Hunting for a mustachioed predator plumb or drift from a boat is a top-of-the-line fishing, requiring not only powerful gear, but also excellent boat ownership. Unlike shore fishing, fishing for catfish from a boat allows the angler to deliver the bait exactly to the bottom of the boat. parking-place And if you're looking for fish, whether it's a deep pit, a snag, or a way out of the river, you have a tremendous advantage in being able to capture places that you can't reach from the shore.
But there are also risks involved in this fishing, because fighting large fish in a confined space requires coolness and proper preparation of gear, and miscalculation can lead not only to loss of trophy, but also to damage. floater So before the season begins, you need to carefully study the habits of the river master and prepare the appropriate arsenal.
In this article, we will discuss all the nuances of equipment, the choice of the optimal time and place, as well as the technique of safe catching a giant. The use of a cucan for a catfish weighing more than 10 kg directly during fishing is strictly prohibited.As this can be fatal to the integrity of your boat, prepare for serious work, as the catfish does not forgive weakness.
Selection of watercraft and safety requirements
The first thing that an angler should decide on is the right boat. PVC inflatable boats And inflatable boats are good because they soften the snatch of fish when they're on the side, which reduces the risk of the gear breaking or the hook pulling out of the predator's mouth.
The size of the vessel is critical: the boat must be wide and long enough to withstand the weight of the angler, heavy tackle and, most importantly, the resistance of the fish being pulled out. A narrow single boat can easily roll over or sink if the predator goes into the driftwood under the boat when fighting a catfish weighing 20-30 kg.
⚠️ Warning: Never tie a line or cord to a boat or a transom while you're out there! The catfish has tremendous power and can flip a boat or drag it down with the angler. Always hold the gear in your hands or use a special belt, but control tension.
An essential element of equipment is anchorageTo catch plumb or flow, you need a reliable anchor weighing at least 10-15 kg, or a two-anchor system (the "American way") that rigidly locks the boat with its nose and stern against the current, which will prevent entanglement of the tackle and allow you to position accurately above the hole.
- 🛶 The boat must have a reinforced transom for installing a powerful engine and mounting anchor leers.
- ⚓ The presence of two anchors (main and vertebral) significantly increases the safety and comfort of fishing.
- 🦺 Life jacket is a must, especially when fishing at night or in windy weather.
Equipment for fishing from a boat: rods and coils
The gear for onboard fishing is very different from the onshore one. There is no need for long-range throwing, so long rods are unnecessary and even harmful, because they are inconvenient to work in the limited space of the boat. rod It's 1.8 to 2.4 meters long, and the longer forms will be constantly clinging to the sides, the motor, or getting in the way.
The rod test should be reserved, the catfish is strong, and when you take the boat out, the load on the form increases many times, because there is no way to pass back or maneuver. carp or specialized catfish-rod With a test of 100 to 200 grams or more, the build is preferred fast or extra-fast to be able to tightly control the fish at the side.
The selection of the coil should also be approached responsibly. The 4,000-6000 model of the Shimano classification is suitable for medium-sized specimens, but for trophy fishing it is better to choose the best one. multipletThey have more traction, they put thick cords more reliably, and they allow you to use your fingers to control the line, which is critical when you're working with live nozzles.
Use coils with bytranner or flag brake. The catfish often makes a sharp jerk after biting, and if the friction is tightened, it can snatch the rod from its hands or break the top.
An important aspect is the bandwidth of the rings, which are large diameters and have a reliable coating of silicon carbide (SiC) to withstand the friction of a thick wicker cord under load, cheap rings can quickly rub and fail at the most inopportune moment.
Donka equipment: lines, hooks and installations
The basis of any bottom gear on the catfish is a line or cord. For fishing from a boat, where tactile sensitivity and strength are important, the leader is the one who has no alternative. thread-cordThe monophilic line is very stretched at great depths, which makes it impossible to feel a cautious bite, and makes the cut at a depth of 10-15 meters practical, and the tile has zero stretchability.
The diameter of the cord is chosen depending on the size of the trophies. For fishing on the middle lane rivers, a cord with a burst load of 30-50 kg (about 0.28-0.35 mm in the wicket) is optimal. The use of too thin cords ("for athletes") is justified only in places with high pressure, but the risk of losing the trophy in the snags is too great.
Special attention should be paid to hooks. They must be made of strong but elastic steel, so as not to unbend under the weight of large fish. The size of the hook varies from 1 / 0 to 6 / 0 according to the international classification. For the planting of large bundles of worms or bait, hooks with a long forearm are used, and for boilers and dense nozzles - with a short one.
| Element of tooling | Recommended parameters | Appointment |
|---|---|---|
| Main cord | Tiger 0.30-0.40 mm | Basic traction force, sensitivity |
| A lead. | Fluorocarbon 0.60-0.80 mm or soft cable | Hiding the equipment, protection from teeth |
| Hook | Offset or carp No2/0 - No5/0 | Reliable serif and retention |
| gruzillo | Flat "spoon" or olive 60-150 g | Keeping the bait flowing |
The tooling is most often sliding, and the groove moves along the main cord or a separate branch, allowing the soma to swallow the bait without feeling the resistance of the load's weight, and the lead is made with a length of 0.5-1.5 meters, so that the bait naturally lies on the bottom or floats slightly in the water stream.
☑️ Checking the equipment before exit
Fishing and navigation
So, 90 percent of the success of fishing from a boat depends on the right location, and the catfish is sedentary and tied to certain areas of bottom relief. deep-holeThe squirrels, the pools, the backflows, and of course the snags, are the most common squirrels in the daytime.
To find such places, an indispensable assistant to the fisherman becomes sounderIt not only helps you find the depth, but you can also see the structure of the bottom, the presence of driftwood, the brows, and even the fish itself, and when you take a boat trip through the proposed site, you need to map the bottom, noting the points with the differences in depth and the presence of bottom anomalies.
At night, the tactics change. The catfish emerges from its deep shelters into the sea. watering-placeSo it makes sense to put the donkeys at the exits of the pits or in relatively flat areas with a hard bottom (shell, sand), where bellow, the main feed of the catfish, is often grazed.
⚠️ Warning: Avoid mounting gear in a thick, impenetrable snag if you are not sure of the cleanliness of the bottom. The hook and subsequent break of the gear will not only lead to the loss of the hook, but also to the appearance in the water of "poacher" rigging equipment that can cripple fish or confuse the engine screw.
When searching for a place, you should also pay attention to the splashes of fish "boy" catfish (a characteristic sniffling sound when swallowing prey from the surface) and the presence of flocks of small fish that can sharply fall silent when a predator appears.
Bait and bait for catfish
Catfish are omnivorous predators, but their preferences can vary depending on the body of water and the time of year. crawl They're hooked with a big bunch of them, making a big, mouth-watering sentence, but on a big catfish, the worm works worse, mostly in small things and medium-sized ones.
Live and dead animal nozzles are considered more effective for trophy fishing. The frog, chicken liver, fried chicken breast, pieces of fish (carp, pike, perch), cancerous neck all work perfectly. babeA live fish on a hook creates vibrations that the catfish feels with a sideline hundreds of meters away.
Secret nozzles.
Some anglers use scorched wool or scorched birds, the smell of burns and burnt feathers spreads very far across the water and acts on the catfish as a powerful attractant, and the use of special boilers with the smell of blood, squid or liver is also effective.
The use of bait when fishing from a boat has its own peculiarities: unlike carp fishing, where you feed the point with buckets, for catfish, bait is local. Often used "smell": put in the net the gibberries, liver, rotten meat and lower upstream from the fishing site, the fragrant plume attracts the predator to your hooks.
- 🐸 The live frog is the best nozzle for fishing at night in shallow water.
- 🐟 Pieces of fresh fish (carp, bream) work perfectly in the daytime on the pits.
- 🦐 The shell-meat (meat) is a classic nozzle available in any reservoir.
Techniques of catching and catching the trophy
The fishing process begins with the boat anchoring. It's important to stand up so that the current carries the gear away from the boat, not under it. Usually anchored upstream from the perspective point. Donks are thrown (or lowered by hand) by a fan or in a line across the current. After the gear is installed, you need to loosen the friction or turn on the byterunner.
The catfish bite can be different. It can be a powerful jerk, when the fishing rod instantly flies into the water, or a careful twitch if the catfish tries to bait. When catching the dunk from the boat, the cutoff must be powerful and sweeping, so that the sting of the hook pierces the cartilaginous mouth of the predator. After the cut, you can not give the soma a slack, but you also do not drag the crow, you can break the lip.
The catfish often use candlesticks or go into snags, the fisherman's job is to keep him from hiding while he's always holding the string tight. If the catfish has fallen to the bottom and rested ("stealed"), you need to use tactics. rocking: pulling smoothly, making the fish float, then loosening and pulling again, and it tires the predator.
The principle of getting catfish off a boat is not to force events. Let the fish get tired, work with rods and frictions. Trying to drag a 30-pound catfish into a boat by force will lead to the failure of the gear or the boat's overturn.
Getting a catfish into a boat requires a helper. It's extremely dangerous to do it yourself. While one angler is holding the fish on board on weight, the second one must quickly and confidently bring a sucker (large, at least 80 cm in diameter) or a bumper under the gills. Remember that the catfish, once in the boat, begins to beat, and its thorns on its pectoral fins can cause serious injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What time of day is best for catching catfish from a boat?
The most effective fishing is considered at night, especially from sunset to 2-3 am and in the morning. During the day, catfish is less active and stands in deep holes, but in cloudy weather or in strong winds it can peck in the day.
Can you catch a catfish from a boat without an anchor?
Theoretically, you can use drift, but it's less efficient. Without anchor, it's hard to keep the gear in perspective. The boat will be demolished, the gear will get tangled, and you'll quickly pass an interesting place. For serious fishing, an anchor is mandatory.
What to do if the catfish has entered the snags?
Try to gently tap the handle of the rod to scare the fish. If it doesn't work, remove the outerwear (if it's hot), hold the fishing rod between your legs (if the design permits), or tie the end of the cord to the reliable element of the boat (with caution!) and try to slowly loosen the snag, changing the angle of tension.
What is the minimum size of catfish allowed to be taken?
In most regions of Central Russia, the minimum size of catfish for catch is 90 cm (about 5-6 kg), smaller fish should be carefully released from the hook and released.