Fishing for crucian carp in April - with a float rod, feeder and donk

Depending on spring conditions and the region, catching crucian carp in April can be tactically divided into two different approaches. This is fishing for passive crucian carp in cold water and fishing later, when the silver, as they say, has “gone”. Fishing techniques, equipment, moments of searching for fish, the composition of groundbait and bait differ because of this. Let's look at these nuances in more detail and figure out how to catch crucian carp in April using amateur gear.

Crucian carp in spring

The stability and intensity of the crucian carp bite in April depends on a number of natural factors. The latitude of the region, the speed of the onset of spring, weather changes - these points do not coincide from year to year. You need to focus not on exact dates and incomprehensible biting calendars, but on natural changes in a particular year.

One year, especially in the middle zone, there may be ice on reservoirs in April. In this case, it will be winter fishing for crucian carp on the last ice. However, the further north you go, the fewer crucian carp, and if there is one, it most likely sleeps buried in the mud. In the south of the European part and Siberia, the last ice in one year occurs in February-March, in another - without it at all, and in March along the banks it is already caught with a summer fishing rod or donka.

When thinking about fishing for crucian carp in April, you need to focus primarily on the water temperature. Usually crucian carp begins to become active when the reservoir warms up to at least 7-8 degrees. If the temperature is lower, you will most likely be able to find him in the pit, half asleep. You can catch it with neat gear and small baits. However, this is not a rule. On southern rivers and reservoirs, even in severe winters, the hybrid is caught from the ice, and in the spring it goes upstream, sometimes through cold water, and is sometimes caught.

Globally, the bite becomes more active at a water temperature of 10-12 degrees. This is the temperature cutoff that affects the tactics of catching crucian carp in the spring.
If it’s colder, this means catching passive crucian carp, often in pits, using thin equipment, small animal baits, and being extremely careful with bait.
If it’s warmer, there’s classic fishing for active crucian carp, including using corn or other plant baits, with the active use of bait and experiments with aromatics.

At a water temperature of about 15 degrees, crucian carp spawn, and not all individuals at the same time - so the bite continues. In some places it’s not just a bite, but a real glutton. This activity continues for some time after spawning, until the end of May-June, gradually turning into summer fishing for well-fed and capricious crucian carp.

Fishing tactics

One year in April it may already be warm in the north - and crucian carp can be caught already in active mode. In a cold spring, even in the south, fishing for crucian carp in early April will most likely follow the scenario of March fishing in pits in cold water. Therefore, there is only one answer to the question of when to catch crucian carp in the spring in April - it all depends on the speed of the onset of spring changes.

Tactics for cold water, for passive crucian carp:

Search in holes or nearby, with the exception of large southern reservoirs, in which the hybrid approaches the shores at the end of winter.
Depending on the configuration of the reservoir - the choice of gear. You may not be able to reach depths of 4-6 meters with a fishing rod unless it happens on small rivers with holes under the bank. Then it is better to rely on a donk or feeder.
The equipment is thin, the minimum diameter of the leads is as long as it holds, up to 0.1 mm in the south, where crucian carp weigh up to 1.5 kg, and up to 0.08 in the middle zone for small ones. Small hooks. The bait is bloodworms, maggots, small worms.
We work with bait carefully - it’s better to search in an unknown place, rather than attract by smell. Crucian carp can stand in a strictly defined place and not move. No matter how much you throw the bait, it will not help if the crucian carp is not here, and it is standing somewhere in the spot. You need to search and hit the fish. If we feed it, it’s a little, with finely dispersed bait, no different from the color of the bottom, without a strong aromatics.

With warming, the tactics are different - crucian carp are actively looking for food.

It is important to choose the right location strategically. And most likely this is the coastal zone and reeds. On small rivers - including a channel along which a migratory hybrid rises in a continuous mass from large rivers and reservoirs.
We rely on bait to collect fish or stop passing schools. The equipment is rougher. In muddy water, for large active crucian carp - leads up to 0.25, especially in the south, where carp can also take along with crucian carp. On the hook - bunches of worms, sandwiches with maggots, we try corn, pearl barley and other vegetable baits. This period is discussed in more detail in the article about fishing for crucian carp in May

Such a tactical division by activity can occur in one region at the same time. For example, in the river the crucian carp is already in full swing, but nearby on a closed pond it is just beginning to wake up and is taking sluggishly, in winter mode. The last time crucian carp become active is in deep, cold quarries and ponds.

In cold water the bite is better on warm, calm days. In such weather, crucian carp standing at depth can go aground and feed heavily for a short time in the reeds. But as soon as a cold wind blows, the bite stops and the crucian carp rolls back. If April is warm and the crucian carp is on the move, the weather does not affect the bite so much. But, nevertheless, on quiet warm days, even cloudy ones, the bite is better. The main thing is that there are no sudden changes in pressure and weather. Unlike summer, in April crucian carp catches better during the day, around lunchtime or after, and not at dawn or sunset. However, the walk-through hybrid can be taken on the move even at night.

What gear to choose for fishing in April

Since the April crucian carp is very careful, you need to catch it with the most inconspicuous gear that will not scare it away. The line should be long enough so that you can reach the bottom and cast the tackle as far as possible. At this time, they fish with both a float rod and a feeder, but the first option is more preferable.

A float rod should have a light and dim float, which must be fixed, because there is no need to change the depth when catching fish in bottom waters. And this equipment must be as sensitive as possible to bites, since crucian carp bites very carefully, almost imperceptibly.

Did you know? The crucian carp has a well-developed sense of smell. It can capture parts per million of chemicals released by living things.

Since the fish at this time are actively preparing for spawning and gaining weight, it is possible to catch large individuals. That is why it is better to take hooks with numbers from 3 to 5. As for the sinker, the main requirement for it is to be invisible and not scare the fish at the most crucial moment.

To prevent the equipment from breaking, you need to use a fishing line with a thickness of 0.14–0.18 mm and a tensile strength of 3–4 kg. But the length of the leashes depends on the strength of the current and wind, and, as a rule, does not exceed 15 cm with a fishing line thickness of 0.1 mm.

Most often in April, the following options for a float fishing rod are used, depending on the type of fishing rod:

Flywheel - a fishing rod with a fishing line at the very end of the rod, not containing a reel or rings. Its 4-meter version is best suited for these purposes.
Match — with a spool holder and a large number of rings. It can be easily cast over long distances if the reel has a smooth stroke.
Bologna - quite affordable and simple, so it suits every angler. It comes with a reel holder and guides, which facilitates long casting.
Plug — its structure resembles a fly rod, but only at first glance. It consists of individual parts from which you can make tackle up to 16 meters long, which requires certain skills and fishing experience. The most important feature of this gear is its very quiet casting, which helps to catch wary April fish.

Whatever fishing rod you choose, you need to pay attention to the material from which it is made. It must be both flexible and durable at the same time. The most ideal option that matches these characteristics is fiberglass. It is very convenient to fish on a pond with feeder tackle, because there is no current in such a reservoir. In this case, a feeder with bait is very important.

The feeder is most often used closer to the spawning period, when crucian carp are not very active and are resting, or looking for food at the bottom of the reservoir. Immediately after spawning, fish are very sensitive to pleasant aromas, so vanillin and fruit flavors must be added to bait mixtures made independently or purchased at a fishing store.

Important! You need to be careful when pulling a crucian carp out of the water, because it has very delicate lips, and they can tear if you move the tackle sharply.

Search for a place

The main dilemma after arriving at an unfamiliar body of water is where the crucian carp is now and in what condition, whether it is standing in holes or climbing under the shore and in the bushes. On shallow overgrown ponds and stakes it is easier - it is always in the reeds or next to them, since there are no other places here. On rivers you need to look - both in the riverbed, and at the exits from pits, and on coastal shallows.

Whether crucian carp is caught in April in this particular body of water depends entirely on the combination of the factors described above, timing, and water temperature. Therefore, if the place is unknown, when fishing for crucian carp in early or mid-April, while it is cold, you should not feed in the first place you come across and wait, it is better to look. You can also search with a feeder with a bottom - do not create a bait spot, but cast in a fan with a weight, sometimes dragging it a meter or two until you find a bite point.

Another thing is fishing for crucian carp at the end of April, when it is already clearly warm and the silverfish are active, and this is known to the fisherman. Then you can safely feed the zone and wait for the fish to approach.

This usually happens to fishermen who constantly visit the reservoir in the spring to fish for crucian carp. The first catch of crucian carp in April is at the beginning of the month, in cold water (and in the south - in March), when the silverfish begins to move and feed, often at depth. By the end of the month, it is already in the bushes, on larger bunches of worms, and not a couple of moths.

Fishing for crucian carp in April on a pond with a depth of no more than a meter or two, both at the beginning and at the end of the month - in the reeds, especially if there is at least a meter deep under them. But the principle is the same - in cold water you need to look for standing fish and slip bait under its nose. As the weather gets warmer, we attract the flock to a convenient point with the right bait and bait.

After activation, the search locations are standard:

Shallow bays overgrown with reeds, cattails, and pondweed.
Vast bays with roughness and mud, with depths of 1-3 meters, where young reeds begin to sprout.
Water meadows.
Entrances and exits from narrow bays and oxbow lakes.
Any coastal zone near reeds.
In rivers there are quiet areas, coastal zones, spits and transitions from deep to shallow, general standard fishing spots for spring.
Overgrown shallows with depths of up to 30 cm - sometimes the silverback warms itself by moving through such places.
For early crucian carp - holes, exits, edges, returns with depths of up to 6 meters. On large rivers in the channel - under the edge, on reservoirs - medium depths not far from the shore, with groundings. On rivers and canals with trough-shaped terrain - on small uneven surfaces or along the main shaft.
In large reservoirs, especially in the south, there are coastal zones and large river bays, into which the hybrid will spawn with further warming.

Lure

For crucian carp in April, bait is also selected depending on the activity of the fish. In cold water, do not use strong aromas or heavy feeding. If we use bait for passive crucian carp, it is small bait, without feed fraction, in small quantities. For a float rod - several small lumps the size of a walnut. No need to throw big balls like in the summer. There are small feeders on the feeder or bottom, including for the overall neatness of the equipment. In some reservoirs, bait is completely contraindicated at this time.

With the intensification of the bite, it is already possible to catch crucian carp in April to the fullest, in the classic version - abundant feeding of points with food particles. It can be millet, pearl barley, corn, bloodworms or chopped worms mixed with homemade or store-bought powder. In the donks there is plasticine, porridge for springs and plugs, in the feeder version there are crumbly masses with large feed particles.

As the weather gets warmer, bait also starts to work. You can cut a window in the reeds and feed it for several days. The crucian carp will quickly get used to it and begin to visit this point constantly. As the weather gets warmer, fruity and sweet flavors begin to work – vanilla, strawberry, tutti frutti. In cold water, it is better to simply add a mixture of soil from the shore and bloodworms to a loose base without a noticeable odor.

Read more about proper feeding for crucian carp in spring

Lures

A logical question is what kind of bait does crucian carp like in cold water in April. The best bait for crucian carp in April, when the silverfish have not yet arrived, is bloodworms. This is his natural food at this time. And he can’t eat much - his metabolism is slowed down in cold water. Thin leashes, small hooks and a couple of moths are the best option for the intractable April crucian carp. We try a sandwich, for example, one maggot and two butterflies in variations. Such micro-attachments can be used both on fishing rods and on feeders or donks.

However, if there is no more ice, bloodworms are no longer sold in small cities and towns. Therefore, the main bait, as in principle for crucian carp in cold water, is maggots and worms. You need small worms - if the bite is weak. We plant small pieces or tails - so that the size is the same as 2-3 bloodworms.

With the warming, crucian carp in April bite better on larger baits - bunches of worms, maggots, several pearl barley or corn. The standard set of baits for crucian carp in April, when the bite stabilizes, is like in the summer: dung worms, maggots and corn. By experimenting with bait methods and sandwiches, as well as flavors and dips, you can almost always find the key to silver. In some reservoirs, the tastes of crucian carp are specific. Doesn't work with worms, corn or maggots - we try bread, dough, mash, mastyrki with different flavors. In some places it bites on kerosene, in other places – on garlic or WD-40.

You can use alternative animal baits - beetle larvae or chafer beetles, mayflies, caddis flies, jigs. Large crucian carp in the spring even grabs a fry 2-3 cm in size. On the bottoms in the current, cookies, ottomans, or simply raising the hook from the bottom with foam plastic begin to work so that it dangles in the stream.

More details - baits and attachments for crucian carp in spring

Place for catching crucian carp

Firstly, you need to decide on the place where future fishing will take place. April is mid-spring and by this time the fish are already quite actively regaining strength before future spawning. The water in April is still quite clear and schools of crucian carp try to stay and feed away from the shore, even if there is not such great depth there. It is this factor that will determine the further choice of gear for catching crucian carp.

Places with aquatic vegetation and snags relatively far from the shore can be very promising. Crucian carp is also caught well in large bays, at least the bite in these places is stable.

Tackle for crucian carp in April

You can catch crucian carp in April using any gear - whatever is more convenient and familiar to the fisherman in this particular place. From the shore it is easier to fish the coastal zone with a float rod if you need a long cast - a donk or a feeder. You can walk through the coastal thickets with a fishing rod, jig and side nod.

The main thing is to follow the basic principle of fishing for crucian carp in April - the dependence of equipment and tactics on the activity of the fish. For passive crucian carp - thin, neat rigs, on any gear. With warming, it can be more powerful, for ease of fishing.

Catching crucian carp in April with a float rod

On small rivers and good approaches from the shore, as well as from a boat, it is easier to catch crucian carp in April with a regular float rod, especially in the period before the bite stabilizes. The fishing rod allows you to operate with the thinnest equipment and small hooks. However, experienced feeders also use thin leashes and small hooks.

With an ordinary fly rod, or less often with a plug rod, you can fish coastal reeds, and Bolognese or match tackle with a reel - a zone of 20-30 meters from the angler, and even more. When crucian carp walks, no special skills are required. Cast and catch when the float sinks or moves away. However, passive crucian carp requires some tinkering.

If the crucian carp is standing in a hole, the float in the blind version of the rig rises almost to the tip of the rod. It requires either casting skill to cast the tackle like this, or to re-equip the fishing rod for a sliding float. The bait and leashes are neat. Bites from passive crucian carp in the wind and on a rough float can be missed. Often the bite is expressed in barely noticeable swaying and movement of the float from side to side, sometimes for 5 minutes, and you need to hook it when it sinks for a long time, lies down, or has a confident, barely noticeable movement to the side. For example, when a crucian carp carefully takes a bloodworm into its mouth and stands still, moving slightly. It seems to bite weakly, rarely and for a long time, but this way in the right place you can slowly catch a lot in a day.

A float for catching crucian carp in April needs a small carrying capacity and sensitivity. In the simplest version - a good old goose feather, so that it sticks out of the water by 2-3 cm. Now the bites are neat not because of the capriciousness of the fish, but because of its weakness in cold water. Together with thin equipment, such tackle allows you to catch a half-asleep silver comrade.

A standard fishing rod for crucian carp in the spring in the usual amateur version is a fishing line of 0.14-0.2 mm, with a thin leash of 0.1-0.12 mm. Later, when the crucian carp moves, you don’t have to put a leash, but tie the hook to the base. Hook - No. 5-10, selected according to the size of the nozzle.

There are a large number of equipment options, depending on the type of fishing rod. In currents and depths, it is more convenient to use a half-bottom with a float, and for long-distance fishing - match gear. However, when fishing in the near zone, the best option is an ordinary, sensitively tuned fishing rod, with or without a reel (lap or fly), which is used by 90% of amateur fishermen. More information about catching crucian carp in the spring with a float

Fishing for crucian carp in April on a feeder

In April, crucian carp is not available from the shore in all reservoirs, especially in early spring. Often it stands or moves in the riverbed zone - and you can reach it here with a feeder. Feeder equipment can also be thin and neat, and, unlike donkeys, is in no way inferior to a float in terms of sensitivity.

The feeder is based on feeding a point carefully selected as a result of measuring, precise casting into it, selecting the length and thickness of leashes and baits during fishing. However, it is not always advisable to feed crucian carp in cold water - often it does not respond to bait, but on the contrary, it is frightened by the change in the background aroma and simply leaves. At the same time, passive crucian carp can simply stand still, and the feeding point is located in a different place.

Therefore, the correct tactic for passive biting is searching. You don’t even have to hang the feeder, but use a sinker of the required weight. The equipment is thrown, all promising directions and points are broken through. And where there were bites, you can start feeding carefully.

Another thing is active crucian carp. Here everything is according to the classics - finding a point, measuring, feeding, then fishing on a spot with the selection of a leash and bait. More information about catching crucian carp on a feeder in the spring

Donkey for crucian carp in April

Catching crucian carp in April on a donk is advisable when the silverfish are already more or less active. In a completely passive period, it is better to fish with a feeder or a fishing rod - you simply won’t see bites on a rough bottom. However, the bottom can also be made with thin equipment - use a flexible rod and sensitive feeder mounts, such as inline or asymmetrical loops instead of springs and blind leashes.

When it’s already warm, the donks work hard, especially when targeting crucian carp. Springs, crucian carp killers, standard equipment with a sliding leash or a blind leash (inline or paternoster in the feeder version). This is standard spring crucian fishing in April, where there is a lot of silverfish - in the south. Carp or fisherman, as well as large roach, often come onto the bottom with a kilo of crucian carp. The main thing is to choose the right place and bait. Experienced bottom fishers already fish on the feeder - they try to throw the tackle not chaotically, but in the same place, so that a feeding spot is formed there.

Read more - the right donkeys for crucian carp

Side nod and jig

From a boat, if there is no ban yet, crucian carp are often caught with winter gear, with active play using a jig. It has been noticed that crucian carp often does not take a stationary bait, but reacts to a playing jig. This often happens between periods of strong biting in the spring. They use the same principle to fish with a summer fishing rod - in a plumb line with a side nod, wading through the windows or, again, from a boat. In April, crucian carp take especially well with jigs when purposefully fishing in the reed windows using the search method. Detailed article about catching crucian carp with a summer side nod

Subscribe to the channel:

YouTube channel RYBAFAN

We are VKontakte

Choosing gear

Careful preparation and proper selection of gear is the key to successful fishing. Therefore, let's look at what is a more effective way to catch crucian carp in April.

In April, crucian carp spend most of their time at the bottom of reservoirs. Based on this, you should select fishing gear:

Taking into account the preferences of crucian carp, which is located at depth, you need to take a fixed float, with a blind mount; with it, fishing for crucian carp will be more productive;
For fishing in crucian carp locations far from the shore, it is better to use float tackle with long casting;
The fine sensitivity of the float will allow you not to miss the cautious April bite of crucian carp. The classic goose feather float is one of the suitable options. It is not only sensitive, but also clearly visible at a distance of up to twenty meters;
In the spring, anything can scare a crucian carp and therefore the sinker should be as inconspicuous as possible and not distract the fish from the bait;
Hooks need to be of good quality, medium size - from 3 to 5, with smaller hooks you can miss large individuals;
The fishing line must be thin and strong.

Since catching crucian carp with a float rod in April is not easy, you can use a fishing elastic band. To do this, you need to tie a load to a short rope and attach an elastic band, the length of which can be from 5 to 20 meters. Then, through a carabiner and winding rings, a piece of fishing line 3 to 5 meters long with five to seven leashes from 15 to 30 centimeters long is attached, then a fishing line with a thickness of 0.4 to 0.5 mm and a regular reel spinning rod are attached. Instead of a reel, you can use a board with a fishing line wound on it. For successful fishing, 10 meters of rubber and 300 grams are quite suitable. cargo

Fishing for crucian carp in April on a feeder is becoming increasingly popular among anglers. As a rule, a feeder fishing rod with a length of 3 to 4.2 meters with inserted end tips is used, along which the crucian carp bite is observed. The second element of such fishing is the feeder, which can have different weights and shapes. Very often, to catch crucian carp in ponds and lakes, a feeder with a spring is used, which pushes the soggy food out of the feeder so that it ends up at the hook. This fishing method is especially effective in calm water.