What time of day does the roach bite? Roach fishing - a comprehensive guide from A to Z. Roach habitat
Roach- roach, roach, carp, chebak, soroga, sorozhka - this is a representative of the carp family. This silvery fish is common in Europe, Western and Northern Asia. She loves warm, quiet water with rich aquatic vegetation, but in the CIS territory the common roach (R. rutilus) is widespread everywhere, absent only in the river. Kolyma and the Asian part of the Pacific Ocean. Its weight can reach 2 kg and its length is 60 cm, but a roach weighing more than 300 g is already considered large.
The largest roach is found in lakes and reservoirs. Despite, however, the fact that there is more food in ponds than in rivers and lakes, roaches never reach large sizes here, except, of course, in large ponds. Roach is a schooling fish. Sexual maturity in roaches occurs at 3-4 years of age. How to distinguish a roach? - Roach can be easily distinguished from other species primarily by the orange color of the iris and the red spot in its upper part. The body of the roach is moderately tall, slender, covered with silvery scales with a bluish or greenish tint on the back. The fins are red in various tones, depending on the habitat.
Roach spawning- Roaches spawn at the end of April, at a water temperature of about 10 degrees. Usually at this time the buds begin to bloom on the birch tree. Spawning in the river occurs near the banks at river mouths, in backwaters, bays among flooded vegetation, and on the current. And in lakes, roaches lay eggs in the coastal zone on old grass and rhizomes of bushes.
Where to look for roach in open water in spring?- In early spring, after the opening of rivers, lakes and reservoirs, roach stays close to the shore. One of such places is Lake Pleshcheyevo - fishing here can be the most varied and interesting. In rivers, it often comes out onto the floodplain, into oxbow lakes and floodplain lakes, and then, with the rise of water, moves to spawning grounds for reproduction. From the beginning of ice drift until spawning, the roach is constantly on the move. You can start fishing in open water from small rivers, where the water begins to clear and warm up earlier. It is into such rivers that roach come to spawn. At first, you should fish near the mouths, and as the weather gets warmer, you can move upstream to fish, but no further than 15–20 km from the mouth. It is better to choose quiet places for fishing near bays, waterways and channels with weak currents, where the fish rest before starting the next marathon. Particularly attractive for roach are areas after narrow rapids, when the river seems to “straighten its shoulders” - it flows into deep-water pools with a slow current, forming smooth gyres. A very important parameter for successful roach hunting in the spring is fishing depth. If the reservoir is deep, with weak mixing of the water layers, then you need to look for the silvery beauty in relatively shallow places, or rather in places where the water warms up better. The best depths for fishing in spring are depths up to two meters, at the border of coastal, underwater vegetation. Having spawned, the roach in the rivers initially stays everywhere except in rapids, but as soon as grass appears, it moves into bays, backwaters and channels, and in the absence of such, into holes with a weak current, to swimming pools, bridges and other surface structures.
Roach bite and weather- In early spring, active roach biting begins when the water warms up to 6–8 degrees and usually lasts about two weeks. The roach's bites at this time are very clear and decisive; it greedily swallows the bait offered to it. Just before spawning, the bite weakens, and during it almost stops. After eight or ten days after spawning, the carpenter’s bite resumes, but catching a silvery beauty in the post-spawning period is not so easy. Sometimes roach begins to be caught at sunrise, if the night was warm, sometimes closer to lunch, when the cooled water warms up, and sometimes only in the evening. An hour to an hour and a half before the rain starts, roach feeding may suddenly begin and end just as suddenly. Before a storm or a sudden change in weather for the worse, the roach’s bite stops abruptly, it goes into the depths and does not react even to the most delicious baits. In warm weather the bite is good, but in windy and cool weather it deteriorates sharply.
What do roaches bite on in the spring?- We recommend you a minimum set of the best baits for successful roach fishing in early spring. These are bloodworms, maggots, dung worms, dough, loaves. This arsenal should help you out in almost any situation. It’s worth not forgetting about such baits as caddis flies and dragonfly larvae on a pond; sometimes they turn out to be the most effective baits. I advise you to always experiment with baits, for example, even if the average roach catches maggots perfectly from the first casts, you still try to fish with other baits; it may turn out that one of them will catch a larger fish.
Bait, preparing bait for roach in spring- When fishing for roach on the river in early spring, bait is not necessary, as it delays the fish moving to the spawning grounds only for a short time. But after spawning, when the silver beauty begins to be picky, bait will come in handy.
To prepare bait, you can use various feed mixtures, of which there are a great many in fishing stores. The process of preparing bait is something like this. We take two packages of store-bought bait and pour it into a container with a volume of at least 7 liters. The wider the edges of the container, the more convenient it is to mix the bait in it. Then we add water from the reservoir to the bait, and the most important thing is to add water gradually, in portions, and not to oversaturate the lump mixture with water. After thoroughly mixing the feed mass, add a small handful of the intended bait, bloodworms, maggots or chopped worms. Once again, after mixing the bait, we form balls, strongly compacting them.
The balls should be the size of a small to medium orange. For fishing in a current, the balls must be so dense that they reach the bottom as a whole, and for calm water they must be made looser so that when they hit the water they break and slowly sink. Before fishing, I send five to six balls of bait to the intended fishing zone. As the bite weakens, I throw in a few more. During the current, I sometimes use the following method. Before starting fishing, I recommend filling a small volume of thread mesh with large pieces of dried black bread or loaf. I tie the net to a rope, 30–50 cm above the end load attached to the same rope. The load should be quite heavy, about 3–5 kg. I throw it, along with the filled net, about three meters upstream from the intended start of the wiring. In order to attract the fish with the next portion of bait, you only need to make a few smooth pulls with the rope. And now there’s another bite, the fishing continues!
Tackle for catching roach in spring- The most common gear for catching roach in the spring is a float rod. It is about equipping the fly fishing rod that I will tell you about. Fly rod for fishing for roach in a line - Since in most cases catching roach is carried out by fishing in a line, for ease of fishing, the fishing rod should be as light as possible. Which fishing rod should you choose? A fly rod 4–6 meters long, made of carbon fiber, with a dough of 5–25 grams is suitable for us. Some people like blind rigs and buy a rod without rings. For universal tackle, I advise you to purchase a fishing rod with rings, and in addition buy a light, medium-sized inertia-free reel for it. With this rod you can make long casts. Properly balanced tackle, with an adjusted friction, will allow you to use thin line when fishing and catch large fish.
Float for catching roach- should be as light as possible with a load of up to 1.5 g. The shape of the float is selected depending on the fishing conditions. If there is relatively strong excitement on the reservoir, then a drop-shaped shape is suitable for you, and in calm weather a spindle-shaped, thin float will perform well. For long casts, self-loading floats are used.
fishing line- for the main line diameters from 0.17 - 0.22 mm are suitable, and for the leash 0.08 - 0.15 mm. A long leash, when casting, better imitates the free fall of the bait, and often thereby provokes the fish to bite, however, as they say, this is a double-edged sword, since if the leash is too long, the bites will be less noticeable. Therefore, the optimal leash length is 10 - 15 cm. Good luck with your fishing!
Roach requires special knowledge from the fisherman to catch it. This article will discuss in detail the best baits for catching roach, their varieties, features of use, cooking recipes and much more.
The best vegetable baits for roach
The most effective plant baits for catching roach are:
- White bread;
- corn (boiled and slightly sweetened);
- peas (green);
- small boilies;
- pearl barley;
- Hercules;
- semolina;
- dough (flavored).
The best baits of animal origin
The most effective baits of animal origin for catching roach include:
- bloodworm;
- worm (dung);
- crawl out;
- maggot;
- underleaf;
- grasshopper (roach's favorite dish);
- bark beetle
You should know that animal baits can be combined with plant baits.
Which shows good results for catching roach. Besides. Experienced fishermen advise placing live baits on the hook in such a way that they can move in the water. This will further arouse the roach’s interest.
Other baits
In addition to natural baits, artificial baits are also used to catch roach. First of all, these include wobblers. They are imitation small fish that have a good game in the water, which attracts large roaches. The following models are considered the most effective wobblers for this fish:
Wobbler Rigge Deep 35F.
Model characteristics:
- type – floating;
- fishing technique - ; casting;
- working depth - one and a half meters;
- length - three and a half centimeters;
- weight – three grams;
- price – 320 rubles.
Model characteristics:
- type – floating;
- fishing technique - casting;
- length - two and a half centimeters;
- weight – two grams;
- price – 290 rubles.
Model characteristics:
- type – floating;
- fishing technique – twitching (shallow);
- working depth – two meters;
- length - three centimeters;
- weight – two and a half grams;
- price - three hundred thirty rubles.
In addition to wobblers, it is fashionable to use small artificial flies or oscillating spinners of the “Storling” type.
How to increase your fish catch?Over 7 years of active fishing, I have found dozens of ways to improve the bite. Here are the most effective ones:
- Bite activator. This pheromone additive attracts fish most strongly in cold and warm water. Discussion of the bite activator “Hungry Fish”.
- Promotion gear sensitivity. Read the appropriate manuals for your specific type of gear.
- Lures based pheromones.
Features of choosing bait and bait for roach
Depending on the season, you should select the following baits:
- In the spring season The roach begins to peck at one of the first fish. Combined baits (sandwiches) made from maggots, bloodworms and worms should be used as bait. Also during this period, you can use vegetable attachments in the form of dough, steamed pearl barley and mastyrka. You should know that in spring the best time to catch roach is before the spawning feast, when the fish takes any bait, which allows the fisherman to safely experiment with baits.
- In the summer season, the roach is very picky with baits, so in order to please it, you should use the following baits:
- grasshopper;
- greenery;
- bread (crumpled and crumpled into balls);
- corn;
- green pea;
- worm;
- shell meat;
- caddisfly
- In autumn, the roach bite weakens greatly, and at the end of November it is already very difficult to catch it. The best baits during this period are:
- maggot;
- dough;
- peas;
- pearl barley;
- steamed wheat;
- bloodworm.
- In winter, the best time for catching roach is considered to be receding ice with slight warming. In addition, when the first ice forms, there are bursts of fish activity. And although the roach bite is rare in the winter season, the following baits can still awaken its interest:
- bloodworm;
- worm;
- caddis larva;
- maggot (large);
- crustaceans (river);
- leeches.
Depending on the fishing conditions, the following baits should be used:
- If the catch takes place on a large current or in reservoirs with a lot of vegetation, then the most suitable baits for these areas are grasshoppers, worms, bloodworms and maggots. These living creatures will move perfectly on the hook and attract the attention of roaches.
- If roach fishing is carried out in quiet waters with a calm current, then it is recommended to use vegetable baits in the form of dough, corn, pearl barley and peas.
- For fishing in shallow water, experts advise using bloodworms or grandma as bait.
- If the water in the reservoir is clear, you should use dark bait with the addition of a small amount of maggots.
- When fishing in a reservoir with a muddy bottom, it is recommended to use bait of animal origin.
- If roach is caught in deep water, it is recommended to use corn.
Recipes for making your own baits
Recipe for roach bait No. 1. For this preparation you should prepare the following ingredients:
- breadcrumbs - two hundred grams;
- buckwheat (fried and ground) – four hundred grams;
- corn flour - four hundred grams;
- cinnamon - one tablespoon;
- water;
- coriander - one teaspoon.
Mix all ingredients and knead into a tight dough. Roll the dough into small balls.
Recipe No. 2. To prepare it you need to prepare the following ingredients:
- breadcrumbs - one hundred grams;
- milk powder - fifty grams;
- bloodworm - one hundred grams;
- anise oil – ten drops;
- corn flour - two hundred grams;
- lemon zest.
Mix all ingredients except bloodworms with water and simmer over low heat for thirty minutes. Add bloodworms to the resulting mixture and roll into balls. Use as complementary food for roaches.
- buckwheat flour – two hundred grams;
- caraway;
- corn flour - three hundred grams;
- chopped pearl barley - one hundred grams;
- cocoa - two teaspoons;
- flax seeds – thirty grams;
- milk powder – one hundred grams;
- orange zest;
- bloodworms and maggots - one hundred grams;
- flavoring with the smell of honey, caramel or vanilla;
- mint;
- basil;
- anise oil – seven drops;
- clay or earth to give the bait better elasticity.
Mix all the components and mold the resulting mass into oval layers. Throw it into the water for roaches as complementary food.
Recipe No. 4. To prepare it you should use:
- crushed biscuit - two hundred grams;
- milk powder – one hundred grams;
- dry clay - two hundred grams;
- bran - one hundred grams;
- caraway;
- bloodworm - two hundred grams;
- maggot – two hundred grams.
Mix all the ingredients and make large balls from the resulting mass. Throw it in as food.
Recipe No. 5 – hominy for roach. To make it, you should prepare the following ingredients:
- metal container with water;
- corn flour - two hundred grams;
- wheat flour - one hundred grams;
- two transparent bags;
- vanilla flavoring;
- honey - one tablespoon.
This nozzle is made in this way:
- First, you should fry the corn and wheat flour. This will add an even more pleasant smell to the finished hominy.
- Then you need to mix both flours and start kneading the porridge, gradually adding warm water. At the same time, you do not need to make the mass too liquid, otherwise the hominy will not hold the required shape.
- Add flavoring and honey. If there is no honey, then replace it with vanilla or chocolate. As you know, roaches are a big fan of sweet baits, so you won’t overdo it with sugar in any case.
- Transfer the mixture into a transparent bag and tie it tightly. For greater insurance, put it in another package.
- Pour water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Place the kaput with hominy in the water so that the water covers most of the bag. Cook for forty minutes.
- After this, remove the hominy from the heat and leave to cool.
- Cut the finished bait into small cubes and use it as bait.
In addition, you should know that hominy is a universal bait that can be used not only for catching roach, but also for catching carp, crucian carp, bream and many other fish.
- The fisherman must compare the size of the bait used with the size of the roach being caught. For example, if the nozzle is four centimeters in size, then it should catch a roach with a size of at least ten centimeters;
- Roaches bite well when it rains, because then the water becomes more cloudy;
- It is necessary to add to complementary foods those components that will be used as bait;
- It is recommended to use bait cups to deliver complementary foods to the water in the fall;
- The fisherman should take with him several types of different baits, so that if the bite is bad, he can combine or replace them;
- You should feed the fish as close to the catch site as possible to attract it;
- Roach's favorite scent is hemp, so it should be added to almost every bait;
- Roach is a very shy fish, so when catching it, the fisherman should wear discreet clothing and behave very quietly so as not to alert the fish.
Roach is the main prey of many fishermen, as it is widespread in many domestic water bodies. You can fish for it in different seasons, but spring fishing is considered the most productive.
However, to get a good catch even in such a good period, you need to know the basic rules of finding a suitable place, preparing gear, and choosing bait and bait. All such nuances that can help novice anglers are discussed in detail in this article.
Fishing times
The spring roach fishing season in different regions starts at different times, since it depends on the climatic conditions of a particular area. Since this prey is characterized by increased activity throughout the year, after the ice melts, you only need to change the places you search for fish and prepare spring gear.
- The bite is present in any spring, as soon as the ice melts from the reservoirs. With a gradual increase in temperature and warming of the water, the activity of potential production will also increase.
- Spring roach fishing is relevant until May, when the fish begin to spawn. There is a zhor in front of it, so fishing is the most effective, moreover, during this period there is the highest probability of fishing for trophy specimens, the body weight of which can exceed a kilogram.
- Spawning in different bodies of water does not begin at the same time, so you don’t have to take breaks in spring fishing if you periodically change places.
- Starting from mid-April, roaches begin preparing for spawning; at this time, prey should be looked for in small rivers or narrow streams. The fish gather in small schools that constantly move around the reservoir; the fisherman must also change his location, since during this period the roach cannot be attracted to a certain area for a long time, even with the proper use of complementary foods.
Fishing gear
Beginner fishermen are recommended to use regular float tackle or donks, as they have increased sensitivity, which does not allow even the smallest bites to be missed. More experienced fishermen can use feeders.
The main requirement for a fishing rod is its lightness; other features of the equipment that need to be taken into account are discussed below:
- The optimal rod length varies from 4 to 6 meters, first of all, it depends on the fishing conditions and casting distance.
- A cord with a cross-section of 0.14-0.16 mm is used as a working line, and the diameter of the leash should not exceed 0.12 mm. When choosing it, it is necessary to take into account not only the weight of the equipment, but also the expected casting distance.
- Hooks are selected individually for each situation; their size depends on the size of the bait and the expected weight of the prey. It is recommended to choose thin but sharp and durable models as they work best with the delicate baits used for roach. Too thick and oversized options can cause a large number of gatherings or the need to frequently change baits.
- You can use the most ordinary float, but special attention should be paid to its proper loading so that even the lightest touches cannot be hidden from the fisherman. The shape depends on the fishing conditions; when fishing in reservoirs with standing water or a slight current, teardrop-shaped models are best suited.
- A small inertia-free type reel will be required only if it is necessary to make long casts; in other cases, the working line is fixed and tied directly to the tip of the rod.
- A correctly selected load implies the presence of an olive as the main load, as well as from 3 to 5 pellets, between which a distance of about 4 cm should be maintained. This scheme is optimal and suitable for most situations, since spring roach fishing is almost always carried out in the bottom layers or at a depth exceeding 2 meters.
Lure
The rules for feeding roach in the spring depend on the fishing period and are as follows:
- In March and the first half of April, bait mixtures should not contain too many high-calorie ingredients. This is due to the low water temperature, which slows down the metabolic processes in the fish’s body, so it requires less food to be completely satiated. If you oversaturate potential prey, this will negatively affect the bite.
- Closer to the spawning period, the need to use bait mixtures disappears, since the roach begins to eat, and it actively bites on virtually any bait. In addition, at this time the fish are actively moving around the reservoir, and it is impossible to attract it to certain areas even with the help of complementary foods.
To attract the attention of prey to the fishing site, you can use the following types of bait mixtures:
- Specialized store-bought mixtures targeted at roaches.
- A handful of worms or maggots works best when using float rods, as the possibility of spot feeding remains available.
- Self-prepared mixtures, their structure and density are selected depending on the fishing conditions and the gear used.
Many anglers are prejudiced against store-bought mixtures, preferring to prepare their own bait. A good and versatile option can be obtained by mixing the following components:
- 500 grams of bran.
- 500 grams of pre-crushed crackers.
- 400 grams of porridge cooked with corn grits.
- Granulated sugar, no more than one tablespoon.
- Table salt in the amount of one teaspoon.
- Powdered milk in the amount of 4-5 tablespoons.
- One glass of oatmeal.
- Aromatic additives, to give an appetizing smell, it is best to use vanillin. The recommended volume should not exceed 50 grams, since the strong-smelling mixture can scare away prey from the fishing site. If the water has already warmed up well enough, then the amount of vanillin added can be halved.
Small balls are molded from the resulting mixture, the diameter of which should be 5-7 cm. Depending on the intensity of bites, one ball is thrown into the water every 30-60 minutes; this amount of complementary food will attract the attention of the fish to the selected area of the reservoir, but will not allow it to oversaturate.
Over 7 years of active fishing, I have found dozens of ways to improve the bite. Here are the most effective ones:
- Bite activator. This pheromone additive attracts fish most strongly in cold and warm water. .
- Promotion gear sensitivity. Read the appropriate manuals for your specific type of gear.
- Lures based pheromones.
Lures
During spring fishing, you can use various bait options; the most effective baits and baits are discussed below:
- Bloodworms are the main bait at the beginning of spring, you can put several baits on the hook at the same time, which increases the likelihood of a bite.
- As the water warms up, you can use dough with aromatic additives, worms, and maggots as bait. In the absence of a stable bite, it is recommended to combine all of the listed varieties, which increases the attractiveness of the bait for potential prey.
- In the middle of the spring season or closer to the spawning period, it is recommended to use pearl barley, since it eliminates false bites from small fish.
- Caddisfly is the most effective bait, if the chosen tactic involves the implementation of postings.
- Instead of standard nozzles, you can try using foam balls. The main advantage of this option is the ability to paint the bait in any color if you use special waterproof markers. According to most experts, yellow balls are the most effective.
- Many fishermen fill medical syringes with dough and then squeeze it directly onto the hook. This practice ensures accurate dosage selection, ease of application and good camouflage of the hook point.
- When using float rods, it is recommended to choose crumbly mixtures for feeding, since they cover a fairly large area of the reservoir. When using donks with feeders, the requirements are opposite: the selected mixture should be as viscous and thick as possible.
Roach, one way or another, is always found in the fisherman’s catch. Some anglers go fishing purely for roach, while others catch it along with other fish. For some anglers, it interferes with fishing, constantly knocking down the bait. Unfortunately, not every fisherman is able to catch larger roaches. After all, for this it is not enough to come fishing, attach a worm and cast a fishing rod. You need to know where large roach are found and what to use to catch them.
Large roach is found in fairly large bodies of water, such as:
- large and medium rivers;
- deep channels;
- large lakes and reservoirs;
- deep ponds;
- deep artificial reservoirs.
If such reservoirs have an appropriate food supply, have an influx of fresh water, and are inhabited by a serious predator, then large specimens of roach can be found here. Roach feels good next to crucian carp, bream and tench. Carp and carp are food competitors of roach, and predators such as bottom pike, pike perch and catfish are its enemies.
Roach prefers to move in search of food in flocks of 5-8 individuals. The roach gathers in numerous schools, mixed with small specimens.
Depending on the nature of the reservoir, as well as food competitors, the behavior of this fish is formed. In large and medium-sized reservoirs, roach prefers to be at a depth of 3 to 5 meters, where there is a weak current. As a rule, near such places there are underwater holes or depressions. They catch roach directly from the bottom. If bream or carp like to gather in this place, then they drive the roach away from this place.
Large roaches are caught near the bottom in ponds where there are significant thickets of aquatic vegetation. Likes to stay in mid-water, slightly higher than bream and silver bream. Prefers to feed in flat, deep-water areas of the reservoir.
In winter, roach is caught from the depths, where it moves through the water column.
This fish does not feed on algae or aquatic vegetation, except near sluice gates where it may feed on tufts of algae.
You can find roach using an echo sounder or an underwater video camera. She does not give herself away by her behavior, so the location of the roach can only be determined by chance. This could be an accidental bite, indicating the presence of roach in this fishing spot.
The search for roach can be concentrated in deep areas with weak currents, which attract this fish. At the same time, there is no point in looking for roach on the river where there is no current at all.
Any type of the bottom of a reservoir can serve as a haven for roach, not counting large individuals. They prefer places with a hard bottom, where there are sandy or rocky deposits. If there are areas on the river with a muddy bottom, then there is no point in catching roach in such areas. If the similar nature of the bottom of the reservoir is extended to the entire reservoir, then roach can be caught in any part of the water area.
Large individuals can be under trees hanging over the water, waiting for various bugs and worms that fall into the water from time to time.
Tackle for catching large roach
Roach in winter Fished from the ice using the following gear:
- attachment or no attachment jigs;
- using garlands.
During the summer Suitable for this:
- bottom gear;
Since the roach prefers to stand at the very bottom, the best tackle may be a bottom fishing rod or feeder. The classic requirements are imposed on the tackle: a strong, reliable fishing rod, a reel with a drag and an appropriate fishing line thickness. In addition, you should pay attention to the selection of hooks and the choice of float, depending on the fishing conditions. Large fish are usually quite cautious, so the length of the leash plays a very important role. The longer the leash, the greater the chance of catching more than one roach. Moreover, the leash should be made of fluorocarbon, which will not alarm the fish, and it will take the bait without fear.
Bait for large roach
Which and how to deliver it to the fishing point completely depends on the fishing conditions and where the fish are staying.
In winter, when fishing from ice, you will have to use a bell-type feeder to feed the roach. When used, use regular feeders of a smaller volume. When fishing on a float in the summer, the bait is delivered by hand throwing, after the bait balls are formed.
Bait for roach fishing should include:
- the bulk of the bait (purchased mixture of “feeder” or “roach”);
- filler (various cereals);
- additive (to create a cloudy spot);
- flavoring (to enhance aromatic properties);
- bait (bloodworm, pearl barley, lupine, etc.);
- weighting agent and baking powder (soil from the shore of a reservoir).
As a rule, it is enough to add soil from the shore to the bait, and the bait that creates a cloud of turbidity arouses increased interest among the fish.
In winter, it is enough for the bait to consist of small fractions, and in summer it is advisable to add larger fractions in the form of porridges prepared from various ingredients.
Winter roach fishing is characterized by the use of bait, which can leave behind a trail of food that slowly sinks to the bottom. Roach can stand at different depths. The most important thing is to find out exactly what horizon it is on. If it moves in the upper layers of water, then you can not use the feeder, but lower the ball of bait to the bottom. If the roach is closer to the bottom, then a feeder must be used.
When fishing from a boat in the current, it is better to use one, but large, reel. Very good results can be obtained when fishing for bream if you use this tactic.
Bait for catching large roach
Large individuals do not stop feeding either in summer or winter. Although there may be some exceptions:
- with the appearance of the first ice, large roach take a break from feeding until they get used to the new conditions;
- in the middle of winter, when there is a lack of oxygen;
- during the spawning period and for 10 days after it;
- with the onset of heat, when a lack of oxygen also begins to be felt in the upper layers of water. This forces the fish to go deeper in search of underwater keys.
As a rule, larger fish prefer larger baits. In winter, such baits can be:
- muckworm;
- bloodworm;
- maggot;
- moth larva.
In summer, she prefers:
- barley;
- lupine;
- corn;
- peas;
- bread.
When the mayfly begins to emerge, most fish, including roach, switch to feeding on the mayfly. In the summer, large individuals do not refuse bait of animal origin, such as:
- dragonfly larva;
- burdock moth larva;
- bark beetle larva.
As a rule, anglers know the preference of roach in those bodies of water where they regularly fish. Large individuals do not change their preferences and are constantly caught using the same baits. If you plan to catch roach in an unfamiliar body of water, then before fishing it makes sense to get information from fishermen in terms of roach bait.
When to catch large roach
The most productive fishing can be in the fall, when the fish tries to stock up on fat before the arrival of winter. During this period, roach, like other fish, has an excellent appetite and can be caught with any bait. But if you choose this bait correctly, then there is a high probability of catching large specimens.
This does not mean at all that there is no point in counting on the bite of large roach except in the fall. This is not at all true, and with the right approach, this problem can be solved at other times of the year. As for autumn, during this period such a task is greatly simplified.
When going fishing for large roach, you should know that large individuals do not lead an active lifestyle throughout the day. If small roach is more active from morning until late evening, then large roach begins to move around the reservoir at dusk. Therefore, large specimens will begin to be caught after sunset. This activity continues until late at night. As for the morning, it is better to get up an hour before dawn and then there is a chance of bites from large individuals. The rest of the time the pond is dominated by small roach. Large specimens go to rest.
Despite this, it is possible to catch a hefty roach during the day, but this is more of an accident than a pattern. As a rule, small individuals do not allow single large specimens to approach the bait. It should also be taken into account that other fish also lead an active lifestyle during the daytime. Therefore, the chances of catching a big fish are sharply reduced.
Moreover, the activity of large roach is greatly influenced by weather conditions. The warmer it is outside and the better the water warms up, the more active the fish behave, and roach is no exception. When it gets colder, the activity of roaches sharply decreases, and they seem to freeze in anticipation of warming. When the weather is good, roaches can peck around the clock, with the only difference being that larger individuals go out to “hunt” after sunset. Anyone who doesn't sleep at night will definitely have a catch, and the bulk of the catch will be large-sized specimens.
Video “Catching large roach”
Roach is a very common fish, but not everyone is able to catch this fish in the same way and few people know how to catch roach best. The best roach fishing is the kind of fishing when you are sure that you will not return home without a catch. Of course, no one wants to return from fishing empty-handed. This article describes in detail how to catch roach so that the fishing is always successful and, as a result, brings maximum pleasure from fishing.
About roach
The roach belongs to the family carp. Widespread and familiar to every fisherman. Has great similarities with . The body of the roach is oval in shape, compressed from the sides, resembles a palm in shape, and is covered with dense small scales. The roach stands out among other fish with its bright orange-red fins; only the dorsal and caudal fins remain dark, but they also have a slight reddish tint. The brightness of roach fins can vary depending on conditions and habitat. The sides are silvery, the back is dark green, the belly is almost white, the eyes are golden yellow with a red spot above the pupil.
This fish is not large, the maximum recorded weight of a roach is just over 2 kilograms, but this is an exceptional case. In most cases, its weight does not exceed a kilogram, and this is provided that it lives in a large body of water with favorable conditions and an abundance of food. In fishermen's catches, roach up to half a kilogram is usually found, and more is considered a great success.
How do roaches bite?
The roach bite is careful, but at the same time very sharp, fast, and often it turns out that the fisherman doesn’t even have time to understand anything before the roach has already pulled the bait from the hook. If a large roach can still please the angler with a bold bite, after which all that remains is to pull it onto land, then bites from small roaches can pretty much fray the nerves of an unrestrained fisherman. But you shouldn’t take the bite of this fish as a mockery, the fish just wants to live, it senses some kind of danger and tries to eat the bait without being hooked - it’s actually a very smart fish. If you perceive the bite correctly, then watching the float brings great pleasure.
With such tricky roach bites, it is advisable, of course, to use small bait that is not so easy to steal, for example, a dung worm, maggot, or bloodworm. If you still rarely succeed in hooking, set a minimal hook so that the fish can swallow it completely. It is very interesting to choose the best tactics for catching roach.
When to catch roach
Roach fishing lasts all year round. She doesn't even lose her activity. And fishing for it in open water begins immediately after the ice begins to melt. Gradually, as the water warms up, the roach begins to prepare for spawning, its appetite begins to grow and soon develops into a glutton. This period is the best time for roach fishing. Catching roach in the spring is notable for the fact that the fish stops looking closely and picking at the bait and becomes less careful. This occurs approximately at the end of May-beginning of June. Also, having been a little sick after spawning, she will again begin to eat intensively, restoring her strength after spawning. The periods before and after spawning are the most favorable for catching roach.
The best time to catch roach is in the spring, when her post- and pre-spawning glutton passes. But this does not mean that it is very difficult to catch it in the summer. In order to successfully catch roach in both summer and spring, it is necessary to take into account the fact that roach becomes more cautious and more demanding of bait.
In order to satisfy the whims of the roach and provide yourself with a catch, you should now take a more careful approach to the gear. It is necessary to use a thinner line and a smaller hook. A fishing line that is too noticeable, as well as a hook made of thick wire, can have a detrimental effect on the number of roach bites, especially on specimens of decent size, which may not approach the bait at all, suspecting something is wrong.
Roaches are just as picky in the fall. Starting to move to deeper places before winter frosts, she is also wary of rough gear, and you also need to guess with the bait. We’ll talk about what’s best for catching roach and how it depends on the season a little later.
Where to catch roach
Another factor in successful roach fishing is its favorite habitats. Before you start catching roach, you need to choose a place to catch it. Where is the best place to catch roach? First of all, you need to remember that roach is a schooling fish. Schools of roach are formed by size, but usually even in a school of small roach there is one large individual, as if acting as a leader. Schools of large roach usually try to stay deeper than their smaller relatives, at a depth of about 3-4 meters, while smaller roach stick to a depth of 1-2 meters. The larger the individuals of the flock, the smaller the flock. This is due to the fact that not every roach manages to reach a respectable size and out of a large flock of small roaches, perhaps only a small part of them will gain a weight of more than 500 grams.
River roach tries to avoid strong currents and therefore often chooses such places as:
- creeks,
- backwaters,
- oxbow lakes with the presence of aquatic vegetation, where the flow is noticeably slower or completely absent.
It is in such places that it is best to catch roach on the river. But the best way to look for roaches living in lakes is:
- in shallow areas of the reservoir,
- near coastal thickets of vegetation,
- where the water warms up well,
- roaches also like to gather in schools near the mouths of flowing rivers.
First of all, you need to look for roaches in places near the edge of reeds or cattails, where the depth is about 2-3 meters. Here she feels safer, hiding from her ardent enemy -. Mostly roach stays near the bottom, but often rises to the middle layers of water, so if the bite from the bottom has stopped, try fishing in half the water. Also, fishing for roach often becomes noticeably more effective if the bait is not placed on the bottom, but slightly raised and placed 10-15 centimeters from it; often this trick leads to an improvement in the roach’s bite.
On hot sunny days, roaches try to hide from the sun in the branches of trees fallen into the water, in flooded bushes or among water lilies, or simply near the shores, where direct sunlight does not fall on the water. In such heat, roaches can also peck at the surface, since on hot days they often rise to the surface of the water and collect insects that have fallen into the water; this is especially often observed in thickets of water lilies.
Roach is an almost omnivorous fish, which is why the choice of bait for catching it is very large. Let's look at the most catchy roach baits that work best:
- maggot;
- muckworm;
- crawl out;
- mastyrka;
- bread;
- corn;
- pearl barley.
As you can see, the list of baits is quite long, although it is still far from complete. In order for the roach to bite better, you can use various combinations of these baits, putting different baits on one hook and thus awakening the fish’s appetite. Very often, it is precisely such tricks that lead to a good result, when it would seem that there would be no wait for bites.
You should also consider the seasonality of each bait. So, in the spring, roach is best caught using maggots, bloodworms and dung worms, and in summer and autumn it prefers baits of plant origin - dough, semolina, pearl barley, corn.
In different bodies of water, the preferences of roach can be different. While in one body of water roach fishing is successful using bloodworms, in a neighboring one it can bite exclusively on plant baits.
The size of the roach is also one of the points that should be taken into account when fishing for roach. Usually only large roaches are caught with bait such as corn, since small fish will not be able to swallow it, especially if there are several grains of corn on the hook at once. But dough or semolina is bait mainly for small roach. So before fishing, you should determine what size roach is found in the fished reservoir and what size fish you plan to catch.
Small roach bites can follow one after another immediately after casting the fishing rod, but a large roach can wait for hours to arrive. If you are ready to wait quite a long time for a large roach to bite, then you should put several grains of corn or pearl barley on the hook, and if it is animal bait, then you should put such baits in bunches - several worms or 3-4 maggots, or a dozen bloodworms, etc. P.
Methods for attaching maggots to a hook
When you start fishing for roach in open water, the best bait for roach will be bloodworms and dung worms. These are the main baits for roaches in the spring. Maggot can also work, and roach is also distinguished by its love for the so-called sandwiches made of worm and maggot. The roach begins to take on plant bait only when the water is warm enough. It is best to start using vegetable baits already with the onset of summer, then corn, pearl barley, dough, etc. can be used. The advantage of vegetable baits is that when the roach begins to peck at them, then with the help of baits such as corn or pearl barley , you can filter out bites from small fish that can fray your nerves when fishing with bloodworms or a worm.
By feeding the area you will significantly increase your chances of success. Because with bait you will attract not solitary roaches, but whole schools of these fish. But you should not overdo it with this matter, so as not to overfeed the fish. It is better to throw the bait in small portions, not allowing the fish to leave the fishing spot.
The roach bite is recognizable. First, the float begins to jump slightly, and then goes under the water. If the float is light enough and properly loaded, then the roach bite will be noticeable in its first stages and you will not miss the moment at which it is necessary to hook. Catching roach with bottom gear also requires increased attention, since its bite on the bottom is not always noticeable. If there are no bites for a long time, it is better to check the bait; small roaches could have pulled it off or wet it. Happy fishing!
Roach fishing gear
They catch roaches with both float and bottom gear. A fishing line with a diameter of 0.15 mm is used, and a leash with a diameter of 0.1 mm can be used. You will need a small hook for catching roach, with a short shank. When the roach bites reluctantly and behaves cautiously, it is better to use a yellow hook; it will alarm the fish less. The float is light, with a camouflage color, since roach often has to be caught at shallow depths or even at the surface of the water.