Winter fishing

Many people choose fishing as a hobby, some go to the lake once or twice a year, and there are those who cannot imagine their life without a fishing rod. People for whom fishing is a way of life go fishing all year round.

And if everything is simple in the warm period, then what to do in winter, when all the reservoirs are covered with a thick layer of ice, and the thermometer shows minus forty. Winter fishing requires special attention, because all the gear is significantly different from that used for fishing in summer.

Winter fishing is similar to summer fishing, but with its own charms, difficulties and peculiarities. There are fishermen who fish only in winter, since going out on the ice allows them to get to the most desirable places, and when you look into the hole and realize that there is several meters deep under you, some special feeling arises. And when the nod signals a bite, there are so many sensations that the frost is no longer felt, and the cold wind is not scary.

Fishing gear

Whether it’s winter or summer fishing, there’s nothing to do without gear. Fishing gear for winter is different from summer. We will write further about what gear you need to take for fishing in winter.

This is the minimum set of what you need to take with you on winter fishing; you can also additionally take:

Tent.
Echo sounder.
Heater.
Thermos.
Fishing sleigh.
Candles.
Travel mat.
High chair.
Mothworm.

What fish are caught in winter?

In winter you can fish for the majority of fish; fishing is carried out with a jig, float tackle, lures, and live bait. And what kind of burbot are caught in winter...

Meanwhile, winter fishing is a dangerous activity; you should never forget about personal safety measures. We will talk about winter fishing in relation to each type of fish, and we will talk separately about safety precautions so that this information is always with you.

Now I want to tell you how to fish in winter, in general terms. To find more detailed information about winter fishing, scroll up, where we publish interesting articles.

Let's consider all three periods of winter fishing. What kind of fish is caught in winter, what determines its activity, and what baits are used when fishing.

Winter for all inhabitants of reservoirs begins with the appearance of an ice crust and its thickness does not matter here. It is important to note that heat-loving fish hibernate when winter comes. Only cold-loving fish continue to be active, which include: grayling, burbot, vendace, trout, as well as roach, pike, pike perch, ruffe, perch, and bream.

In winter, the activity of both peaceful and predatory fish largely depends on weather conditions, this is explained by the low concentration of oxygen in the water, as well as the lack of food. It is believed that the best weather for fishing is calm and warm. However, it is important to know that during the period of prolonged thaws, bream, roach and pike will be caught well, burbot activity increases only in unfavorable weather, but pike perch and perch will be caught well on frosty, clear days.

Bait for winter fishing

Bait in winter does not help much, but if fishing is carried out in small bodies of water, then, provided that it is prepared correctly, it will be possible to attract fish. Let us immediately note that its main composition should be free of strong odors. It is recommended to use bait only if fishing is carried out with float rods at a depth of up to five meters. Experienced fishermen use millet as bait, to which some breadcrumbs and food bloodworms are added. For more information about winter bait, read the article “Winter bait: recipe and tips for use.”

Winter fishing on first ice

Fishing on the first ice must comply with certain requirements. The most important thing is to mask the hole, which needs to be darkened. The easiest way is to spread a small layer of dry grass or reeds around the hole. Note that during the first days of winter, the fish will still be in the coastal zone for some time, next to the reed thickets. This is especially true for perch and roach.

Large fish will stick to the depth even on the first ice , this is especially true for bream and pike. It is important to know that the predator chooses places with a cluttered bottom for parking; pike and large perch are rarely found in clean sandy areas. At the beginning of winter, perch can be caught well throughout the daylight hours, the peak of its activity occurs in the evening and morning hours, at night this predator sticks to the water column and is practically not active.

, which sticks to shallow areas, will be especially effective on the first ice Most often it can be found in creeks, as well as at the exits of bays, where the depth is within 2-3 meters . Areas near the reed border, as well as among thickets of underwater vegetation and along steep banks, are also promising for catching it.

to the deepest parts of the reservoir if you want to catch ide or bream on the first ice. Let us note that bream does not change its stopping place until spring; as for ide, during the period of thaws (prolonged), it can begin to migrate across the reservoir in search of food and new, more comfortable places for parking. Medium-sized ide adheres to areas of the reservoir with a smooth and relatively calm current. You can try catching bream and ide in winter using medium-sized jigs with maggots or bloodworms (read more about catching bream with a jig here). Note that in addition to bream and ide, ruffe, roach, silver bream and perch will also be caught.

Predators in winter (pike perch, pike, perch, burbot) are successfully caught with artificial baits, as well as using live bait. girders are used as gear . It is worth noting that perch and pike are caught mainly during daylight hours. At night you can count on catching burbot and pike perch.

If you plan to use spinners for winter fishing, then it is important to choose the right bait in terms of size and shape. So, for catching perch, it is recommended to select spoons of the smallest possible size; large and medium-sized spoons can be used to catch pike or pike perch.

Features of winter fishing in January

Approximately 2-3 weeks after the formation of ice on the reservoir, a period begins when fish activity is minimized or completely absent. Among fishermen, this period of winter is called “dead winter.” Now you can only count on catching perch, roach, silver bream, white bream, as well as pike and pike perch. They are caught using the same baits and tackles as on the first ice. The difficulty of winter fishing will only be that you will have to spend much more time searching for their parking lot.

The only fish that can be caught well during the deep winter season is burbot . Live bait should be used as bait, and it’s great if it’s a minnow. If you fail, you should not be upset and there is no need to cancel winter fishing; you can use fry of another fish; in extreme cases, dung worms will do. There have been cases of burbot being caught on pieces of butter, as well as chicken offal.

It will be good to catch grayling in December , especially in unfrozen sections of rivers. Ice fishing will be most promising above the exits of the holes. Please note that you should begin the process of catching grayling 1-2 hours after the holes are prepared. For winter fishing for grayling, small spoons (25-35 mm) are suitable, the speed of the retrieve is set to the minimum, pauses should be increased.

In the middle of winter, pike is more often found at great depths, but note that this does not mean that it should be caught only from the bottom. The fry, which is the main source of food, tries to stay above the water column, often even a meter from the ice edge. This is where the active predator will stay, which means the bait must be lowered closer to the depth. , experienced fishermen advise arranging gear so that the baits are at different depths. This will allow you to quickly and accurately determine the depth at which the active pike is currently located.

perch will stick to snags with a depth of 2 meters or more.

To catch roach, you should choose areas with a depth of more than three meters away from the current, closer to steep banks. During periods of winter thaws, it can be found in the coastal zone, next to reed thickets.

Pike perch and pike stay in deep holes in the middle of winter. These predators especially love areas with underwater springs that bring in fresh water enriched with oxygen. In small bodies of water, for example in rivers, these predators, even in the middle of winter, will stick to areas that were occupied by them during the first days of the first ice.

What you need to know about ice

The thickness and strength of ice is determined by several factors:

Type of water (fresh, salt);
Location of the reservoir;
Air temperature;
Water temperature;
Water depth;
The size of the reservoir and the presence of underwater sources and currents, and streams or rivers flowing into them.

Before entering the surface of a frozen body of water, visually evaluate its surface. The presence of cracks on the surface indicates instability of the ice on the reservoir.

Beware of places where logs, stones, and grass stick out. These objects absorb heat from the sun, and the ice in such places melts much faster and freezes much later.

Avoid soft and loose ice, do not jump over cracks without checking their edge with an ice pick; if it is loose at the edge, do not hope that you will jump to hard ice, look for a way around.

Pay attention to the color of the ice.

Clean and blue ice is the strongest and safest. This ice forms at a temperature of at least -8ºC for three weeks in a row. The colder it is, the bluer the ice will be.

We recommend: How to choose and how to tie fluorocarbon fishing line?

White and opaque ice , twice as strong as blue ice. It forms when wet snow freezes on top of existing ice. But such ice can be dangerous at the beginning of the season; it can form on top of thin initial ice, which is still quite thin. In such cases, freezing of the lower layers will take a longer time. For this reason, always check the ice with a pick or an ice auger at the beginning of the season.

Dull gray ice is the most dangerous . Gray color indicates that water has entered the ice. It is usually loose and fragile. You can meet him at the end of the season, or during a thaw. Even in severe frost, it can be detected if there are warm currents on the reservoir or places near open water. Beware and avoid such ice.

Winter fishing during thaws, blizzards and snowfalls

The most effective fishing remains when catching predatory fish on girders, as well as nodding fishing rods equipped with medium and large spoons or winter balancers. Roach, ruffe, bream and small perch continue to be caught well with small jigs. For catching them, bloodworms, maggots, and dung worms are perfect baits.

You should start looking for fish from the coastal zone, gradually moving to depth. The gear is selected individually in each case, it all depends on the depth in the fishing area, as well as the activity of the fish. Often, in addition to the jig, fishermen install a leash with a regular hook a little higher.

Snowfalls complicate the process of winter fishing, especially during thaw periods. Let us immediately note that in such weather conditions it is important to exercise maximum safety when moving on ice .

Heavy snowfalls have a negative impact on fish activity, with the exception of burbot. Under such weather conditions, occasional bites of perch and roach on the jig will occur; as for the tackle, it is recommended to use a float rod.

When weather conditions suddenly deteriorate, the fish tries to stay deep and as close to the bottom as possible. There is absolutely no stability in the bite; success will depend only on the ability to choose the right fishing spot. You can try to catch pike or pike perch in the dark using girders equipped with live bait, but we should immediately note that you should not count on a good catch until weather conditions improve.

Useful tips

To avoid incidents while fishing, you should consult with more experienced fishermen. Some won't want to reveal their secrets, but most will be happy to tell you where to start.

When fishing you need to have several different gears at once.
You need to walk on ice carefully, especially on first ice and after snow has fallen.
The ice pick is suitable not only for hollowing out holes, but also for safely moving across the ice.
It is not advisable to keep warm while fishing with alcohol; it is better to take a thermos with tea or coffee.
The box is needed not only for carrying gear, but for throwing caught fish into it. You shouldn't throw your catch onto the ice; it might just freeze.

Fishing in winter will be an excellent and useful pastime, the main thing is to dress warmly and assemble your gear correctly.

Fishing on the last ice

Starting from mid-February , fish activity increases, but only if the weather outside is warm and stable. The first to come to life are perch, bream, pike perch and pike. When fishing in winter with small jigs with bloodworms, the ruff begins to take the ruff from the bottom more and more often and more confidently.

to search for active fish , since they constantly migrate throughout the reservoir during daylight hours, this especially applies to perch and roach. It is most convenient to catch pike perch and pike with baitfish, but the possibility of catching these predators with spoons or balance beams cannot be ruled out.

the deep mouths of bays and tributaries ; on warm days, they are most often found at mid-water. They catch it during this period using medium-sized jigs with bloodworms. Here you can also find bream, as well as perch, which will actively peck not only from the bottom, but also in the water column.

Prolonged thaws have a positive effect on the activity of bream, which leaves deep holes and begins to migrate throughout the reservoir. To catch bream, not only nodding rods are used, but also float rods equipped with jigs and ordinary hooks on which 3-4 bloodworm larvae are attached simultaneously.

Tackle for jig fishing: which one to choose?

For a beginner, it is best to use a simple fishing rod that can be placed on ice if necessary, and which has a completely enclosed fishing line. A short-length balalaika rod is best suited. You should buy five or six different ones in the store to determine which type will be most convenient for you personally. Fortunately, they are very inexpensive. For fishing rods, it is advisable to purchase stands such as flyer-plates, or cut them yourself from a piece of plastic, similar to store-bought ones. There is no need to purchase long fishing rods - a length of 20-30 cm is more than enough.

The fishing line used for the jig is quite thin, 0.07-0.12 mm. This is due to the fact that when fishing it will have the least influence on the play of the jig, even with increasing depth. Usually they fish no deeper than 3-4 meters, then special heavy jigs and equipment for such fishing are needed. A novice fisherman should use a fishing line of 0.1-0.12 mm, because too thin one will constantly break in inexperienced hands. The thinner one is usually used by athletes in competitions. The length of the fishing line on the reel should be about 6 meters, no more is needed. The reel on a balalaika fishing rod is adjusted by tightening the screw. The reel should spin when the line is pulled, but not reel in without effort.

Which jig should I use? First, you should get comfortable with fishing with a jig and bloodworm.

Bloodworms are the best bait in winter. It forms the basis of the fish diet in most reservoirs. In some reservoirs you can find other baits, but first you should stock up on bloodworms and fish with them. Bloodworms do not tolerate freezing. To preserve bloodworms, you need two bloodworms. One is used to store a small portion for fishing and is attached to the angler’s knee or hand, and the second is to store the main supply and is placed in the chest, in a warm place.

A small tungsten jig weighing about 3 grams, with a small thin hook, is suitable for this. The shape of the jig is not too important. It is more important to tie it to the fishing line correctly so that the hook tip points upward and the jig hangs on the fishing line at a slight angle. When you come to the store, you should buy a dozen jigs, the weight, size and color of which will be slightly different.

Victoria Leshchenko

I've been working hard in the fishing tackle department for the past six years. I can help you assemble almost any gear.

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The most important element when fishing with a jig is setting the nod. A nod is a mandatory element of every fishing rod for this type of fishing. It is best to use a purchased Mylar flat nod. It practically does not lose its properties in the cold, it is quite sensitive and light, and allows you to transfer the game to the jig quite well. It is not recommended to use round nods. They will vibrate more strongly in the wind; the hollow cylindrical nods are constantly clogged with ice from the fishing line.

The lavsan nod has a body, an elastic band for attaching to a fishing rod, and several rings for passing the fishing line. The rubber band should fit onto the tip of the fishing rod with little effort and hold securely. There is no need to glue it, as this will make it impossible to replace the nod. The line should pass through the elastic band and lie on top of the nod. To do this, there is a middle hole in the elastic, but sometimes the fishing line must pass from above, and the rod is inserted into the middle one. In this case, the nod will react as sensitively as possible to the bite.

The nod is adjusted according to the weight of the jig, gradually pushing it out of the elastic band. As a result, it should look like an almost regular arc, and its tip should deflect under the weight of the jig at 45 degrees. Without load, the nod should take a straight position. For all fishing rods, one jig is selected, and the nod is adjusted to it. As a result, when fishing, the fisherman does not need to do it on a pond with frozen hands. That is why you need to have more than one fishing rod in stock, so that if the jig breaks, you can immediately get another one, already set up, and continue fishing.

Additional accessories

When fishing with a jig, the obligatory accessories are an ice screw, a scoop and a box. The angler sits on the box above the hole. In severe frost, more than 15-20 degrees, fishing with a jig is only possible in a tent due to the fact that the thin line will freeze in the air, as a result of which the sensitivity of the tackle and nod is lost. This is why many people don’t go fishing in severe frost, and in vain! The catches are no worse than during the thaw.