Do-it-yourself bait for winter fishing - the best recipes (video instructions)

Winter bait, unlike summer mixtures, is not yet so popular among fishermen due to not always clear nuances in its preparation, the effect it has on the fish caught, and the inconvenience of storage while fishing during periods of sub-zero temperatures. Therefore, many ice fishing enthusiasts still ignore the use of bait, only sometimes taking advantage of the possibilities of complementary feeding in the form of small food bloodworms, and then only when fishing for perch. In fact, competent and timely use of winter bait gives more significant results in catches, which is especially noticeable during periods of low fish activity during the deep winter season. And if you master the intricacies of preparing bait for winter fishing with your own hands separately for each type of prey, then the fisherman will not have any unsuccessful trips at all.

The following article will help the fisherman master the secrets of this simple but quite effective method of increasing the bite in winter. The article will explain the principles of preparing winter lures for the most popular ice hunting objects, and will also present recipes by which anglers can easily mix effective lures.

DIY winter bait recipes

Bait for winter fishing can be completely different in the type of preparation. Today, manufacturers of fishing products have already mastered this area and offer winter roads a wide range of ready-made feeding mixtures for various types of fish. Of course, you can, without really thinking about the results, purchase a finished product and use it to attract fish to the hole, but it is worth noting that the expected effect can easily disappoint. As a rule, purchased mixtures are not always rationally balanced with attractants, or rather, in most cases they are oversaturated with them. Baits have strong odors, which in cold water negatively affect the attraction of fish, and, most likely, make them wary, which ultimately leads to another round of no-biting, especially for a novice fisherman.

To turn the mixture into an effective product, the fisherman needs to refine the mix by adding a number of ingredients that are attractive for winter to the purchased food, and make the smell only a slightly perceptible shade of complementary food. Ideally, do-it-yourself winter bait will work best, the recipes for which are based on the type of fish, and this has been tested in practice, which we will present to the reader.

Universal winter bait

Winter bait can be mixed to simultaneously attract small predators such as perch and grayling, as well as most species of peaceful fish. The versatility of the mixture lies in the creation of turbidity that attracts almost any fish to the point. These types of feeding are used in places where the catches are not planned for a specific trophy, but rely on a variety of fish. The composition is quite simple and by taking dry ingredients for fishing, an angler can mix the food in small portions right at the fishing spot without worrying about its safety in the cold. For bait you will need:

Dry rolled oats – 1 part;
Sunflower cake or makha – 1 part;
Breadcrumbs, preferably fresh and odorless – 1 part;
Vanillin - the smell of the final mixture should only give off the muted aroma of this spice;
Ordinary dried clay as a thinner – 3 parts;
Water is added directly at the fishing spot in an amount that allows you to form a small ball, the size of a walnut, that crumbles with a light blow.

The following is a recipe for universal bait for gulkhozimya, at the moment of a completely depressed bite, consisting of animal ingredients.

Small bait bloodworm - 1 part;
Hemp – 0.3 parts;
Cinnamon – the spice is added only for a slight aroma, literally half a gram per piece;
Dried mayfly, which can be replaced by canned maggot – 0.2 parts;
Betaine or appetite stimulant in liquid form - a drop on part of the bait bloodworm;
The bait made in this way for winter fishing is added to the hole in small pinches.

Pellet

The simplest version of the jig. You can easily make such winter baits with your own hands. The pellet is a small lead ball equipped with a single hook.

The optimal solution for catching crucian carp, roach and other peaceful fish. But, for perch it is not the best choice, although the predator also goes for it.

Winter bait for crucian carp

Winter bait for crucian carp differs from the usual mixture for open water in the complete absence of an attractant. Crucian carp are not active in freeze-up conditions in most small reservoirs, they lie in the silt and do not feed until the water warms up. In some large reservoirs, where the oxygen regime does not deteriorate due to the influx of fresh groundwater, even with freeze-up, crucian carp can be active all year, and therefore, it can be attracted to the hole with a certain feeding composition. The secret of such mixtures is not only the absence of an attractant, but also the minimum amount of animal component, in the presence of an excess of which, peaceful fish and small predators that are more active in winter will be suitable for the fishing point.

In this case, there may not be any bites from the crucian carp due to its clumsiness in cold water. The composition itself is elementary in its ingredients - tightly compressed unleavened breadcrumbs are poured into the hole, to one part of which finely chopped live dung worms are added in a volume of no more than a twentieth of the breadcrumbs. A compressed lump of bait, having hit the water, should crumble when it reaches the bottom, creating a compact feeding table.

Photos of winter baits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtGnfUMaeqo

Read here What you need for winter fishing - tips and tricks for fishing beginners and a minimum list of necessary equipment (125 photos + video)

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Bait for roach

In winter, roach does not lose its activity compared to many other types of carp fish. As in summer, schools of roach continue to feed throughout the daylight hours and this fish often becomes the main object of ice fishing, which anglers expect in their results. The purpose of roach bait is to keep the fish in the area of their holes for as long as possible while at the same time preventing predators from entering the fishing area. This factor indicates a minimal amount, or even complete absence, of the animal component in feeding recipes. Attractants added to mixes in minute proportions should consist of a natural base. Concentrated liquid commercial flavors that successfully work in open water in winter do not give the desired results and their use can cause the opposite effect, scaring off schools of roach from the hole.

We bring to the reader’s attention one of the most effective winter bait recipes that meets the requirements for successful roach fishing:

Base filler in the form of ground unleavened breadcrumbs - 1 part;
Roasted crushed sunflower seeds - 0.25 parts;
Flavoring, ground dried tangerine peel - 0.1 part from the base;
Baking wheat flour or milk powder is added as a dusting element - 0.25 parts.

All the components of the recipe are mixed dry, and when fishing, the required amount of water is added to them and small, cherry-sized balls, five to ten pieces each, are sent to the bottom under the hole. When the intensity of the bite decreases, only two or three balls are thrown. In moments of no-biting, small bloodworms are included in the feeding formula, which are crushed by hand before adding to the mixture. Bloodworms for part of the base are enough in the twentieth part.

Universal bait for bream and roach

Often bream and roach are located next to each other under the ice, whiling away the winter together. And when anglers set their sights on catching bream, only roach actively bites. So it makes sense to make a universal bait that would interest both fish. The presence of such a composition will in any case help increase the catch.

To create a universal bait mixture you will need the following ingredients:

200 g corn flour;
250 g breadcrumbs;
150 g chopped peas;
150 g fried ground buckwheat;
100 g fried chopped pearl barley;
50 g roasted and ground hemp.

During the heat treatment of buckwheat, pearl barley and hemp, it is important to monitor the cooking to prevent the products from burning.

Grinding can be done in a meat grinder, passing the mixture twice. After this, the remaining ingredients are poured in. The homemade composition is packaged in plastic bags.

Directly at the fishing spot, you need to add a little water to the dry bait and let it stand for 10-15 minutes.

Food for bream

An equally popular winter fishing object is bream. Bream love to gather on highly turbid baits with a high content of vegetable protein. For such a trophy, just like in the summer, you will need to cook at home, preparing various types of porridge. The recipe for bait presented below satisfies all the nutritional requirements of winter bream, and we recommend it as the main type of feeding.

The filling is finely ground breadcrumbs without flavoring, and we take them in one piece. A tenth of the mix will be roasted sunflower seeds, roughly crushed using a household mixer. In the same proportion, regular oatmeal is added to the mixture. The mixed ingredients are the dry part of the bream winter bait. The second part will consist of boiled peas, crushed to a homogeneous mass. When fishing, the two components are mixed together, adding a pinch of food bloodworm to one part of the base. The consistency of the mixture should be moldable, but fall apart at the slightest pressure on the compressed lump.

Homemade fishing rods with a nod

Previously, the main material for making a nod with your own hands at home was boar bristles. But boar hair was replaced with products made of plastic and lavsan.

To make gear you need:

High-quality polymer material from which the product will be cut.
Scissors.
Sample.
Waterproof marker.
Pen.
Glue gun.
Electrical wires and cambrics.

Using a template and scissors, a signaling device is prepared. The width of the nod should gradually increase from the tip to the place where the whip is attached. The ring is made of wires and installed using a cambric.

Groundbait for bream

As you know, the bream is a small bream up to a kilogram in weight, gathering in huge schools. High food competition among bream in a large school makes any food for white fish a promising type of feeding. Experienced winter campers for catching white bream purchase ready-made mixtures in different versions and, using the method of experiment, already in real fishing conditions, select the optimal bait option, focusing on the intensity of the bite. The only nuance when using this type of mixture is the addition of powdered milk to their composition, which increases the degree of dusting and creation of turbidity of the ingredient, and also to reduce the concentration of odors, adding unleavened ground crackers from ordinary black bread to the finished mix. As a rule, complementary feeding of the bream does not require the addition of bloodworms.

Bait for perch

Perch is a clear predator, leading an active lifestyle all year round. Perch are the main prey species in winter. Striped robbers gather on bait containing large amounts of animal ingredients. Even the strong smell of animal protein does not bother them at all, but on the contrary provokes aggressive behavior, especially if the fish have approached the fishing zone in a large school. We invite the angler to familiarize himself with a promising recipe for perch ice fishing:

As the basis for the food or filler, we take crushed dry clay in a volume of one part.
The bloodworm in the bait can be of absolutely any size; you will need ½ of it.
An earthworm cut with scissors, pieces of such a worm can reach up to 20 mm, and ½ of it will also be required.
Canned or live maggot in the volume of a tenth of the base.

The mixture is mixed and served in 5–7 cm balls to the bottom of the reservoir. If any living component other than bloodworms is missing, it can be replaced in the same volume with finely chopped fresh fish, scales or dried blood.

How to store bloodworms.

I want to tell you a couple of ways to store bloodworms. The methods are not new and have been known for quite some time. But for novice fishermen they may be useful.

Method No. 1.

Bloodworms are stored in water, in some kind of jar. It is necessary that it be in the cold (a refrigerator is very suitable). And now more details...

Take two plastic containers of different sizes. It is best if they are round in shape and have threaded lids. In a container with a smaller diameter, make holes on the sides. We will put bloodworms in it. And pour water into a large container. Now fasten the two lids together.

Screw on the lid of the small container and place it in the large one. Close the big one with a lid.

This way the bloodworm is obtained in the water and is easy to remove.

There is no need to pour water from the tap right away. Give it a day to brew.

The water needs to be changed about 2-3 times a week. In this way, bloodworms can be stored for up to 50 days.

Groundbait for dace

Another type of fish that ends up in subglacial catches is dace. The fish feed, moving around the reservoir in large schools, and to attract them to fishing points, they must use bait mixed with plant bases. The composition of bait for dace is formed from the following components:

The plant base can be used from ground pearl barley, wheat and oats.
A tenth of small food bloodworms is added to one part of the base, lightly squeezing it before adding it to the complementary food.
A tenth of sunflower cake is used as a flavoring agent in the mixture for feeding dace.

The mixed mixtures are compressed into dense briquettes and thrown to the bottom. Washed away by the current, the bait collects dace in a trail of turbidity.

What to fish with in winter

I would like to note that even experienced fishermen do not always understand the difference between attachments and baits. So, in this article we are talking specifically about bait, that is, bait of animal origin. For those who didn’t know, I’ll say that baits are baits of plant origin.

The following are most often used as winter baits, and therefore are the most catchy:

bloodworm;
maggot;
worm;
mormysh.

Now, to my great joy and, I’m sure, all fishermen, buying bait for winter fishing in a fishing store is not difficult. Well, maybe there may be problems with worms and jigs in some regions. But maggots and bloodworms are almost always available.

With these 3 baits you can fish for almost any fish that can bite in winter. You can take one thing for fishing, or you can take all of them together. If you take various baits, you get an undeniable advantage.

Firstly. The fish can be picky and will only bite on, say, bloodworms on the day of fishing. And if you only have maggots, you will deprive yourself of successful fishing with your own hands.
Secondly. Perhaps the fish on the day you go out on the ice will actively bite on sandwiches, and you only have one bait. A sandwich is the simultaneous placement of both maggot and bloodworm (maggot and mormysh) on a hook. Often this technique allows you to activate the bite of inactive fish.
Third. The preferences of fish can change even within one daylight hours. That is, in the morning the fish could actively feed on bloodworms, and in the evening give them maggots.

Basically, you've realized that having just one bait can significantly reduce your chances of making a big catch. Now let's take a closer look at the listed baits.

Top 5 baits for winter fishing

To select effective complementary feeding bases, we advise you to take a closer look at the following rating of winter mixtures from well-known manufacturers. This will help the fisherman more reliably navigate the competent choice of food worthy for ice fishing.

List of such manufacturers:

Greenfishing Winter has a variety of shades and tastes, from which you can always choose an option suitable for fishing conditions.
Mondial-f Wintermix Bream Black has compositions of different fractions, allowing you to select the base of the desired grain size.
Fish.Ka is a universal base for almost all types of fish.
Sensas 3000 Ready Roach is a mixture with neutral odors, which makes it convenient to supplement independent complementary feeding.
Dinamite Baits Ice Ground Bait can also be considered a universal type of bait, suitable as a basis for ice fishing for peaceful fish.

Maggot

Maggot is the first competitor of bloodworms in winter fishing. Anglers most often combine these two most popular winter baits. But maggots have certain advantages over bloodworms, at least that they stay on the hook much better. If the bloodworm may require replacement after the first bite, then you can catch a dozen fish with one maggot and it will be able to continue to delight you with a new catch.

Just like bloodworms, maggots can easily be purchased at a fishing store. You can learn how to place maggots on a hook here. Any peaceful fish, as well as ide, perch, ruff, etc., readily take maggots.

It is necessary to store maggots in a jar or box with air holes in a cool place. In order for maggots to be stored as long as possible, they need to be sprinkled with sawdust, semolina or flour and periodically fed with raw meat or fish. In a cool place, that is, in the refrigerator or on the balcony, the maggot falls into a stupor, and when it gets warm again, it comes to life.

If some larvae have pupated, do not rush to get rid of them; in some reservoirs, fish begin to bite even more intensely on pupated maggots. Well, as mentioned above, maggots can be successfully combined on the same hook with bloodworms, creating so-called sandwiches.

Features of winter bait

Although winter baits are close in composition to open water feeds, they still differ radically from each other in the principle of their operation.

Important! The main feature of the winter product is the absence of a noticeable odor. Cold water aroma is not the basis for the appeal of blends.

Attachment of fish and a good bite ensures such quality of the mix as the creation of a stable and long-lasting cloudy spot. These qualities will require careful grinding of the ingredients. The finer their fraction, the longer the turbidity will be released. When fishing for peaceful fish, special attention is paid to the amount of animal components, the excess of which will quickly change the orientation of the action of the bait to the approach of a small predator, thereby changing the strategy of the fishing itself.

Bloodworm

But let's start with bloodworms, which are the main winter bait. This is the favorite food and bait for most fish in Russian reservoirs: bream, silver bream, blue bream, sop, roach, rudd. On warm days of winter, a chub is caught on bloodworms, and does not disdain a jig with bloodworms and ide. Closer to the lower reaches of the Volga, bloodworms can even cause carp, buffalo crucian carp and relatives of the roach to bite - ram with roach.

Bloodworms will not be ignored by prickly ruffs, perches, and pike perch, despite its size, sometimes very willingly grabs a large jig with a bloodworm brush. In a word, bloodworms are a universal winter bait.

Its storage is not very long-term. The bloodworm will live in a damp newspaper or rag for no more than two or three days. Sometimes it will last a little longer in raw potatoes. Bloodworms set survival records in running water, which, of course, is not chlorinated. But such conditions can only be created in your own home, not in your apartment. The bloodworm can live for quite a long time in a special aquarium, in which at the bottom there is silt taken from the bottom of the reservoir where the bloodworm was caught. But to do this, you need to work hard yourself in the cold, scooping up silt from the bottom of an oxbow lake or pond and washing it in a special sink. It is clear that a hose from a compressor must be connected to the aquarium to saturate the water with oxygen. These compressors are used by aquarium fish lovers.

Feeding methods

There are a number of practice-tested winter feeding methods that should be followed when ice fishing. First of all, the method depends on the fishing depth. When fishing in shallow waters, it is enough to mix and form the mixture into balls of different diameters, and lower it into the hole and deliver it to the bottom. At greater depths, from 2.5 meters and above, it is more reliable to use self-opening feeders, into which the mixed mixture is poured and sent along with the device to the bottom. The feeder is opened 20–50 cm above the bottom, thus, by adjusting the opening horizon of the device, a feeding spot is arranged in the required area.

Important! The higher the opening horizon of the feeder in the water, the larger the area of the feeding zone, but the lower the distribution density of the mixture.

When fishing on currents, bait is delivered to a nearby drilled hole, taking into account that the current will create a feeding table under the hole being fished.

Balancers for pike and zander

They have an increased size. Also considered a good choice for catching large specimens of perch. They are produced in different colors, including those that imitate the natural colors of fish.

There are pointed hooks at the front and back of the bait. In the lower part, as a rule, a rather massive tee is installed.

Note!

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Bait models for deep-sea fishing (more than 10 m) often additionally have a fluorescent color, due to which they glow in the water, attracting fish more effectively.

Balancers from well-known brands (Rapala, Lucky John and the like) are marked according to the permissible fishing depth parameter. It is recommended to follow these manufacturer's recommendations, since baits work most effectively at these depths.

You should first check the depth in a specific place using an echo sounder or other device. Based on a certain depth, it is worth choosing the optimal balancer model.

Feeding tactics

Often, to select the bait base that works at the time of fishing, you should make several test holes and load them with small portions of feed of varying composition. Fishing baited areas will give an accurate direction to the components that contribute to the collection of fish of the required composition at the fishing point. In this case, you need to give preference to mixes similar in color shades to the bottom bases. The viscosity of the mixtures should not allow the feed to be prematurely washed away by currents. The very volume of bait should perform the function of attracting a school to the fishing point, and not feeding the fish.

In winter, fish satiation occurs much faster than in summer, so the amount of feed supplied to the hole, even during the starting feeding, is made in minimal portions in small forms of lumps or balls, not exceeding the size of a walnut. Supplemental feeding is carried out only if the number of bites decreases. As a rule, a well that has been fed but is not working at all is not fed again, but is only periodically checked to see if fish are approaching it by supplying working bait. It happens that only the next day the really expected trophy will come to the point and stand under the hole for a long time.

Reviews from fishermen about the most catchy baits during winter fishing

User Dima writes that he has been using red flies and maggots for ice fishing for several years. Very effective baits, they work always and in any weather. Grade:

User Oleg writes that he likes to use spinners, especially for pike. They always work, and I bring home at least 3-4 pike. There are many different sizes and colors in the arsenal for all occasions. He considers spinners to be the most suitable baits for hunting in winter. Grade:

User Alexey writes that the best baits in winter are maggots and worms. Fish always attack them. Bread also does well, but it catches small fish. Grade:

User Andrey writes that bloodworms and maggots work very well. He always uses it, and when there is no bite for a long time, you can feed the place a little, and the prey itself will swim and grab the hook. Grade:

User Maxim writes that the best for winter are artificial baits; predators always rush, and they are quite large. I used flies a couple of times, caught perches on them, and caught grayling once. Grade:

User Dima writes that he always takes spoons with him on the ice, as they work great on zander and pike. And this is the best catch for winter. If you choose the right model, you can even catch a real monster weighing 3-4 kg. Grade:

User Misha writes that he takes both artificial and animal baits with him, because the fish are very capricious, and it is difficult to predict what they will bite on today. Therefore, he tries to change it as often as possible if there is no bite, and something will definitely work. Grade:

Ice fishing is very difficult and exhausting, but it can be very successful and exciting if you choose the right bait. After all, the result of the entire process depends on it.