Ring fishing is one of the most efficient and productive ways to catch white fish on strong rivers. The technique that came to us from the Volga region allows us to successfully hunt bream, yam, guster and sazan even on days when other gear is silent. The essence of the process is to use a dump truck feeder that sinks to the bottom and blurs the bait, creating a powerful forage path.
It's in this stream of feed particles that the fish goes upstream and finds hooks with bait attached to the fishing line from the ring, and to successfully implement this method, you need not only to properly assemble the gear, but also to choose the right boat. PVC boat or metal "Kazanka" must be stable, as fishing is often conducted in the fairway, where the current can be very strong.
The main advantage of the method is the ability to catch deep pits and eyebrows, which are difficult to get to just because the fisherman controls the feeding process and the position of the hooks, constantly holding the boat above the fed table. This requires a certain skill, but the result often exceeds expectations, especially when catching large bream.
Selection and preparation of craft
The success of the whole venture depends on how firmly you anchor. Ring fishing involves a vertical arrangement of gear, so the boat should not scour side to side under the influence of wind or current. The ideal option is to use two anchors stretched along the nose and stern, which allows you to rigidly fix the position of the vessel.
In the case of PVC inflatable boats It's important to consider sailing, because in high winds, the boat can blow off, and the gear will stop working properly, the hooks will move away from the stern plume, and metal boats are more stable, but they need to be careful when working with heavy feeders so that the sides are not damaged.
The key is to create space for the rod and bucket, and often anglers use brackets that are attached to the boat, or weighted supports that are placed on the bottom of the boat, and it's important that the line from the ring goes smoothly, without hooking to the elements of the boat's design.
⚠️ Attention: Never tie the feeder to the side of the boat or to elements that can shift when a large fish jerks. The feeder must hang strictly vertically and regardless of the pitching of the boat, otherwise you will confuse the tackle at the most critical moment.
Installation of gear: ring, angler and line
The basis of the whole system is itself ring The classic ring has a fishing line hole and an eye to attach to the feeding cord. Modern anglers often use slotted rings, making it easy to remove them from the cord when catching fish without carrying a heavy feeder.
The angler for this fishing is usually short, from 1 to 1.5 meters, hard, with a powerful nod or tip. Since the fishing is conducted in the vertical plane, a long rod is not necessary and even interferes with. On a coil or motor-village, the main line with a diameter of 0.35-0.45 mm is wound. The use of thinner diameters is impractical due to the high risk of trimming on the shell and the need for forced extraction.
Lead or brass is best used to make the ring, lead is easy to file, and brass ensures better fishing line sliding and durability of the structure.
At the end of the main line, it's knitting. garland Or a 3-5-hook locomotive, the distance between the hooks varies from 20 to 50 cm, depending on the activity of the fish and the depth, the lead is made 30-50 cm long so that they float freely in the bait stream, rather than lying on the bottom. For a bream, the optimal is the hook 10-12 according to the international classification with a long forearm.
The most important element is the cord that hangs the feeder. It has to be strong, but not too thick, so as not to create unnecessary resistance in the water. Often a capron cord with a diameter of 1-2 mm or a wicker rope is used. At the end of the cord, where the feeder is attached, many anglers install a carbine to quickly replace the bait container.
Secrets of cooking bait
The quality of the bait is 80 percent of the success of ring fishing, and the goal of the feeder is not just to feed the fish, but to create a stable, murky pillar that will keep the pack in place for a long time. milletpeas or barley mixed with dry components to create a dusty effect.
Porridge is cooked to half-ready so that the grains remain solid and do not turn into a homogeneous mass immediately after getting on the water. The finished mixture is added to cake, ground crackers and flavors. For bream and ulcer, sweet smells (vanilla, cinnamon) and animal components (wog, chopped worm) work perfectly.
The consistency should be such that the bait washes out of the feeder in 15-20 minutes. If the current is very strong, the mixture is made more viscous by adding clay or soil. If weak, make it more crumbly. It is important to constantly experiment with the composition depending on the preferences of the local fish.
☑️ We're cooking bait.
Some anglers use special additives to activate the stick, such as: Cannabis or Tutti-fruttiBut remember, it's almost impossible to overfeed fish in a strong current, because the stream carries the food far down, and the key is to keep the particles flowing.
Fishing tactics and wiring techniques
The fishing process begins with the right positioning, the boat is anchored upstream from the intended fish station (brows, pits), the feeder is lowered to the bottom, choosing the cord so that it is pulled, then the main line is passed through the ring and the garland of hooks is smoothly lowered.
Hooks should be 30-50 cm below the feeder, getting directly into the plume of the washed food. tackle-play It consists in periodic smooth rises and lowerings of the angler by 10-20 cm This moves hooks with bait, making them more noticeable to the fish, and renews the layer of water around them.
The ring is usually confident. The fish that walks down the stern track quickly finds the bait. You need to cut sharply and sweepingly to cut through the stiff lip of a bream or an ulcer. You take the fishing line out by picking it up quickly, you quickly intercept it. You don't have to lift the fish right up to the surface, you need to tire it a little in the depth.
What do I do if the slap stops?
If the pecking stopped abruptly, a large predatory fish (catfish, pike) may have come up or shifted the current. Try changing the fishing horizon by lifting the garland higher from the bottom, or replacing the bait with a larger one.
It's important to make sure that the line doesn't twist, and when you go up and down, it's inevitable, so you have to give the gear a spin, and using the vertebrae between the main line and the garland helps to reduce this effect.
Comparison of equipment for different conditions
The choice of the specific configuration of the gear depends on the fishing conditions: depth, flow speed and type of fish. Below is a table that helps determine the parameters of the tooling.
| Fishing conditions | Diameter of the line | Ring weight | Size of hooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weak current, depth up to 5m | 0.25 - 0.30 mm | 30-40 g | №12-14 |
| Average current, depth 5-8m | 0.30 - 0.35 mm | 50-60 g | №10-12 |
| Strong current, depth 8m+ | 0.40 - 0.45 mm | 70-90 | №8-10 |
| Catching of sazan/carp | 0.50 - 0.60 mm | 80-100g | №6-8 |
As you can see from the table, as the current strength and depth increase, you have to thicken the gear and make the ring heavier, so that the sailing line does not carry the hooks away from the stern table. Critically important keep balance: too heavy a ring can push the bottom into the silt, blocking the output of the bait, and too light - will not keep the tackle on the stream.
For fishing in areas with uneven bottoms (stone, snags), the weight of the ring increases, but they try to use stronger but thinner wicker cords for the feeder to feel the bottom touch.
Frequent errors and safety on the water
Despite its apparent simplicity, ring fishing is dangerous. The most common mistake is to wind the feeder cord or the main line onto your finger. When you bite a large bream or catfish, a fishing line can instantly cut your finger to the bone. Always use gloves or special devices to wind the line.
⚠️ Attention: It is strictly forbidden to wind a fishing line or feeder cord on a finger or hand! This can lead to serious injuries with a sharp jerk of a large fish or a strong current.
Another mistake is using too long leashes. In a strong current, a 50-centimetre leash turns into an uncontrolled wick that constantly gets confused with the main line and cord of the feeder. The optimal length of the leash is 20-30 cm, which allows the hook to be within the range of the flow, but not beyond it.
Fishers also often forget to check the knots after each fish they catch. The constant tension and friction on the ring weakens the fishing line. The break of the gear with the cargo-ring at the depth is not only a loss of equipment, but also a potential danger to navigation and the environment if the ring gets stuck in the propeller of a passing vessel.
Safety is paramount: always carry a sharp knife (in an accessible place, not in a closed drawer!) so that if you get tangled in the fishing line, you can cut it instantly.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions
Can you catch a ring from the same boat together?
Yes, it is possible, but it requires a lot of coordination, and fishermen sit on the sides, and each has its own feeder and angler, the distance between the feeders should be at least 3-4 meters, so that the plumes do not cross and the tackle does not get confused, but it is more difficult to catch together because of the rocking of the boat.
What is the best bait for catching a ring?
The classics of the genre are the worm (dung or crawl) and the squirrel. Often they use sandwiches: worm with squirrel or barley with worm. Yale and roach work perfectly well canned corn and peas. The bait must be voluminous to cut off the change.
Do you need a sonar to catch the ring?
Sound sounder is highly desirable, especially in unfamiliar water, it helps you find a header, a hole or a dump, where the fish are standing, without the sounder you have to use the pump method or rely on the knowledge of the terrain, and the sounder also shows the presence of fish in the forage spot.
What to do if the feeder is stuck at the bottom?
Don't pull too hard, you can break the cord or damage the boat. Try picking a slack and making a few sharp jerks in different directions. If the feeder doesn't come off, it's better to leave it tied to the buoy and try to rescue later than risk the integrity of the boat.