Fishing to the bottom from a boat: tactics, tackles and fishing techniques

Water provides fishing opportunities that are not available from shore, especially when it comes to bottom fishing. Using a boat allows you to get to the scorched swirls, deep pits and brows, where there is a large predatory fish that ignores coastal shallow waters. However, fishing to the bottom from a boat requires a specific approach to equipment and tactics, since there is no possibility of maneuvering the rod for catching in the classical sense.

The challenge is to keep the craft flowing and deliver the cargo accurately to the catch point without entanglement of gear. Unlike feeder fishing from shore, where throw range is important, verticality of feed and control of the boat are the priority. bottom-handle In combination with a competent anchor, the boat turns into an ideal platform for hunting for trophy specimens.

Many beginners make the mistake of adapting shore spinning to boat fishing, which often leads to tackle failure or loss of catch. On the water, the hardness of the form and the ease of working in short swings is more important than long-rangeness. In addition, the technique of catching is radically different: fish often have to be selected with their hands or use special landings, which requires coolness and skill.

Choosing the optimal gear for boat fishing

The first step to successful fishing is to find the right rod. For fishing from the side, short and hard forms, often called “boards”, are considered the ideal option. The length of such a rod usually does not exceed 2-2.5 meters, which allows you to comfortably manage the gear in the limited space of the boat without touching the sides and gear of neighbors.

The rod test must match the weight of the loader and the current strength. spinning-test It should be in the range of 100-200 grams and above. It is better to choose a powerful coil, size 4000-6000 according to Shimano classification, with good traction power, since the pulling often takes place in the vertical plane from great depth.

• 🎣 Flight fishing rods Specialized short rods with bandwidth rings, often telescopic.
• 🎣 Winter extensions - for fishing at a depth in a plumb, equipped with a powerful whip and a coil-"Nevskaya".
• 🎣 Nod tackles - used for delicate fishing, where the bite is recorded by the bend of a long gatehouse.

Special attention should be paid to the bandwidth rings, which are loaded higher on the boat due to vertical tension of the line, so the rings must be of high quality, with hard inserts. Cheap fittings are quickly rubbed with a wicker cord, which can lead to a rupture of the gear at the time of catching the trophy.

Installation of equipment and selection of loaders

The design of the bottom gear for fishing from a boat has its own peculiarities: the main requirement is to minimize the overlap and the ability to quickly replace the elements. The most effective is a scheme with a drain leash or a sliding load, which allows the angler to feel even the most cautious bites.

The truck must hold the gear firmly at the bottom, but when hooked, it only allows the load to be torn off, retaining the fish and the leash. This uses a thin-bar loader or special designs with a destructible element. The weight is selected experimentally: it must only be slightly carried away by the current, remaining in the fishing area.

⚠️ Warning: When using a wicker cord, be sure to put a fluorocarbon shock leader 1-1.5 meters long. This will prevent rubbing the main line against the shell or sharp stones on the bottom and make the tackle less noticeable to the fish.

For the installation of leashes, the "loop-to-loop" method is excellent, which allows you to quickly change the length and size of the hook depending on the activity of the fish. The thickness of the leash line should be less than the diameter of the main line, so that if the hook is dead, you lose a minimum of tooling.

The secret of "unlocking" for the donkey

For fishing in a trunk, use cones with a soldered upper ring. When you hook, pull the fishing line in the opposite direction, the cone will turn over and jump out of the driftwood with a point upwards, without clinging to the branches.

Tactics of anchoring and positioning of the boat

The success of bottom fishing from a boat depends 80% on proper anchoring: the boat must stand with its nose against the current, and the stern must be raised by the wind or second anchor, so that the tackle does not get confused under the bottom. Using one anchor often leads to the boat turning side to wave, making fishing impossible and dangerous.

For a reliable fixation, it is better to use a two-anchor circuit: one descends from the nose, the second from the stern, which allows the craft to be rigidly fixed above the fishing point, the distance between the anchors should be sufficient to tension the anchor cords, but not excessive so that the boat does not swing.

Type of bottom	Type of anchor	Anchor weight (kg)	Length of cord
Il/clay	Mushroom or Denfort	3–5	Two depths
Sand	Plow or Paw	4–6	Two depths
Rocks/Crassel	Cat.	5–7	One and a half depths
grass	grappling	4–5	Two depths

It is important to consider the depth at the fishing site. The cord should be given at a rate of 1:3 or 1:4 to the depth, so that the angle of thrust is gentle and the anchor holds securely. Using the chain between the anchor and the cord (helicopter) helps the anchor to better lay down with its paws on the ground.

Fishing and catching techniques

The fishing process from the boat is dynamic and requires constant control of the tackle. After throwing (or lowering), the fishing line is stretched, but not to the limit, leaving a small sag to register a bite. On the course of the fishing line is always in tension, so the bite feels like a blow or, conversely, as a relaxation of tension.

The cut-off should be sharp and short, because the distance to the fish is minimal. After the cut-off, the catching process begins. Unlike onshore fishing, you can't backtrack or maneuver the rod, you can choose the fish with your hands, you can go through the line, or you can work the coil all the way to the water.

• 🐟 Control of jerks - when pulling a large fish, you need to give the fishing line or lower the rod into the water, extinguishing inertia.
• 🐟 Use of the Bagoric - for large fish, a sucker or a bumper is mandatory, since it is risky to drag the trophy into the boat behind the line.
• 🐟 Teamwork If you are not alone, the assistant can take over the control of the boat or serve a lift.

So you have to pay special attention to the final stage of the fishing, which is where the fish often make the last desperate jump, and if you don't have a sucker, you'd better tire the fish at the surface by letting it gulp air, and then take it under the gills or purple.

Searching and searching for promising places

You can spot-feed a very small area from a boat, which increases the concentration of fish, using dump truck feeders or cone feeders that go down vertically, and it's important to get the feed right under the boat or just upstream so that the feed plume passes through the fishing point.

Sound sounder is the best way to find places, and bottom relief, driftwood, dumps and eyebrows are the main places where predators can park, and visually, it's hard to identify them, so navigational electronics are an indispensable tool for fishermen.

The composition of the bait depends on the object of catch. For bream and other white fish, heavy mixtures are used with the addition of clay or soil so that the jet does not blur the food too quickly. For a predator, it is effective to feed from chopped worm, hornworm or small fish, creating a cloud and attracting attention.

⚠️ Attention: Don't overfeed the fishing point. From the boat, the fish sees the food very well, and the excess food can saturate it, making your bait unnecessary. Try to give small but frequent portions.

Safety and catch conservation

Boat Fishing, especially on the current and using heavy loaders, carries certain risks. Bottom hooks are very sharp, and when catching large fish, the line can slip through the fingers, causing deep cuts. The use of gloves and control of fishing line tension is mandatory.

It's important to watch the weather. Big water wind can build up quickly, creating a dangerous wave. A light inflatable boat becomes uncontrollable in such conditions. Always carry a spare anchor and the ability to quickly return to shore.

After fishing, you need to carefully check the equipment, the line on the coil could get scuffed by a shell or driftwood. Before the next fishing, it is recommended to tie the hooks and check the last 10-15 meters of the line, cutting the damaged areas.

Can I catch a donkey from an inflatable boat on a strong current?

Yes, but safety is required, the boat must be anchored securely with two anchors, and in high currents, the sailing of the inflatable sides can be a problem, so it is better to use hard bottom boats (HBB) and low profile boats, and it is also important to have a safety margin for the tackle.

Which cargo is better to use for rocky bottom?

For rocky bottoms, cat-and-tyrolean-wand loaders are best suited, and they're less prone to getting stuck between rocks, and shatterable-bar loads are also effective, so you only pull off lead when you hook them, keeping expensive tooling and fish.

Do I need a sonar for bottom fishing from a boat?

Sound sounder is not strictly mandatory, but it makes fishing more efficient, and it allows you to find specific eyebrows, pits and clusters of fish that you can't visually identify, and without sounder, fishing becomes a chaotic walk through a body of water.

How to deal with entanglement of tackles in the wind?

To avoid entanglement, lower the gear in the water in turn, starting with the nose. Use short leashes and hard rods. In windy weather, you can pull up an awning or use a protective shield, but you better choose a more protected parking place.