Catching crucian carp with a float rod is a classic of fishing art, the science of which has been comprehended by every self-respecting angler. This type of fishing begins a passion for fishing that continues throughout life, transforming into other types of fish, gear and fishing methods. Despite its popularity and ubiquity, catching crucian carp with a fishing rod is not as easy or successful as it seems at first glance. This fish is quite cunning and capricious.
In most cases, unpreparedness for fishing turns into failure and it is doubly offensive to watch the neighboring fisherman pull out his trophy after each cast, without even the slightest hint of a bite himself. Therefore, there are these secrets of fishing for crucian carp, which we will talk about and try to reveal some of them in the material of the article.
Choosing a rod for different fishing conditions
Float tackle for crucian carp can be formed on the basis of various types of rods. Bolognese, fly and plug types of fishing rods are the most suitable options for equipment for catching crucian carp on a float rod. The main criteria when choosing gear will be the characteristics of the reservoir. The parameters of the criteria are the intensity of algae overgrowing of the bottom base, the distance of promising places from the casting point and the conditions of placement on the coastline, which affect the convenience of supplying equipment.
A fly fishing rod for crucian carp is the most acceptable option, which in most cases will meet the fishing requirements both in terms of distance from the shore and reliability of equipment, based on the size of the fish. For fishing, medium weight and tested fishing rods are selected, in telescopic and plug-in versions, with a length of four to six meters. This rod will allow you to fish in the coastal zone, 5-10 meters from the shore. In this case, the shore of the reservoir must be free of trees and other obstacles that interfere with casting.
The use of Bolognese tackle, which is similar in characteristics to a fly rod, is determined by the range of the fishing distance. With casting requirements of over 10-12 meters, the effectiveness of the lapdog when fishing for crucian carp is undeniable. An important condition is the absence of tall vegetation along the shore, which would impede the scope of supplying equipment to fishing spots, as well as the location of the promising point outside the zone of underwater thickets. Otherwise, frequent snagging and breaking of baits will not allow comfortable and complete fishing for crucian carp.
When fishing from banks overgrown with small bushes and trees, using a plug rod will allow you to properly catch crucian carp with a float. One of the advantages of using a plug is the high accuracy of bait delivery. A fed small clean window in dense vegetation, at a distance of up to twelve meters, becomes a completely accessible hunting spot. When using a plug, the fisherman must make sure that the selected gear can be easily rolled back onto the crucian carp’s back. After all, fishing on the slopes of dams and ditches with this equipment can be significantly limited. Based on the required supply distances of the equipment, light and medium-weight plugs with a length of nine to twelve meters are used.
A fishing rod for catching crucian carp with a float, selected according to these recommendations, will significantly improve the accuracy of casting and will allow you to balance feeding fish with fishing in a narrow fishing area limited by the rigid dimensions of the feeding table.
Float rod and equipment
We often see a picture where fishermen use Bolognese rods with small inertia-free reels for fishing in the coastal zone. In this case, fishing is carried out exclusively using the fly method, and the reel is installed in the hope of fighting large fish. But what kind of fight can there be in an overgrown location? Where do these anglers plan to “walk” the hooked monster, and how to do it with the help of an often cheap, flimsy reel? This approach only makes the tackle heavier and makes fishing less comfortable, since the fishing line stretched along the blank from the reel to the tulip will constantly cling to the grass and reeds. The picture looks even more depressing when fishermen simply place these rods on the water.
Read: Crucian carp. Fishing with a jig in a plumb line
A fishing rod for crucian carp should be light and rigid enough to ensure forced fishing. When fishing in relatively clean areas, rods with a thin “sports” tip, which perfectly absorbs jerks, work well. When fishing in the “jungle”, a hard tip is preferable, because the fish often have to be practically pulled out of the thickets. In such cases, coarser equipment will be required. In any case, you will need a fly rod, maybe even a reinforced one.
The diameter of the fishing line, and exclusively monofilament fishing line is used on the “flywheels,” is selected not according to the possible weight of the trophy, but for considerations of the complexity of the fishing area. If in summer in clear water you can quite successfully fish with equipment based on a line of 0.14 mm and a leash of 0.12 mm, then in the grass the diameter needs to be increased by at least two hundredths of a millimeter. Fortunately, in dense vegetation, crucian carp becomes less careful.
We will not consider loading the float and the rules for selecting a hook - the general rules for fishing with a fly rod apply here.
Coil selection
The equipment of a float rod for crucian carp can be comfortably supplemented with a reel for winding and storing fishing line, which in some cases is more convenient than an ordinary reel. If there are no questions about equipping the Bolognese tackle regarding the choice of reel, but a lightweight, inertia-free option is selected, then when equipping a fly rod, the angler has the right to use both an inertia-free and a spin-off-free reel.
Important! The equipment of a float rod for crucian carp in its fly form is due only to the need to store a small supply of fishing line and does not in any way affect the technical nuances of casting and landing fish.
Consequently, this tackle accessory should be miniature, light weight, easy to use and budget-friendly. An inertial reel more closely meets these criteria, and recommendations for its use are more reasoned, and for this kind of fishing it is more practical than a non-inertia reel. A spinning reel for a lap dog is selected with a small spool capacity and without additional functions, since all these components significantly increase the weight of the product and complicate the balancing of the entire tackle. Even the use of an inertia-free fishing rod with a low traction force allows you to successfully catch large crucian carp using a fishing rod with a float.
How to equip a float rod for catching crucian carp
Even a beginner can equip a fishing rod for carp fishing. All accessories used for manipulating the installation of a float rod are the main product of every fishing store. Further, according to the text of the article, we will characterize each component of the equipment for a more rational and effective practical use.
Float for crucian carp
The best floats for crucian carp are in the form of a rod or goose feather with masses from one to four grams. The mass serves to control the factors of wind components, and the shape is determined by the greatest sensitivity to the smallest carp bites. A good float for catching crucian carp is relatively light and has a considerable length, reaching up to thirty centimeters. The combination of these parameters makes the product resistant to external influences, waves and wind, but allows it to subtly respond to the contact of the fish with the nozzle.
The shapes of floats without a main body in the form of thickenings and bosses do not alarm crucian carp when trying and savoring bait, which contributes to the best results of bites. The signal part of the float or its antenna is painted in bright, catchy and contrasting colors. The keel base immersed in water is painted black, a color that is hardly noticeable in the water. Two mounting points are quite sufficient to ensure the reliability and sensitivity of the alarm.
An excellent visual example of homemade floats for catching crucian carp is the use of processed and dyed natural goose feathers.
fishing line
Monofilaments with a low memory coefficient and parameters that allow the fishing line to be immersed in the water column are used as the basis for the installation of equipment. It is advisable to select fishing lines that match the color of the water of the reservoir where you are fishing. Crucian carp are not distinguished by their exorbitant masses. A one and a half kilogram specimen is considered a fairly large trophy. Based on this, line diameters from 0.18 to 0.25 mm are a completely reasonable range that ensures reliability and ease of fishing. The stretchability of the fishing line has a positive effect on the quality of catching fish, effectively compensating for the few jerking loads of the trophy. An increase in the diameter of the fishing line is justified only in cases of using a float rod with a feeder, when the weight of the equipment increases significantly based on the fishing method.
Read more about the correct choice of fishing line for crucian carp in various fishing conditions.
Hooks
Catching crucian carp with a float rod requires a selective approach to hook selection based on the use of bait. The general criterion for collection is the average size of the accessory - number 12-16. Karasik is always wary and timid. Excessive roughness of the hook against the background of the bait used can scare it away from the fishing spot. Also, the fish is picky about the perception of colors and avoids the contrast of bait and hook. Therefore, based on the color of the bait, and especially for plant baits, hooks for crucian carp are selected that are strictly close to the color of the bait. When serving crucian carp's favorite dish - dung worms, they use hooks with a long shank, which allows the bait to look more natural. Fishing for bloodworm or maggot larvae is carried out using hooks with a minimum long shank. The same applies to fishing with vegetable baits in the form of corn and boiled pearl barley.
How to load tackle correctly
Lead pellets are used as sinkers, gaining the required mass with several elements. Depending on the activity of the fish, there are nuances in the location of the loading of floats on crucian carp.
Important! When the fish is active, the weights are shifted to the bottom of the float. With a weak bite, the equipment is made thinner, moving the smallest pellet to the hook.
This manipulation makes it possible to transmit the slightest touch of the fish to the bait to the float and, on the preconditions for swallowing the bait, the fisherman can hook it. The arrangement of the weight in the form of a garland prevents the equipment from tangling during casting and allows you to more accurately position the float in the water column, providing a clear visual transmission of the bite.
Lures
Baits of plant origin are used in summer. In early spring and autumn, it is believed that crucian carp prefer other baits. However, this statement has many exceptions.
For example, in heated reservoirs and in reservoirs included in the cooling system of various large industrial enterprises, crucian carp have a positive attitude towards bait of plant origin all year round. In early spring it becomes so unpredictable and finicky that bait of plant origin must be taken with you on every trip.
Tips for fisherman: How to properly load a float for crucian carp - All the nuances
Some of the best plant baits include:
Baits of animal origin include:
Artificial baits include:
- Boyles . Borrowing from carp fishing. They differ from the original only in size and not in such a variety of tastes. Good for catching large crucian carp and small carp.
- Edible silicone . Came to crucian fishing using a spinning rod. Works well in spring and autumn in small currents. Naturally, you need to keep an eye on the sizes. Imitations of worms and bloodworms are used.
- Technoplankton (Hydroplankton) . Borrowed from silver carp fishing enthusiasts. Strictly speaking, this is more of a bait pressed into briquettes than a bait. It can only be used in extreme heat, when the fish switches its attention to the zooplankton living in the reservoir.
Specific baits that work in catching crucian carp, but not on every body of water, include:
- Protein dough , which is used during the cold period of the open water season.
- Mastyrka , which can be used in the summer;
Any convenient tackle suitable for a pond is suitable for catching large crucian carp. You just need to know in advance at what distance and in what place the chances of meeting a trophy are especially high and choose the appropriate fishing method.
For the basis, you need to define the terms. Crucian carp in most reservoirs is considered large as soon as its weight exceeds 600 grams. One-kilogram specimens are already considered trophies, and crucian carp weighing over 3 kg cannot be found in every body of water.
Where to look for large crucian carp
Large crucian carp is an inhabitant of reservoirs in which the predator lives. It could be a river, a pond, a reservoir, even a small forest lake. Neighbors of large crucian carp in such reservoirs are other large white fish - bream, carp, tench, large roach, but the main thing is that a large predator (pike, pike perch, perch) lives in the reservoir.
In reservoirs where only small fish like bleak, gudgeon or sleeper live next to crucian carp, large crucian carp may never be caught. There, the crucian carp degenerates too quickly into a dwarf form.
Large crucian carp is a cautious fish. It moves around the reservoir in small flocks, most often in pairs. In winter, in most reservoirs it goes into torpor and hibernates, buried in a thick layer of silt or in a hibernation pit. Some large individuals do not go to sleep not only in artificially heated reservoirs, but also in some rivers and reservoirs.
Large crucian carp are caught on winter equipment even in extreme cold, although bites are sporadic.
With the spring thaws, large crucian carp approach points where relatively warm water can be found. It can stand in shallow water, at the mouths of small rivers and streams.
When reservoirs are free of ice cover, crucian carp can be found at a depth of up to 1 meter in places where trees do not obscure the water surface. In bottomless reservoirs, crucian carp, regardless of size, moves for some time only in the upper layers of water.
When the water temperature exceeds 10 degrees, large crucian carp will begin to prepare for spawning and can bite almost throughout the entire body of water, appearing both in the depths and in the shallows.
During the spawning stage, crucian carp can be found near coastal vegetation. True, he will not peck either during spawning or a week after it. After spawning, large crucian carp begin to lead a summer lifestyle, secretive and extremely cautious.
In summer, large crucian carp try to avoid appearing in shallow water unnecessarily. It stands in the reeds, in deep (about 2 meters) holes. But “worth” does not mean “bites.” There he simply rests. It may pay attention to the bait, or it may ignore it. During those hours when it is not resting, the crucian carp slowly moves around the reservoir in search of food.
Large crucian carp easily overcome the current, but do not love it. On rivers, there is a greater chance of meeting this fish in bays and oxbow lakes, as well as in areas of the reservoir heavily overgrown with reeds at the border of open water and flora.
Fishing place
In early spring, large crucian carp can be caught on a weak current at the mouths of rivers flowing into a large body of water or in the straits between two bodies of water. The bait should be placed as close as possible to the border of aquatic vegetation and open water.
From late May to mid-September, large crucian carp can be caught in the following places:
snag; a hole 1 to 2 meters deep with or without a weak, circular current; line of open water and aquatic vegetation;
If all three factors coincide, then this point will be ideal for catching large crucian carp in a body of water with a current.
On bodies of calm water in the summer, when catching large crucian carp, you will have to show miracles of patience and attentiveness. In most reservoirs in summer, this fish stays away from the shore and appears near coastal vegetation only in the early morning and late evening. But this is not an axiom.
In deep, weakly warmed reservoirs, large crucian carp can go to the shore in the middle of the day. And in some shallow reservoirs of calm water, crucian carp begin to feed only after sunset and approach the shore only at dusk.
In autumn, large crucian carp go deeper, to points where the water still retains heat. You can catch it at this time near wintering pits during daylight hours.
Each body of water has its own behavioral characteristics of large crucian carp. In early spring, large crucian carp can bite only in the middle of the day in all reservoirs.
Bait for large crucian carp
Unfortunately, there are no universal bait recipes suitable for catching large crucian carp. You can only modify the standard bait for catching crucian carp and adapt it to the fishing conditions.
The bait will consist of the following ingredients:
- The basis. The easiest way is to buy ready-made bait in the store;
- Filler. You can use porridge, for example, millet or corn (mamalyga);
- Baking powder. You can use molehill, soil from the shore of a reservoir, crushed crackers, sunflower cake, etc.
- Flavoring. To catch large crucian carp, it is better to use sunflower oil, anise, garlic - fragrances of natural origin.
Small fish are always the first to flock to bait. Large crucian carp, unfortunately, catches it quite slowly. And it is always one of the last to take the place of bait.
Therefore, you need to add large ingredients to the bait: pieces of worms, corn or wheat seeds.
Bait for large crucian carp
Any crucian carp is first and foremost an inhabitant of the reservoir. The diet of this fish depends on what crucian carp can find in the reservoir.
In most reservoirs, large crucian carp are conservative. The main baits for catching this fish in early spring are bloodworms, maggots, small worms, and shitik;
Before spawning, in the diet of large crucian carp, protein dough, mastyrka, and small boilies are added to baits of animal origin. After spawning, large crucian carp become a gourmet. The nozzle needs to be selected. But even after bending it, you cannot be sure that the fish will bite on it the next day.
In the summer, it is recommended to use bait of plant origin to catch large crucian carp: pearl barley, wheat, canned corn, small boilies. But, if there is no bite, it’s worth trying baits of animal origin.
The red worm is considered a universal bait for crucian carp, suitable in all seasons. You can put a worm on a hook and add pearl barley to it. Sometimes it helps.
What gear should I use?
Any convenient tackle suitable for a pond is suitable for catching large crucian carp. You just need to know in advance at what distance and in what place the chances of meeting a trophy are especially high and choose the appropriate fishing method.
Tips for fisherman: Which fishing line for crucian carp is the best diameter - All the nuances
Even fly tackle may, in some conditions, be the only way to catch large-sized crucian carp. For example, when a reservoir is heavily overgrown with water lilies and you have to fish in windows not far from the shore...
Sometimes crucian carp can only be caught with a match fishing rod, for example in large reservoirs, where tables, edges, and submerged riverbeds are located far from the shore. And sometimes, for example, in abandoned quarries, large crucian carp can be obtained from flooded pits only with a feeder.
There is no single recipe for choosing gear. You just need to strengthen the main line in all rigs, put a stronger leash and choose the right hook for the bait.
Techniques and tactics for catching large crucian carp
It is important to properly prepare the place on the shore. Large crucian carp clearly sees and hears everything that happens on the shore. The area on the shore needs to be cleared of debris that can produce sounds. The area in the water adjacent to the shore also needs to be cleared. It is advisable to equip a seating area and install stands for fishing rods. Despite all the signs, you need to roll out the fish tank and prepare the landing net in advance.
If you catch crucian carp in the morning, you can feed the point in the evening. Bait must be prepared (mixed) at least 3 kg. Half of the bait must be used during the initial feeding. Distribute the remaining portion throughout the fishing period, tossing bait balls at regular intervals or after biting and landing the fish.
The hook should be short. There is no point in forcing the fight. It’s easier to loosen the clutch and move the crucian carp around the water area without allowing the fish to find shelter.
You need to take a large crucian carp in a landing net.
The big one is capricious, so there are dozens of methods and gear for catching this fish. And if the angler wants to succeed, he must gradually master the tricks of each of them.
The key to success in catching large crucian carp is in the flourishing preliminary preparation of the angler, in his ability to predict the actions of the fish and in the general absence of dogmatism.
It's actually quite simple.
Have a good time.
I am sure that every fisherman has encountered such a problem as a trifle
(to be honest, I wouldn’t even call this a problem) and they don’t know what to do.
Some try to drive away fines using ultrasound. Those who try to do this think that these sounds drive away small things, and big fish do not pay attention to it
