Catfish from a boat: tactics, tackle and search for parking

Capturing a trophy catfish is always a gamble test, requiring not only powerful gear, but also a competent approach to the choice of a boat. Catfishing from a boat It's a very different place from shore fishing, giving the angler a unique opportunity to catch deep pits and river dumps that are inaccessible from land, and it's in these areas that the largest specimens are hiding in daylight hours, waiting for the night or the right moment to attack.

The use of the boat allows rapid change of location, which is critical when searching for active fish in large waters of rivers. However, this method requires the angler to pay increased attention to safety and proper preparation of equipment, since the fight against the "mustache" at depth often occurs in the immediate vicinity of the boards. Electric motors And anchor systems become indispensable assistants in this process, providing silent movement and reliable fixation above the fishing point.

The success of the event depends largely on understanding the biology of the predator and the ability to correctly interpret the readings of navigation devices. The optimal depth for catching large catfish from a boat is usually 4 to 12 meters.This article will explore all aspects of the organization of such fishing, from the choice of the vessel to the nuances of catching a giant.

Choice of boat and navigation equipment for som fishing

The basic requirement for a catfish fishing boat is its stability and carrying capacity. A large catfish hooked can create a real tornado on the water, and a light single boat can easily flip over under the jerks of a fish weighing 30-50 kilograms. PVC inflatable boats wide-bottomed or small metal boats that provide a stable platform for heavy tackle.

A critical element of equipment is a high-quality sonar with a cartplotter function. Finding a catfish without understanding the bottom relief is like wandering in the dark. Modern models allow you not only to see the depth, but also to identify bottom structures, drifters and thermoclins, where the predator prefers to stay. The navigator helps to fix the coordinates of catch points ("points") to return to them again and again.

An electric motor is indispensable for quiet maneuvering and holding position above the pit. Gasoline engines create too much noise and vibration that can scare off the cautious catfish, especially when fishing in daylight or dusk. Trolling engine with foot or manual control allows you to accurately position the boat and quietly pass promising areas.

• 🚣 Load capacity: The safety margin of the boat should be at least 1.5 times the weight of the crew and equipment.
• 📡 Echoer: The presence of side scanning (Side Imaging) greatly simplifies the search for driftwoods and swirls.
• ⚓ Anchor system: The use of an anchor cable with a fast-fasting carbine is mandatory for safety.

⚠️ Warning: Never tie the anchor tile to the hull of the boat dead! When a large fish is in strong current or jerking, the boat can turn or pull under the water. The phall should be attached to the bow duck with the possibility of rapid discharge.

Search for promising places: reading the bottom relief

The catfish search begins with a map of the water body and a sonar analysis of the bottom, which is conservative and is tied to specific habitats that it rarely leaves, and the main sites are deep pits with reverse currents, inlets and outlets, and bed brows with sharp divergences in depth, and this is where the forage base accumulates, and it is convenient to wait for prey.

When scanning the bottom, pay attention to the presence of bottom anomalies: flooded trees, driftwoods, stone ridges and deep ditches. Snags They're a favorite catfish hideout, but they require special care to keep their gear in check, and often the sombow dots are confined to the confluence of tributaries or streams, where the water is more oxygenated.

The important factor is the presence of a current: the catfish does not like standing water, preferring areas with a moderate or strong flow that brings it food. On the sounder, such places are often seen as swirls or "reverses" just behind obstacles or at the turns of the river. Deep balds clay or muddy bottoms are also classic somovy apartments.

You can speed up your search by using the waypoints function, and as you walk across and down the road, you create your own map of catchy spots that you'll find useful in the future, and you can also not ignore the visual signs: fish splashes, circles on the water, or fry fights often indicate the presence of a predator.

Equipment and gear for catching from the board

Catfish fishing gear from a boat must have a huge margin of safety. Standard spinning complexes are not suitable here, because the load when catching fish from the depth increases many times. trolling With a test of up to 200-300 grams or specialized sea rods, the length of the rod usually varies from 2.1 to 2.4 meters, which is convenient for working in the limited space of the boat.

The coil should be a reliable meat grinder, ranging in size from 6,000 to 10,000 according to the Shimano classification, or a powerful multiplier. Only a high-pressure wicker cord is wound on the spoole, since it has no tensile capacity and allows you to feel even light bites at great depths. Monophile fishing line is used only in rare cases where maximum stealth is required, but its extensibility prevents from cutting.

The installation of the tooling is usually a sliding loader on a separate leash or a blank tool with a heavy load. The weight of the cargo is selected depending on the strength of the current and depth, to keep the bottom, but to allow the tackle to remain in working position. hooks are used only high-quality, forged, sized from 1 / 0 to 6 / 0 according to the international classification.

⚠️ Warning: Always use a metal or Kevlar leash, even if you are catching bait. Pike or pike can easily snack on the main line, leaving the catfish unhooked and the fish injured.

Fishing technique: cuckooing and letting go of tackle

Once you find a perspective, you need to anchor properly, the boat should be perpendicular to the current or at an angle so that the gear does not get tangled under the bottom. When you catch the current, anchor is placed on the nose and gear is released back. If you fish in a deep hole with minimal current, you can use two anchors (in the nose and in the stern) for rigid fixation.

There are two main ways of catching: throw (or hand) and sheer flare/kwoking. When fishing in the wiring or on the bottom of the boat, the gear is lowered to the bottom, a small wind is made to the load is on the bottom, and the bait is slightly higher. The line is pulled, and the rod is fixed in the holder. Picking catfish often looks like a powerful jerk or, conversely, like a sudden weight, after which the tip of the rod slowly begins to lean towards the water.

In the case of quack The fisherman is in a boat, and he's got one hand that sets the rhythm of the quoc hits the water, creating sound waves that attract catfish, and he's got the other hand that's got a bait that's down to a certain depth, and it's a technique that requires serious skill and training, because if he's not setting the quoc in the right way, he's just scaring the fish.

• 🎣 Depth of vacation: bait should be 10-30 cm from the bottom, less often - in the flounders.
• 🌊 Positioning: The boat must be upstream from the fishing point so that the bait smell goes down to the som.
• 🤫 Silence: Any strikes on the side or loud talk can scare off a cautious predator.

Catfish fishing is a separate science. You can't force events and drag fish with jerks. You need to keep a constant strain, allowing the opponent to tire. When the catfish comes to the boat, it can make the last jerk ("candle"), so it is important to have a reliable sucker or bugor on hand, although experienced anglers often take large catfish with their hands, intercepting the tail.

Snacks and bait: what the cat loves

Catfish are omnivorous predators, but for trophy fishing from a boat, fresh and appetizing bait is better. The classic of the genre is a bunch of dung worms strung on a hook with stockings or rings. However, larger catfish work better with larger nozzles: crawls, leeches, pearl shells (pulp), and live fish.

Baitbait is one of the most effective bait. It's a carp, a bass, a roach, a frog, and it's important that the bait stays active on the hook as long as possible, so you put the hook through your back or your lip, trying not to touch your spine. Frog It is considered a delicacy for catfish, especially in summer, and often attracts the largest individuals.

Meat bait is also popular. Pieces of liver (beef or chicken), chicken gibberries, fried crows or scorched birds all emit a strong smell that the catfish can smell at a mile away. Some anglers pre-marinate the bait in blood or special attractants to enhance the smell.

⚠️ Attention: When using strong smelling bait (liver, rotten meat), be prepared for the fact that the boat will approach not only the catfish, but also hordes of small fish that will eat the nozzle, not allowing it to get.

Baiting from boats is rarely used because of the difficulty of delivering large volumes to the depth and quickly eroding by the current. However, on standing water or when anchored, you can use a "faith" at one point. You throw cake, fish entrails, blood and lower upstream from the boat. The fragrant plume will reach for the boat, collecting the fish.

Seasonal features and fishing time

Catfish are most effective in the warmer months, when the water is warm and the fish is active. The season can be divided into several stages, each of which has its own specifications. In spring, immediately after spawning (May-June), the catfish is hungry and takes greedy, but you can catch it more in shallow waters, where it warms, rather than in deep pits.

Summer is a golden time for sovietniks. In July and August, fish actively eat at night, but large specimens can go hunting during the day, especially in cloudy weather or before a thunderstorm. Night fishing The boat requires special training: the presence of powerful lights, navigation lights on the boat and strict compliance with safety rules.

In autumn, with the water temperature dropping, the catfish rolls into the deepest pits, where it falls into a torpor, during which time the fishing becomes more difficult, requires accurate hitting the parking spot and the use of more delicate gear, as the fish becomes sluggish. The cliché shifts to the daytime hours when the water warms up a little.

• ☀️ Summer: fishing is mainly night, the use of fireflies and lanterns is mandatory.