Fishing for crucian carp with pickerel: choice of gear, fishing location, bait and bait

Picker selection

Among rods designed for bottom fishing, the picker, which differs from the feeder in its increased sensitivity and compactness, takes pride of place. A picker rod is suitable for fishing from the shore in a small body of water where long casting is not required. Picker has proven itself well in hunting roach, white bream, silver bream, bleak, and crucian carp.

Such a rod with the appropriate equipment will come to the aid of the fisherman in cases where casting feeder gear is too complicated by environmental conditions. Also, a picker is also a good alternative to a match-type float rod.

When choosing a picker rod, you need to understand that the picker is suitable for fishing with small loads (up to 50 grams) at a short distance from the shore. The picker is especially good for small fish, as it is very sensitive and perfectly transmits bites from even the smallest fish.

What is a picker?

Successful fishing for crucian carp in small bodies of water, such as ponds and lakes, bays and channels, is best achieved with the help of a pickerel. This is one of the varieties of English bottom feeder rods, the lightest and most elegant. A picker will be needed to make long casts, but it is not intended for casts over a distance exceeding 40 meters. This is explained by the fact that the main calculation is made for active fishing (it must be taken into account that recasts can be frequent, and fishing is quite fast).

Read: Catching bream in the spring on a feeder on the river

An important advantage of the picker is that it allows you to fish in any weather: even in a squally wind, the bite is very visible.

Picker rods are most often double-legged with a length of about 2.7 m (shorter than usual), since they are primarily used for active fishing for small-sized fish.

In picker fishing, it is better to give preference to match reels, since their number makes it possible to quickly reel in – which is quite important when actively fishing with a picker. A shallow spool can also be considered an advantage of a match reel - it is designed for winding fishing line of different sizes.

Fishing with a float

In the spring, to catch goldenbellies you will need a fly rod up to 7 meters long. Such a significant length is necessary to ensure camouflage for the fisherman, since fishing has to be done in clear water and at shallow depths. The equipment is made of monofilament with a diameter of up to 0.17 millimeters. A high-quality fishing line of this section can withstand a load of up to two kilograms, which ensures comfortable fishing for both small crucian carp and kilogram-sized specimens. The same monofilament is used as a leash, but its cross-section should be 0.05-0.1 millimeters smaller than that of the base. The hook is selected according to the bait.

Let’s take a special look at the rod blank. Five-meter fiberglass forms with access rings, which every fisherman has in his stash, are already an anachronism. Such rods are heavy on their own, plus the weight of the reel itself. As a result, the tackle turns out to be heavy, and its power remains unclaimed. The best choice is a carbon rod. Composite forms can also be considered as a budget option, but they will be a little heavier. The tip of the blank must be thin and flexible, capable of absorbing the jerks of the fish.

When choosing a float, preference should be given to light, spindle-shaped floats with a bright antenna. The floats are loaded so that only the tip of the antenna, literally 10-15 millimeters long, peeks out. For “needle” type floats, you can leave the entire antenna above the water, since it is made of a material with zero buoyancy and does not affect the sensitivity of the equipment.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=HhadaLEc5-A%3F

Fishing for bream on pickerel in spring

As the water warms up, the river comes to life. Full of caviar, the fish rushes to spawn at full speed. My favorite fishing object at this time is bream. Right up to spawning, it is caught in the river very successfully; rough males in breeding plumage are often caught. At this time, it is best to fish not in holes, as at the beginning of winter, but in well-warmed shallow waters.

Of course, I have in mind several proven places where you can catch big fish at this time. But due to their great popularity on weekends, fishing enthusiasts line up there in the evening. This time I didn’t want to catch shoulder to shoulder; the sunny spring day was more conducive to solitude and contemplation. In general, I decided to explore a new and completely unfamiliar section of the lower Moscow River. I've been staring at it for a long time, driving past in my car...

Read also: Choosing a fly fishing line

Arriving at the site early in the morning, I was happy to note that there were no competitors in sight. But only a few spinners were wandering around the shore, within sight. A steep, steep bank at a bend in the river indicated the presence of a good hole here with a reverse flow and a rapid at the exit from it.

I went down to the water. The first step is to conduct reconnaissance in unfamiliar terrain. As expected, the hole was at the very bend in the river. The bank above it was steep and earthen - it was inconvenient to fish from it. But downstream behind the hole, an extensive shallow stretch began, the bottom of which was clearly visible in clear weather. Immediately beyond the reach, the shore jutted out slightly into the water with a small cape, behind it was a small pit with a reverse current, and then a flat section of the shore with a convenient fishing area. Flyers were sticking out of the water near the shore, which means that someone is still fishing here with donkeys and float gear.

In general, you should try it. I'm starting to set up my workspace. On such trips “for the soul” I don’t take a lot of fishing belongings with me. There is no need to carry a bulky sports platform - I am quite comfortable fishing while sitting on a regular folding chair. I attach a small module to the tripod, into which I insert four plastic containers in which a supply of small bloodworms is stored, as well as fishing items in the form of spare feeders, dips and attractants for bait. I place the feeder form on a single stand with a soft stand screwed to it. I just stick it near the shore. There is a bucket of bait underfoot. This equipment can be assembled and disassembled after fishing in a matter of minutes.

Now sounding the depths and studying the fishing sector. To begin with, I assemble a fairly powerful rod with a length of 12.4 feet (375 cm) with a test weight of up to 100 g. I equip it with a large reel with a 0.22 mm monofilament wound on the spool. I knit a sliding rig directly on the main line, and between the loop of the main line and the leash I put a rubber shock absorber to soften the jerks of the fish. Knowing how capricious the bite of bream, and other fish, can be, I set myself up for fishing with the thinnest leashes and tiny hooks. To avoid unnecessary breaks, I need additional elasticity between the leash and the main line.

Read: Tricks for catching bream during the spring run

Before you start fishing, you need to decide on the distance. I hook on the marker sinker and make the first test cast. There is a crazy current in the middle of the river, I definitely won’t fish there. I reel it in and cast it again, closer to the shore, and it’s blowing again! As a result, I start sounding the depth at a distance of only 20-25 m from the shore. But a sinker weighing 90 g falls to the bottom in an instant, making it clear that it is very shallow here, no more than 2 m. Is it worth fishing here and what kind of fish can you count on?

I drag the sinker along the bottom: dense clay with rare inclusions of stones. I cast a little to the left, a little to the right - there is a clean clay field everywhere, on which there is no point in fishing. Well, maybe he should pack up and go “into the crowd”, to a proven place? But the flyers stuck into the shore force you not to rush, but to try. I decide to fish at a distance where I feel comfortable. Instead of a sinker, I use a metal feeder weighing 80 g. Casting 15 m, the feeder confidently holds the bottom. Trying is not torture, I’ll try to catch at least something!

I mixed the bait in the evening. Its composition is quite simple: one packet of PELICAN “Bream-Vanilla”, 300 g of ground roasted hemp, 500 g of copra-molasses and a little brown paint. The bait turned out to be soft, crumbly and light brown. On the shore I notice that I got the color right, it matches the color of the bottom at the fishing spot - at least it’s some kind of joy!

When fishing in such a strong current, there is no point in starting feeding: no matter how much you feed, everything will be washed away and carried away by the water flow. I start fishing right away with a leash 120 cm long, 0.08 mm thick and a hook No. 18. I hook 3 large bloodworms, add a generous pinch of small larvae to the feeder and make the first cast.

I decide for myself that I will not reload often, about once every 3-5 minutes. I place the rod on the stand and, to be honest, without much hope, I fix my eyes on the tip. After a couple of minutes, it suddenly swayed slightly, and then smoothly bent. Hook, and I understand that there is a very large fish on the other end. I begin to carefully lift it from the bottom. The rubber shock absorber allows me to behave quite harshly with it, preventing it from going downstream. A short struggle and the yellow side of the bream appears on the surface. I never expected such a turn of events. Out of excitement I can’t free the hook from the fish’s lip. I re-attach three bloodworms and throw out the tackle.

Read: Pickerel fishing

We didn't have to wait long. Two minutes later there was a smooth bend again and another bream, a copy of the first, in my cage. It felt like I was in the very center of a bream den. But, upon reflection, I understand that bream cannot stay so close to the shore and at such a shallow depth - I just ended up on the path along which it climbs to its spawning grounds. But it’s very inconvenient to catch with such a long “stick” at a short distance. I decide to change the heavy tackle to a lighter and more comfortable one.

And yet, it’s not for nothing that I take not one, but several rods with me to unfamiliar places. In addition to what I have in my hands now, in the case there is also a feeder 420 cm long with a dough of up to 140 g, another 360 cm long with a dough of up to 60 g, and a picker (light feeder) only 300 cm long and a dough of up to 30 g. That’s exactly what I’ll try to work with now.

A picker rod is a universal tackle: it can be used equally successfully to fish both in closed reservoirs and on rivers with moderate currents. Undoubtedly, its main purpose is to catch small fish at a short distance, up to 30 m. You get real pleasure when you pull out roach, bleak, small chub or dace with such medium-sized tackle.

But my favorite fishing with light pickerel gear is fishing for crucian carp in closed reservoirs without a current. Typically, this type of rod has a parabolic action; the entire blank bends at the slightest load from the very tip to the base at the reel seat. How pleasant it is to fight with frisky crucian carp, making jerks right under the bank, now to the left, now to the right! The thin fishing line rings with the weight of the fish, the drag of the reel performs its long melodic trill, and from this magical combination of sounds: splashes, trills of the clutch and the ringing of a stretched fishing line, a real hymn begins to sound inside to the glory of this elegant tackle.

However, if suddenly a bream or other large river fish swims to the feeding point, the pickerel will be able to cope with the unexpected bonus without any problems.

Another obvious advantage of the picker is its relatively short length (from 180 to 300 cm). It is not always possible to place yourself on the shore in a clear place - you often have to fish under the crowns of trees and bushes hanging over the water, where a short rod is very appropriate.

But in order to warn the reader against disappointment and damage to fishing equipment, I want to dwell in more detail on the structure of picker rods, because some of them can be used in the current, while others should be saved for calmer water.

So, picker forms are different. There are parabolic ones, there are progressive ones (the greater the load, the more the blank starts working), and there are also “fast sticks”, in which only the upper third bends. The latter, as a rule, are made of cheap carbon fiber, have a thick butt and a lot of weight. Their price is usually low, as is their quality.

Read: Catching bream in May using bottom gear

With a progressive picker, you can fish not only on reservoirs without current, but also on rivers with quite decent draft. Naturally, you need to select the weight of the feeders in accordance with the stated test. Although most fishing rods of this type have a certain margin of safety.

With parabolic pickers, you can fish exclusively in closed, stagnant reservoirs, or in small canals or rivers where the current is very weak. There is no point in overloading such forms, and there is no point - they will hardly throw more than the weight indicated in the test. The blank of such rods seems to “fail” under load, i.e. it does not have enough rigidity to impart the necessary acceleration to the feeder. It is advisable to equip pickers with reels of sizes from 2000 to 4000 according to the SHIMANO classification.

But let's get back to my fishing. In my case there was a progressive picker with a length of 300 cm and a dough of 30+ g. Considering the minimum casting range - some 10-12 m, I was not afraid to overload the form even with a 60-gram feeder. When assembling, I used the stiffest tip of the three available, with 1 oz (28 g) test and a size 4000 reel with 0.20 mm mono line. Now fishing has become much more comfortable: casting is no longer stressful, and the fight with large bream is more dynamic and spectacular.

The bream, a large one at that, weighing more than 1 kg, bit regularly. We didn’t have to wait long for a bite: a rare cast was unsuccessful. How my pickerel bent under the weight of the bronze beauties! Working with thin, elegant tackle is a pleasure.

The sun rose higher and higher, and the transparency of the water became greater. This could not but affect the bite. The bream became more cautious, and more and more often its place on the hook began to be occupied by the white-eye, which has a mating plumage in the form of rough spines on its head, and roach. To provoke the bream to bite again, I had to use a thinner leash. The first to occupy are the white-eye, which has a mating plumage in the form of rough spikes on its head, and the roach. To provoke the bream to bite again, I had to use a thinner leash. At first 0.07 mm, and at the end of fishing and 0.06 mm. Thanks to the rubber insert, I didn’t lose a single fish while fishing.

Five hours of fishing was enough for me. Bream were splashing in the fish tank, and a tan appeared on my face. The body received its portion of adrenaline. It was one of the best days I've ever spent fishing. And an important component of this pleasure was the use of light gear that met the fishing conditions. So in the spring and on a serious river there will be work for the picker!

Pickerel fishing

Fly rods required fishermen to be longer, but they do everything that is required of fishermen, and the standard length of a fly rod went beyond 10 meters. Exactly the same situation is with feeder rods.

The initial length of the rod for fishing on the feeder was about 2.5 meters, but gradually increased to 5.

Well, the characteristics of the rod themselves have changed, improved, and now you can find pickers on the fishing market.

Fishing with pickerel has become very popular among fishermen, since when it is necessary to fish close to the shore, there is no replacement for such equipment. As an example, we can consider a narrow river with a strong current; to use a full-fledged feeder, it will be narrow, and the float will simply be carried away by the current. There are many such examples, and this is where picker comes to the rescue.

When feeders are used, fishing with a picker is almost completely similar to a feeder. One difference is that if the fish is actively biting, then some people hold the picker in their hands and not on a stand.

Well, this is not a difference worth talking about. But in the absence of a feeder, the fisherman has to deliver the bait to the fishing point by hand or with a slingshot.

This allows you to feed the fishing spot without removing the tackle from the water, and saves a lot of time. The need to remove the tackle from the water is only caused by a change of bait, and, well, a bite. And from this it already follows that your tackle will be at the fed fishing point for the maximum time, which increases the chances of catching fish.

If there is no landmark on the opposite bank, then you can mark the fishing point with a well-known float marker. It is best to cast bait not from behind the head, but from below.

Well, if you don’t throw it with your hand, then use additional means, for example a slingshot.

Fishing for crucian carp with pickerel on small rivers

Fishing for crucian carp with pickerel on small rivers, and on rivers in general, is very popular among fishermen. Everyone knows that crucian carp is very careful and extremely timid, so a bite can only be determined by slight vibrations in the tip of the picker rod. Very important advice: always use different flavors for bait and bait, the crucian carp will definitely make it clear that he likes this or that option.

Do not forget that fishing with pickerel requires the fisherman to have a large amount of bait, which should be taken care of before fishing. It could be anything, rolled oats, worms, bloodworms, maggots, pearl barley, and so on. Feeders for picker gear are quite small, so you need to take fish not by volume, but by flavor.

There is no need to wait long between casts; five minutes will be more than enough.

And so, when you wait for a bite, be sure to remember what kind of bait it happened with, and of course you should pay attention to the bait that attracted the crucian carp

In order for a fish to bite, attracting it to the fishing spot is not enough, you also need to awaken a feeling of hunger in it, bite activators do this well, or try changing the nozzle or stretching the feeder a little along the bottom.

Fishing for crucian carp with a pickerel will not bring the desired catch if you neglect to choose the right equipment. In this difficult task, everything must be perfect: the reel, fishing line, rod and even the hooks on the tackle. It is best to choose keys no larger than number 16, because crucian carp have a rather small mouth.

Fishing for bream with pickerel on a pond

Bream is one of the most popular fish among feeder fishing enthusiasts. Catching bream with a pickerel is quite an easy task, although sometimes there are situations when you have to use an additional sinker. If you are going to catch bream with a pickerel on a pond, you must first feed it very well, and then try to send the equipment to the fishing spot as quietly as possible.

This is where the advantages of picker tackle over classic donkey and feeder rigs manifest themselves. Now many of you are wondering, why not a float rod? But because it is almost impossible to keep the bait at one point. It will be constantly moved from side to side either by the current or by the wind.

Catching bream with a picker allows you to keep the tackle in the baited area and control it even in very fast currents and strong winds. Here you have the combination of a delicate float rig with the bait control capabilities of a rougher feeder rig.

This is a kind of horn into which a special rubber band is inserted that suppresses wind vibrations. The bun is well known, so it can’t be called a secret, but it is ineffective. So the choice is always yours. Well, according to tradition, I suggest you watch an entertaining video about catching crucian carp, roach and bream with pickerel.

Technique for catching crucian carp with pickerel

Having found a suitable fishing point, you need to fix the required length of fishing line on the clip and determine on the opposite bank a landmark in the direction of which the casts will be made. This will allow you to always place the feeder at one point. It's better to cast from behind your head. After splashing down the feeder, you need to let it reach the bottom, and then reel in the fishing line so that the quiver tip remains in a half-bent position. After this, any touch of the fish to the nozzle will not go unnoticed. Catching crucian carp with a pickerel requires frequent recasts. Usually every 3 - 5 minutes the equipment is reeled out, the feeder is filled with a new portion of bait and thrown in again. When catching active fish, recasts can be done once a minute; if the fish bites sluggishly, the pause can reach 10 - 15 minutes. The probability of self-hooking when fishing with light tackle is very small, so you need to be able to quickly respond to a bite. After a successful hooking, you need to quickly move it away from the thickets, into which it can go, tangling the equipment.

3 secrets of pickerel fishing for crucian carp: • “Opposite shore effect.” It is often possible to achieve phenomenal catches if you choose a fishing point on the opposite shore of a pond or bay. You can also cast bait to the island located opposite the angler. At the same time, there is every chance of significantly exceeding the results of neighbors who are trying to catch fish by fishing at the shoreline closest to them. Apparently, this happens because the crucian carp feels safe when the angler is at some distance from him. This advice works especially well in picker fishing if you use a light, compact sinker that falls into the water with almost no noise, without alerting the fish, while fishing with a feeder or match gear noticeably weakens the “opposite bank effect.” • The bait should not float. Bait for crucian carp should have a dense structure, so that the balls quickly sink to the bottom and disintegrate without forming floating particles or clouds of dust. In order to obtain a suitable mixture, you can prepare bait using molasses mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio. • Thin rigs will help seduce capricious crucian carp. If the crucian carp is active, but capricious and does not want to take the bait at all, the use of the thinnest leashes and microhooks can save the day.
Picker makes it possible to use the most elegant equipment, which often allows you to get away from zero results in crucian carp fishing and ensure a good catch. Source

Choosing a fishing spot

On the current

In rivers, crucian carp prefers to stay in places with standing water or weak currents. Most often, in large fast-water rivers, it lives in overgrown oxbow lakes, backwaters, and bays. Avoids places with fast currents and hard rocky bottoms.

On still water

Crucian carp feels more comfortable in stagnant water - this fish lives in almost all bodies of water where there is no current, a muddy bottom, and a lot of aquatic vegetation. In lakes and ponds, most of the time it stands near thickets of aquatic vegetation abounding in aquatic insects and their larvae - egg capsules, reeds, lilies. The crucian carp does not like thickets of hornwort - its leaves secrete the substance theanine, which repels insect larvae, and when it blooms, the pollen clogs the gills of the crucian carp. It is worth mentioning that the larger the lake, the greater the likelihood of encountering a larger specimen.

You can watch a video on technique and feeding crucian carp below:

What types of feeder equipment are effective when fishing for crucian carp?

As the fishermen themselves, who are keen on feeder fishing, including those aimed at crucian carp, say, the following installations will be the most effective: asymmetrical equipment, symmetrical and paternoster.

feeder equipment” src=”/files/image/1articles/2018/07/20/maxresdefault.jpg” title=”Paternoster. ” />

The first two types of installation are extremely sensitive and perfectly signal bites, which allows the fisherman not to oversleep the cautious trophy fish. The only thing you need to take into account is that the leashes should be made a little longer than usual. Crucian carp is a cautious fish and often not decisive; it needs to think before biting. And at this very moment, a feeder located close to the hook can scare it away, and a good fisherman will never end up in the landing net.

For muddy bottoms, where the feeder can easily sink, it is recommended to use a paternoster. This way, at least the leash will remain on the surface, not under the silt, but at the same time the feeder will most likely turn into an ordinary donkey.

In principle, other known feeder installations can also be used. The fish can bite at any moment, and will not even look at what you have tied there. However, you should not forget about the sensitivity of the tackle, otherwise you will miss this very bite. Paternoster, by the way, is also a very sensitive installation.

Fishing for crucian carp on a feeder

I use feeder tackle for catching crucian carp in the summer and autumn, on those reservoirs where it is possible to cast it. There are not many such places in our region.

What distinguishes feeder tackle from donkey or otherwise zakidushka is that feeder tackle has a feeder. The remaining differences are not so significant. In the fall, I change the feeder to a sinker, and fish with bottom tackle, because...

in the autumn, bait for crucian carp is not so important.

My feeder rod is of medium length. one is 2.7 meters, the other is 3.0 meters. The test is small, but it’s enough to cast the feeder. Separately, I would like to dwell on the equipment. To begin with, I read the literature, read articles on sites for fishermen, and after experiments I settled on a sliding feeder and two hooks.

I border the feeder on both sides with round pellets, or with a bead on one side and a round pellet on the other. Many people limit themselves to one hook; I fish with a feeder tackle with two hooks. I place one on a long leash at the end of the tackle, the second, on a short leash, on the main line, thirty to forty centimeters above the feeder.

I make a short leash 10-15 cm long, a long leash 15-40 cm. Sometimes I use a short leash with a small piece of foam to give the baited hook a little buoyancy (Fig. 2). I attach a piece of foam plastic to a hook with a long shank, bait a worm, and in the water the hook with bait seems to “hover” 5-6 cm from the bottom.

I think this is attractive to fish and another plus is that if the bottom of the reservoir is heavily silted, the bait is clearly visible.

In this case, you simply determine at what distance the bite occurs, and throw all the gear approximately on the same line. If the bite is good, you leave two, or even one feeder, because you simply can’t keep up with the bites. In the autumn months, the search principle is the same, only I cast much further, the crucian carp begins to gather in schools and goes into the depths.

In this case, I always look for holes in the reservoir, parking places for schools of crucian carp

I repeat, it is very important to know the body of water where you are fishing; this is half the success when catching crucian carp. If the body of water is unfamiliar, you need to take a closer look at the trampled spots on the shore; if someone is fishing, come up and ask how and what, in a rare case, if they answer you with a refusal

There is a big advantage when traveling with a group; with joint efforts it is much easier to determine where and what the fish are biting.

When preparing groundbait at home, I use, as I wrote above, ground seeds, always ground crackers or breadcrumbs, one or two types of cookies, semolina or ground rolled oats. I take flavors with me when fishing. I mix the bait a little and add a drop or two of flavoring. If there is no bite, I use something else.

Among the flavorings our crucian prefers is anise, hemp oils, cinnamon, vanillin, I always take two or three cloves of garlic with me. Having all this while fishing, you will still find the “key” to the crucian carp. Good luck on your fishing!

A short video about catching crucian carp on a feeder.

Tags: crucian carp, fishing for crucian carp on a feeder, feeder. Bookmark permanent link.

Pros and cons of catching crucian carp with pickerel

Picker , when used for catching crucian carp, has a number of advantages over other gear:

Longer casting compared to a float rod - a small feeder will not sail when casting, allowing you to easily make accurate casts over a medium distance - up to several tens of meters - .
The possibility of fishing in strong winds - a float swaying during the wave does not allow you to notice a neat crucian bite , and the light tip of a picker rod will perfectly signal a bite .
Possibility of baiting fish exactly at the casting point .
The compact rod allows you to fish even in relatively hard-to-reach places - where a fly -float or feeder rod will cling to branches, with a picker .
Lightness of tackle
makes her cast relatively silent, what's not so scary captured specimens crucian carp - in the end it's reduces time between bites.
The sensitivity of the picker allows you to react even to a cautious crucian bite.

But the picker also has certain disadvantages:

Due to the lightness of the tackle, when catching a trophy specimen of crucian carp, skill will be required in order to preserve the tackle and not break the thin fishing line .
Picker is not suitable for long-distance due to the same lightness of the equipment.

catch crucian carp with this gear from the very beginning of spring , when crucian carp become active until late autumn , excluding the spawning period, when the fish stays near the coastal zone in shallow water.

Also, the characteristics of the picker imply daytime fishing for crucian carp - although it is most active in the early morning and before evening twilight, this tackle allows you to find fish after it has left the feeding grounds to depth . It often happens that a resting crucian carp is tempted by a bait that falls in front of his nose .

Tackle for catching crucian carp using polystyrene foam

To catch crucian carp using foam plastic, you will need bottom tackle with a spring-shaped feeder. Although many anglers believe that the “nipple” may be the most effective. The “crucian carp killer” tackle consists of several “spring” type feeders, located one after the other, so this option will be considered.

Before casting the tackle, the spring is stuffed with bait, and foam balls are placed on the hooks. As a result, it turns out that the pieces will be in the water column above the feeder due to positive buoyancy. The crucian carp will definitely become interested in the contents of the feeder and begin to eat its contents.

At the same time, when the crucian carp is feeding, the hooks with foam plastic are very close, since the length of the leashes can be only 5 cm. Having occupied the feeder, the crucian carp also swallows foam balls. As a result, the fish ends up on the hook. It self-cuts under the influence of the weight of the feeder. There are several versions among fishermen about the reason that crucian carp swallows foam balls:

The crucian carp gets carried away with eating the contents of the feeder and at the same time swallows a foam ball. It's hard to say what the white ball reminds him of. It is quite possible that he sees a balloon in it and decides to swallow it in order to replenish his air reserves. There are also foam balls covered with a shell of different colors and smells. If the ball is similar to a pea or a grain of corn, then everything is clear: the crucian carp will not refuse such a delicacy. Having swallowed such a ball, the crucian carp immediately ends up on the fisherman’s hook.
There is another opinion, which is based on the fact that crucian carp is still able to determine how edible the bait is. If everything is clear with multi-colored balls, since they can look like ripe peas, green peas, or corn and can smell the same, then with ordinary foam balls, on the contrary, nothing is clear. Most likely, the crucian carp has determined that there is some kind of garbage flying around its feeding area that needs to be removed. In addition, this garbage interferes with normal feeding and the crucian carp takes this ball into its mouth and tries to move it away from this place. So he ends up on the hook.

Equipment

Equipment for catching crucian carp using polystyrene foam is sold in any fishing store. There are many varieties, including the “crucian carp killer” rig. Other accessories, such as “pacifiers,” may be suitable for this purpose, but this is not for sale, since you can easily make it yourself. If you don’t want to spend precious time making equipment, then it’s better to buy, especially if funds allow. There can be 2-3 hooks near each feeder spring, although many fishermen attach up to 6 hooks. If they are secured correctly, on short leashes, they will not get tangled.

For the equipment to work correctly, it is necessary to properly secure the leashes with hooks. Usually they are attached to both sides of the feeder. On a purchased feeder, the hooks may not be tied as needed for fishing with foam, so they will have to be moved to another place. The most important thing is that the length of the leashes does not exceed 5 centimeters. As practice shows, this is the optimal length of leashes for such gear.

Rod

Since this is a bottom tackle, it must be equipped with any fishing rod, either a spinning rod or a feeder rod. Naturally, a feeder rod will cost much more. Many fishermen still use old Soviet spinning rods with inertial reels. Unfortunately, they are not suitable for catching crucian carp, since you will have to frequently re-throw the tackle, and it is difficult to determine bites on them. The fact is that bite detection is carried out by the movement of the rod tip. In this case, the softer the rod tip, the more sensitive the tackle, and old spinning rods are very rough and rigid.

Coil

For such fishing conditions, it is better to opt for a spinning reel. There are no special requirements for the reel, but it must be powerful, since you will have to throw significant weight over a long distance. The reel should fit at least 50 meters of fishing line, 0.3 mm thick. Spool size 2500-3000. This will be quite enough.

fishing line

Despite the fact that mostly you come across individuals that weigh no more than 150-200 grams, fishing line thinner than 0.25 mm cannot be used. A feeder filled with bait can weigh up to 100 grams and when casting, a thinner line simply won’t hold up.

Hooks must be attached to elastic leashes. It is better to use a thin white cord for this, although fishing line about 0.15 mm thick will do.

Fishing with foam. Equipment for fishing with foam plastic. Bottom tackle. Fishing. Fishing.

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Selecting components for picker gear for crucian carp fishing

To complete picker gear, a rod with a length of 2.4 to 2.7 m , however, when fishing among trees hanging over the water, you can use a two-meter rod . If you plan to fish with a long cast , it is better to take a rod 3 m , preferably a fast or medium-fast action to be able to quickly make a hook when biting and bring out the crucian carp when fishing in the thickets .

The choice of tip is very important for the correct adjustment of the tackle, since it is the one that serves as indicator - for catching crucian carp in reservoirs with standing water it is better to use soft plastic options, but when fishing in rivers with fast currents, are more suitable .
Attention! It is advisable to have in your fishing set different tips that differ in rigidity - this will allow you to adjust the tackle at any time.
The standard reel for picker tackle is a lightweight, inertia-free reel with a sufficiently large gear ratio for more active fishing. You can use a light feeder or match reel - the latter are good at laying thin line.

Reference! When using braid, the line roller must be able to withstand the friction of the line.

Most often, monofilament with a diameter of 0.12-0.18 mm is used picker tackle , but this will be a reasonable solution only when fishing at short and medium distances .

When casting long distances, the sensitivity of gear using monofilament drops due to its fairly high elasticity, so with this option it is better to use braid. Also, the use of braided fishing line will be justified when fishing for crucian carp among thickets of vegetation. Braid for picker tackle should be taken with a diameter of 0.08 to 0.1 mm .

Feeders for picker gear are light, weighing approximately 15-20 g , most often spiral-shaped. After the fish has been fed, especially when fishing for crucian carp at close distances , the feeder can be replaced with a light lead weight .

Important! When equipping a picker rod with a feeder, you need to ensure that its weight does not exceed the test limit, taking into account the bait mass.

A leash for picker tackle is used up to 50 cm . braided for it , as the number of overlaps - it is better to use monofilament.

It is better to choose hooks on the size of the crucian carp in the pond, as well as the bait - for animal baits or sandwiches using baits of animal and plant origin, it is better to use hooks with a long shank , but for vegetable baits, carp hooks with a short shank are better suited.

Gear assembly

A feeder for crucian carp has many similarities with carp fishing. And this is not surprising, because most of the elements of the feeder gear are taken from the carp fishing direction. Based on the behavior and activity of the desired prey, fishermen choose a specific type of equipment. For passive biting, more sensitive equipment is used, and high-speed equipment is selected when the crucian carp is highly active and has an increased appetite. To understand the difference, it is proposed to get acquainted in detail with the different types of feeder gear, installation diagrams and configuration of components.

Primitive equipment

This type of installation assumes the absence of a feeder. The place where fishing is planned is fed with your own hands. If the distance from the fisherman to the fishing spot is short, it is enough to use a slingshot to throw bait balls.

A sliding weight with restrictive barriers is attached to the main cord of the equipment. A leash with a hook and bait are also fixed there. This installation is recommended for high activity of crucian carp.

Equipment with anti-twist

When installing it, a rocker arm made of plastic material is used. Its shoulder parts have different sizes, due to which during the casting process the likelihood of the leash becoming tangled with the main cord is zero. The feeder must be made in the form of a spring so that it can slide along the main cord. This type of equipment is primarily intended for beginner feeders. However, experienced fishermen also use it when catching cautious inhabitants of the underwater world.

Paternoster equipment

In this case, the feeder is attached to a rigid line branch coming from the main cord. With such equipment, in principle it is possible to use different types of feeders. This equipment is used by crucian fish if fishing is planned in the area of a solid bottom base with active prey biting.

What is noteworthy is that at the moment of the bite the fish hooks itself. A distinctive feature of the paternoster rig is the simplicity of tying and the minimal possibility of tangling the elements of the rod, due to which fishing proceeds in the most comfortable conditions and at a fast pace.

Asymmetrical loop

The installation of equipment is quite complex, which only experienced fishermen can do. Thanks to the use of an asymmetrical loop coupled with a rectangular mesh feeder, it is possible to increase the sensitivity characteristics of the gear. According to anglers, this type of equipment is the best for catching crucian carp that exhibit a passive attitude.

Symmetrical loop

This type of equipment is considered universal in feeder gear. For fishermen who do not know the characteristics and features of the reservoir where they plan to fish, it is best to start with a symmetrical loop. In this type of equipment, you can use different types of feeders without considering the issue of hardness or siltiness of the bottom of the reservoir. With gear with a symmetrical loop, fishermen can safely go fishing even in late autumn. Pecked prey self-hatches even on miniature baits.

Crucian killer

Unique equipment, including a “garland” consisting of several spring-type feeders. They are mounted directly on the main cord at the same distance from each other. An individual leash with a maximum length of 15 cm is fixed on each feeder. All of them are equipped with hooks without a forearm. The sharp parts of the hooks are pressed into the prepared balls of complementary food stuffed into the feeders.

A fish that bites on the bait gradually absorbs the food and at one point swallows the hook. In this type of equipment, the decisive factor for successful fishing is the correctly selected bait. Thanks to the wide variety of types of feeder gear, every fisherman can safely go fishing even in unfamiliar areas. Well, having already arrived at the fishing point, determine which equipment would be best to use. All that remains is to assemble the feeder and equip it with the necessary elements.

Feeder equipment

Today, the feeder comes in several types of gear. Although initially this method of fishing was designed exclusively for spinning anglers, where long-distance casting was required. And so that no questions arise in the future, it should be clarified in advance that the feeder rod, unlike a spinning rod and a bottom fishing rod, has a thin and flexible tip, which plays the role of a signal that a bite has begun. In the broadest sense, a feeder is any model of spinning rod used for bottom fishing. In such designs, an inertia-free reel with an extended fishing line and cord is used.

Assembling gear for feeder fishing for crucian carp is easy even for a novice fisherman. The device uses only classic, and most importantly, easily accessible add-ons

It is equally important to use a reliable stand stuck into the ground

It is the simplest design, where a pin screwed with a flyer acts as a soil fixer. Several of these stands will simplify the procedure for installing gear and create the most comfortable conditions for fishing.

It is worth using sound products, such as bells, as a signaling device. Although, if you look, modern fishermen are trying to move with the times and prefer to hear an electronic signal instead of ringing a bell. Such sounds are produced by modified “guards” made by modern manufacturers of fishing products.

It is equally important to pay special attention to the fish bait. On reservoirs with a muddy bottom, you should use lighter weight bait so that the fragrant spot slowly sinks to the soft ground. Well, now you should understand in more detail the elements of gear necessary for feeder fishing

Well, now you should understand in more detail the elements of gear necessary for feeder fishing.

Rod

Unfortunately, fishermen cannot expect that when fishing, a huge crucian carp weighing 5 kg will be caught on the hook of a fishing rod. The maximum weight of large fish caught hardly reaches 1.5 kg. Based on these data, experienced fishermen understand that a picker rod with a test rating of up to 40 g can be used as the base of a feeder tackle. Its length should not exceed 3 m.

fishing line

The choice of a suitable line primarily depends on the expected fishing distance. The frisky mood of the crucian carp is conveyed by clear signals to the rod, be it wattle or monofilament. But the issue of combing requires a more scrupulous approach to the choice of fishing line, and first of all, the fisherman needs to consider the rigidity parameter.

If a distance of 20 m is calculated, it is recommended to equip the feeder with monofilament with a diameter of 0.25 mm. In case of a larger distance, you should choose braids with a diameter in the range of 0.15-0.2 mm. Approximately 100 m of cord is wound onto the spool without cutting standard bobbins. In practice, it has shown that these volumes will be enough for several seasons of regular fishing.

Coil

As mentioned earlier, the reel for feeder tackle should be inertia-free. It should not contain unnecessary options, much less high-tech bells and whistles. All you need is a coarse clutch and a large spool that can accommodate a sufficient length of cord of the required diameter. It is rare that a fisherman has to exert effort in catching crucian carp; therefore, there is no reason to overload the rod with unnecessary components.

Leash

The diameter of the leash, made of monofilament 0.15-0.2 mm, is quite enough to guarantee reliable fishing for crucian carp and creating the effect of secrecy in the process of feeding the bait.

Hooks

The shape and size of hooks for catching crucian carp completely depend on the bait used. For example, worms require a hook with an elongated shank, and the thickness of the product, in principle, does not play a role. For smaller live bait, choose miniature hooks made from thin wire.

At points of sale of fishing goods, hooks are presented in a specific numbering. To catch crucian carp, you should purchase models numbered 12 or 14. The main thing is to clarify what the bait will be in order to choose the right hook shape.

Feeders

Feeder equipment for fishing for crucian carp involves the use of lightweight feeders that can stay on the muddy bottom without being buried. The most preferred equipment for the feeder feeder design is springs, polyethylene mesh and a method form. If fishing is carried out on the clay bottom of a reservoir, you should use structures with a metal mesh, the cells of which are of medium size.

Features of autumn fishing

From mid-September until late autumn, the most reliable places for me in terms of fishing with an English bottom rod are shallow river basins bordering river holes. Bream, silver bream and white-eye feed here until late autumn. These fish are schooling fish, and if they go out to feed, the bite is guaranteed to be excellent. And the fishing pressure in these places is minimal. With incomprehensible stubbornness, until late autumn, many anglers continue to fish dumps along river bends, although bream appears here less and less in the fall.

Since the current in river irrigation is not strong and the depth is shallow, a pickerel may be a very good choice. At first glance, this tackle seems too elegant for a large river. Of course, the picker is not designed for ultra-long casts, and you won’t be able to force catch large fish with it. However, the picker has such advantages that one can only dream of with a heavy feeder. One of them is the ability to work in confined spaces. In fact, bushes hanging over the water and thick grass behind the angler are a serious obstacle to the feeder. And with the help of a short picker, with a wave from under your hand, you can easily throw the feeder at a distance of 15 m from you. So for catching bream in the fall in hard-to-reach (and therefore rarely visited by other fishermen) places, pickerel is the most convenient tackle.

Read! Fishing with a feeder on dough

Another advantage of the picker is the ability to work with small, sometimes thimble-sized, wire feeders. With their help, you can deliver only tiny portions of food to the fish, which is a very good solution for the autumn season. When the water is cold or the weather changes suddenly, the fish's appetite becomes sluggish and it is very easy to overfeed them.

But sometimes even such a small feeder turns out to be too noisy for the fish. And in order not to scare away a feeding bream from the shore, instead I put a small flat sinker weighing 10-30 g. This technique works especially well in cases where feeding can be done by hand. At the beginning of fishing, when there is plenty of food on the bottom, and the fish have not yet tasted the treat and are cautious, the noise from the feeder falling into the water can scare away the school. Unlike a feeder, the sinker does not need to be rethrown every 3-5 minutes. Then, when the fish tastes the food, the feeder works better than the sinker. Regular supplementary feeding with tiny portions of bait further whets her appetite.

In order not to overfeed capricious autumn fish, it is better to use very small feeders.

Any reel will do, but no more than 2500 according to the Shimano classification. The main thing is that the friction brake works softly, because during autumn fishing you often have to work in the dark with thin fishing lines.

As the main line, I always use monofilament line no thicker than 0.16 mm. Its tensile strength goes well with the power of a picker rod. If you use a thicker line, your casting distance will noticeably decrease. And the risk of breaking the quivertype greatly increases when the equipment is released while it is hooked on the bottom. For leashes when fishing for bream with pickerel in the fall, I always choose high-quality, preferably fluorocarbon, fishing line with a diameter of 0.1-0.14 mm. The power of modern fishing lines of this diameter is quite enough to easily bring to the surface a fish weighing up to 2 kg. The main requirement for picker hooks is impeccable sharpness of the sting. All other qualities - size, hook shape and wire thickness - are selected based on the angler’s personal preferences, the size of the bait and fishing conditions. It is pointless to give any specific advice on choosing a particular model. Each angler can list several models of hooks that he likes. In my arsenal for autumn pickerel fishing there are hooks No. 10-18. So, if the fish is very capricious and the size of the bait matters to it, I put one or two maggots on hook No. 18. If the bite is good and bream comes up for bait, then I use a red dung worm attached to hook No. 10 as bait.

Read! Tactics for catching bream with boilies

I prefer to tie rigs for catching bream with pickerel directly on the pond and do not make any home preparations. For many years now I have been using two mounting schemes: a symmetrical loop about 50 cm long and a rig with a sliding sinker, which I simply put on the main fishing line and secure from below through a bead with a swivel. I tie a leash to the swivel. Its length depends on the activity of the fish and ranges from 0.3-1 m. Usually I start fishing with the longest leash, and then, if the fish is active, I gradually shorten it. In the fall, a very useful part of the rig is a fluorocarbon shock leader 5-6 m long. It is especially good in the second half of autumn, when the water becomes especially clear.

Crucian carp fishing at different times of the year

Despite the fact that fishing for crucian carp with a feeder at different times has much in common, there are also differences associated with the temperature of the water and the environment.

in spring

Catching crucian carp with a feeder in the spring involves the use of animal baits, since the fish needs protein after a long winter.

During the pre-spawning period, this fish will peck at a worm or bloodworm, and after the first insects appear, they are also used as bait.

Few people catch crucian carp using the larva of the Colorado potato beetle, although such bait is very tempting and catchy, and in different regions. The red larva attracts fish visually, and its taste characteristics are very popular, especially with trophy crucian carp.

Another option is the burdock larva, which is found in old shoots and dry plants.

The use of grain baits and dough in the spring does not justify itself and the crucian carp responds to them reluctantly.

Spring crucian carp fishing on a feeder gives a lot of unforgettable emotions, especially considering that it is too early to catch carp or grass carp, and small white fish are not of much interest.

In summer

In the warm months of the year, fishing for crucian carp with a feeder or picker is rich in solid trophies, especially if you choose the right place near reed thickets, or find undercuts; there is always a lot of fish at such points.

In summer, vegetable attachments work, as well as various types of dough, especially those mixed with semolina and fried cornmeal.

Worms and maggots will also interest fish, but less than in autumn or spring. Summer bait is made “dusty” in order to attract fish from distant horizons.

in autumn

Autumn crucian carp is especially voracious and responds with pleasure to most baits.

But still, take into account the specifics of its behavior and the desire to fatten up for the winter, that is, again, the fish needs protein, so plant baits will be less attractive.

In the autumn months there is no need to use a large amount of bait; crucian carp actively moves in search of food and is sensitive to the slightest tempting odors.

It is important here not to overfeed the fish, so the bait in the feeder is served in small portions with pauses of 10–15 minutes if there is no bite

Fishing for crucian carp

Fishing for crucian carp with pickerel in dammed reservoirs is quite popular among fishermen. Crucian carp is a cautious fish , but its activity can be determined by the slightly moving tip of the picker. To increase the efficiency of the catch, you should rely on a variety of aromas, among which the crucian carp will definitely choose the one they like and bite.

You will also need a large amount of bait, it can be boiled rolled oats, bloodworms, maggots or worms, corn. Picker feeders are not large in size and do not require a lot of food, so you should rely on smell.

There should be no more than five minutes between casts. If you get a bite , you need to remember the aroma that aroused the crucian’s interest and try to consolidate your success.

The absence of a bite and at the same time the observed pokes of the tip may indicate that the fish is at the bait site, but the time to bite has not yet arrived. After the feeder is abandoned , the food from it begins to bubble and collapse, while the distance between the nozzle and the feeder is equal to the length of the leash.

To draw the crucian's attention to the bait , it must be pulled to the baited place 30-40 seconds after casting the feeder.

Fishing for crucian carp with a pickerel will be successful if you use a light feeder reel, mono line and a number 16 hook. This fish does not have a very large mouth, so a number 16 hook is quite suitable.

Lure

The most important component of this method of catching crucian carp is bait. It is not as voracious as carp, but it cannot do without it, especially in spring and closer to autumn.

Bait is used both store-bought and homemade.

Store-bought baits

Of all the variety, the following options are suitable for crucian carp:

Sensas 3000 Super Feeder Big Fish. A dense bait mixture that can be used with equal success both for fishing in still water and in the current.
Traper Feeder Dynamic. The bait is used from spring to late autumn and is well suited for all cyprinids.
RS Crucian carp Marzipan. It has a special smell for crucian carp, attracting it from a long distance. When casting, it does not leave a stain on the surface, which allows you to avoid an influx of small items.
Dunaev-Fadeev. It is used by most experienced fishermen.

Self-prepared bait

The basis of most homemade baits are the following components:

Various grains
Ground roasted sunflower seeds
Breadcrumbs
Cake
Semolina
Cereals
Egg powder
Powdered milk

At the same time, keep in mind that egg powder and milk powder, in addition to crucian carp, also attract roaches. Therefore, include them in the bait in those reservoirs where this fish is absent.

Flour and bran are used to increase the viscosity of the mixture.

For greater effect, it is recommended to add flavorings to the bait. Most of all crucian carp are attracted to:

Vanillin
Dill
Garlic
Anise
Chocolate
Cocoa powder
Honey
Sugar
Cinnamon
Coffee

Crucian carp are attracted by flavors based on aquatic vegetation - the roots of egg capsule, cattail, calamus, and reed.

For each body of water, a certain type of flavoring will be most preferable. You have to constantly experiment with them, but there are some rules:

In summer, crucian carp loves sweet scents
In spring and autumn, spicy aromas in minimal quantities are preferable

When adding flavorings, do not get carried away with the quantity - too strong an aroma will scare away the fish.

The procedure for preparing bait

The most important thing when preparing complementary foods is to use fine-fraction components to prevent the fish from quickly becoming saturated. Therefore, they should be ground a little before cooking. All components must be fresh and of good quality.

The bait needs to be prepared at home, before going to the pond. And mix it already at the fishing site, using water from this reservoir. At this stage, flavorings are added. The consistency of the mixture should be such that it does not fall apart when casting the tackle.

You can check the density of the bait by rolling it into a ball and throwing it near the shore.

There are many recipes for preparing bait, I will give a few as examples.

Recipe 1

Dry millet 800 grams
Breadcrumbs 800 grams
Ground roasted sunflower seeds 200 grams
Flavoring of choice

Recipe 2

Powdered milk 300 grams
Breadcrumbs 300 grams
Roasted sunflower seeds 200 grams
Ground dill seeds 5-7 grams

Recipe 3

Breadcrumbs 200 grams
Wheat flour 50 grams
Cake 150 grams
Corn grits 100 grams
Bran 700 grams
Barley 200 grams
Fish meal 50 grams
Soda 50 grams
Salt
Cinnamon

All ingredients are mixed, cinnamon is added. Cereals are boiled and then added to complementary foods when cooled. This mixture holds well in the feeder; crucian carp readily go for it due to the wide variety of ingredients and the aroma of cinnamon.

General recipe

Half of the mixture is the base - all kinds of cereals and cakes
Additives or binders, such as boiled pearl barley
Flavorings – to choose from the options listed above
Regardless of the composition of the bait, it is recommended to add bait components to it - maggots, bloodworms, corn, wheat.