Silver carp is a heat-loving, commercial fish that belongs to the carp family. It is not a predator; its food source is aquatic vegetation, but sometimes it eats small fish and insects. It usually lives near the surface of a reservoir, so it is difficult not to notice it. The weight of this fish is very striking, which can reach up to fifty kilograms. Therefore, it is very popular among avid fishermen.
Catching such fish will be exciting at any time of the year. True, catching silver carp in winter differs from open fishing and becomes more difficult. This is explained by the fact that at this time it reduces its activity and descends to a depth in the so-called wintering pits, and it becomes very difficult to identify its behavioral characteristics. You need to have considerable perseverance and patience, as well as professional skills and experience, for the catch to be successful. And of course, good equipment and the necessary devices will help facilitate this process.
Catching silver carp from ice in winter
You should start fishing by choosing a rod that can absorb the jerks of the fish, as there is a risk of losing the equipment from the fishing line. The main thing is that it is made of soft material, this will make it possible to completely absorb the initial jerks, which are the most dangerous. Modern monofilament material will withstand a weight of up to eight kilograms and there will be no breakage.
When catching silver carp in winter, almost the same methods are used as in summer. The only obstacle is suspended animation, into which the fish falls during cold weather, sinking. She can spend the entire winter season this way. Based on this, the bait should be placed closer to the bottom. Fishing during calm weather is the best option. You should choose coastal places and the border zones of pits, since here the silver carp looks for food in the form of remnants of vegetation.
For a successful bite in winter, standing ice or a slight thaw is better. You need to look for prey at the very bottom. At this time, the silver carp is not specially fed in order to later feed it certain food that has been prepared for other fish. Very often in winter they use jigs with bloodworms or vegetative baits using feeders, donks and girders. All this can be bought in specialized stores.
We catch silver carp using suitable bait
Basics of fishing
Types of fishing in Russia
But you should remember that the fish has a lot of weight, so you need to get large and strong equipment. You will also have to put in a lot of effort, as it will provide strong and long-lasting resistance. When hooking a fish, you need to keep the line taut. And wait until she lies on her side. This is a sign that she is starting to give up and you can safely pull her to the hole. Afterwards you can pull it ashore.
On a float tackle with an elastic band
In order to ensure precise delivery of the float tackle to the desired point and not to scare away the approaching flock, tackle with an elastic band is used. Before you start fishing, you should use a boat to bring the load with the attached model aircraft rubber further than the intended fishing location. Next, the float equipment with technoplankton is inserted into the selected location of the reservoir using stretched rubber hooked to a carabiner in front of the load.
Read How to repair a spinning reel
The advantages of this method are:
- constant, silent supply of equipment to the same place;
- the tackle does not get tangled, as when casting;
- the hooks do not overlap, the bait does not fall off them;
- fishing efficiency increases.
There are also disadvantages to using this method of fishing:
- costs for improving equipment;
- the need to have a boat;
- additional tension after hooking, which does not allow you to fully enjoy the moment of landing the fish.
Catching silver carp in winter using plankton
The most effective bait for silver carp is pressed technoplankton. Can be found in various stores that sell fishing supplies. The compressed barrels are made from the plankton itself, which contains flavorings and additives. Usually the bait comes in different scents: anise, vanilla, strawberry, bloodworm and a number of others.
Once in the aquatic environment, technoplankton begins to gradually soak, forming an aromatic spot, namely bait. The silver carp begins to suck up this substance, and along with it swallows the hook, since due to the opaque state of the water it cannot see it. This kind of bait can work in the form of complementary food and bait. Therefore, it is universal.
Catching silver carp in winter from ice tackle
There are different types of devices for catching silver carp in winter, which have their own characteristics.
A bottom feeder, as a rule, does not have a float. Suitable for catching large specimens. Such tackle should be made coarse and massive, because the fishing rod will not be used. To achieve maximum effect, you need to use a convenient location, which is calculated at a distance of six meters from each other. This method will help to completely get rid of problems when fishing is carried out during the current, since in such conditions gear often gets tangled.
The advantage of bottom tackle is its ease of use and simple design. It also has a high level of power, which allows you to cast massive rigs and pull out huge fish. You can choose monofilament or cord, there is no particular difference. Many argue that it is wiser to choose a fishing line; it can withstand heavy loads.
The most popular is float tackle. It is good for catching silver carp. But for such equipment you will need to use a carp rod or spinning rod. You should also choose a strong fishing line 0.25-0.35 mm. This should be done according to this principle: if the water is not cloudy and free of debris, then match it to the color of the sky or the color of the water itself. The rod should be 2-4.5 m.
Silver carp always looks at the bait from below, and clear water gives it the opportunity to see the sky. At the bottom, the float, like the fishing line, should have a sky-colored color, and at the top it should be bright. It should not have a vertical position, only horizontal. Slight tilt and small size are allowed. With a fishing rod you can catch small fish weighing up to two kilograms.
Float tackle with a sliding float "Barilka". The use of a sliding float together with a load comes to the fore. This method will help secure the float and tackle from the side of the load and the rod. To make it, take a feeder tube and place it on foam plastic.
Spring feeders with a float into which bait is hammered are also widely known.
A competent choice of gear, as well as knowledge of fishing rules, will help you get trophies of impressive size.
Catching silver carp with edible rubber baits
On some paid ponds, where, due to the successful breeding of silver carp, the fish have reached a large size, large individuals are not averse to grabbing something more serious than bloodworms or a grain of corn on a hook. Many large fish at high densities begin to seriously compete for food. And they even begin to show some predatory habits, as happens with seemingly peaceful fish: roach and bream.
Not long ago, very strange creatures appeared on the fishing lure market in the form of representatives from horror films like “Alien” and other blockbusters.
Only these “alien” ones are small in size and made of so-called edible rubber. These baits are similar to characters from horror films in the presence of various active tentacles, tails, claws and other details of imaginary crustaceans or insects. Such baits are called Hogy Hog and are intended more for catching perch and other predators, but they are also successfully used when catching large trout on fishing grounds. What is the reason for the success of these fairly new lures? The fact is that they consist of more than half of material that has smell and taste. Moreover, the bait is also thickly coated with oil, about 30 percent. Although the oil is washed off during long-term intensive fishing, the taste and smell of the bait remains throughout the entire fishing trip.
Larger active predators use larger baits that are measured in inches. Their usual size is 1.6 inches. For trout and silver carp fishing, the 1.2-inch Hoggy Hog is most suitable.
Despite the fact that these original lures have a rich palette of colors, especially bright, aggressive ones, designed for catching active predators, for fishing for silver carp using Hogi Hogs made of edible rubber, the colors of the lures are required to be more natural, not very bright. The most suitable colors are green, brown, yellow and white.
As for the taste and smell of edible rubber baits, for cold water Hogi Hogs with the smell and taste of crayfish, crab, shrimp, fish, and fish roe are usually used. All these smells and tastes are also successfully used in bait for late autumn and winter when fishing for carp and carp, and silver carp is a direct relative of these fish. And he is not alien to the tastes and habits of his classmates.
Hogy Hog baits made of edible rubber are attached both to a hook, which is more suitable for catching silver carp, and to a small jig. But silver carp are not predators and active baiting is not required to catch them. Therefore, when catching this fish on the Hogi Hog, you can use a medium-sized jig measuring 2.5 mm in black, green, brown or another dull color. And for stand-up fishing, summer rigging is more convenient, where the hook is located under the sinker at a distance of 10-12 cm.
Since the silver carp on paid ponds are quite large, it would not hurt to wind a braided cord with a diameter of 0.2-0.25 mm on the reel of a winter fishing rod. A fluorocarbon leash of the same diameter or thinner is used if the fish in the pond at this time are cautious, sluggish and small. Hooks are used No. 4-5 of our numbering.
The baits of the well-known company Lucky John, which were discussed above, as universal, possessing smell and taste, can be effectively used in winter fishing for silver carp - silver carp.
A winter fishing rod with a large open reel and a soft nod is suitable as a fishing rod for winter fishing for silver carp. The gear may be similar to gear that is usually used for catching bream.
When choosing a place for winter fishing for silver carp, it is advisable to know the bottom topography and the summer habitat of this fish. Usually these are muddy areas of the reservoir with a depth of 3-3.5 meters. It’s good when in the middle of soft silt there are “patches” with a harder clay or sandy bottom. These will be the tables set for the silver carp's breakfast and lunch. You need to have several of these tables in stock, feeding them in advance or imparting them with long-term bait. Then you can hope for a good result in silver carp fishing.
Read Match fishing rod
