Tackle for catching gobies
Classic equipment for catching gobies consists of the following components: main line with a diameter of 0.3-0.4 mm, 3-4 leashes (diameter 0.2-0.25 mm), a small sinker weighing about 50 g, and hooks numbered 7 or 8 with an extended fore-end. A sinker is tied to the end of the fishing line, below which a leash with a length of 15-20 cm is attached. Several more leashes are tied above the sinker, at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other.
Gobies love to pull hooks with bait under stones, which is why snags and subsequent breakages of gear often occur. For this reason, it is advisable to take several ready-made equipment with you, and be sure to have spare hooks, sinkers, and fishing line in your arsenal.
Fishing rod
Among experienced fishermen, fishing for the Azov goby is especially famous. Even the simplest types of gear are suitable for sea fishing. Often, fishermen choose the most ordinary float rod.
The form should be light in this case. To make the fishing process convenient, it is recommended to select a rod with a length of 2.5 m. In this case, a blank with a slow action is optimal. This will make it easy to fish the voracious predator out of the water.
Read: Fishing for minnows: what to catch and how
The size of the line doesn't matter much. Most often, a monofilament thread with a diameter of 0.8 mm is chosen for these purposes. However, hooks should be selected large. Otherwise, the fish swallows them completely. The float should be chosen in the shape of a pear. This ensures its good stability even in rough seas.
Experienced fishermen advise attaching two hooks to the equipment at once. In the Sea of Azov it is often possible to get two fish out of the water at once.
Goby baits
The goby belongs to the category of predatory fish, and therefore bites well on bait of animal origin. However, he does not refuse artificial baits, among which small silicone baits and wobblers are especially effective.
The goby's favorite baits are pieces of fish, worms, maggots, and mussel meat. When fishing, it is better to take several types of bait at once, since the goby can sometimes be quite capricious: it takes some baits perfectly, but ignores others.
Goby fishing at sea
In the warm season, gobies swim in large numbers in the coastal zone without making noticeable migrations. These small predators often hide under stones or in grass, buried in the sand.
Weather can significantly affect the location of gobies and their activity. When the heat is too strong, as well as during storms, the fish move away from the coastline to depth.
In calm weather at normal temperatures, gobies often swim near the shore. In winter, as already mentioned, this fish also moves away from the coast.
In the Sea of Azov there are more than 10 species of gobies, among which the most common is the so-called round goby. Also found are the bull goby, bighead goby, sandpiper goby, sculpin goby and others. The largest individuals, as a rule, belong to the species of gobies.
In the Black Sea, goby is also excellently caught. It is worth looking for it, first of all, in places with a rocky bottom at a relatively shallow depth.
Goby behavior
When choosing gear for a goby, it is necessary to take into account the behavioral characteristics of this fish. The predator prefers coastal areas with an abundance of aquatic vegetation. He also likes to hide under snags, stones or in burrows in the sand, which the goby makes on its own.
Read: Fishing for rotan in winter
If the weather is windy or the current is strong enough, the predator goes deeper. Fishing from a boat will be successful at this time. But on calm, sunny or cloudy days, the goby comes close to the coastline. Here he hunts schools of fry. In such weather, it is recommended to catch goby from the shore.
In complete calm there may be no bite at all. The same situation occurs during algae blooms. Plants block oxygen access. At this time, it will be almost impossible to catch a bull here.
A large goby bite is detected in the morning at dawn. During the day, its activity decreases noticeably. A few hours after lunch, you can throw the gear into the pond again. The bite may not stop even at night.
Catching a bull with a microjig
Microjig fishing for bulls, which is attracted by active baits, can be very exciting and just as successful, while silicon baits with sluggish action often do not bring results.
However, it is also worth remembering that a predator may simply not be able to keep up with bait that is too fast.
The movement of the microjig bait should be jerky. Pulling the line over short distances and periodically pausing will surely bring a catch. Gobies attack quickly, moving with lightning speed 10-15 cm from the original point. The bite occurs most often at moments when the bait freezes completely or moves very slowly.
For microjigging, small silicone baits of various shapes are used. For example, worms from edible rubber, which are placed on offset presses (No. 8-12), are very good. A variety of sinkers are also used (pellets, jigs, bullets).
For microjig fishing for gobies, you will need a light spinning rod with a test weight of up to 5 g and a length of no more than 2.3-2.4 m. You also need thin braid with a minimum windage and a breaking load of 4 lb. The leash is made from fluorocarbon fishing line, with a diameter of about 0.15-016 mm.
Goby fishing in the Sea of Azov
The goby is held in special esteem by the residents of the Azov region. In the city of Berdyansk, on the Azov coast, a monument was erected to the goby fish with the inscription “Goby - the breadwinner.” Goby fishing in the Sea of Azov is interesting, productive, and leaves the most vivid impressions. Not only local fishing enthusiasts, but also visiting holidaymakers will not miss the chance to catch a bull.
The popularity of goby fishing in the Sea of Azov is also facilitated by the excellent gastronomic qualities of this fish. They say that once you try fried or dried bull, few people remain indifferent. As for catching it, even an inexperienced fisherman in this matter will have a moderate catch. And for a good catch, you need to know the subtleties and tricks of this fishing, and as a rule, for the best fishing you will need a boat, preferably a solid one, for example, rented.
Where is the goby
The goby lives in the coastal zone, sticks to certain places, and does not make large migrations. Usually it hides under a stone or in thickets of grass, or buries itself in the sand. For the winter it moves away from the coast to deeper places. Voracious, eats almost everything - fish, shellfish, crustaceans, worms, etc.
Spawns from March to August, but spawning occurs only at water temperatures above 10-12 degrees. The male builds a nest in a hole under a stone, attracting several females there in turn, who lay eggs in the nest. The male ventilates the nest with fresh water and guards the eggs until the young hatch.
Monument to the bull - urban sculptures of the Azov coast
Types of gobies in the Sea of Azov
In the Sea of Azov, several subspecies of gobies are distinguished. The most common is the round goby. Also distinguished: goby-bubyr, goby-tsutsik, bighead goby, sculpin goby, rotan goby, grass goby, croaker goby, sandpiper goby, throated goby. And the largest one is the martin goby; local fishermen also call it whip or toad. It is not uncommon to catch a martin goby weighing under a kilogram.
It has been noticed that the choice of place to catch bullheads in the Sea of Azov depends on the weather. In cloudy weather, the goby moves more boldly closer to the shore and is caught in shallow places. And in sunny weather and when the sea is significantly rough, the goby is caught in deeper places. It is worth noting here that in case of strong waves and a storm warning, you cannot go out to sea.
How to spot goby aggregations
Independently discovering goby concentrations in the sea is not a rewarding task. Stone placers are the goby’s favorite place to stay; they are not found very often; the goby rarely visits the shallow coastal zone with silt.
Therefore, the best reference point is a concentration of fishing boats in already established, long-identified areas for goby fishing. Often successful fishing occurs from the shore, without the use of gear for long casting. As a rule, the goby adheres to rocky cliffs, or artificial embankments, with a depth of about 2–4 meters under breakwaters and piers.
In the Sea of Azov, black goby is caught using special gear....
Tackle for fishing from a boat
A goby is usually caught from a boat either by holding the line directly with the hand, while the bite is determined by the trembling and twitching of the line thrown over the finger, or simultaneously using several tackles placed along the sides of the boat.
The usual tackle for catching a bull from a boat is as follows: main line - 0.3 - 0.4 mm, leads - 0.2 - 0.25 mm, sinker - about 50 grams, hooks No. 7 - 8 with a long shank. A sinker is tied at the end of the main line. Below the sinker, one leash is tied, 15 cm long. Above the sinker, another 2 - 3 leashes are installed with a distance between them of 25 - 30 cm. The length of the main line is 25 meters, with a margin.
Features of catching goby on stones
Please note that when a goby bites, it skillfully drags the hook into its home under a stone. Therefore, snags and hook breaks are a common occurrence. You need to have with you a couple of spare ready-made tackles, as well as all the attributes - hooks, leashes with hooks, sinkers.
Hooks on stones quickly become dull and become unusable; a pebble for sharpening hooks is an indispensable equipment. You can also make a device for sharpening yourself by covering the stick with the finest sandpaper, waterproof paper (sold at car markets for the cleaners). There is no need for a particularly sharp hook when catching a goby. It bites greedily and sits confidently on the hook, so hand-sharpened hooks will also work for catching it.
Features of sea goby fishing
In a busy place, the goby bites follow one after another. If the bite weakens, the bull can be teased or flashed with empty hooks, supporting the tackle, as if it were a game with a jig.
Also, when searching for a fishing spot, or if the bite stops, this technique can be useful. The tackle is thrown from the hand in any direction at a distance of 20 - 25 meters, then slowly dragged with pauses, while the line is held with the fingers to register possible bites.
Any fish or animal meat can be used as bait for catching goby. The best meat is considered to be the meat of the bull itself or beef. In any case, the meat is cut into small cubes 1x1 cm, and put on the hook, so that when bitten, the sting will freely come out of the bait.
In the brackish Azov water, any meat quickly soaks, turns white and loses its odors and attractiveness, so if there is no bite, replacing the bait is mandatory. The goby is excellent for catching with both a worm and a shrimp, however, due to dragging along the gravel bottom, these baits quickly fail.
To anchor the boat, it is better to use a grapple made of not very thick wire, which could be straightened by pulling the rope with force. After all, if a normal anchor gets caught on a rocky bottom (and this will definitely happen), the anchor will have to be left in the sea. By anchoring on two long ropes, you can move the boat from one place to another, thus fishing a certain area.
