Burbot fishing October December in open water. Where, when and what to catch burbot? Fishing for burbot. Influence of weather conditions

December - best time for burbot. All summer, this cold-loving fish hides from the heat in deep holes, and with the arrival of cold weather it becomes more active and begins to bite. That is why a spotted predator can be purposefully caught late autumn and in winter, at any other time of the year, only random capture is possible.

The most interesting thing is that during strong winds, frost or even a blizzard, catches often increase significantly. The worse the weather, the better this fish bites. This often happens at the beginning of winter, so catching burbot in December becomes a priority for many anglers. In addition, with the arrival of real winter cold, it begins to prepare for spawning, actively feeds, gains weight and delights with greedy bites.

Where and when to fish

Despite the high activity of the fished object in December, not everyone returns satisfied from the reservoirs. The fact is that burbot is not dispersed throughout the river; it has favorite areas and paths along which it moves. Only by knowing these points does the fisherman have every chance of returning home with his catch.

Where to look for it? Firstly, these are places with good oxygen conditions. Oxygen is most abundant where there is groundwater outlet, that is, springs. Another known preference of this species is a hard surface. Burbot stays above a rocky, pebble or sandy bottom, and avoids silty areas. If the sinker of the lure or the spinner falls into the ground, you should not linger in this place. The fished object feeds at a depth of 2-3 meters on coastal dumps or in the riverbed zone.

Burbot is a nocturnal predator, so active biting begins immediately after sunset and can continue until dawn. On some reservoirs, fish take up to 2 or 3 hours to satiate, so gear should be installed before dark. Not every angler is able to spend the night on a frozen river. Those who are not ready for such tests are unlikely to be able to enjoy a real burbot meal. But nothing, they have the opportunity to catch a couple of specimens during the daytime, if the place is chosen correctly.

Catching burbot in December using girders

Zherlitsa is a fairly popular tackle among burbots. It is good because it eliminates the need to perform various manipulations over the hole in anticipation of a bite. In addition, with the help of girders, the fisherman has the opportunity to fish several promising areas at once. As a rule, up to 50 of them are exhibited despite the fishing bans in force in many water bodies.

You can use store-bought or homemade gear with a wooden spear instead of a reel; this will not affect the fishing result in any way. The only requirement for them is the reliability of the fishing line, both the main one and the leash. You can’t scare a hungry burbot with a thick fishing line, so fishermen usually use monofilament with a diameter of 0.40 to 0.60 mm, and the leash is made of the same. The weight of the sinker is selected taking into account the strength of the current at the fishing site. The hook can be anything, but it is better to use a more hooky tee. The predator has a decent mouth; it will swallow it and not feel it.

The piers are placed in the selected area at a distance of 15-20 meters from one another. If they are equipped with warning flags, then you can simply observe them from afar. If there are no checkboxes, you will have to check periodically. Some traders set up gear in the evening, go home, and return in the morning for their catch. Burbot swallows the bait greedily and deeply; if the hook is in its mouth, it will not go anywhere.

The bait for catching spotted predators using girders is small fish: ruffes, minnows, gobies and others. Live bait can be caught during the day using a jig. It doesn’t matter if you catch large fish instead of small fish; you can put strips of fish meat on the hooks. Worms will also work, but getting them in winter is quite problematic.

Catching burbot in December with a spoon

Sheer trolling of burbot requires the use of the same durable winter spinning rod as for pike fishing. The spinners used are wide, but at the same time light. When dropped, they should move to the side up to 50 cm, imitating the movement of a feeding fish. After several strokes, the spoon is held above the very bottom and oscillates slightly under the influence water flow, clinging to the soil and raising turbidity. Between strokes it is necessary to maintain quite long pauses - up to 15 seconds, since during short pauses the predator may not take. It is difficult to say exactly what behavior of the spinner arouses his interest; in different cases he gives preference to one or another game. Therefore, when burbot is trolling vertically, experiments are encouraged.

Some fishermen use unconventional methods. For example, they release the bait along the current at a sufficiently large distance from the hole, and then slowly reel in the fishing line. This method is effective on reservoirs with a clean bottom.

Since factory products do not always justify the money spent on them, craftsmen make winter spinners for catching burbot with your own hands. They can be made from different alloys up to 5 mm thick. As a rule, it is copper, brass or cupronickel. Blanks of the required size are made from metal plates, which are then cleaned to a shine and equipped with winding rings and a hook. If you can find fault with the quality and characteristics of store-bought spinners, homemade ones meet all the requirements of picky fishermen. I must say that they catch much better.

Catching burbot in December using a snitch

This is a very interesting way of fishing for a handsome spotted fish from the ice using an equally interesting bait. The standard bait is a metal cone with a soldered hook, but like any other bait it evolves, so today you can see its various variations, including outlandish ones. Some look like a balance beam, others resemble a large jig, others don’t look like anything at all, but surprisingly they catch no worse than others. The effectiveness of the knocker is explained simply: the main thing in it is the principle of operation, and not the shape or appearance. But first things first.

Tackle for snitch fishing consists of:

a winter fishing rod with a reel intended for trolling;
monofilament line with a cross section of 0.18-0.25 mm;
artificial bait (the snitch itself).

On the hook (or hooks, there can be 2, 3 or even 5) a fresh fallen fish, fresh frozen fish from the store, sliced fish or a bunch of worms are placed. This attachment increases the attractiveness of the bait.

The technique of fishing for burbot using a hook does not require any special skills. The most common version of the game is smooth swings, in which the bait rises to a height of 25-30 cm, followed by drops. When falling, the squeal hits the ground (knocks), attracting a predator from a distance. The stops between swings are short – up to 3 seconds. If the fished object does not show itself, you can try tossing the bait more sharply.

A burbot bite on a snitch looks like a careful touch of the bait, which turns into a confident pull. This is exactly the moment when you need to strike. When fishing, a hooked predator does not create big problems; the main thing is not to let the line sag, picking up the slack in a timely manner, otherwise there is a risk of derailment.

Trap for burbot

On medium and small rivers of Yakutia local residents They successfully catch the handsome spotted fish using a not entirely sporting method. This is how their grandfathers and great-grandfathers fished and will continue to fish for more than one generation. This is called the old Yakut method of catching. Fishermen prepare this trap in advance, since the fall. Branches are densely laid on a base of thick poles and secured on top with the same poles. The result is a kind of barrier. In December, a place on the river with a flat bottom near the banks is looked for, the most convenient for installation. It is advisable that the depth does not exceed 3 meters. Prepared barrier shields are lowered vertically into the water between pre-driven wooden posts. Several shields are placed in one line, overlapping each other, to create one long barrier. At its end a narrow pen is left in which a top (mesh or woven from willow twigs) is installed.

How does this design work? In December, burbot begins to move upstream to their spawning grounds. Having stumbled upon a fence, the fish begins to look for a way out and as a result ends up in a pen. Sometimes she just stands with her nose buried in the fence, in order to drive her into the top, the fishermen hit the posts with a stick. Then all that remains is to break the frozen ice in the hole above the top and lift the catch to the top. The catch from such fishing is measured not in kilograms, but in sleighs. This is how the residents of Yakutia provide themselves with delicious fish.

Fishing for burbot in open water

Fishing for burbot in open water

For several days now, the first ice has appeared on small lakes and bays of reservoirs. The weather forecast is that the ice will slowly build up overnight and only rain will wash it away. The thickness of the ice is still critical and going out on such ice is dangerous and there is no point in taking risks. Therefore, most anglers continue to fish mainly for predators in open water. In the daytime, pike and pike perch are caught well, and at night it is the turn of burbot. Now burbot bites during the day, but it’s better at night, and now is almost the peak of its activity. Burbot is more active only in January, before spawning.

Burbot in cold water turns into an omnivorous predator, which becomes relatively easy to seduce with simple baits of animal origin.

Some stories from anglers about successful autumn burbot fishing can mislead a beginner, who will have the illusion of ease of fishing. What could be simpler than taking a piece of fishing line, attaching a hook and a weight to it, throwing the hook with bait into the water, and in the morning pull the tackle out of the water onto the shore and remove the burbot firmly sitting on the hook from the hook. If everything were so simple, then burbots would no longer exist.

In order to catch burbot in a reservoir, even where there is a lot of it, you need to choose the right place, and make the right tackle, even if primitive at first glance, and choose the right bait, and install the tackle correctly.

During the fall, it is more reliable to catch burbot on small rivers, such as the Istra, Malaya Istra and all tributaries of the Oka. First of all, you should find an area with a rocky or pebble bottom. IN dark time During the day, burbots stick to both sandbanks and riffles. It is almost impossible to find this fish on a muddy bottom. Burbot always stick to the most oxygen-rich places.

Small burbots do not form flocks, but can live quite densely on good areas bottom. Large burbots roam the pond alone in the fall. Burbot choose their underwater paths and crawl from the shallows to the rocky or snags, without making long migrations. Long migrations are typical only during the pre-spawning period.

When choosing a fishing location, you should remember that overnight places for small fish are areas of the reservoir where there is practically no current, if it is a river or stream, or places on the edge close to coastal vegetation in standing reservoirs. That is, these are places in the area of the first coastal edge. Therefore, the colder the water becomes, the closer the burbots come to the shore at night. They leave the river bed, deep holes and snags and come out onto shallows with a smooth current. Very good places with level reverse flow, especially on fast-flowing rivers such as the Malaya Istra.

Finding the habitat of burbots can only be done by trial and error. For example, you can throw several bottom rigs at different distances from the shore and different depths (usually this tactic is followed by those who fish in large bodies of water) and after a successful bite, all the rigs should be placed at the required distance from the shore. In autumn it is very interesting to catch burbot in the numerous small tributaries of the Oka River. It is enough that the depth of such a river is only a meter. Places for the location of gear are chosen at the border of the stream and small bays, directly under the very shore or below small islands and stones. Promising places are where a river or stream flows into more large river, namely, sediment banks at the junctions of the current. If the location of the burbot is discovered, then you can visit it annually and be with your catch.

It is very rare in the fall that it is possible to catch a second fish from one fishing point, but it is quite possible to catch it by moving the tackle a little to the side.

The fishing time is chosen at night and you need to expect that you will have to spend the whole night fishing. It is very difficult to predict the time the fish will approach the bait. But there are many known cases when burbots were caught even during the day in clear sunny weather. If after one or two bites there is a lull, then there is no point in waiting for a long time; it is better to rethrow the equipment either to a different depth, or move it to the side. It has been noticed that burbot, like large pike, is better caught in weather when fish of other species prefer not to be active. That is, at a change in weather, in the rain, during strong winds. But with a full moon, on a clear, quiet night, there will most likely be no bites. Don't forget to take a flashlight and a knife with you.

Gear for catching burbot is a very simple design for bottom fishing with bait lying on the bottom. If you are fishing in a large body of water, then take and construct a dozen “snacks” based on fishing line with a diameter of 0.3-0.5 mm, with a sliding weight. Below the weight, a leash made of fishing line with a diameter of 0.25-0.3 mm is tied, at the end of which a single hook No. 1 is tied. There is no point in using double, and even more so, triple hooks. Burbot gradually swallows the bait very deeply and releases it even from single hook not very easy. But more importantly, the tee will contribute to the “dead” hooks of the tackle, because burbot fishing occurs either among stones, or snags and uneven bottoms. Therefore, the leashes are attached through a clasp so that they can be easily and quickly replaced. For the same reason, you should not use prohibited recreational fishing crossings and allowances. For fishing at a short distance from the shore, a whip up to two meters long is convenient, to the end of which a bottom rig is attached to a fishing line 2-5 meters long.

Watching burbot bites is not at all necessary, although it is quite interesting. You can cast a donk and check it every half hour: if the burbot bites, it will simply swallow the bait and wait to be pulled ashore. It must be said that when pulled out, the burbot resists quite strongly and stubbornly, tends to hide in the stones or catch its tail on some obstacle, so it is better not to use a fishing line that is too thin.

If you want to monitor possible bites, then the tip of a relatively “soft” rod should either be painted white, or a holder with a firefly should be attached to it. On small rivers it is very interesting to fish with a firefly float using the “half-bottom” method.

The bite of small burbot is very reminiscent of the ruff “twitching” of a jig in winter or the summer bite of rotan. These are precisely twitches that rarely develop into a classic stretch. Burbot often throws the bait if it feels the resistance of a heavy sinker. The pull of a large burbot is clearly pronounced. I like to use my index finger, through which the fishing line is thrown, as a bite alarm. Not so boring.

As bait for catching burbot in the fall, small live bait is almost always used, attached to a hook by the lip. I consider the best live bait to be ruffe and gudgeon, that is, those species of fish that lead a bottom-dwelling lifestyle. The advice that the ruff needs to be trimmed or its scales scraped off seems to me not only inhumane, but also ineffective. Burbot prefers live ruffe, which behaves naturally. A dead, and even more so frozen, fish will most likely become prey for crayfish, but if there is no other fish, then you have to use dead live bait. The same applies to pieces of fish. Those fishermen who prepare in advance for autumn burbot fishing stock up on minnows and frogs for future use during their wintering season. It is better to place the frog on the hook by its hind leg so that it remains alive and mobile longer. A very good bait is a bunch of worms.

The tactics for catching burbot are based on the fact that there is no point in waiting for the fish to approach, you need to look for it. If the first burbot is caught, then all the equipment should be transferred to places with a similar depth. In the event that the first fish was caught while reaching the shallows, it is better to place the equipment over the area of the shallows or rocky ridge, since the next bite can occur at any point in the chosen place, and it is almost impossible to predict it. That is, the tactics for catching burbot are continuous search and waiting. Echo sounders are not very helpful in searching, since burbot does not swim, but practically crawls along the bottom with stops and is very difficult to detect. But with the help of an echo sounder it is easy to detect the hard and rocky bottom that this fish loves so much.

Burbot fishing continues successfully until the ice forms, when the burbot begins to “sick.” Everyone knows that after the ice freezes, almost all species of fish fall into temporary apathy, and species such as chub, ide and especially burbot experience this period so hard that they float up under the ice and stand pressed against it. There can be no talk of any biting at this time.

A. Yanshevsky

"Russian Hunting Newspaper No. 46 - 2005."

Attention!

An article from the website " Kaliningrad fishing club

Winter time is an excellent period for catching burbot, especially during this period, catching burbot in December stands out. December is notable for the fact that at the end of this month the burbot begins spawning, and before it begins, the fish feed especially actively, which is to the benefit of the fisherman. It is this period of winter time that is the time when burbot fattens. Burbot is a very interesting and unique fish, very different in its behavior from other representatives of the underwater world.

Where do burbot live?

Burbot prefers a hard rocky bottom, and even better if there is a spring nearby or two currents collide. The fish avoids the bottom covered with a thick layer of silt, because it is difficult to tolerate an oxygen-poor environment. Fishing for burbot in December, namely during the feeding season, will be successful if you fish in shallow areas where there are coastal dumps, pre-channel areas and the depth does not exceed 3 meters. As soon as the burbot begins to spawn, the bite practically stops; only small burbots that have not reached sexual maturity remain active.

When to catch burbot

The fishing of burbot mainly occurs at night, so catching burbot in December is associated with certain inconveniences. In addition, the fish really loves stormy and especially frosty nights. But what the fisherman will not endure for the sake of the treasured bite.

To catch burbot, you will need a reliable and durable fishing rod that will allow you to easily cope with heavy fish. The fishing line should be thick enough, from 0.4 mm. In addition to everything, there must be a leash. After all, if you delay hooking, the burbot can swallow the bait offered when trolling so much that it will be problematic to pull it out. Large hooks are also used, number 12-14. There is no need to put additional weights, the spinner itself will be enough.

When trolling, as soon as the first ice sets in, many anglers prefer medium-sized silver-colored lures, which are usually used for catching pike perch. The only addition that is made is to place pieces of fish on the tees; you can use bleak or a pipe cleaner for this.

Fishing technique

The technique of using a spinner when catching burbot in December is as follows. After you arrived at the place, taking into account, of course, the preferences of the burbot, you drilled a hole. Lower the spoon to the very bottom and start trolling, that is, smoothly play with the bait. Smooth movements up, down or obliquely often bring success. There is no need to complicate the game; this may negatively affect the reaction of the burbot itself. Also, do not raise the spoon more than half a meter from the bottom.

Most successful burbot bites generally occur at a distance of 0.1 to 0.3 m from the bottom.

When trolling in a place where there is a ridge of large stones, a good result is winter time brings the usual tapping of the spoon on the stones. I don’t know why burbot is attracted to this, but hitting a large stone or throwing a spoon off a stone often results in a bite.

Burbot fishing (video)

Catching burbot in December is a very exciting activity, especially if you use lures to catch it. The bite when fishing with a spoon is expressed in sharp and strong jerks of the fishing line. The hook must be strong and sweeping. Don’t think that you can tear the bait out of your mouth, this won’t happen. After a successful hook, the burbot practically does not resist at first, but you should not relax; when you approach the hole, the fish will definitely put all its strength into its salvation. At this moment, the main thing is to hold the line and not let the burbot go to the bottom. The last meters are especially difficult when fishing; having great strength, the burbot begins to dodge in every possible way, not allowing the angler to lead himself to the hole. In this case, a hook will come in handy when fishing; if you successfully hook the burbot, you can pull the burbot out of the hole without much difficulty.

No matter what difficulties fishing for burbot in December may bring to an angler, this time remains the most catchy in the world. winter period, delivering a lot of pleasure for lovers of this difficult but very interesting fishing.

Burbot on ice-free

River without ice in winter

Spinning anglers continue to fish with gear adapted for sub-zero temperatures. Fans of feeder fishing and float rod. Fishing at this time is mainly carried out from the shore, but it is also possible from a boat, because inflatable PVC boats are not afraid of frost.

Equipment for fishing in the off-season
Despite the relative warmth, fishing in the cold season (late autumn, winter, or in early spring), has its own characteristics that must be taken into account.

First of all, attention should be paid to equipment -. It should be warm and light, waterproof on the outside and not retain moisture on the inside.

Gear for fishing in the cold
Rod, regardless of the fishing method, maintain its working properties at negative temperatures.

fishing line on the reel, must be treated with a composition that protects it from freezing.

It is well known that burbot begins to feed intensively, and accordingly, to be caught, with the onset of cold weather, and is especially active in the pre-spawning period. Burbot spawns in January - February.

In winter, the traditional gear for catching burbot from ice is zherlitsa. But what to do if there is no ice yet, and freeze-up is not expected?

The answer is in the following video:

Tricky tackle for catching burbot from the shore

In this way, you can do some good fishing from the shore in winter and catch burbot using bottom tackle.

Burbot fishing in December Burbot is interesting not only as a trophy - large burbots reach a weight of tens of kilograms, but also because they lead a very unusual lifestyle. This predatory fish of the cod family is caught exclusively in the cold season and, curiously, also spawns in winter. Spawning of burbot, depending on the region, takes place from mid-December to mid-January; accordingly, from the beginning of December, burbot begins its pre-spawning feast. The fish are active and this makes December a great month for burbot fishing. However, with the onset of spawning, the bites subside and the burbot bite stops. Where to catch burbot in December Fishing for burbot in December requires preparation, it’s great if you know where the burbot places are located, and if you don’t know, let’s try to figure out together where to look for and catch burbot in December. It is believed that burbot prefers a rocky bottom, respects the current and does not mind if there are springs nearby. But the burbot tries to avoid the bottom covered with a dense layer of silt, since it is difficult for it to tolerate an oxygen-poor environment. In December, burbot mainly prefers shallow areas near bank dumps, pre-channel dumps, the depth of which is no more than three meters. When to catch burbot in December Fishing for burbot in December is especially good on frosty, windless days, or rather nights. Yes, fishing for burbot at night is good, but not every angler can do it. However, winter burbot is active at night. It is caught very rarely during the day, usually together with ruff and pike perch. Burbot fishing in December, as a rule, occurs at medium depths and shallows of the reservoir. When using girders, the process is simplified: they are installed in the evening and checked in the morning. How to catch burbot in December - catching burbot with a spinner There are several ways to catch burbot. As we wrote before, these are zherlitsy: Catching burbot in winter with zakidushki or zherlitsy: Secrets of winter fishing for burbot. However, you can also catch burbot using a spoon. The choice is yours, many believe that glitter is one of catching burbot in December. Tackle for catching burbot For fishing for burbot in December, use strong gear - maybe you'll be lucky and the trophy will weigh tens of kilograms. So, you need a strong and reliable fishing rod, a fishing line with a diameter of 0.4 mm is useful, use a leash of 10 - 15 centimeters, you should also not waste time with hooks - feel free to take a hook size 12 - 14, you should not put additional weights - the spinner itself will be quite enough . By the way, you should use medium-sized silver-colored spinners. You definitely need to attach pieces of fish to the spinners, it can be a ruff or bleak. Burbot hears all the smells very accurately, so this will give you a much better chance of attracting burbot in December. Techniques for catching burbot The technique for playing a spinner while catching burbot in December is as follows. After choosing a location and drilling a hole, you need to lower the spoon, preferably to the very bottom, and start trolling. This process involves playing the bait smoothly. Smooth movements from top to bottom and obliquely can bring no less success. There is no need to complicate this game too much, because... this always has a negative impact on the burbot’s reaction. You should also not lift the spoon higher than 50 cm from the bottom. It has been noted that most successful burbot bites occur at a distance of 10-30 cm from the bottom. When trolling in places with a number of large stones, good results at the beginning of winter are brought by simply tapping the lure on the stones. It is not known exactly why this attracts burbot, but dropping the spoon from a stone, or hitting it on a large stone most often ends in a successful bite. Biting and landing burbot When fishing for burbot with a spoon in December, its bites are expressed in strong and sharp jerks of the fishing line. Hooks must be made strong and sweeping. After successful hooking, the burbot practically does not resist at first. However, you cannot relax, because when approaching the hole, the fish will definitely begin to fight for salvation. At this time, the main thing is to be able to hold the line without allowing the burbot to go to depth. It is the last meters that are especially difficult when fishing, because the burbot, endowed with great strength, begins to dodge, not allowing itself to be brought to the hole. After the fish's head appears above the surface of the water, you need to grab it under the gills. Otherwise, due to the slippery body, it simply cannot be held. When the burbot goes back into the hole, you shouldn’t rush: you should let it go all the way to the bottom, calm down, and then fish again. Sometimes the burbot goes into the hole with its tail first. In this case, it can only be removed with a hook. The caught burbot is slapped on the ice or hit on the stomach with a slotted spoon. At the same time, the fish increases slightly in volume. It is believed that burbot liver is a special, generally recognized delicacy.

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