Садржај
February fishing is more successful than January. Perch fishing in February is no exception. Complex processes take place under the ice, there is its own ecosystem. If in January relatively little sunlight penetrated there, and this caused a massive death of vegetation, now this is no longer the case. Rays from the sun, which is higher, penetrate into the water column, the ice becomes more transparent, algae provide oxygen during daylight hours. Auspicious days come, the fish become more active.
Another important factor is that caviar and milk ripen in the body of a perch. The hormonal background makes the perch behave more actively, look for food, defend the territory. It is not uncommon for flocks of perch to chase fish that clearly do not fit their food – large roach and scavengers. The behavior of this fish is not yet so well studied, so there is reason for reflection here for both the ichthyologist and the amateur naturalist.
Perch is a schooling fish, the basis of its diet is aquatic insects, fry and small fish. Flocks can be of various sizes – from a few individuals to several thousand. On large lakes, they are usually larger. On small ponds, on peat bogs, perch are less united in winter. Large perch usually keeps alone. But even he at this time is looking for partners for reproduction.
Perch spawning occurs when the water warms up to 8 degrees. In the Moscow region, this is usually the end of April, around the time the birch leaf blooms. There are usually more females than males in this fish, but there is no difference in size between them. Recently, in February, a rather large perch without eggs and milk is often caught, in some reservoirs such half of the population. With what it is connected – it is difficult to say. Perhaps the caviar and milk ripen later, perhaps the reproductive function of the perch is somehow inhibited and it is worth sounding the alarm. For some reason, everything is fine with small perches, apparently, these are some kind of age-related phenomena.
In February, perch huddle together before spawning. Usually they are formed according to the principle of size. Sometimes there are mixed flocks, when a flock of small fish sits on the tail of a large one. Often during fishing, a clear division of the perch occurs, at first, as if a calibrated perch pecks a large one, then a small one, the same calibrated one, starts to beat, then a large one returns again. Perch is one of the few fish that form mixed schools.
In the future, with the appearance of ice edges, the flocks break up into groups of 5-6 pieces. They walk near the shore, waiting for the spawning of other fish, pike, roach, ide, willingly eat their caviar. After that, they spawn on their own. Usually spawning occurs at depths of up to 1 meter among reeds, in bushes, in flooded aquatic vegetation. It almost always rubs early in the morning, as soon as the sun rises. Flocks of sexually mature perch often remain in the same composition until the end of summer, and only closer to autumn they stray into larger formations in order to “reclaim” the territory before wintering from other species.
Where to catch perch in February: choosing a place
When fishing for perch, you can not give any unambiguous recommendations. It can be found throughout the reservoir, in any layers of water, except, perhaps, for too deep holes and places with particularly strong currents. Nevertheless, general recommendations for choosing a place for fishing can be given. The main “selection criterion” for a perch habitat is the availability of shelter and sufficient oxygen supply.
Река
Rivers are places where even in winter there is rarely a lack of oxygen. This happens due to the fact that the current constantly mixes the water, carries the dead remains of plants down, takes oxygen from the surface, when the thaw brings melt water under the ice, allows you to take some oxygen from the hole or polynya.
The main habitats of perch on the river are areas with a weak current, backwaters, bays. The depth there may be different. It has been observed that on the river perch rarely stay in too deep places, preferring thickets of coastal plants. That’s where they should be caught.
For fishing, the method is of great importance. For example, if you catch among aquatic plants on a soldered lure with one hook, on a mormyshka, the probability of hooking will be less. When fishing with winter wobblers and balancers, there will be more hooks, and it is advisable to choose another place. In such places, it is better to choose thickets of plants when there is a patch of free water above them. Catching takes place before reaching the plant carpet, when the fish are lured up from there by the game of bait, forcing them to make a throw.
There are two situations on the rivers – when the perch does not want to come close to the shore and when it stands literally buried in it. In the latter case, there are fishing when they catch, where there is literally 30 cm of water under the ice. And a variety of fish can peck – from fifty-gram perches to handsome ones weighing a kilogram. However, the largest still prefers great depths.
Where the perch does not come close to the shores, it usually still stays somewhere nearby. For example, near thickets of reeds, last year’s sedges or water lilies. This is usually at a depth of up to two meters. On the channel itself, where there is practically no vegetation, it rarely comes out. In such places, the largest perch prefers to stay. But the capture of specimens over 800 grams was a rarity before, and even more so now. So it is better to tune in to regular fishing and look for it in the vegetation.
Резервоар
The reservoir is a dammed river. This is a reservoir with a weak current or without it, where the bottom is formed by two sections – a flooded floodplain and an old riverbed. Reservoirs are usually elongated in length, their width can reach several tens of kilometers. Ordinary suburban reservoirs, which are created for navigation and supplying cities with water, have a width of about 1-3 kilometers. Some reservoirs are so large that they can rather be classified as lakes.
On the reservoir, the depth is usually higher than on the river. However, the perch does not change its habits and prefers to stay on the flooded floodplain. There is little interesting for him on the channel – usually there are few shelters, great depth and, as a result, poor visibility. At the same time, there will be much more food and shelters for him in the floodplain areas.
The perch habitat here can be varied. Usually the bottom of the reservoir has already formed and is no different from the lake or river. Such reservoirs are often cleaned, they may have artificial banks. Perch likes to stay among the flooded barges and concrete structures. Apparently, metal and concrete give a weak chemical reaction in the water and this attracts fish. You should always try to fish near the edge of the embankment, the pier.
Језеро
The lake is a favorite body of water for anglers who prefer perch in February to any other fish. This is no coincidence. On a large lake, you can come across a flock of a couple of thousand individuals, fish enough, pulling a hundred handsome men out of the water in half an hour. On a deep-water lake, such as Ladoga or Rybinka, perch is found throughout the water area. On shallow lakes, such as Pleshcheyevo, Ilmen, he prefers not too great depths and thickets, like on a river or a reservoir.
Quite often, this fish is caught on peat bogs. He has an unusually beautiful bright color there, a solid size. Despite the abundance of food, the lack of oxygen affects the activity of fish in winter. However, in February, even there, the bite is activated, one can hope for a good catch. Oddly enough, small perch there is one of the best live bait fish. Pike on peat bogs prefers it to roach, small bream, and crucian carp.
When looking for fish in a lake, knowing the water is very important. You know where and in what place the fish bite in February, where it is worth going exactly – you will be with a catch. No – you catch a dozen fish in a whole day and that’s it. This is due to the fact that only in limited areas the fish remain active all winter, the so-called wintering areas. There, the perch waits until the reservoir is freed from ice again and actively feeds.
When looking for a good spot on a new lake, you should ask the local fishermen about the bite and observe where people mainly fish. Without this, fishing may fail. It is also worth looking at where and when fishing competitions are held. Usually they take place where there are enough fish and are repeated from year to year in the same place. By the way, February is the main month of all winter competitions in different types of fishing.
Feeds and bait
Perch is a predator. When searching for prey, it focuses mainly on the organs of the lateral line, vision. It has a stomach, which is different from, for example, cyprinids, which do not have it. Having eaten once, the perch is saturated and does not eat for a long time. Therefore, you should not use a large amount of bait for catching it. Having eaten, he will lose all interest in the bait for a long time. Unlike the same bream or carp, which will stand near the feeding area and chew a little without interruption.
Nevertheless, bait for perch is still used. This fish is constantly moving around the reservoir, especially on the lake. To keep it near a larger hole, providing a series of bites, anglers pour bloodworms to the bottom. It is used in small quantities and only where fish have already been found. Attracting bass from afar with bait is a bad idea, as it does not react very strongly to smells. However, according to some, the smell of fish blood makes him appetite and encourages him to grab the bait more actively. However, most attempts to attract him with a scent fail.
Lures for perch are used depending on the method of fishing. Due to the fact that perch fishing is very sporty, many use exclusively artificial lures. When catching on them, the bite is caused by the impact on the organs of vision and the organs of the lateral line of the fish – it feels their vibrations from afar and then approaches, becoming interested.
Still, it is easier to use natural baits. First of all, they must be alive and move in the water. It can be a worm, maggot, bloodworm, live bait. Natural lures are used when fishing alone or with the game. For example, one of the best gear for perch is a jig with a bloodworm attachment. The perch is attracted from a distance by the game of mormyshka, and then, when it comes up, it sees an edible and familiar bloodworm on the hook and grabs it. On other natural lure tackle, the game is not usually used.
Методе риболова
There are many ways to catch perch. He can be successfully caught on vents, float fishing rods, filly, ice tyrants. However, the main methods must be recognized as fishing for mormyshka and lure.
Nozzle mormyshki
Mormyshka – a small piece of heavy metal, lead or tungsten, with a hook soldered into it. Fishing for it is carried out with the help of a short winter fishing rod equipped with a special signaling device – a gatehouse, or a nod. Fish are attracted to the bait with the help of a game – short high-frequency oscillations of the bait. The game can be accompanied by a parallel movement of the mormyshka up and down, pauses, the so-called postings.
Attached mormyshka perch is the most popular tackle. In competitions, she always gives the best result. It can take both small and the largest perch. The best success is usually brought by a small mormyshka. In order for it to play well even at a considerable depth, it is necessary to use the thinnest fishing lines, and make the mormyshka itself from tungsten.
Ревиндерс
They are used as an alternative to classic nozzle mormyshkas. They usually carry more weight. Spinners can be used both without nozzles at all, and with various additives in the form of sponge rubber impregnated with aromatics, edible silicone, etc. They are usually larger than nozzle nozzles and have more weight.
One of the most popular non-rewinders is the devil. It is a small lead body with a hook soldered into it. Due to its large mass and simple stable play, this is the only mormyshka that can be used at a depth of more than two or three meters without losing play.
Spinners, winter wobblers and balancers
The most “sporty” lures for perch fishing. Winter lure fishing requires drilling a large number of holes, skillful bait play and knowledge of both your tackle and the habits of the fish. When fishing, the presence of an echo sounder is very important, which can show whether there is a fish under the hole and how it behaves. This increases the angler’s catch by two to three times.
The lure game consists in periodically throwing the bait to a certain height and pauses when it returns to its original position with a characteristic game. Here it is customary to distinguish between spinners-carnations, which almost always return strictly vertically, spinners-gliders that fall down on their side, spinners that make a strong retreat to the side and then return back in a vertical position. With increasing depth, almost all spinners begin to “nail”. Many so-called “rewinders” are actually winter spinners, as they have a game similar to them and a long body, in particular, the so-called “long devil”.
Balancers and winter wobblers have a body that is located horizontally in the water. Playing them is similar to playing spinners, but at the same time, the pause is made much longer. The bait at the same time makes a jump to the side with a wide amplitude and effectively returns back, making one or another loop. Balancers are made of lead, and wobblers are made of plastic and other materials. In this case, the balancer will have a more jerky, sharp game even at great depths. It is the ability to catch at a considerable depth without changing the nature of the game that is the main plus of balancers over spinners. They also attract fish from a greater distance.