Catching catfish on a donk from the shore - the right tackle, the best bait

Where and when to fish?

The main thing when catching catfish on a donk from the shore is to choose the right place. Usually it lies in holes from which several individuals can be caught at once. How to find such a place:

Often such pits are located on sharp bends of reservoirs.
Use an echo sounder.
During a thunderstorm, the catfish rises to the surface and begins to beat its tail, giving away its location.

It is better that fishing is carried out using several rods at once. It is recommended to prefer night time with calm weather.

We looked at the fishermen's reports and marked the points on the map where they caught catfish using donka.

Correct selection of equipment

Bottom fishing gear is similar to standard bottom fishing gear, but can also be used in conjunction with a spinning rod. These rods are always equipped with everything you need for perfect fishing from the shore. True fishermen pay enough attention and time to prepare high-quality gear. Thanks to this, hunting for catfish is a pleasure.

If catching catfish on a bottom from the shore is your priority, then make sure that your rod is durable, since no one knows for sure what size fish can bite. Catfish is a cunning fish that, having grabbed live bait or any other bait, will immediately pull the prey along with the gear by the snags. Your job is to hold the rod firmly, so we recommend using strong marine models.

When choosing a reel, look for multiplier models and give them preference, or follow experienced fishermen who choose spinning reels with a large spool. They say that to fish out a mustachioed predator, only with such reels can you place the required amount of fishing line. By the way, the fishing line should be millimeter thick. Such monofilaments are used by fishermen for catfish and other fish that can reach impressive sizes.

The selection of the sinker must also be done carefully. When using live bait, crayfish or a frog as bait, the weight of the load should be such that the bait does not pull the bottom gear to the side.

Fishermen pay most attention to the choice of hooks. After wintering, the fish are especially hungry and therefore behave too actively, violently rushing at any food. During this period of the year, use the largest possible hooks with a large hook to avoid failure. Don't forget about the size a catfish can reach.

Preparing bottom gear for catfish

Donka for catfish is a rigid rod with a multiplier reel, a thick cord, a sliding sinker, and a large and very sharp hook.

To properly prepare your tackle, you can watch a video that describes catching catfish with a donk. The main condition is that the equipment must be durable and comfortable. Use only proven fishing line for tying tackle. It is better to give preference to branded devices.

Plug-in carp rods are good. For such fishing rods, use powerful reels that can catch fish weighing more than ten kilograms. The fishing line should be monofilament braided with high strength, which can withstand even two-meter individuals.

Read: Choosing a carp rod

The choice of reel should be approached most seriously, paying attention to the volume of its spool. Most often, they take multiplier or spinning reels with a marking of at least 4000.

In addition to choosing gear, you need to take care of the bait. It is better to use organic bait.

Sometimes fishermen use a donka with an underwater float to catch catfish. However, it must be supplemented with a sinker so that the float does not rise to the surface of the water.

Preparing equipment for a donkey with your own hands

Donka for catfish is not easy to make with your own hands and is a complex and rough assembly of various components. To get strong bottom tackle, carefully select all the parts. Also, your bottom jig may or may not include a rod and reel. So, the components of bottom gear for catfish:

Fishing tactics

Fishing with bottom gear from the shore

If fishing will be carried out from the shore, then you should find a place on the shallows near the catfish hole and carefully prepare it. When using a donkey with a fishing rod, stands, an alarm are installed, and the friction brake of the reel is also slightly released. For ordinary donks, you just need to drive strong sticks into the ground.

Catching catfish on a donk from a boat

You can only hunt the giant predator by boat during the day. When fishing with a bait, you need to use a quok or attract the attention of the catfish by lowering and raising the bait.

Read: Catching catfish with kwok

Installing a donkey for catching catfish

After preparing all the elements for the bottom fishing device, you can begin assembling it. All manipulations can be easily performed by hand. Here's the process:

1. Put the rod in working condition and install the reel seat.

2. We wind the fishing line onto the reel spool, not forgetting to thread it through the rings on the fishing rod.

3. Attach the sinker.

4. We attach the leash with hooks approximately half a meter away from the load.

After the last stage of assembly, your bottom tackle is ready for the first cast. Attach the leash to the main line using a carabiner or swivel, but this is not mandatory. Some fishermen believe that additional devices in the equipment can reduce the strength of the structure and do not use it. Follow the golden rule and connect everything with a fishing knot.

Types of donok for catfish

To hunt for this predator, two types of donks are used: elastic and spinning.

Spinning Donka

This donka is universal and suitable for a wide variety of reservoirs. It can be easily cast over long distances.

Read: Catching catfish with a spinning rod

Donka-elastic band

This device is suitable for fishing in reservoirs without a current, where catching fish with ordinary tackle is very problematic. It is convenient, compact and versatile.

Read: Fishing with an elastic band

Catfish baits

Catfish is a predatory fish and its diet is very wide.
It contains not only small fish, but also other aquatic inhabitants. Therefore, the following baits are used when fishing for catfish:

grasshoppers;
frogs;
locusts;
worms;
mussels;
squid;
mole cricket;
meat.

As you can see, the list of catchable baits is large, but on a reservoir you have to experiment in order to select a bait that works in the existing conditions.

Lure

If little-known bodies of water are chosen for fishing, the number of fish caught can be increased with the help of bait. After all, old, large-sized individuals are cunning and rarely swim out of snags.

Catfish are lazy predators and prefer food of animal origin:

Intestines of birds and animals.
Carcass parts.
Bird offal.
Pieces of bird skin.

Catfish emerge from the snags of their own free will if the pieces are smoked or fried before scattering so that the smell is strong.

Sometimes, for bait, pre-roasted bird feathers rolled into lumps of clay are scattered along the bottom. To enhance the aroma, fish oil is added to them. All types of complementary foods should be provided about a day before fishing.

Alternative baits

Suitable for bait:

Common dung worms;
Crayfish meat or a whole live crayfish, which is hung on a treble hook;
Green frog;
Medvedka;
Fry;
Live leeches;
mussel shells;
Offal from small birds;
Carcasses of small birds;
Chicken liver;
A variety of baits made from artificial materials.

Sometimes, during preparation, the food preferences of fish in reservoirs of a particular area are studied. In the spring-summer season, they use a frog - the favorite food of catfish in any reservoir.

To catch small young catfish, it is better to use fry, worms or shells. They are baited with small hooks. If you bet on crawlies, you need to be careful. The bunch of worms should be secured so that a sufficiently dense lump is formed that completely covers the hook.

In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the worms are as active as possible. Typically you need about eight worms per hook. Many other fish will also bite on ordinary dung crawlers.

If an angler is looking for ways to catch larger-sized catfish, then frogs and leeches can serve as very effective bait. You can try other types of bait: squirrel and ide, offal of various birds stewed over an open fire, this is the favorite food of bottom-dwelling giants.

Catfish can bite on small crayfish, which constitute the main diet of large fish. But live leeches and frogs attract her no less. Therefore, the choice of bait depends mainly only on the preferences of the fisherman himself.

In the warm season: in late spring and summer, special wooden barrels are used as bait when catching larger individuals. However, they can catch catfish whose weight does not exceed fifty kilograms. In order for fishing to be successful, for this type of bait you need to take hooks No. 35-40, and replace the fishing line with more serious twine.

A simple bait is artificial wobblers and large-sized spoons.

Live bait for catfish

Live bait is a type of bait. A catfish weighing about 40-50 kilograms is unlikely to bite on a small live bait. You need to be careful, because a pike can be caught in the river, which can easily bite through the equipment and the bait will sink to the bottom.

With live bait weighing more than two hundred grams, you can freely hunt the largest individuals. The main thing is to choose the right size of bait and place it on the hook.

Hooks for catfish

The choice of hook for catching fish depends on the expected size of the fish in the catch, as well as on the size of the baits used, and this also applies to hooks for catching catfish. But at the same time, the edge of the catfish lip is hard and the hook must be wide enough to cut through the soft tissue.

The catfish has great strength and, when forced to fish, shakes its head, trying to free itself from the hook. The sharpness of the hook's tip determines how deeply it will penetrate the fish's lip and how reliable the hook will be.

Main characteristics of catfish hooks:

size;
The diameter of the wire;
the material from which the hook is made;
forearm length;
bend of the sting;
underhook width;
beard size;
sharpness.

Catching catfish using bottom tackle is not at all easy, and the fishing result depends on the sharpness and strength of the hook.

As an example, here is a small table of hook sizes for catching catfish of different sizes:

fish weighing up to 10 kg	4–6 numbers according to the European classification
fish weighing 1–15 kg	hooks 2–4 numbers
catfish weighing more than 15 kg	hooks 1-1.0 numbers

As for the manufacturers of catfish hooks, Qwner and Gamakatsu are perhaps now the leaders of the Russian market and their products are really sharp, reliable and durable. Ovner hooks are slightly more expensive than Gamakatsu, but their reliability has been tested by time and by many fishermen.

As you know, most fishing hooks are now produced at Chinese factories, and this also applies to products from popular European manufacturers. Therefore, in order to save money, it is worth looking for hooks on the Chinese Aliexpress exchange; they will do an excellent job with the assigned functions and will cost less than a branded model.

When using large baits for catfish, such as mole crickets or frogs, double hooks converted from tees are used. To make such a hook, you need to bite off one tip on the tee with side cutters or pliers. A ready-made double will not work, because its strength and reliability are lower than necessary for safely landing trophy fish.

When fishing for catfish, re-delivery of gear is done no more than once every three to four hours, and before delivery, you need to check the sharpness of the hook and, if necessary, replace it with a new one.

Important! After tying the hook to the leash, the knot must be glued so that it does not come undone when a trophy fish bites.

Subtleties of seasonal catfish fishing on donka

The behavior of catfish depends on the time of year, so when catching it, fishermen take into account:

When spring comes, you should hunt for catfish no earlier than mid-April - lazy fish take bait well.
Catfish fishing on the bottom in October is active, because the water becomes cool, and it swims out of cold holes and snags. Her appetites intensify, and she bites well not only at night, but also during the day. Before you catch a donkey in the fall, you just need to choose the right bait. You can watch the video “Catching catfish in the fall with a donk”.
During the summer season, fishing should be done early in the morning or late afternoon and on a clear night. At such times, there are no special requirements for choosing a place for fishing, because catfish swim almost everywhere. At this time, you can find a lot of living creatures in the ground and water bodies, suitable for baiting bottom predators;
In the cold season, large fish lie on the bottom of rivers almost motionless. In rare cases, in places with depressions along dams or river ports, it is possible to catch catfish using a spoon. If you are lucky, several bites may occur in a short time.

Regardless of the time of year, you need to remember one rule: you shouldn’t count on a good bite in rainy weather. Catfish emerge from snags and deep holes only in calm weather.

Features of fishing depending on the season

Depending on the time of year, catfish behave either actively or passively. When is the best time to fish?

Autumn fishing. The most successful period for fishing is considered to be autumn. Cool water helps catfish become more active. After all, the huge inhabitants of underwater dunes do not like heated water. It is for this reason that he sits mainly in cold pits at the bottom. Moreover, in the fall the appetites of the mustachioed giant reach their climax. They eat both day and night. Because you need to store up some fat for the fall. The fisherman just needs to find the right bait.
Spring. But in the spring, hunting for catfish begins in mid-late April. At this time, the fish begins to hunt. Also during this period, fishermen usually trim the fins of live fish. Since the barbel is still lazy and is not going to “chase” the fish.
In summer it is caught early in the morning or late in the evening. And best of all, on a cool, clear night. It is convenient to fish in the summer because fish swim almost everywhere. It does not need to be “watched” in depressions, as is done in autumn and spring. Also good fishing at night. Catfish are generally more of a nocturnal fish. It is more convenient for him to go hunting in the dark. This is what fishermen use. Another advantage of the summer season is that in the ground you will find a lot of different living creatures suitable for bait.
In winter , giant fish lie almost motionless. But sometimes, in deep places near dams or river ports, it can be caught with a spoon. In cold water they often gather in schools. And with a successful combination of circumstances, you can see several bites in a short period.

In any season there is one constant fishing rule. There is no point in waiting for a bite in the rain. The giant fish will bite in calm and calm weather. And on such quiet days it is better to go fishing.

Catching catfish, as we see, requires considerable skill. It is caught on all kinds of living creatures, those that predatory fish love.

But his strength is enormous. This is probably why it is called the “king fish”. Therefore, gear must be prepared carefully from especially durable materials. Before casting the gear, it is advisable to double-check for any defects. After all, the load on them will be serious.

Night catching catfish on a donk

Fishing for catfish at night has several advantages. The predator usually feeds at night, so it swims out of its deep holes, access to which is blocked by snags and various rubbish.

Before you go to the pond, you need to take care of the lighting. It's best to wear a headlamp, turn it on only to set bait on the hook, or at least not shine the light on the surface of the water. Otherwise, the fish may go deeper.

Safety precautions when catching catfish from a boat

If an angler is fishing from a boat, then he needs to follow a few simple rules to prevent a life-threatening situation from occurring:

If the tackle is in your hands, and part of the fishing line is under your feet, then a strong jerk of a large predator can cause it to wrap around your leg and pull a person to the bottom of the reservoir. In this regard, you must always have a knife with you in order to cut the fishing line in time. In this case, you will have to say goodbye to the catch, but you will be able to avoid the threat;
You should not wrap the tackle around your hand to avoid losing a limb or going under water;
One of the most important stages of the procedure is lifting the catfish into the boat - a potentially dangerous moment. If you manage to catch a bottom predator weighing several tens of kilograms, then experienced fishermen do not recommend lifting it onto a boat. After all, with its weight and large dimensions it can rock a ship and throw a person into the water. Therefore, it is recommended to drive the boat as close to the shore as possible and only engage in fishing there.

Fishing line for catfish

Despite the fact that not every catfish caught weighs 10 kilograms or more, reliable and durable gear is selected for catching this fish, and this also applies to the main fishing line.

Here the fisherman has to solve a difficult problem, because thick fishing lines with a large margin of safety can scare off cunning fish that are distrustful of all unfamiliar objects. If you take an inconspicuous fishing line of a smaller diameter, it will not withstand the jerks of a trophy fish and the tackle will break at the most inopportune moment.

As you know, the following are used as the basis for fishing tackle:

monofilament lines;
fluorocarbon fishing lines;
braided cords (fishing lines).

The best solution for choosing a base for catfish tackle is a dark-colored braided fishing line. Braid has the highest strength among all types of fishing lines with a small diameter, so catfish tackle is knitted on braid. At the bottom, such a base looks natural, reminiscent of aquatic vegetation, and does not frighten wary fish.

It is clear that bright colors of braid are undesirable, because this unmasks the entire tackle. The stores sell four- and eight-strand braided fishing line, and the second option is preferable, although it is more expensive. The eight-strand braid has a round shape along its entire length and the weaving of the threads is denser, which means the breaking load is greater.

The braided reel indicates how many wires are in it, so when purchasing a base for a donkey, it is not difficult to make the right choice. The rigidity of the braid is also important, because soft material, when wet, becomes more tangled, knots and puffs appear.

So, as a basis for the catfish donka, we take a rigid braid with a diameter of 0.25 and above, and it will cope with all the tasks.

Important! After fishing, be sure to dry the braid, this will extend its service life and maintain the strength of the base.