Fishing in April - where to look for fish?!
Most fish species become noticeably active in April. The fishermen's catch may include crucian carp, bream, silver bream, perch, and white bream, but most of the fishing in April involves fishing for roach, which is caught both on a float and on a feeder or donkey. Among the predators there are perch, pike and pike perch, asp, but hunting for catfish will have to wait a couple of months, since the April water is still cold for it.
First of all, you should look for fish in April in places with slow currents and the presence of natural food, such as:
- edges of underwater vegetation;
- mouths of tributaries;
- bays;
- bushes and flooded trees in the water;
- underwater holes or, on the contrary, mounds;
- at the border of the current and the coastal calm.
During high water, fish should be looked for in the area of flooded shores, since there is less turbidity in the water, which allows the fish to swim into such places and rinse their clogged gills.
If it’s a warm and sunny day, then you should think about catching April bream, which often comes to the shore in good weather and is caught at a depth of half a meter to one and a half meters. At the same time, you should not forget about the bottom of the reservoir - bream loves a muddy or clay-sandy bottom.
How to go fishing in April
In some regions, ice fishing is still possible in April. Everyone hears about the fantastic bite on the last ice. Here it is important not to forget about safety in the heat of excitement. The ice is already loose and fraught with a lot of dangers. You should be especially careful in areas of reservoirs where there is a current, rocky rapids and rifts, areas near reed thickets and fallen trees are very dangerous.
Still, fishing in April means fishing in open water. In places with open water, fish can be caught using a spinning rod, a feeder, or a float rod, but you will have to look for places for bottom fishing. The bite gradually intensifies as many fish begin their pre-spawning feast.
Some experienced fishermen advise in April to fish at half-water or at a depth of half a meter from the surface, as close to the shore as possible. This is explained by the fact that the rapid melting of snow carries turbidity into the water with particles of food, which the fish pick up. In addition, the movement of schools of fish closer to the mouths of rivers and streams is noted. Fishing here in April is also more productive.
Fishing in April has its own characteristics: in April, fishing with a float tackle equipped with a small jig or with a summer nod fishing rod, also equipped with a jig, is very effective - nodding tackle becomes simply irreplaceable if fishing takes place in coastal pools with a current.
What to fish for in April
The first rule of successful fishing in April is to use thin gear. Even if you have to cast at a significant distance and the use of miniature components (float, weight, etc.) becomes impossible, you must at least take care of leashes with hooks, which must be of minimal thickness, otherwise you may not see a single bite all day .
In April, it is better to fish exclusively with animal bait - worms, maggots, bloodworms, caddis flies, leeches, etc. It is also recommended to use bait to which an animal component is added - chopped worms, all kinds of larvae, etc. It is not recommended to add flavorings to the bait mixture, because too strong a smell can scare away spring fish.
Standard fishing technique:
- raising or lowering the bait;
- small pulls of bait along the bottom;
- fishing with a slowly lowering bait.
Weather plays an important role in successful fishing. It is unlikely that the fish will bite in a strong gusty wind that constantly changes its direction. Or in sudden cold rain. Fishing will be most productive in sunny weather. Even if there is a light drizzle for an hour, then after it ends and the sun comes out, the fish bite will only intensify.
April asp glutton video
Spawning in April
No matter how much fishermen would like to completely devote themselves to their favorite pastime, it is not possible to fish in all regions, despite the prohibitions. The thing is that many species of fish begin to prepare for spawning as April approaches and the water warms up. In this regard, the law banning fishing comes into force. The law is directly related to the region where the fisherman lives. As a result, before you start fishing, you must carefully study the Fishing Rules.
Typically, during the April spawning period, fishing is allowed from the shore in places where fish do not spawn. You can fish exclusively with a float rod with one hook, although in some regions it is also permissible to use a donkey. As for spinning, it is banned almost everywhere. At the same time, we should not forget that the number of hooks on the fishing line has some restrictions associated, as already mentioned, with the region of residence. Read also: Spawning bans in the Rostov region
Important! In the appendices to the Rules there are always lists of spawning places, after studying which you will know exactly where you can sit on the shore with a fishing rod, and where instead of a catch you can actually get a serious fine or even a criminal offense. However, there is always a way out - paid sites, where fishing is not limited by Rules and Prohibitions.
Don't forget about the spawning ban
In April, water bodies gradually clear of ice. It would seem that it's time to take on summer gear. However, fishing in April is limited by law. With warming, many fish begin to prepare for spawning, so in a number of regions a spawning ban on fishing comes into force in April.
However, there is a way out. Eager anglers can fish while following the Fishing Regulations for their fishery. As a rule, during the period of the spawning ban in April, fishing from the shore outside the spawning areas is possible with a float rod (in some regions also with a donka, spinning is banned almost everywhere) with a certain number of hooks. Don’t be lazy, find your region in the Rules and a lot will become clear to you.
Appendices to the Rules include lists of spawning areas - read and you will know exactly where fishing is prohibited, but you can be caught with a large fine and even criminal liability. Fishing in April on paid reservoirs can also be considered an option.
For perch in April
Compared to March, perch becomes much more active in April. Anglers' catches often include good specimens weighing half a kilogram and more. But mostly these are medium or small “sailors” who greedily pounce on almost any bait of animal origin. They do not disdain maggots, worms, or bloodworms. However, real humpback whales are caught exclusively with small live bait, which can be caught not far from the shore.
You need to look for perch in small bays, among aquatic vegetation, at the edge of last year’s reeds or cattails, but most often it hangs around flooded bushes, among trees immersed in water, or near driftwood, where it gathers in small schools. This is interesting: Perch spawning
Perch fishing in April
Now let's talk about such a striped predator as perch. Perch fishing in the spring can also be very successful. In most cases, perch at this time stays near steep banks, where melt water flows into the river and the presence of coastal vegetation is desirable.
Its biting is more active in the morning. You can successfully shine by trying different wiring in different layers of water. To catch small specimens, it is best to throw the bait so that... Read more ™ © – Catching perch in the spring.
Coastal microjig in spring. Master class on perch fishing (video)
Where and how to catch pike in April
Depending on the region, pike spawning occurs in February-March, including the beginning of April (depending on the region). Naturally, during spawning you can’t count on rich catches, but before spawning or after its end, toothy fish are actively caught both with live bait and with artificial baits.
Floaters can enjoy fishing with live bait. There are no restrictions or special “troubles” required here. The tackle can be rough, thick, ugly, but most importantly - strong. The fishing line is from 0.3 mm thick, the float is large, capable of supporting the weight of a small crucian carp or roach, the hook is double or triple, a metal leash is required.
It is better to look for pike at the edge of aquatic vegetation, among flooded bushes and trees, but real trophy specimens will be located at depth, away from the shore. And here you can’t do without a spinning rod, but you can fish with it only after the ban is lifted.
Roach bite in April
Roach and April are two synonymous words for real fishermen. It is in this month that you can catch truly trophy specimens. The main thing is to choose the right place, since the roach at this time begins to actively move to the places of its future spawning ground, along the way grabbing everything that catches its eye.
From the shore, roaches are caught by wire, using bloodworms or maggots as bait. If the fishing trail runs far from the shore, then it is better to use a feeder or donka with feeders. Roach becomes most active when the water warms up to 6-8 degrees.
True, such fishing usually does not last long. As soon as a school of fish passes a certain area, the bite sharply disappears. A roach's meal can last from several hours to several days, depending on the size of the reservoir.
With a feeder for April roach
Fishing for crucian carp in April
Crucian carp are still inactive in April. It begins to peck no earlier than the cattail or reeds bloom. However, you can still catch him. The main thing is to choose the right place. Crucian carp loves warm water, which means you need to look for it in shallow water, where the water warms up faster. In addition, the fishing site must have underwater vegetation where the crucian carp will look for its natural food.
When fishing for crucian carp, it is better to use a float rod with miniature equipment. The bait is exclusively of animal origin, most often a dung worm. Less often he will hunt for maggots or bloodworms. To attract crucian carp, it is better to use commercial bait, but you should not scatter it too generously, otherwise the sluggish fish will quickly get enough and leave the promising place.
Fishing for crucian carp on a foggy morning on a float video
Catching
It’s better to start fishing with a seven-meter fishing rod and soon you’ll get the first bream in the landing net. In a couple of hours, the roach will begin to replace the bream. Switch to “nine”, and then to “ten”: the undergrowth clearly moves towards the riverbed in the middle of the day. In the middle of the day, when interest in the bream and roach begins to fade, you can experiment. Reduce the descent, now the bait will pass a meter from the bottom. You'll see some white bream. And these are not the only fish that can be caught on a float in April.
Bleak are caught, and pike perch are also caught quite often. True, it rarely comes to the landing net; in most cases, the “floaters” are not ready for a pike perch bite. But experience is a gain, and within a week the pike perch bite will end with its placement in the cage. Standard fishing techniques are well known: this is wiring (in reservoirs in April in most cases there is a current) with holding a float.
With active biting, this is enough to catch a certain amount of fish. However, active biting, as is known, happens “yesterday” and “tomorrow”. And when fishing, in most cases we find ourselves at a turning point in the weather, during a magnetic storm, or when for some reason the fish doesn’t want to take at all. And I want to catch her. So we have to resort to various tricks.
Fishing for bream in April
In April, the bream begins to experience a kind of zhor. It is caught both with a float rod near the shore (albeit with small breams) and with a feeder or donka (larger specimens can already be caught here). You need to look for bream in areas with a muddy bottom, among underwater vegetation or in shell rocks. At depth, bream stands in holes, at the edges, among natural shelter - in bushes, snags, etc.
The best bait for catching bream is a sandwich made from maggot and bloodworms, or maggot and red dung worm. The use of bait is justified and will definitely bring a positive result. It is better if it contains as few flavors as possible.
Roach and bream down the Volga video
Fishing for zander and pike in April
In April, the window of opportunity to catch the toothy predator from the ice on the girders closes. The April pike can be very active on the last ice, by the way, a record one, so far, the “mother”, pulling 14 kg, was caught by me in April on a girder on a small river about 20 meters wide, at a depth of no more than half a meter. We sweated, I remember, while we were drilling... And here is another example of successful fishing for zherlitsy: Pike-zherlitsy-krasnozerka.
The “distribution” of pike perch on our Ob reservoir also usually occurs in the first or second ten days of April. You can seduce him with winter lures and balancers, and most importantly, look and look again for the treasured dumps, holes and spits.
On the river, a short but often very productive season begins. In a short period of time, you can have time to restore the spinning fishing skills lost during the winter, experience the whole gamut of feelings from inspiration from the first angry zander and pike bites to disappointment caused by lack of bites, annoying derailments and broken gear. As S.S. said Gorbunkov “I should have been in his place...”
Photo from news: Bugrinsky Bridge
Silicone of medium and “marine” sizes, mandules, foam fish, wobblers, etc. are in use.
Photo from the news: Opened!
Sudak in April
In early April, pike perch is caught at depth, far from the shore. To hunt it, it is better to use a spinning rod equipped with a silicone bait or a narrow spoon. Milkers can try their luck by attaching a dead fish or sliced fish to a hook.
By the middle of the month, when its spawning run begins, the pike perch comes closer to the shore, where it is successfully caught using live bait. It is better to use bleak or gudgeon as bait, as their long, slender bodies are ideal for the narrow pike-perch throat. From the boat, the fanged one takes well on vertical spinners and balancers. In searching for pike perch, an echo sounder will help the fisherman, without which it will be difficult to determine where the holes and any underwater bottom changes are located in the reservoir.
What kind of fish are caught in April?
In April, fishing for all fishing enthusiasts turns into an exciting activity - after all, almost everywhere (not counting paid reservoirs), a ban on fishing with all gear except a regular float rod with two hooks comes into force. Well, there is always a chance to catch bream, burbot, pike, perch, ruffe, chub, carp, crucian carp and roach. When exactly each type of fish will bite depends on when the particular type of fish will spawn. I remember I already wrote about the spawning of crucian carp, you can read more.
