Fishing with swimming nets is an ancient fishing practice that, in the right hands, becomes an efficient way of harvesting. netting Not only does it require physical strength, but it also requires a deep knowledge of hydrodynamics, fish habits, and regulations, and tactics that can lead to not only empty cages, but also damage to expensive equipment or even a fine from GIMS inspectors.
Before you think about how to put a net from a boat, you have to understand the responsibility, because water is an aggressive environment where the slightest carelessness with a motor or gear can cost your life. floater The crew must be stable and prepared to handle large volumes of networks, which become incredibly heavy and confusing when wet.
In this article, we'll go through all the nuances, from the location to the final catch lift, and we'll not be going into poaching, but we'll focus on legal amateur fishing where it's allowed and a professional approach. security Always above the possible catch.
Selecting a place and time for effective fishing
The success of the whole operation depends on 80 percent of the time on the right location, and the fish don't walk randomly, they follow the feeding base, and they prefer certain bottom reliefs. squirtAnd the landfills, the reeds, the backflows, and that's where fish spend the least amount of energy waiting for prey.
It's also important to consider the time of day, and at night, many species of fish, like bream or perch, go out into shallow water, whereas during the day they can stand in depth. Visual intelligence Before staging, you often get better results than blindly following a depth map. Use a sonar to study the terrain, but remember that the fish react to the noise of the motor.
There are several key signs of a promising place:
- 🐟 Presence of a food base: accumulations of small fish or insects at the surface.
- 🌊 Change of current: whirlpools or quiet backwaters behind obstacles.
- 🌿 Vegetation boundaries: a clear transition from clean water to thickets.
⚠️ Warning: Never put nets in the fairway of navigable rivers. Passing boats create a powerful wave that can flip a light boat or rip a gear, as well as confuse the propeller of a passing boat.
Preparation of gear and equipment
The kit for working with nets from a boat is very different from shore fishing. You will need not only the network itself, but also a whole set of additional equipment. thread-cord Or a bayrep that keeps the top string of the net afloat, and it should be at least one and a half times as deep as the fishing ground.
The bottom of the network is equipped load-coreThe weight of the loader is determined by the strength of the current. In the fast flow, the light loader will not allow the network to stand as a wall, it will be torn down and arched, which will dramatically reduce efficiency. For standing water bodies, they use standard loading, and for rivers they use reinforced loading.
The minimum equipment required includes:
- 🛶 Sustainable boat with a wide bottom for ease of work.
- ⚓ Anchors or loads for fixing the ends of the network (anchors-cats or stones in bags).
- 🧤 Durable gloves to protect your hands from fishing lines and wet fish.
Pay special attention to the state of the network. landing If you're using synthetic nets, make sure they don't dry out in the sun, because ultraviolet breaks down polymer fibers.
☑️ Checking equipment before exit
Techniques of setting the network "in tension" and "on the flow"
There are two main ways of staging: perpendicular to the flow and parallel to it. perpendicular In this case, the net is straightened out by the flow of water, forming an insurmountable barrier, and the fish that goes against the current enters the cells.
When you're setting up, you get the boat upstream from where it's going, you lower the anchor at one end of the net, and then you take the boat down, and the fisherman carefully pits the net, making sure it stays flat. turret Or a motor screw.
If you put a net parallel to the current (along the shore), you use the "traction" method. The net stretches between two anchors. This method is good in shallow waters or in places with strong lateral winds, when transom staging is impossible due to the demolition of the boat.
| Parameter | Cross-current staging | Staging along the stream |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | Tall (fish catches running) | Medium (catching local fish) |
| Time-consuming | Quickly (deflected by the current) | Longer (must be pulled) |
| Risk of confusion | Minimum | High (with weak current) |
| Length required | Depends on the width of the river | Depends on the fisherman's wishes. |
Choice of craft and safety issues
The question of choosing a boat for net fishing stands alone. PVC boats They're good for their lightness and transportability, but they're extremely vulnerable to cuts on shells, snags or hooks that might be in the net. Metal boats ("Kazanki", "collars") are more durable, but they have more weight and noise.
The main enemy of the net fisherman is getting tangled in his own gear. Wet nets weigh hundreds of kilograms. If you get pulled into it with the motor, it will be almost impossible to get out, so working alone with large nets is strongly discouraged.
Basic rules of safety on water:
- 🆘 Life jackets are required on each crew member.
- 🔪 The knife for emergency cutting of the cord should be on the belt, not in the backpack.
- 🌦️ Watch out for weather forecasts: a sharp wind can turn a calm fishing into a storm.
⚠️ Warning: When working with nets at night, it is mandatory to have running lights on the boat. According to the rules, the boat standing at anchor or nets must be visible to other boats 2 miles away.
The catch sampling and recovery process
The sampling of the net is the most time-consuming step. If the staging takes 5-10 minutes, the sampling can last an hour or more, you need to pull the net evenly, choosing the top and bottom cords at the same time, if you pull only one cord, the net will gather in an accordion, and the fish can jump out through the holes.
When sampling, it is important to sort the catch immediately: large fish are laid in a cage or on a kukan, small fish are carefully released and released (if allowed by the rules). Tangled fish You can't pull force, it causes damage to the gill lids and damage to the meat, and you have to take it out with gentle rotational movements, untangle the tail.
For ease of work in the boat often use a special table or board, which puts a selected part of the net, this prevents the net from falling under the feet and into the propeller of the motor during maneuvers. After sampling, the network must be washed in water from mucus and mucus, otherwise it will quickly rot.
Legal aspects and rules of GIMS
In Russia and many other countries, fishing by nets is regulated by strict laws. For recreational fishing, the use of nets is often restricted or prohibited, except in certain regions (Siberia, the Far East) and if available. personalizedViolation of fishing rules entails confiscation of gear, boat and motor, as well as heavy fines.
There is a term "poaching period" - spawning time, when fishing with any gear other than a single hook fishing rod is prohibited everywhere, and fishing in mass spawning areas and in wintering pits is prohibited. Before leaving, be sure to study the fishing rules for your pool.
Inspectors of the State Institute of Mineral Resources and Federal Agency for Fishery have the right to check documents and equipment at any time, the absence of markings on the network (tags with the owner's data) is also a violation, legal fishing requires registration of networks with the relevant authorities.
Can I install nets from a boat without a motor?
In fact, on rowing boats, it's often easier to do this because there's no risk of entanglement in the screw, but on large bodies of water, the lack of motor makes it difficult to deliver gear and quickly change gear.
What is the optimal network cell size?
The size of the cell depends on the target species of fish: carp and roach use 40-50 mm, pike and pike 60-80 mm, large fish 100 mm or more, small cells will lead to the catch of juveniles, which is a gross violation.
What to do if the network is lost?
If the net is blown away and it's stuck on a snag or bottom, you don't have to risk the boat trying to rip it out at full throttle, you better mark the place with a buoy and try to hook the net with a bugger or other anchor on the other side, and if the net is not of much value, sometimes it's safer to leave it.