When is the best time to catch crucian carp using semolina?
Semolina is a universal bait that is suitable for any peaceful fish, as well as carp, crucian carp, ide, bream and others. It will be correct to apply it from spring to late autumn. This is the time when fish bite on almost any type of non-protein bait.
A special feature of semolina boilie is that when it dissolves in water, it forms a cloud of microparticles. In appearance, they resemble zooplankton, which attracts the attention of predatory fish to the fishing rod with bait.
How to prepare semolina for fishing
Methods for preparing baits may be different. Therefore, there are several main types:
- dough made from products that gradually dissolve in water, forming a cloud of microparticles;
- cereals, raw and boiled;
- Mastyrka (pea dough with semolina);
- boiled semolina mass;
- semolina chatter.
For each type of catchable bait, there are different manufacturing recipes. Below are the most common ones.
Important! If you are planning a fishing trip, take some flour with you so that you can mix it into the dough if it is not dense enough.
Boiled
The standard method of preparing semolina bait consists of the following steps:
- Pour water into the pan and wait until it boils.
- Now carefully, pour in the semolina in a stream so that you get a homogeneous mass. At the same time, stir it with a spoon. There should be no lumps, because they are formed from dry cereal and are not boiled inside. In this case, dry semolina will dissolve faster in water.
- The resulting mass should boil until it is cooked to a dense consistency.
- Now you need to turn off the fire. Cover the pan set aside with a lid and wrap it in a blanket, warm scarf or large towel.
- Let it brew for 20–30 minutes. During this time, the semolina will swell.
- Remove the insulating covering, open the lid and let the contents of the pan cool.
- As soon as the porridge becomes warm (+30°C) and can be held in your hand, you need to thoroughly mix the future bait.
- If you think that the resulting product is not aromatic enough, just add a little sunflower oil to it. This will enhance the smell.
- After hardening, you should get a dense mass, which is cut into individual cubes.
Dough
The semolina is wrapped in gauze or a nylon stocking and tied to a tap. The cereal is washed under running cold water for about 30 minutes. During this time, it will absorb the liquid. Afterwards, it should be removed from the gauze and, thanks to its rubbery consistency, rolled up.
Did you know? Crucian carp have an excellent sense of smell. They capture parts per million of chemically active substances released by aquatic plants.
The second dough recipe includes 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of semolina and 1 tablespoon of water. The dry ingredients are mixed and then water is added. After 20 minutes the mixture is stirred. And after another 20 minutes you will get a sticky mass, which is kneaded to the desired consistency, adding flour as necessary. If you are going to add any flavoring, then you need to do it at the very beginning, but never at the end of the process.
Another non-standard cooking method is to beat 2 eggs into a small deep bowl. Combine with fruit puree, a spoonful of jam or syrup. This combination is explained by the fact that many fish, including crucian carp, actively react to sweet dishes. Then mix the ingredients thoroughly and add one tablespoon each of semolina and soy flour. If it turns out a little liquid, then you need to add a little more flour to knead the dough. Cut the resulting plastic mass into portions of 10–20 g and roll them into balls.
Find out also how to catch crucian carp in windy weather.
Chatterbox
The easiest way to prepare it is to pour cold water over the semolina. An important factor is the temperature in the reservoir - the lower the degree, the better. Then the dough ball will hang steadily on the hook and will not fall apart.
The recipe for the classic dough is quite simple:
- Pour dry semolina into a clean bowl, filling 4/5 of the volume.
- Carefully pour in water at a temperature of +15°C and stir.
- Leave for 10 minutes, then drain off any excess water that covers the semolina layer and set aside for another 30 minutes.
- Knead the resulting mass to obtain a thick, uniform consistency.
- If the elasticity is insufficient, the dough can be boiled over low heat for 15 minutes.
Important! Keep in mind that such bait cannot be stored for several days. For one good fishing trip, 150 g of dough is enough and it is better to prepare them before the trip.
With garlic
The aroma of garlic goes well with a variety of scents. There are no limits to a fisherman's creativity. Therefore, it is mixed with honey, peach pieces, and vanilla. It is important for you to understand what fish react to in a particular body of water.
Garlic, salt and other flavorings help the crucian carp stay near the bait longer. But not all anglers have the same opinion about the need to use them. The dough and semolina have an independent aroma. Adding extra scent may or may not improve the bite. It is wise to prepare several different baits in order to increase your chances of success.
Preparing mash
DIY semolina mash
The recipe for making semolina mash is very simple.
Ingredients:
- Semolina;
- Water;
- Supplements
Preparation of mash:
- Semolina is poured into a jar in which it will be convenient to mix;
- The cereal is filled with water until covered and left for 20 minutes;
- The swollen semolina is shaken for 10-15 minutes until thickened.
The mass is mixed until a consistency is obtained at which it thickens, sticks together and stretches.
The water should be at room temperature. Excess water will not allow you to obtain the desired properties, and too little will make the mass look like dough. Both options are unacceptable.
Add water gradually until all the cereal is wet. The correct mash looks similar to how it is shown in the video below.
Additives and flavors
Various scents are suitable for catching carp, including crucian carp. They are conditionally divided into 2 groups:
- Sweet fruity-spicy composition , which includes cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, honey, anise, mint. You can add either the indicated ingredients or mix cookies with one or another flavor into the dough.
- Spicy group , which includes garlic, dill, fried seeds and hemp.
Did you know? Crucian carp of different types
-
golden and silver - are able to interbreed, resulting in hybrid individuals.
In late autumn, when real individuals hide in the mud in preparation for wintering, hybrids continue to swim and actively respond to protein baits. In cold water in autumn, fish actively search for protein products. To attract it at this time, you need to add fish oil, boiled shrimp or fishmeal to the bait. Many fishermen mix in cat and dog food.
Cooking options
Semolina for fishing can be prepared in different ways: it can be boiled, it can be steamed, or the bait can be made in the form of a chatterbox . Regardless of how you prepare semolina bait, the result is a sticky base that can lead you to your prey.
When interacting with water, semolina granules stick together due to the high starch content, but depending on the preparation method, the final consistency will be more or less dense. Let's look at the most popular options for preparing semolina bait at home.
Porridge
When thick bait is needed, cook porridge from equal amounts of water and semolina. When the liquid boils, gradually add semolina into it and bring until thickened. An important point: the porridge should turn out without lumps; if necessary, you can add a little more water and stir thoroughly.
This bait is cold cut into small cubes (very dense in structure) and placed on a hook. More experienced fishermen, in order to achieve greater density, after cooking the porridge, stir it additionally. To prevent semolina from sticking to your hands, treat the cubes with sunflower oil.
Dough
It is quite easy to make dough from semolina, since semolina is the same wheat of a coarser grind. The sequence of actions is as follows:
- Semolina is loosely wrapped in a gauze bag or nylon stocking;
- place the bundle with the contents under the tap and soak for 30 minutes;
- when the cereal swells, we get a mass with rubber properties;
- If the dough is not elastic enough, grease your hands with vegetable oil and knead additionally, or put the bundle with the contents in a pan and boil for about a quarter of an hour.
You can prepare semolina dough in another way; you don’t need gauze or stockings for this. It is enough to dilute the cereal with water in a glass jar until it reaches the consistency of thick sour cream. Then place the vessel under running water and rinse the resulting composition with a slow stream of slightly warm water. 30 minutes will be enough to get the dough at the bottom, and then knead it to the desired density. You can simply place a bag of semolina in boiling water for 5 minutes, then hang the bundle, let the water drain and knead the dough with your hands.
"Chatterbox"
Semolina “chatter” is also easy to make. In essence, this is a well-swollen cereal, the grains of which are held together due to the starchiness of the product. The cooking process is as follows:
- take semolina and fill it with water at room temperature at the rate of 2 parts of product to 1 part of liquid;
- mix thoroughly until a thick, homogeneous composition is obtained;
- add a little more water and leave the composition to swell (30 minutes will be enough);
- when the cereal is completely swollen, if there is excess water, it must be drained;
- the composition is mixed again.
“Chatterbox” is taken for fishing in the same container in which it was prepared. Mounted using a convenient stick. It is also convenient to attach such bait using a syringe or tubes of ointments and creams. The main thing is that the latter do not have a specific smell of medicines or cosmetics.
Some experienced fishermen believe that when preparing “chatterbox”, you need to pour the cereal into the water, and not pour the liquid into the semolina. Well, this method certainly has a right to exist, especially since, according to experts, they simply take grains with them when fishing and dilute the “chatterbox” at the fishing site in an ordinary plastic bottle.
With garlic
Garlic aroma is one of the favorite smells of crucian carp, so this product can be safely added to semolina bait. To flavor the semolina treat, just take a garlic clove for a few tablespoons of semolina. A peeled clove of garlic is crushed in any way and mixed into the main bait. You can flavor any semolina bait in this way, but to enhance the effect, it is advisable to do this after heat treatment of the semolina or after washing (depending on the preparation method).
“Chatterbox” can be allowed to brew immediately with garlic. But you can add garlic gruel to the dough while kneading it with your hands. By the way, for flavoring, semolina dough prepared with the addition of flour in a ratio of 3: 1 . Mix the ingredients and, adding water, knead the dough, let it brew, and during kneading you can flavor it with garlic gruel.
The old proven method of flavoring bait with garlic will give you good results. Firstly, this smell attracts crucian carp and not only them, and secondly, it is always better to use a natural flavor rather than a store-bought one, which may contain chemical elements.
Storage rules
The bait is prepared for one fishing trip. It needs to be made in small quantities. The recipes for its preparation are not so complicated that they can be used the next day. Moreover, fish may not react to a stale product. But if for some reason the bait was prepared, but fishing did not take place, then you can use it the next day if stored in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container or pumped into a syringe if it is a runny mass.
Important! Unlike other cyprinids, crucian carp does not bite spherical objects well. Therefore, flatten the sides of the balls, making them more similar to the natural shape of the prey.
Impaling
How to put a chatterbox on a hook
The chatterbox is a very sticky mass, it sticks to everything, especially well to your fingers, so you won’t be able to attach it like dough or another attachment.
Placing a semolina chatter on a hook is more like reeling it in. The mass is squeezed out in a small amount from the syringe, hooked onto the hook and wrapped around it, completely covering the sting.
If the chatterbox is stored in a jar, a small amount of it is picked up with a stick and applied to the hook.
As we have already said, semolina chatter is an excellent bait that tempts fish better than dough and grains. The fish happily swallows it without suspecting anything. But it also has disadvantages - it takes more time to attach, and it doesn’t stay on the hook as securely.
How to hook
There are 2 ways to attach a boilie (a piece of semolina) - by inserting a hook from above or below into the ball. It should go deep almost to the opposite edge, but not stick out from it. Inserting the hook from bottom to top allows the bait to swing better when immersed in water.
Basic Rules:
- The size of the bait should not be large - it should fit into the fish’s mouth in 1 bite (about the size of a pea).
- The size of the bait affects the size of the fish that will respond to it.
- The hook should be hidden under the dough.
- Boiled dough stays more stable on the hook.
- Add yolk to the bait if there is a current in the pond.
- To fish when the water is moving strongly, add clay to the bait to make the bait heavier.
Pay attention to how crucian carp differs from carp and other fish.
Semolina dough for crucian carp with garlic
In most cases, semolina serves as the basis for garlic dough. The semolina bait turns out to be quite viscous, but at the same time gentle, which makes the fish bite more confident.
When kneading semolina dough, use only warm water. This makes the bait more uniform and sticky.
In order for the soft bait to stay on the hook better, cotton wool is often added to its composition. This additive is especially relevant when fishing in the current, when the dough is washed out quite quickly.
Recipe for crucian carp dough with garlic for a standing pond
Dough for crucian carp with garlic, which will work stably in stagnant bodies of water, is easy to make with your own hands. To do this you will need the following ingredients:
- Semolina - 50 g;
- Powdered milk - one teaspoon;
- Unrefined sunflower oil - one teaspoon;
- Two cloves of garlic;
- About 50 ml of clean, warm water;
- Yellow food coloring.
The garlic dressing is prepared in several stages:
- Semolina, milk powder and powdered food coloring are poured into a glass and mixed thoroughly with a spoon;
- Water is poured into the resulting mixture;
- The contents of the glass are thoroughly mixed again until a homogeneous mass is obtained;
- Sunflower oil is added to the resulting mass and mixed;
- Knead the resulting dough in your hands, if necessary, adding a little more semolina.
When the dough acquires a thick, homogeneous mass, add finely chopped garlic cloves and knead again.
It is advisable to prepare the bait several hours before fishing so that it absorbs the garlic aroma well.
Garlic dough for fishing for crucian carp for fishing in the current
Few fishermen know how to make dough for crucian carp with garlic for fishing in the current. For this you will need:
- Semolina - 50 g;
- Oatmeal (oat flour) - 50 g;
- Unrefined sunflower oil - two teaspoons;
- A little cotton wool;
- About 100 ml of clean, warm water;
- Four cloves of garlic.
The cooking process is divided into several stages:
- Semolina and oatmeal are poured into a glass and mixed;
- Warm water is added to the resulting composition and the contents of the glass are mixed again;
- Add unrefined sunflower oil to the resulting mass;
- The contents of the glass are mixed again;
- The resulting dough is thoroughly kneaded in your hands, while adding a little cotton wool to it;
- Chopped garlic cloves are added to the dough.
If you prepare dough for crucian carp with garlic according to this recipe, it will stay securely on the hook and will not wash out for a long time, even in a strong current. If necessary, such a nozzle can be painted in a bright color by adding food coloring to the composition.
Advantages and disadvantages of catching crucian carp with semolina
- Dough balls are considered an ideal bait, which has no disadvantages, but many advantages. For example, fish will hear the aroma from afar, and also:
- its composition can be changed directly while fishing by adding one or another flavor to the dough;
- make it a different color using food coloring;
- by adding carrot juice, increase the number of bites;
- Suitable for catching different types of fish;
- The ingredients for the dough are readily available and very inexpensive.
But the disadvantages or features lie in the composition. Baits made from natural products cannot be stored for long. And if you haven’t calculated the density, then they will quickly collapse in the water or fall off before they have time to attract prey.
Your success depends largely on preparation. Don't forget to take several types of bait with you so that you can replace them if you don't catch fish. Use multiple hooks. This will speed up the process of fishing for crucian carp.