, dace responds well to the plant components of the food, so I include oatmeal, milk powder, egg powder, and breadcrumbs in the mixture. I definitely add food bloodworms - up to 10-15% of the total volume of bait. For fishing in fast currents, I weight the mixture with sand, gravel or sifted clay so that it lies more compactly. I adjust the viscosity with water. Depending on whether you are fishing in rapids or in areas with slower currents, the bait should be made more or less viscous.

In frosty weather, a tent is set up over the hole.

Fishing for pike on girders

Alexey (Alexey-Chik)

I catch pike in small rivers (Oesh, Vyuna, Chik, Uen) and in quarries (Krivodanovka). On small rivers, any non-overwater pool (on which there is at least the weakest current) more than three meters is considered wintering. That is, the fish move into it for the winter, which means there is a very high probability that pike will be there. When the first ice hits the rivers, shallow depths also work very well, but as the ice grows, the pike goes into wintering pits. In quarries we look for bottom anomalies (differences in depth, navels, edges); by the end of winter it makes sense to place the vents mostly closer to the coastal reeds (at this time there is more oxygen near the reeds). Each body of water has its own characteristics.

I prefer to catch pike using poles. I equip them with a 0.4 mm fishing line, about 15 m long (I also use it at depths of 10 meters). The equipment consists of:

1. Sliding sinker 7-9 grams

2. Swivel with carbine

3. Line 7-8 mm for leashes

4. Tee

5. The zherlitsa itself

We put a sliding sinker on the fishing line.
We tie a swivel with a carabiner to the end of the fishing line (sold as a set). The swivel will act as a stopper for the sinker. I knit leashes separately from 0.7-0.8 mm fishing line, 30 cm long. First, I make a loop at one end of the leash (it will fit on a carabiner), and tie a tee to the other end of the leash (I only put tees).
For leashes I make a leash holder from 25 mm thick penoplex. I put tight leashes on the leash - in a few hours the line straightens and I put a straight leash on the leashes. According to my observations, a fishing line leash increases the number of bites several times, but it must be changed every time after catching a pike.
I use different live bait: roach, dace, ruffe, crucian carp, perch and even rotan. In my opinion, the all-purpose live bait is the perch. Small perch is easy to catch; pike rarely throw it, because, having been impaled on the hook, it perceives it as the thorns of fins.
I hook the tee under the dorsal fin of the live bait - this saves time, especially in the cold.
I always sprinkle the holes with snow right under the reel, it protects the hole from freezing.
I never run up to triggered vents, but calmly approach them. And in general, try to make as little noise as possible around the girders!
For girder fishing I take a 130-m drill, be sure to have a hook and an ice pick.

I think I summarized everything briefly. Good luck!

What is a jig

The design of this piece of gear is simple. A small hook, no more than a “four”, soldered with the fore-end into a piece of lead or other metals. The forms of these baits are varied. They start with a simple pellet and end with geometric shapes of all kinds of colors. The names are telling: “ant”, “pellet”, “Ural”.

The sizes of these baits are also different, the most popular are from 3 mm to 8-10 mm. Jigs for winter fishing are designed for catching low-active fish. Therefore, the part is small in size and bright in color. Sometimes anglers supply them with different baits. The rating of lures depends on the individual abilities and experience of the angler.

Varieties of jigs

For fishing in winter, the following types of ice fishing baits are used:

Perch - size from 3 to 6 mm.
Pike-perch - larger in size than other white gear, decorated with light-colored threads.
No-attachment is the most catchy jig for winter fishing. Their use required some changes in the traditional bait. In the cold it is especially uncomfortable or the larvae are on the hook. Because of this, nozzle jigs have gained popularity. True, some fishermen still equip these baits with plastic attachments. This also diversifies their game and attracts fish.

When fishing with a jig in winter, an angler needs to know as much as possible about this bait. For example, weight affects play in water:

lightweight - made of plastic or sheet material without additional fusing, gliding in water;
medium - made of tin with lead fusion, made at home;
heavy - made of lead.

Tungsten lures are popular among fishermen. The parts are heavy and small in size. At great depths with currents they are irreplaceable. :

They provide rapid immersion to depth and also maintain a stable state in the current.
They activate the bite due to their small size, because in winter small underwater animals act as food for fish.
They create a believable game due to their small size.
Durable and reliable.

The classic option for winter fishing is gear with bait. For example, a bloodworm is attached to the hook. This is suitable if the fish are inactive.

Among them:

The pellet is in demand by fishermen, has a round shape and a wide range of colors. It is used to catch perch and roach.
A drop is an elongated pellet shape, suitable for fast posting.

The main characteristics of the best baits are manifested in non-attached winter baits; they are more actively used by fishermen.

Types of nozzle jigs:

Uralka is a classic bait, similar to a drop, but in a curved shape. The forend usually contains multi-colored beads.
Devil - has several hooks, elongated shape, weight from 0.3 to 1.5 grams.
Goat - has two hooks, is made only of brass and copper, and is demanding on wiring.
Boat - used at shallow depths, also requires active wiring.
Ant - used for catching bream at maximum activity, the wiring shows the movements of the ant.
Donkey - has the appearance of half grain, black, equipped with one hook, works in any conditions.

Hooks

When making tackle at home, you need a strong hook. When fishing, the hook plays a major role.

The choice must be made in the store - the main thing is that the hook does not unbend when fishing for fish. If it is very soft, then the fish will simply straighten it out and leave. The selection takes place according to the diameter of the fishing line, for example, if the fishing line is 0.1 mm, then the hook to it can unbend under great force. You can bend it back with your fingers and continue catching.

Methods for catching dace from ice and the gear used

The most popular tackle for dace in winter is a fishing rod with a jig and a nod. Some anglers also use a float. But it is often inconvenient for her to fish in bodies of water with a current. Therefore, the priority option is still a tackle with a nod.

Equipping such a fishing rod for winter fishing for dace will require minimal costs from you. However, its installation should be approached responsibly. On crudely or incorrectly equipped tackle, fish will bite much less often.

Rod. The requirements for it are simple - light and short in length.
Nod. With good sensitivity. Many people recommend lavsan, and for good reason. Such products signal a bite in time and do not interfere with the correct “play” of the bait. If you want, put a homemade nod.
Fishing line. Standard monofilament thickness 0.06-0.08 mm. It can be a little thicker - 0.1-0.12 mm, if in addition to the spruce tree a roach or perch can bite. You definitely don’t need a thicker line. It is better to take the specified diameter, but from a more trusted and well-known manufacturer.
Jig or hook. The size is small, after all, the dace has a small mouth and it will not be able to swallow a large product. According to the international system, a hook size No. 12–18 is sufficient. In terms of color, fish prefer jigs of silver or natural bright color. We will talk about them in more detail below.

If you are a fan of float fishing and are not used to tracking bites by nodding, then make yourself the appropriate tackle. Just keep in mind that you need to take a thin fishing line so that it is not blown away too much by the current. This will reduce sensitivity.

A strong monofilament with a cross-section of 0.08-0.1 mm and good load parameters is suitable. Take an “olive” weighing 12–15 grams as a sinker. It needs to be secured so that you get a leash about 20 cm long. At the end is a small jig or a miniature hook (approximately No. 12–18).

Float tackle for dace works well in windy weather, when it is very difficult to see a bite on a nod.

Ice dace: bites even in the dead of winter

For catching each fish, there is probably its own best time throughout the year, albeit a very short one. Apparently, only dace should be recognized as an all-season fish, the bite of which can be confidently counted on even in the dead of winter. And in icy water, dace is quick to bite and very active when fishing. But for fishing success you need to know where and what to catch this fish.

Photo: Anatoly Mailkov.

It must be said that dace actively bites in open water, but then the fisherman’s prey becomes mainly small fish and they are found mixed with other fish, mainly bleak and roach, which are very annoying and often tear off and spoil the bait with impunity.

In icy water, many fish lose their former activity and leave the river rapids, and the dace here remains almost alone - even the chub retreats to holes under the rifts.

In winter, the easiest way to find a flock of respectable dace is on small fast rivers, replete with riffles and rocky rapids, because current is the dace’s element in all seasons.

In addition, on a small river, winding among high banks framed by mighty willows and dense bushes, it is easier for a fisherman to find a cozy place where he can hide from winter weather and fish quite comfortably.

The main thing is that the ice on the selected section of the river is reliable, and a fishing pole will help make sure of this, with which the ice cover is first examined, after which they go out onto it with gear and an ice auger. So for river fishing, a good ice pick is necessary even in the middle of winter.

On such rivers, dace feed in the deepest rocky or clayey ditches on the rifts themselves or just below them. But large, fast-flowing rivers, for example, the Oka, are also promising for winter fishing for large dace, because there are always a lot of fish of a respectable size here.

Read the material “Not giving way”

Here, accumulations of dace under the ice are often found very close to the shore, but usually where there is a deep ditch with a hard bottom and strong current running near it, and where this fish again lives in splendid isolation, except that sometimes a gudgeon and a ruffe keep it company, but not competition.

In addition, large dace in cold water often display predatory tendencies and quickly destroy or disperse all small fish. True, on a large and fast river in winter, on rapids, the ice forms in the form of frozen slush, where it is impossible to make a hole, so it is rare to catch dace here.

In winter, as in other seasons, dace, unlike other fish, feeds almost the entire daylight hours, since it spends a lot of energy in the current, so it is very responsive to feeding, especially if the bait contains highly turbid components that give a long trail on the stream.

Such components include powdered milk, egg powder, oatmeal, crushed dry clay - these components must necessarily be included in the bait for catching dace in cold water, while the basis of the bait composition, more than half by volume, is created by carefully ground breadcrumbs .

But the most important thing for the winter dace, what will definitely attract him and keep him at the fishing spot for a long time, is the animal part of the bait, which definitely uses a fair amount, at least a tenth of the entire prepared composition, clean, dirt-free food bloodworm.

Before adding it to bait, it is advisable to freeze it thoroughly and then chop it thoroughly. When thawed in water, such bloodworms will not burrow into the ground, but will give off a long, fragrant trail.

When fishing on a current, it is important that the bait supplied to the fish’s resting place does not quickly wash away, does not satiate the dace, but “gives up” the food gradually. Therefore, the feeder is lowered to the bottom in a hole upstream from the gear and is not opened

The feed will gradually be washed out through the holes under the influence of the flow. In addition, bait for the current should not be light, for which it is weighted with river sand, fine gravel or the same clay, so that the attracting components do not spread too far and concentrate the fish more densely in the fishing zone.

On a small shallow river, a flock of dace can be attracted differently. To do this, take a long stick and periodically dig through the hole into the bottom soil slightly upstream from the fishing spot. The procedure is repeated as the bite weakens.

Catchable jigs for catching dace

When catching dace with a jig, the following types of fishing tackle are used:

Flat drop. The pendant has a green stop ball, a red bead and an orange ring on the hook.
An elongated droplet. Used for catching dace in the current.
Volumetric droplet. Light and light jig.
Fishing tackle in the shape of an ant larva (heavyweight). It is better to use it during the thaw period.

Game of bait and fishing

Fishing methods are as follows:

You should not make sudden movements with your hand, as the dace’s lips can easily tear.
During periods of low fish activity, the bite may not be noticed, as the dace tries to pull off the bloodworm without touching the hook. Therefore, you should periodically shake the bait with the tip of the rod. A game like this will ensure a good catch.
After landing 3 fish, the dace stops biting. Therefore, you should change your fishing location. You can return to your original fishing spot in an hour.

How to fish in the current

Biting of large dace is possible provided that a number of rules are followed:

The lower jig should be heavier, but the upper one can remain light, since thanks to such a jig you can attract the attention of the dace.
It is important to pull the line upward, during which both jigs play.
Moving the bait along the bottom is also a good technique for catching dace.
Using a plant attachment.
The main task of bait is to create an invisible trail of odors at a distance of 3 m downstream from the fishing zone.

Features of baits for dace

Dace is a rather interesting species of vertebrate. The fish is distinguished by its agility and uncompromising resistance. But at the same time, the fish is not too picky, which makes the fisherman’s task easier. In this regard, do-it-yourself bait for dace should be simple and effective

What to use to catch dace in winter

The gear has been prepared. We have chosen a reservoir, and have a couple of promising places for fishing in mind. All that remains is to choose the nozzles. The basic baits for dace are bloodworms and maggots. The fish eats them with pleasure. Moreover, it is actively caught on a “sandwich” of these two larvae.

During the period of zhora, the spruce can also peck on a bare jig - a “rewinder”. But it’s definitely not worth going fishing without bloodworms! Suddenly the feeding activity of the fish will be low. Then there is a risk of being left without a catch.

On many rivers and lakes in winter, dace also bites well on dough. The main thing is that it should not be too liquid, but elastic. You need to stick small balls. It’s a good idea to add attractants or oils to the dough so that the bait emits a pleasant aroma.

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What other baits and lures are used? We can recommend:

foam ball;
burdock moth larvae;
a piece of lard;
pearl barley;
mastyrka;
bread.

As you can see, there is plenty to choose from - the main thing is to have enough bloodworms and take with you a couple of attachments from those listed above. Then you will definitely be able to catch winter dace.

Reproduction method

Puberty ends at the age of three years. At this time, the predator can have an 11-14-centimeter body and a weight of up to two hundred grams. The beginning of spawning occurs at the end of March - beginning of May, depending on weather conditions in the region. When searching for places to spawn, fish choose areas with sandy-clayey soil or flooded aquatic plants. The optimal water temperature should be at least 5-7 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, the fish will refuse the natural process and postpone it until the next warming.

From the moment the ice first melts, small schools of dace will begin to leave their winter camps and move upstream to clear tributaries. The duration of spawning can reach 3-4 days, during which the female brings about 17,000 eggs with a diameter of 2 mm. The incubation period reaches 1-2 weeks.

During spawning, the fish leads a very noisy and active lifestyle, accumulating in large schools. It is very easy to notice the activity of dace during the spawning stage, since loud noise, splashes of water and other activity will be heard near the coastline. Before you start catching a predator during this period, you need to clarify whether this is permitted by law.

The formed larvae continue to remain near the coastline for another 6-7 days, feeding on microorganisms and other easily accessible prey. Soon they become more independent and move to their permanent habitats. At the age of 2-3 years, the fish can become large and independently reproduce.