Fishing with winter donks - sharing our experience

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In winter, fishermen prefer mugs, girders, fishing rods with a float and spoons and jigs. They also catch fish using a bottom fishing rod. Maybe not so often, but they get caught. And such fishing brings good results. Roach, ide, crucian carp, and bream are well caught using the winter bottom.

Many fish often feed at the bottom even in winter. This is logical, since there is practically no food at the surface of the water, unlike in summer. That's why it makes sense to use a bottom fishing rod. Moreover, you can fish with it at the beginning of winter, at the end and during the so-called wilderness.

Winter donkey design

The main elements of the winter donka are:

• Fishing rod
• Nod
• Coil
• fishing line
• Equipment

Usually a standard rod combined with a reel is used. It looks like this:

Any nod will do: lavsan, plastic, metal, etc. The main thing is that it does not become tanned in the cold and bends normally when bitten. No need to set it to super sensitive. If we use a sliding sinker, then any bite will be visible. For fishing with bottom tackle, a fishing line with a diameter of 0.16 to 0.2 is suitable. A sliding sinker in the shape of an olive weighing from 10 to 15 grams is threaded onto the fishing line. If the current is strong, you will need a heavier sinker weighing up to 20 grams and a slightly thicker fishing line.

If we are going to catch a predator, then we use a 0.25 line and a 30 gram weight. It is optimal to use so-called running rigs with one or more weights. They look like this:

Making a homemade winter donka

By adding a heavier weight, a couple of leaders and several hooks to a standard winter fishing rod, you get a real winter rod. Our bottom tackle will not require such a long rod as in summer: we do not need to cast the tackle far, somehow hook too much and take a long time to fish out a hooked fish. All this is done by the “manual labor” of the fisherman. And in conclusion, a float is not the best solution for winter fishing, which is why many anglers have recently increasingly abandoned float gear, choosing nodding or ringing alarms.

We will assemble the simplest donkey for winter fishing from a short (up to 1 meter) fishing rod with a reel or reel; you will need a lot of fishing line: 35-50 meters, sinkers, leads and hooks. The fishing rod is made of a wooden whip with a thickening of any available material at the base (for ease of grip and so that large fish do not drag the tackle into the hole).

We won’t get too fancy with the choice of fishing line for making donkeys - everything is simple here. And when choosing the shape and weight of the cargo, you should rely on personal experience. Let's just give a couple of examples. In the case of a fairly strong current, it is better to use classic carp tackle - it consists of attaching a weighted feeder or load to the end of the fishing line, the hooks on the leashes are located above the load and the choice of their number is limited only by the feasibility of their use

In the case of fairly calm water, you can use standard rigs for bottom fishing, an example can be seen in the picture

Choosing hooks for winter fishing

I usually use smaller hooks in winter than in summer. Perhaps jigs will also be suitable, but this is not certain... In fact, it is not advisable to set hooks larger than numbers 12-10, in winter the fish are more finicky and sensitive, they can be scared off even by the size of the bait, not to mention the hooks. Therefore, in winter it is worth giving preference to higher quality, bend-resistant small hooks over large ones.

And here is another example of the arrangement of hooks and sinkers on a winter bottom

Both sinkers are sliding, move freely between the limiters, their role can be beads, special fishing stops, or ordinary lead pellets (summer sinkers), or carabiners. For such an installation, three leashes will be enough: we tie one to the end of the bottom, the other two between the sinkers with indentations of 30-70 centimeters.

And in conclusion, I would like to remind you that safety on ice comes first!! They are waiting for you at home!

And for those who live by fishing both in winter and summer, to make it as comfortable as possible, we suggest you familiarize yourself with our tents for winter fishing and the promotions of our store.

No tail, no scales!

For the predator

In the first version we see equipment for a predator. There are two sliding weights located at a distance of 20-20 cm from each other. The movement of the sinkers along the fishing line is limited by stoppers on the sides. The stoppers are placed in such a way that the sinkers move 3-4 cm.

Leashes 25 cm long with triple, double or single hooks No. 8-10 are tied between the weights. The first sinker, which is closer to the rod, is always heavier than the second. The second sinker rests on a carabiner, to which another leash is attached. The same equipment can be used for catching peaceful fish. Only the fishing line used is thinner and the leashes are more delicate with hooks Nos. 14-18.

Features of winter donka

Winter donk fishing is done from ice in a hole, and long casts are not needed. The tackle is thrown into the same place, and the feeding is accurate. Advantages of winter donka:

• you don’t need to watch the fishing rod all the time;
• Fishing in strong currents is possible;
• a large area is fished;
• the nozzle is located next to the bait;
• Convenient supply of bait and bait.

In cold water, you should not feed the fish abundantly; the metabolism is slowed down, and it does not show activity in search of food. But with the help of a bottom rig, the bait is fed next to the hook, and the likelihood of a bite increases.

For peaceful fish

In the second picture we see another version of the winter donka. In this case, a sinker with a blind type of fastening is used. A leash 30 cm long is tied a little higher. A second leash 20 cm long is tied even higher. Such equipment will also be sensitive, since all voles will be transferred to the main fishing line, which will immediately appear on the tip of the fishing rod.

As you can see, the lower leash lies at the bottom. The distance from the leader to the sinker is 15 cm. This equipment is used on a muddy bottom. The sinker sinks a little into the silt, and the hooks with nozzles lie on the surface and a little higher. We definitely hang bloodworms on the hooks, as the most plausible and desirable bait for fish. Mostly white bream and crucian carp are caught with this donka.

To make it possible to quickly change leashes, they are tied to swivels or winding rings to the main fishing line. Some anglers use a feeder instead of a weight. It fulfills its role well, attracting fish to the point.

Bottom fishing tactics from ice are simple

You just need to carefully monitor the nod trembling in the current and from time to time make long stretches, feeding the jig with the nozzle towards you and releasing it with the flow.

A feeder with ground pea porridge, fried seeds, breadcrumbs, as well as cake and the addition of branded bait can be lowered into a hole drilled upstream. Following the analogy with summer fishing, the feeder can also be hung directly on the main fishing line, but it is better under a sliding sinker so that it is not lifted by the current. Feeder feeders are more convenient.

Alexander Tokarev

On donkeys from the ice

Donka carousel

"Active" donka

Winter donka - design features

Structurally, the winter donka consists of:

• fishing rod;
• a nod that registers bites;
• spools of fishing line;
• rigging.

In some varieties of winter fishing, fishing rods or reels are not used, but they can provide ease of use of the gear. The fishing rod is taken from a standard winter fishing rod, and the nods are used:

• lavsan;
• plastic;
• metal.

The nod is chosen to be flexible and sensitive to the slightest touch of the fish on the bait. Winter donka is a delicate tackle, so it can be used to successfully catch low-active fish. The optimal diameter of the main line for winter bottom tackle for peaceful fish is 0.16−0.20 mm, the diameter of the leader line is 0.1−0.14 mm.

When catching a predator, a base with a diameter of 0.2-0.25 mm is taken, leashes are knitted from monofilament fishing line 0.14-0.18 mm. Braided fishing line is rarely used in winter; in cold weather it becomes covered with ice and becomes heavier, creating inconvenience for the fisherman.

Separately, it should be said about the hooks, which should be made of thin wire and very sharp. Hook sizes 12−18 according to European classification, color:

• matte black;
• golden;
• red;
• blue.

It has been noted that blue and red hooks attract the attention of bream, crucian carp in winter are more willing to bite on golden hooks, and matte black is considered a universal color.

Important! Hooks need to be changed after every 2-3 fish caught.

Fishing rods for lure fishing in winter

Spoons are light for catching perch and heavy for fishing for large predators (pike, pike perch). Accordingly, fishing rods differ.

Equipment for winter fishing rods when fishing with light spoons:

• fishing rod 40-50 cm;
• medium hard whip;
• may not have a coil;
• the nod needs to be hard and elastic;
• materials for the spoon: copper, brass;
• spinner size up to 3.5 cm;
• fishing line with a thickness of 0.08 to 0.1 mm;
• the length of the whip is from 20 to 30 cm.

Fishing rod equipment for fishing for large predators:

• the whip is long from 40 to 50 cm;
• hard carbon fiber whip;
• no nod needed;
• a reel is required, with a large or medium drum when using an inertial reel, 1000-1500 according to the Shimano classification when using a spinning reel;
• handle made of foam, cork, wood;
• access rings - 3, 4 pieces;
• a leash is required only for pike fishing;
• fishing line with a diameter of 0.16 mm - 0.2 mm.

It goes like this:

• wind the fishing line onto the spool;
• if there is a nod, then attach it to a whip;
• pass the fishing line through the rings;
• attach bait to the end of the fishing line.

How to choose and equip a fishing rod for winter lure fishing:

Float equipment for catching bream in winter from ice

Fishing rod - filly (a miniature reel of absolutely any shape, on which a six is ​​attached, at the tip there is a ring for inserting fishing line).

Line – monofilament 0.12-0.15 when fishing for bream up to 1 kg in weight, 0.2-0.26 for bream larger than 1 kg. It is better to make the last meter of equipment from fluorocarbon fishing line (it is invisible in the water, but less durable, so choose a thickness of 0.25 for a kilogram bream and 0.4 for larger specimens.

Hook No. 3-5 should be sharp and thin, tied at the end of the fishing line.

A feeder weighing 1.5 g is attached 3 cm from the hook.

All other weights are attached 30 cm from the underpass (the weight is selected experimentally, depending on the carrying capacity of your float). Submerge until the float goes completely under water, barely touching the surface of the water. It will be easier for you if you overload the float a little, and then whittle away a thin layer of lead from the pellets with tongs until the float floats.

Winter fishing rods for fishing with a balance beam

The artificial bait balancer has the shape of a small fish, in the middle there is a ring for fixing on the fishing line and two hooks, one in front and one in back. Lure for winter, the most universal size from 3 to 9 cm. When initially setting up the fishing rod, you need to take into account the fact that the balancer will need to be animated quite aggressively. The whip is selected precisely according to the weight of the bait. It should only bend slightly under the weight of the bait.

The balancer is secured correctly if it is positioned strictly horizontally in the water. A properly mounted balance beam improves the game.

The fishing rod is adjusted for a specific fish:

• for heavy baits and for fishing at depth for pike and pike perch, you need a hard fishing rod 60-100 cm long;
• light tackle for medium depths and exploration of a reservoir - you need a fishing rod 40-60 cm long;
• very light fishing rod for catching perch and small glassy pike perch 30-40 cm.

Light tackle:

• fishing rod weight 15 g, length up to 50 cm;
• A medium-hard rod may be necessary when fishing for zander and pike;
• soft whips are suitable for perch;
• can be equipped with a soft nod when catching peaceful fish;
• the fishing line goes inside the whip and has a thickness of 0.16 mm;
• the whip is long and elastic, used if there is no nod;
• On light tackle, a reel is not necessary.

How to equip a fishing rod when catching predatory and large fish:

• inertia-free coil;
• cork handle;
• carbon fiber whip;
• rigid rod and whip;
• whip from 4 to 15 cm;
• rod length up to 60 cm;
• movable fastenings;
• a leash is not required, if there is one, it is thin made of tungsten;
• fishing line with a diameter of 0.2 - 0.25 mm.

The balancer is attached directly to the fishing line, or through a fastener or a blind loop.

Winter fishing rod for perch

A balalaika and a fishing rod equipped with a reel are suitable. The fishing rod for jig fishing is light, up to 60-80 cm long, with a whip 1.0-1.5 cm thick and a meat grinder reel. Clock spring nod. The fishing line is 0.05-0.10 mm thick.

They fish with a reelless bait using a balalaika 30 cm long. Weighing 30 gr. Whip – 20 cm. Fishing line – 0.10-0.12 mm. The materials of the nod are lavsan or metal.

When catching perch with a spoon, you use a fishing rod and reel, light but durable. The length of the hard whip is 30 cm. The nod is elastic from a metal spring. The handle of the fishing rod should be chosen from cork material. Monofilament – ​​0.17-0.2 mm.

If fishing is done with a balance beam, then a fishing rod up to 35 cm long. A short whip and a nod. Monofilament thickness from 0.18 mm to 0.25 mm.