Fishing for trout in winter is like a drug. A fisherman, who once in his life tried to fish this fish, can no longer refuse this pleasure. Therefore, trout fishing continues from the ice, because the fish is quite active at this time of the year. Trout is a very interesting fishing object in many ways:
- reaches a pleasant size;
- requires a special approach, you won’t just get hooked;
- resists when playing;
- has an incredible taste.
Trout can reach decent sizes in paid reservoirs up to 50-70 cm in length and 1.5 kg or more in weight. In the wild or in very large bodies of water, the weight of trout can exceed 6 kg, and the length over 70 cm. In catches, fishermen mainly come across half-kilogram trout specimens, but catching larger specimens is far from uncommon.
But in paid ponds, rainbow trout is mainly inhabited, which was imported from America and it is about it that will be discussed in this article.
You will learn how to fish trout from the ice and achieve good luck, we will analyze all the basic and most effective tactics of winter trout fishing.
Timing of fishing
First, you need to decide on such factors as the beginning of winter trout fishing, as well as the fishing conditions.
As soon as the reservoir is covered with ice, and its thickness should be such that it would be absolutely safe to fish, you can safely take a winter fishing rod and go to the reservoir.
This fish is caught from morning until late at night, but with the onset of darkness, the biting may stop. The maximum activity of trout occurs in the early morning, when the sun is just beginning to rise. Starting at 10 o’clock in the morning, it begins to move around the water area and the nibble begins to weaken.
Rainbow trout began to be bred in the paid water bodies of America long before a similar approach began to be practiced in the paid water bodies of Russia and the CIS countries.
Choosing a fishing spot
In winter, trout predominantly occupies the middle horizons. There are periods when the fish is at the bottom or at the very surface under the ice. You always need to “probe” all the depths in order to choose the optimal one at the moment and still catch fish.
Wild bodies of water
If the angler is lucky enough to go to a wild reservoir, then you should look for trout in the following places:
- pits and long ditches before or after rifts;
- areas with an uneven bottom on the border with the main stream;
- underwater shelters: stones, driftwood, etc.
- local pits, in which the current “twists”.
Fishing for trout in the wild in the winter is difficult, and it is not easy for many fishermen in our country to get to them, so they go to the paysites.
Paid reservoirs
Fishing for trout from the ice on paid ponds is very different from fishing in the wild. Here the fish is more active, moving around the water area and the angler does not need to thoroughly know the topography of the pond. However, nevertheless, you should inquire about the habits of the local predator in order to quickly pick up a key for her. In many paid reservoirs, it is better to start fishing in such places:
- pits, ditches,
- dumps;
- coastal edges with a sharp drop in depth;
- areas with uneven relief;
- flooded clearings, driftwood, stone boulders and other shelters.
In winter, trout often congregate in the deepest place in the body of water, which is usually in the middle of the pond. You can start from there, catching all the horizons and gradually move towards the coast.
Even on a paysite it is not easy to catch your fish. When hunting for trout, especially if it is not active, the rule applies – more holes in different parts of the reservoir, wider fishing horizons – more and heavier catch.
Tackle
Tackle for fishing for trout in winter is used the same as for fishing for crucian carp. Winter fishing rods and jigs. In addition, girders, spinners and balancers are used.
This type of girder is slightly different from the usual pike girder. Both the rigging and the catch are different. Trout gadfly excludes the use of leashes. A small hook attaches directly to the main line. And the bait should be placed above the level of the bottom at least half a meter, or even higher. Some anglers prefer to position the fry so that the fry is almost at the very edge of the ice.
Fishing rod with a nod
Unlike other predators, trout never hesitate. It just attacks its prey. Therefore, trout fishing in winter is considered the most extreme. Gape a little, and did not find his fishing rod on the spot. The fish pulled away.
Many anglers use effective homemade products to save their fishing rods in winter. It is based on a plastic ruler from those that are commonly used at school. The ruler is selected in such a way that its edges exceed the dimensions of the hole by at least 5 cm.
A hole is drilled in the middle of the ruler through which you need to pass a strong cable. The cable is tied with some strong knot to the ruler, and the other end to the butt of the fishing rod. As a result, after biting the trout, the rod will be held with this improvised stopper.
The second variant of such a limiter. The ruler is simply put on the rod whip in the hole we talked about above. The effect is the same.
Float rod
It is best to fish for trout in winter with a short spinning rod.
It must be equipped with a reel, the spool of which will be filled with 0.25 mm line. A float with a carrying capacity of at least 12 grams must be placed on the line. If the depth in the fishing area is shallow, you can use a blind rig. If you are going to fish at great depths, then the rig must be made sliding.
The float is loaded with one heavy (8 gram strand) pellet. Below the pellet there will be a leash about 50 cm long from the same fishing line. A small hook must be attached to the end of the leash. Moreover, the equipment described above is not a standard. Experts in winter trout fishing recommend changing the weight, depending on the fishing conditions and the weight of the bait. Fishing for trout in winter at great depths involves a large weight. Agree that maggots are lighter than the same shrimp.
Fishing with such a rod has a number of advantages, which will be described below:
- The bite of a large float, painted in bright, noticeable tones, is clearly visible at a great distance;
- The bow of the line stays open after setting the rod to the combat mode. This allows you to calmly release the line at the time of the fish bite. The option that this beast will cut it off or drag the rod under the water is negligible, but lake trout may not be so, be careful!
- The reel equipped with a frictional clutch gives the angler additional possibilities for playing fish.
- In short, an angler equipped with a short spinning rod for trout fishing is more likely to be successful.
A special trout paste is also used as a nozzle, which in its initial structure strongly resembles plasticine. In water, the paste swells and becomes more like a batter. The paste can be of various colors and smell interesting for fish.
Trout is also caught in winter using spoons and balancers. But this is a separate topic for a separate story.
Again, it is almost impossible to find wild trout in the middle lane. But on paid reservoirs, you can fish it. I will not say that it is easy. Even in highly competitive waters, fish biting can be affected by various weather factors.
In the wild, this winter trout is rarely caught and usually while fishing for some other predator, most often pike. Therefore, fishing for trout in winter is quite difficult and every winter trout is a great success and a pleasant surprise for the fisherman.
Trolling
Not only trout fishing on a balancer in winter can be effective. The use of lures for vertical lure can also be effective, depending on the fishing conditions. The movement of the spinner is characterized by the fact that it does not move by the figure eight when planning, but deviates in different directions, which also attracts trout.
For winter trout fishing, elongated lures with drawn eyes are more suitable. As a rule, these baits resemble fish fry. Basically, trout reacts to copper or silver colored baits, but very often they also take colored baits.
Playing a spinner is not much different from playing a balancer. The beginning of the game consists in a sharp rise of the spoon by 50 centimeters, after which the fishing rod returns to its original state, and the spoon glides freely in the water column. Here, it is also very important to have pauses lasting a few seconds. This is when the bait attack occurs. First, the trout takes aim, and then, when the bait has practically stopped, a bite occurs.
Depending on the conditions, baubles are used both with bare hooks and with baits attached to them. If the trout is actively biting, then there is no point in additional bait, but if the fish is passive, then it makes sense to use an additional element to interest the trout.
Fishing on a balancer
Using a balancer requires a specific approach, which is to give the balancer a certain play. To do this, use a rod with a nod. The nod should be long but soft so that the movements are as even as possible. The balance bar is thrown up, about 20 centimeters with a movement of the hand, after which the hand is lowered to its original state. During this period, the balance bar smoothly drops down, making a movement in the form of a figure eight. Trout tend to be attracted to such movements.
When the bait is in its original position, do not rush with a new upward movement. At this moment, a pause should be organized, lasting from 15 to 30 seconds. The basis of winter fishing is a pause, during which up to 90% of all bites occur. If you make constant movements, then this approach will not give bites, and fishing will turn into a waste of time.
As mentioned above, the fish can be at any distance from the bottom. Therefore, when fishing for trout, you should slowly go up in steps of 50 cm, if the bite was not recorded. You can climb to the maximum height to the ice itself. Fish are unpredictable, and this must always be remembered.
If, when using one type of posting, the result turned out to be zero, then it is better to move to another hole or use other types of postings with the organization of longer pauses.
Fishing with a jig
An artificial bait such as a jig is especially popular among fans of winter fishing. Sometimes it can be more catchy than any spoon or balancer. At the same time, jigs are used to catch such a predator as perch.
It should be noted that the trout does not pay much attention to the shape of the jig and its color. Some anglers, instead of the classic jig, use ordinary jig heads.
The weight of the jig can be in the range of 3-8 grams. The hook is branded sharp hooks with a long shank to minimize idle bites. If the trout behaves passively, then the biting can be activated by placing bait in the form of a bloodworm or maggot on the jig hook, or adding the FishHungry bite activator to it.
Technique and tactics
In most cases, the bite of trout, especially in winter, is distinguished by its aggressiveness. The fish attacks the bait without any thought or thought. The jogging should be stiff and fast. However, in some cases, the trout is in no hurry to grab the bait, but tries to butt it, thinking that it is a rival. It is best to wait for a confident and sharp bite, so as not to bully the predator.
Trout fishing is the best moment of all fishing. It is especially pleasant to fight with the fish that offers active resistance, requiring the application of strength and its mass. When playing this predator, the main thing is not to let the line weaken. It is important to do everything so that the trout is at the bottom of the hole and shows its head in it. After that, it is necessary to instantly press the predator with your hand against the ice wall, gradually pulling it to the surface.
It is strongly recommended that you fish as quickly as possible so as not to scare off the rest of the fish. Otherwise, you will have to reel the fishing line, take a drill and look for a new place to fish.
As a result, I would like to say that fishing for trout in winter is quite an interesting activity that requires a special approach and careful selection of tackle and bait. It will be difficult for a beginner to get the desired result, but over time, such fishing will begin to bring indescribable pleasure.
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