How to make a quok for catfish with your own hands, features of fishing. How to make a kwok

In order to catch any large fish, for example, catfish, when fishing, fishermen must use not simple, but special gear. Kwok for catfish is a common device that many fishing enthusiasts use when fishing.

Its peculiarity is that the kwok makes a specific sound that attracts catfish. This item can be purchased ready-made, or you can make it yourself. Today you will learn how to make a kwok with your own hands and how to use it correctly.

What is kwok

The design of the quok is:

Knife (it should be as thin as possible so that there is no unnecessary resistance);
A handle made from an apple tree branch;
A piglet that makes either a loud or dull croaking sound.

The spots can be:

Vertical;
Horizontal;
Flat;
With recess.

You can buy a kwok at a fishing supply store or make it yourself.

However, it has not yet been clarified what the characteristic kwok sound made during fishing actually represents for catfish. Ichthyologists are more inclined to sounds:

Croaking amphibians;
Calling female catfish;
Smacking fish.

We recommend using quoks in which the snout has a small sunken hole, or at least just flat ones. The hollowness makes the sound louder and more voluminous.

Wooden quok

If we talk about wooden quokkas, it is certainly impossible not to notice that they look very natural and aesthetically pleasing. Especially when they are made from one piece of wood.

But, unfortunately, they are short-lived and are not as easy to use as metal ones. In addition, it is much more difficult to produce the necessary sound with their help, and when using them you will get tired faster.

Please note that making this instrument from one whole piece of wood is a very difficult task.

Rod equipment

Feeder rods are divided into three types:

Slow action , when the rod bends smoothly.
Medium action – where the bend starts from the middle of the rod.
Fast action - when the rod does not bend.

The length of the rod should depend on the depth of the reservoir. For fishing from the shore, as a rule, a feeder of up to 4 meters is selected. When catching medium-sized catfish, use a medium-action rod; to catch large and trophy species, you need a fast-action rod, otherwise you will likely end up with a broken rod.

In addition, when fishing with kwok, the fisherman must have a line and bait.

The tackle consists of the following components:

A fishing line that can support 100 kilograms of fish weight;
Sinker weighing 100 grams;
Domestic hook number 30;
Underwater float;
Leash.

Since fishing for kwok takes place in a boat, the best option would be to help a friend when catching catfish. Fishing rods are placed along the sides of the boat and the bait is lowered into the water to half the level of the reservoir. When one is working with the hook, the other must have time to hook the fish that will grab the line.

Sinker selection

You can find a sinker in a store or make it yourself from tin or lead. The size and weight of the sinker will depend on:

Cord thickness;
Currents in a body of water;
Nozzle size.

Typically, anglers choose a small sinker weighing 100 grams. Installation of equipment implies the need to use a reel, which will be designed to store the cord.

Selection of hooks

There is a wide variety of fish hooks on the market, and to choose the right one, you need to pay attention to its sizes and manufacturers:

Owner. Tin hooks of this brand range from 4 to 10 mm depending on the weight of the fish. No drawbacks, but with the only drawback in setting the bait.
Korda. Their high quality is suitable for bait on spinning tackle. They have a rounded forearm rise, and the size varies from 3 to 12 mm.
Mustad. These high quality hooks are suitable for catching large catfish. The sizes of such hooks are 9-11 mm.

If you take a low-quality hook, then when you catch a catfish, it will simply slip out of its mouth. The head must have a round shape; color and number are also taken into account when choosing.

Line selection

Before choosing a fishing line, you need to imagine what the approximate weight of the fish will be. If the catfish is small in size, about 30 kilograms, then a fishing line with a diameter of 0.5 mm will do.

When choosing a fishing line, be guided by the following characteristics:

High strength;
Slight stretch when hooking;
High wear resistance.

The larger the load, the stronger and thicker the fishing line needs to be selected. Typically, fishermen who are keen on catching catfish give their preference to a fishing line with a diameter of 0.8 mm and a length of about 60 meters, which can support fish weighing 50 or even 70 kilograms. And since catfish are stubborn fish that will rub against snags when fishing, a strong fishing line will play an important role in catching such prey.

When comparing regular fishing line and braided cord, it should be noted that braided cord has a small diameter, but it can be placed on a spool larger than fishing line. But we must not forget that the amount of fishing line will always be insufficient when fishing for catfish, so you need to make a supply in advance.

Selecting a submersible float

Most fishermen, when choosing an underwater float for fishing, use a regular bottom fishing rod. With its help, the bait moves, thereby attracting fish. When fishing for catfish, floats weighing 50-70 grams are used.

The design of the float is simple and is made of materials that have buoyancy. These include:

Styrofoam;
Cork;
Polymer materials.

To keep the float under water, a small weight or stone is usually tied to it. This is necessary to ensure that the floating material remains at a certain depth and does not float up.

There are some benefits to adding a submersible float to your rig:

Mobile behavior of the bait.
When the current flows, the bait in the form of a leech becomes a tasty treat for the fish.
Purchased underwater floats are equipped with sound capsules, which helps attract fish.
Helps prevent gear from getting tangled.

How to make a bottom rig for catching catfish using a quok

In order to prepare bottom equipment for catching catfish, you need to choose the following:

Durable rod;
Durable reel;
Load weighing up to 300 grams;
Fishing line with a diameter of up to 0.8 mm for catching large catfish;
Leash;
Swivels;
Underwater float;
Hooks.

Then a sinker is put on the prepared fishing line, a damper bead is attached and a swivel is tied. Next comes a leash 40 centimeters long and a hook.

When fishing from the shore, donkey is usually tied to trees near a reservoir.

In order to catch catfish using a kwok from a boat, you will need the following gear:

Durable fishing line that can support fish weighing 100 kilograms;
Short rod;
Attach a 1 meter long cord to the end of the fishing line;
Attach a hook number 30 to it;
Select a sinker depending on the depth and weight of the bait.

Suitable bait for catfish:

Frog;
Worms;
Beetle larvae;
Locust;
A piece of fish.

Watch catching catfish with kwok on the Volga online, YouTube:

DIY making

Most craftsmen refuse to buy store-bought products, preferring homemade options created from improvised materials. They argue this by the fact that making a quok with your own hands allows you to customize the bait strictly for yourself, as well as improve it in every possible way.

The handle is made from the wood of fruit trees or maple, given the desired shape, carefully sanded with sandpaper, and then coated with waterproof varnish. When making a water cutter, a duralumin plate is taken, which is clamped in a vice while maintaining an angle of 60 degrees.

The shape for the hoof is made from plasticine, and the hoof itself is cast from epoxy resin. It is necessary to make two holes at the end of the cutwater, which will ensure a good connection between the two materials. It is important to ensure that the cutter penetrates the hoof at least five millimeters. After waiting for the resin to harden, the structure must be processed with a file and sandpaper.

Many fishermen dream of creating a quok with their own hands. Bekhterev's drawings can be good instructions for quickly and efficiently solving the problem.

How to choose a quok

When choosing a tool for catching catfish, first of all, you should pay attention to its shape. There are several options for such quotes:

Atanovsky Kwok. Very easy to make and widespread among fishermen. Its knife is straight-shaped, made of metal, the snout is rectangular with rounded edges, and the handle is made of wood.
Kyiv Kwok. Here, the shape of the knife is curved without corners and connects smoothly with the handle.
Severodonetsk Kwok. Its shape, unlike the Kyiv one, is more curved, and the striking part has the shape of an oval.
Hungarian Kwok. The shape is similar to a sickle. The blade has two bends and smoothly transitions into the handle.

Atanovsky Kwok

Kyiv Kwok

Severodonetsk Kwok
Now it’s worth turning your attention to the material of the tool. As a rule, the material in each part of the quok is different. For example, a snout is made from:

Metal;
Trees;
Epoxy resin.

The water cutter is made from:

Plastic;
Trees;
Metal.

Kwok, made of metal, has a number of advantages:

It is convenient to use, and the thin blade will create the sound necessary to attract fish;
Easy to manufacture;
Reliable in its strength.

There are only two disadvantages of a metal quok:

The sound of metal hurts the ear, unlike a kwok made of wood;
A metal quok sinks in water.

How to make a kwok with your own hands

First you need to choose the right material needed to make a homemade quok.

The knife is made of metal 2 mm thick.
For the patch at the end of the quok, aluminum 3 mm thick is suitable.
The handle can be made of wood (oak, apple tree, etc.).

Next you should follow the instructions strictly:

Cut a blank for a knife 30 centimeters long and 3 centimeters wide. You can use a jigsaw as a tool.
Measure the length of the blade, and then sharpen one edge so that it is sharper than the other in the water.
Sand the knife to remove any roughness with sandpaper.
Using a protractor, you need to make a handle and measure the angle where it will contact the blade. The angle should be about 40 degrees. Then make a cut where the knife will go.
The handle should fit snugly in your hand.
At the end of the knife, sharpen a finger into which the snout will go.
The patch should be 45x25 mm. Cut a groove and a hole in it where the other side of the blade will fit.
Round the patch so that it forms an ellipse.
Connect all parts of the instrument using glue.

You can safely go fishing.

Store options

Anyone who does not dare to make a kwok on their own can always buy this tool at a fishing store. Therefore, here are three of the most cost-effective options for choosing a quok.

"SPRO Big Waller Clonck Screamer." This tool is suitable for catching large fish. Its characteristic sounds will quickly attract fish to its habitat. Used at a depth of 8 meters.
"Akara GRY-4". Developed by professionals in catfishing.
"Kvok-074". It weighs less than half a kilo, but produces a colossal effect. The fish swims to its sound.

SPRO Big Waller Clonck Screamer

Akara GRY-4 Kvok-074

Material selection

There are many different combinations of materials from which quokkas are made. Typically, several types of materials are used in their manufacture, for example, metal and wood, but there are also ones made, for example, entirely from wood. In principle, you can make a kwok entirely out of metal, but the likelihood of drowning it on one of the fishing trips will be very high.

Tools made from solid wood are valued by fishermen for their aesthetic component, since such gear looks more organic than metal ones. However, the service life and general practicality of such quoks lags behind the characteristics of more modern models.

For this reason, it makes sense to choose the material for each element of the tackle separately.

The handle can be made from the following materials:

Tree. A classic universal option used in most quoks. These handles are comfortable and have a fairly pleasant texture to the touch and do not slip. However, in order for the tool to serve for a long time, wooden parts must be protected from exposure to water, for example, by covering them with varnish or other water-repellent composition.
Plastic. A less common option, however, quoks with plastic handles are also found. The main advantage of this material is its immunity to water and other external influences: it is almost eternal. However, it also has disadvantages. Most types of plastic either do not float at all or have fairly low buoyancy. For this reason, a metal quok with such a handle will sink to the bottom like an ax if it is dropped. And also plastic handles can be quite slippery. All the pros and cons of this material are also repeated by textolite.
Neoprene. Comfortable, warm, pleasant to the touch material. It is not affected by water and has sufficient buoyancy to prevent the gear from sinking immediately if it falls into the water. Its disadvantage is weak protection from external influences.

The second part of the quok, the cutwater, can also be made from several types of materials:

Tree. Classic production option. This material is easy to process and quite reliable. Its main advantage is its high buoyancy. A kwok with a wooden knife is unlikely to ever drown, unless, of course, it is given a metal handle. Such a cutwater must also be treated with a moisture-proof coating to prevent destruction by water. The main disadvantage of wood is its low relative strength, so such a cutwater will be thicker than one made of other materials, due to which its resistance will be higher.
Metal. Quite a practical material, which is increasingly preferred by modern somyatniks. Such a cutwater can be 2–3 millimeters thick and can easily cut through the water. Its strength is maximum, and its susceptibility to external influences is almost zero - to break it, you will have to try very hard. The main disadvantage is the high weight and lack of buoyancy, which is why you have to find ways not to drown such a quok, for example, due to the material of the handle.
Plastic. Modern, light, not too popular, but gradually gaining fans. Many types of plastic are stronger than wood, so this divider will not be too thick. Its exposure to water is zero, but it is quite possible to accidentally break such a cutwater. The downside is that most types of plastic sink, although not as quickly as metal.
Plexiglas. An interesting and unusual option for making a knife is to make it from plexiglass. High strength, resistance to water and low weight make this material quite suitable. Many fishermen also like the unusual appearance of plexiglass quoks.

The element directly responsible for sound production, the snout, is also made from several material options:

Tree. Often, in all-wood quokkas, the knife and the claw are one piece, cut from a single piece of wood.
Metal. These heels are the most durable and do not tend to chip at sharp edges. More and more anglers are inclined to use just such elements, however, making it and attaching it to a knife is usually more difficult than hooves made from other materials.
Epoxy resin. A curious invention by fishermen that allows you to easily and quickly make and attach a claw to a splitter. Epoxy resin heels are often cast directly into molds that fit over a cutwater, which securely holds them in place. Such elements are not affected by water and make it easy to get into the shape the fisherman needs.

In general, when choosing a combination of materials, it is necessary to take into account the pros and cons of each of them and combine them in such a way that their advantages mutually compensate for each other's disadvantages. For example, when choosing a durable metal cutwater, it is better to compensate for its weight with a floating wooden handle. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of each element, making the kwok for catfish convenient and practical will not be difficult.

Choosing an echo sounder

Without modern equipment, catfish fishing may not be possible. Using an electronic sensor such as an echo sounder, you can easily find holes where catfish live.

Echo sounders are produced for:

Fishing from a boat;
For fishing from the shore;
For ice fishing.

The echo sounder consists of:

A sensor that sends sound signals to the bottom;
Processing unit, which displays the picture on the screen;
A screen that scans the picture;
A control unit with which you can set echolocation parameters.

The three most famous fish finder manufacturers are:

Lowrance;
Humminbird;
Raymarine.

Lowrance

Humminbird

Raymarine
But when choosing echo sounders, their characteristics are no less important.

Transmission power.
Reception sensitivity.
Screen quality (brightness, contrast, resolution, etc.).
Number of scanning rays.
Price.

By purchasing any model from the companies listed above, you are guaranteed to receive image quality, accurate information transmission, and the quality of the overall performance of the echo sounder.

In addition to the above characteristics, the echo sounder may have other functions:

Navigator;
Local map;
Temperature and speed sensor;
Attachment to boat;
Transport case;
Function of frost resistance and changes in weather conditions.

Kwok design

As already mentioned, the design of the quok is simple; the device consists of the following main parts:

The water cutter can be made of various materials; the main requirement is moderation in size and thickness, since otherwise the water resistance will increase.
The handle that a fisherman holds when using a quok.
A surface with a flat structure or a small container is called a hoof; this is the main working part of the quok. The effectiveness of the gear depends on the smoothness of this element and the correct connection with the cutwater.

Kwok heel

It would be correct to put the topic about the heels of the quok at the very beginning of the article, because the entire design of the quok depends on their size and shape. It is impossible to go beyond physical limits. But this was done in September 2011 and we will leave it as it was.

First you need to decide on the terminology. I know the following names for this MOST IMPORTANT part of the quok:

hoof, hoof;
heel;
nickel;
cracker (sometimes this is what the whole kwok is called);
Something else my grandfathers called it, to be honest, I forgot.

Basically, I say “nickel,” which is not very correct. This is my habit. It is more correct to say “heel”, and “hoof” is more suitable for a wooden quok, where we see a real “hoof”, in contrast to the thin “patch” of a metal quok. In short, there is some confusion, but this is not fatally important.

There are many questions about the shape and size of the quok’s “impact” surface. And such interest is fair - fishermen understand its importance. Let's talk a little about this. Let me clarify that we are talking about metal. I don’t make from wood and I don’t fish with wood.

Everything I came across on the Internet about the propagation of sound under water and the reaction of catfish to the sound of a quok is not true. We are people, not somas, and we have no idea what somas sense. Even with instruments, people can record frequencies, but they do not know anything about the sensations of catfish.

So, these same “nickels” and “heels” are round, oval, square, rectangular, fancy like Kalinux Surf, concave, curved, and so on. This diversity speaks to the continuous search for the best, most catchable quok. Does such a large number of different designs make sense? Most likely no.

Unfortunately, someone inattentively observed the birth and death of an air bubble, someone stupidly copies from others, and someone comes up with incredible forms to increase sales of their products, hoping that buyers will “fall for” the external beauty and originality.

Everything is simpler and more prosaic. Success in catfish fishing lies more in skillful hands, bright brains and a lot of perseverance than in the originality of the quok design.

In fact, everything is simple: in nature there are no squares and rectangles, but in nature there are bird eggs and smooth lines.

The folk wisdom of many generations of somyat fishermen states that the size of the quok’s “nickle” should correspond to the size of the egg of an ordinary rock pigeon. Pigeon egg size: 36-43 x 27-31 mm.

according to bird books.

The smaller the “penny”, the more ovality and even “roundness” is allowed, up to a diameter equal to the size of the nail on the thumb of a man’s hand. As size increases, ovality increases.

When making a quok yourself, you can deviate from these dimensions, but do not then say that your quok is bad at catching catfish. Everything has long been tested by many generations of catfish fishermen.

The task of the kwok is not only to create and pull an air bubble under the water, but also to correctly lift it from the “heel”. It is the latter that not all quok manufacturers take into account. Their products are designed only for popping on top of the water.

The sequence is the same as the photos above.

From left to right:

good 33 x 23 mm.
bad 40x30 mm.
original shape with a sharp nose and sawed-off butt. Cut off to reduce splashing.
the size is good, but the thickness of the duralumin does not allow making normal cotton
great
great

The following two photographs clearly show the difference.

An air bubble is created BEHIND the “penny” and nothing should interfere with its creation.

Making a notch, a depression on the “patch” of the quok, giving it unimaginable shapes in the delusion that sound is produced on both sides is pointless! For this purpose, there are glasses, plastic bottle caps, cow horns, etc. This is another kwok design.

Please pay attention to the words “OTHER KWOK DESIGN”. I am writing specifically about FLAT “nickels”, this does not mean that others are better or worse - they just exist.

Unfortunately, I did not find one famous Don catfish alive who successfully caught catfish using a quok with a metal cone. That is, the “cracker” was like a rolled up newspaper in the shape of a cone. I don’t know what shape the quok had and how it was done. Very interesting, but went in an unknown direction. This fisherman died in the boat as we should. The gear was stolen by people on the shore when someone pulled the kayak to the shore.

I came across a proposal on the Internet to make kwok using a teaspoon. Do you really think that fishermen didn’t come up with this idea before you? Everything has been tested for a long time. And the fishermen, at least the ones I knew, were 1000 times more energetic, observant, and experienced than us. In any case, at one time, for the idea of using a spoon, I received a good dose of obscenities. Do you think I've given up on this idea? I soldered spoons with both curved and concave sides, used tennis balls, made them out of thin metal by knocking out half-spheres on a lead block... Naturally, I abandoned everything except a flat piece of metal of the correct shape and thickness.

There are secrets in the manufacture and APPLICATION of both flat and “cup-shaped” “crackers”. Who will tell them to you if the person is “out of his mind”? Why on earth should a fisherman talk about the results of his many years of observations, about the knowledge passed on to him by generations of fishermen? Forget about it and take it ready-made.

By the way, ALL the old somyatniks with whom I spoke fished with metal scraps with flat “heels”. Do you know why? The junction of the “penny” (cracker, hoof) and the knife (water cutter) should be taken much more seriously than is customary. The formation and “explosion” of an air bubble is much more complicated than it is thought. The results of my long observations of this process are surprising. I don’t look at the echo sounder screen, but prefer to watch the catfish exit behind the boat, the rising air bubbles from the “breathing” of the catfish, and nature in general, so I have my own opinion on this matter.

Gear options for fishing with kwok

The main methods of catching catfish are:

Bottom fishing rod. It does not have a float, and a weight and hook are attached to the end. A strong fishing line and a hook are suitable as equipment. However, this method of fishing when landing large fish can last for hours, and when the catfish does come ashore, it should be stunned with an oar.
Spinning. The fishing line of a spinning rod must be large and strong to support fish weighing up to 100 kilograms. Instead of a load, use a spoon and a hook. When a cast is made into the hole where the catfish lives, the spoon should be pulled up using a reel, thereby playing with the predator. It seems to the catfish that a live bait is playing with him instead of a spinner, and pounces on the spinner. Then it's up to the fisherman.

Option for catching catfish with a spinning rod from the shore using a quok:

You can identify a hole with fish using an echo sounder, and the tool should already be working on the hole itself.

Description of the device

The kwok for catching catfish is a special design that includes a small handle, a cutwater and a claw. The product is created from “light”, floating materials, including wood, animal bones, a teaspoon, and bread crumbs, which are pre-dried in the sun.

With the help of modern quoks, fishermen successfully catch trophy catfish. The main purpose of the device is to attract a predator to the bait. The principle of operation involves hitting the surface of the water with a quok , resulting in a specific sound being created. Science still has no official confirmation or arguments why such a signal attracts fish. It is believed that the noise created resembles the sounds of a female or prey.

Additional tools

Such tools are:

Knife for killing. When choosing such a knife, every angler should pay attention to the necessary characteristics:

The knife has a corrosion-resistant blade;
Comfortable handle;
Moisture-resistant sheath;
Have a sufficient blade length;
Use for killing and cutting fish.

Paddle for stunning catfish. When the fish is on the shore, the first thing to do is to stun it with a blow to the head with an oar or other heavy and dense object.
Lipgrip. The model of such a tool comes in two types:

With flat jaws (when part of the fish’s flesh is pinched by a tool, it begins to beat and the flesh begins to tear);
With a small spot (unlike the first type, when the fish flutters, deep bleeding wounds do not occur).

However, the latter method is not considered humane in relation to the caught fish. After all, she doesn’t want to leave the water, and, being hooked, she will try to injure herself so as not to leave the water. It would be best to use a landing net, and only then attach a lip grip.

Lipgrip, aka jaw grip

Knife for quickly killing catfish

It is important to remember that you should only kill catfish with a wooden paddle; a plastic one will not have the same effect.

What to make a kwok from

Usually, novice somyat fishermen look for drawings of the “best kwok” and argue until they are hoarse about the size of the “nickel”, but pay little attention to the material from which they are going to make the kwok. Unlike beginners in fishing, experienced somyat fishermen firmly know that the material is no less important than the size and “special heels”. Kwok emits sound and creates vibrations in water, so it’s strange that it doesn’t matter what it’s made of. Very strange! And if fishermen remember the material, then only scraps of wood, completely losing sight of metal ones. It is not clear why, because they produce sound with both. Apparently, this is one of the mysteries of the human brain.

One of the first things you think about when making a kwok for catfish is the importance of the materials used to make it. Fishermen say that cherry kwok sounds better than other wood, and the sound of beryllium bronze kwok is preferable for catfish than stainless steel. There are also titanium and cupronickel, special varnishes for coating wooden kwok and even... silver. To be honest, I am also subject to these superstitions and consider bronze kwok to be more catchy than stainless steel. And my long-term fishing partner has an ear for music and is able to distinguish the sound of my quok from others a hundred meters away. Does the kwok's ability to attract catfish depend on the material from which it is made? Yes!

Kwok made of wood.

Wooden quok is very rare on the Lower Don. According to rumors, the Don somyatniks haven’t caught with scraps of wood for a hundred years. This is easy to explain. A wooden quok behaves like a float and considerable effort must be made to immerse it; a wooden quok strongly moves to the side when inserted; it is almost impossible to immerse a wooden quok in water more than the “heel”. That is, a wooden kwok is intended exclusively for surface pops. This imposes very large restrictions on fishing with quok.

The wooden kwok has a thick “knife” (“cutting leg”) and a thick “heel” (“hoof”), which undoubtedly makes it difficult to form an air bubble.

I tried fishing with wooden scraps several times. The last time I took a sample of a “branded” quok from a friend who owned a fishing store. On the water, he gathered in a heap all the companions who had left for the evening dawn. There were four boats and five anglers who knew how to clap. Everyone tried it and everyone didn’t like it. I didn’t like it because the wooden quok is a float and can only be flapped on the surface of the water.

I prefer to check everything myself and, once upon a time, I made a wooden quok of the Atanovsky type with a “hoof” made of epoxy resin. A nightmare! I do not recommend this perversion to anyone! Not only is the epoxy “heel” very fragile and crumbles when accidentally hitting the side of a boat or floating debris, but it also has a terrible “thud” sound. The kwok should “ring” and not “bang”. And for this he needs to be harmonious and as monolithic as possible. However, we are dealing with sound and vibration waves, and not playing with spillikins.

A wooden quok has a significant advantage over a metal one for some fishermen: it can float on the water!

I have no doubt that there are masters who can make a catchy quok out of wood with their own hands and successfully catch catfish with a wooden quok, but I’m not one of them.

Kwok made of metal.

A correctly made metal quok only needs to be supported with a brush while moving. Thanks to the weight and the correct center of gravity, the quok “itself” goes in the right direction. The metal quok does not move to the side when wiring, and the metal “penny” is easily straightened with pliers if you step on the quok in a boat or hit the side of the boat.

There are somyatniks who prefer not just a kwok made of metal, but always a very heavy one. Such a quok will sink, but it is really convenient for them to catch.

Depending on the design, a metal quok allows you to make deep movements with a downward movement when the air bubble bursts in the water - this is its value for those knowledgeable in fishing.

Obvious disadvantage: it does not float on water. If you make a voluminous handle that can keep the quok afloat, then it becomes uncomfortable. I have not held in my hands a single “floating” piece of metal with a comfortable handle.

Kwok from other materials

Fiberglass, carbon fiber, plexiglass, etc. I’m not familiar with it and I can’t say anything, although I heard that there are very good craftsmen on the Dnieper who know how to make light and catchy pieces of carbon fiber. My short experiments with PCB were unsuccessful. I don’t see any point in mastering carbon fiber because of its extreme fragility.

Carpal quok and running

In real life, I have never come across the terms WIST and RUNNING quok - I came across it on the Internet.

I assume that the concepts of “carpal” and “running” quok were copied from Western fishing sites. I do not rule out that in the territories of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan there are regions where the names carpal and purlin are used. Perhaps somewhere on the Don they use such words, but in my environment this was not the case.

There are three main forms (designs) of kwoka. You see them in the photo. Which of these three is wrist and which is purlin? Can you explain please.

Almost any “working” quok with the correct ratio of the size of the “heel”, the shape of the quok and the thickness of the metal can be knocked on top and a little deeper, with one hand or “from the shoulder”.

The one to the far left of you is a “running” quok, the one to the far right is a pronounced “carpal”. This is true? No not like this. With the left you can knock at the top, and with the right you can knock almost vertically down. Yes, yes - not at the classic angle of 45 degrees, but much steeper and the air bubble will burst in the water, and there will be practically no sound on the surface of the water.

This is exactly how successful shredded catfish are caught.

Either a ringing surface clap, or a clap in water with a minimum of sound on the surface, but with high pressure.

Honestly, I’m lazy and fish with the more universal quok, which is in the middle in the photo. To a certain extent, it allows you to make different claps. Although it is more correct to fish left or right. What to do - laziness. I have an excuse for such unreasonable behavior - I fish with a line tied to the quok. This somewhat limits the variety of techniques.

It should be noted that it is impossible to fish with a small “penny” with the right quok, but the left one is precisely made for a small “penny”. That is, restrictions on the shape of the quok are imposed by the dimensions of the striking surface!

The design and shape of the quok depend on the shape and area of the “penny” and it is impossible to go beyond natural limitations.

In conclusion, I note that several videos that I have seen on the Internet do not show driving blows, as I understand them, but superficial but protracted ones, which makes no sense. A cavitation bubble bursts either in water or when meeting atmospheric air - there is NO other way. And, therefore, there is no point in waving your hand like a mill with a small immersion of the quok. It is enough to give the kwok with your shoulder and clap with a short movement of the wrist.

What to use to catch catfish?

To catch catfish, you need to prepare your bait with what it likes. For this we collect:

A bunch of worms;
Frogs;
Shells;
Leeches;
Grasshoppers;
Beetle larvae, etc.

It happens that predator baits are divided into several categories:

Artificial baits. They are sold in fishing stores. They look like worms, mice, amphibians, etc. And even if there is some ready-made live bait, the catfish will still take the artificial bait with it.

Live bait. To do this, they use small fried animals that the catfish can swallow. These include:

Mice;
Vorobiev;
Crayfish necks;
Shells;

You can also prepare the bait yourself:

Fresh fish fillet. Since the diet of catfish includes the consumption of small fish, fillets of roach or crucian carp are quite suitable for attracting it. The main thing is to remove fish scales and bones.
Fried poultry giblets. You can use chicken or duck offal for this option. Raw ones are not suitable for fishing, so they will have to be fried or smoked.

Catfish baits, video:

Metal quoks

Even though many quack makers prefer to use wooden quoks, the best today, perhaps, are the quoks, the knife and snout of which are made of metal .

Metal kwok has a number of important advantages :

ease of use : as noted above, in order to obtain the sonorous “gurgle” necessary to attract catfish, it is best to use quacks with thin knives and snouts with a sharp edge; for this reason, quacks with metal crackers are noticeably easier than with wooden ones;
ease of manufacture : in order to make a metal quok, you just need to cut out a knife of the desired shape, attach a handle and a snout to it, while with the same wooden quoks everything can be much more complicated;
durability : well-made metal quok is reliable and durable, it can be considered almost eternal.

The disadvantages of metal include:

sound less natural and pleasant than that of a wooden quok;
negative buoyancy.

The handle of a metal quok can be made of wood, neoprene, foam and other materials. The lighter and more buoyant the material, the better - a kwok with a handle made, for example, of neoprene, will turn out to be floating, even if its knife and snout are made of metal.

Choosing a fishing spot

Any fisherman will be happy if he sees where the fish are swimming. That's why they came up with such a device as an echo sounder. With its help you can easily choose a place for future fishing.

The main functions of the echo sounder are:

Inspection of depth and relief;
Accumulation of fish;
Characteristics and capabilities depending on the manufacturer of the device.

You can use the echo sounder in two ways:

From the boat. First you need to secure the device to the boat. When moving, it is best to place it at the front of the boat or at the back.
From the shore. The most reliable way would be to throw the device into the water with a spinning rod, and catch the sent signals through the gadget.

The echo sounder beam scans the depth of the reservoir and transmits the image to the screen. But this device will only show where the catfish may be located approximately. Even the most powerful sonar will not provide a clear picture of the fish’s habitat.

When the place has been chosen, the bottom and prey have been determined, you can work with the quok, attracting fish with its characteristic sound. Then it's a matter of practice.

How to make

Making a catfish quok with your own hands is not very easy, but with the necessary materials and a minimum of tools, this is a completely feasible task for the fisherman. First you need to find drawings of the future product on the Internet. As a rule, they look something like this - such a kwok is most convenient to make at home.

There are a huge number of quok drawings on the Internet, from which you can choose the right one, but composite tools are more common than solid ones

Not all dimensions in the drawing must be observed. All this depends on many factors. Firstly, the angle of the knife and the thickness of the handle are very individual indicators and are determined based on the convenience of the fisherman. The ideal option would be to study the structure of the tool in advance, hold it in your hands, for example, in a store or borrow it from another angler, and determine the dimensions that are convenient for yourself.

The thickness of the knife depends primarily on the material. For good stainless steel, a thickness of 4-5 millimeters at the handle and 2.5-3 mm near the snout is sufficient, while knives made of soft metal, and even more so made of wood, should have a much greater thickness.

After the drawings have been found and changes to the dimensions have been made, it is necessary to prepare the material. In order to make a composite quok with a metal knife, you need:

A metal plate with a diameter of 4-5 millimeters, a width of about three centimeters, and a length of 30-35.
A wooden block approximately 30 by 40 millimeters thick (you can use a trick and take the handle of an old mop, file or any other tool).
Epoxy resin.
Glue.

In addition, you will need the following tools:

Electric emery (you can do without it, but this will greatly complicate the process and increase the working time).
Metal scissors.
Hacksaw.
Sandpaper.

The process of making a quok can be divided into three stages: making a handle, a cutwater and a snout. Let's start with the first one.

How to make a drawing

The drawing is not so difficult to draw; even someone who is completely unfamiliar with this device can do it. When making a drawing, pay attention to the following points:

Decide what shape you want your instrument to have;
The second aspect is the width of the handle. As a rule, about 30 mm, but you can make it narrower or wider, as is more convenient for you;
A Kwoka knife is usually made with a bend; the length of the handle before the bend should be about 12 cm;
Its length should not be more than 22 cm;
Make sure that there is an angle between the handle and the cutwater (knife) in the range of 35-40 degrees;
The knife should gradually taper from handle to tip from 25 mm to 20 mm;
The heel width is also about 25 mm.

Pen

In order to make a classic pen, you need:

Cut a piece of wood approximately 13-15 centimeters long at an angle of 35-40 degrees.
Grind its edges on a grinding machine and round off the sharp corners, bringing the cross-section closer to an oval shape.
Grind the top edge to a hemispherical shape.
At the lower end, exactly in the center, use a hacksaw to make a cut parallel to the edge of the handle (at an angle of about 35-40 degrees), 4 millimeters thick.
Carefully sand the resulting handle with sandpaper.
Impregnation with moisture-proof impregnation or varnishing is also advisable if the instrument is planned to be used for a long time.

Many fishermen take ready-made handles of old fly swatters, knives, screwdrivers and even tennis rackets, and simply make a cut in them of the required thickness

Knife

Next you need to make a cutwater. For this:

The dimensions of the future knife are marked on the workpiece. It must be made tapering downwards by about 1 centimeter.
Cut out the original blank.
Insert the workpiece into the groove of the handle and mark the cutting angle of the upper end so that the upper part of the cutwater does not stick out from the rear of the handle.
Place the handle with the inserted knife vertically and mark the bottom edge at the angle at which you plan to place the claw. Usually in this position it is placed strictly parallel to the ground, but some anglers prefer to tilt it slightly towards the handle.
Cut off the top and bottom edges according to the markings.
Using sandpaper, remove and sand the side surfaces of the knife so that its thickness in the upper part is 4-4.5 millimeters, and about three in the lower part.
Sharpen the edges of the knife for better passage through the water, but without fanaticism - so that it cannot cut your hand or boat.

Piglet

Then you need to make a kwok patch. There are a very large number of variations for this. Some anglers cut it from the same plate as the cutwater and then spot weld it. Another popular option is to have it cast in epoxy resin directly onto the end of the knife, which is much simpler but not as durable. You can also cut out a patch from plastic or wood and attach it by joining it into a groove, lubricated with glue.

If it is possible to weld or securely rivet a metal patch to a cutwater, then to make it you need:

Cut a rectangle from the plate with sides of 25 and 45 millimeters.
Use sandpaper to grind off the sharp corners, giving them a rounded shape.
Sharpen the edges of the snout from above using a one-sided “chisel” sharpener to improve the cavitation effect created by it when entering the water.

Assembly

Next, the three parts of the quok are connected to each other, and the finished product is polished to avoid splinters and damage to the boat.

There is another variation of making kwok, which is more reliable, but somewhat more complex. In order to make an all-metal quok you need:

Cut a curved piece from sheet metal, resembling a sickle, also tapering towards the bottom edge. Its length should be about 300–350 millimeters, since it will serve as both a cutwater and a handle.
From two small pieces of board, about 15 millimeters thick, linings are cut out in the shape of a handle and attached to it with two bolts or rivets.
The patch is made in the same way as for the previous version.

There is a trick to quickly make linings for the handle of such a quok. You must first attach two blanks to the handle, and in this form grind them on sandpaper to the required shape - so they will fit the tool perfectly

Such a quok will probably last for many years, since, with a securely welded or riveted hoof, it will be almost impossible to break.

Fishing technique

Before you go fishing for catfish, you need to make sure you have a partner.
This fishing implies the fact that it will be difficult for one person to immediately cope with the tool and catching fish. Therefore, the help of a partner will always be helpful. The first one wields a quok, the second one wields a fishing rod. The duties of the second fisherman should include:

Controlling the boat when it is drifting;
Orientation at the site of the reservoir;
Dragging a catfish into a boat when caught.

When fishing with a quok for catfish, the fishing technique is as follows:

The fisherman holds the tackle in one hand and works with the quok with the other.
You should not wrap the cord around your hand, as a large specimen of fish may get caught and drag the unlucky fisherman under water.
The second angler should steer the boat over the deepest parts of the reservoir where the catfish are supposed to be hiding.
Try not to miss checking the entrances and exits of the pits.
Nodding should be done in a series of successive strokes with a pause of 3 seconds.
After hooking the fish, you need to let the line come off, and as soon as the fish stops, take the line back.
Having caught a large catfish, you should lead it to the shore and pull it out there.

Catfish bite also occurs in different ways:

The fish can immediately grab the bait and go to the bottom
Catfish can quickly grab a bite, so you need to hold the tackle tightly in your hand.

You can catch catfish using quok at any time of the day.

Working with a quok at night is considered dangerous and you should never fish alone, so that the angler does not accidentally roll overboard.
Catfish will bite better during the day, and the most profitable month will be July.

What to do if you catch a big or small catfish?

If a small catfish is caught on the hook, you need to calmly lift it with rocking movements of the tackle.

If you come across a large specimen, then it should be fished out on a hanging cord and gradually move towards the shore.

Those who fish with a regular bottom fishing rod prepare the equipment in this way:

A sinker is placed on the fishing line;
Then a bead;
Knit a swivel;
Attach the leash with a hook.

Catfish fishing is carried out with only one rod. If the fish is not caught, then it would be best to change the bait or fishing location.

Types of quok forms

There are several types of devices; they differ in shape, and therefore in the degree of sound they produce, and in the fishing method.

Atanovskaya.Named in honor of Gennady Alekseevich Atanov, a member of the Academy of Sciences of Higher School of Ukraine and an avid fisherman. In one of his works, he described the method of catching catfish with a kwok, and more precisely, how exactly the sound affects the fish, and how many decibels should be upon impact. The Atanovsky Kwok is capable of working only at certain impact angles. It is more sensitive, thin and aerodynamic. It is the simplest to manufacture, and its construction requires the least amount of parts.
Kievskaya . It is considered more compact and lighter, making it the easiest for a beginner to get up to speed. Its sound is usually no worse than that of other species. So called because of its prevalence in Ukraine, it requires, however, a lot of costs for materials and manufacturing, due to its complex curved shape.
Severodonetskaya . A fairly new form, first introduced in 2008. It is very similar to the Kyiv one with the only key difference being the shape of the hoof, which is flat without the slightest bends or bulges.
Hungarian . It is not known exactly where the name comes from, but intuition still points towards Hungary. The main difference between this type of quok and the previous ones lies in the shape of its cutwater. It is not as sharp as Atanovsky’s, but it is also different from Kyiv’s. The water cutter is more like a sickle than a dagger; it is very curved.

Catching catfish at different times of the year

Catching catfish in spring

With the onset of spring, this predator tries not to leave its wintering place. And when the water temperature warms up in April, it begins its vigorous activity. Moving through shallow water, he looks for places to bask in the sun.

The most successful places for catching catfish are the edges and coastal areas of the reservoir. The fish tries to find cleaner water for itself. And when the water temperature becomes a little more than 10 degrees Celsius, the catfish begins to disperse throughout the reservoir.

You should catch catfish using quok early in the morning at this time of year. After winter hibernation in the pits, when the water has warmed up to 8-10 degrees Celsius, the catfish begins its activity.

The bite usually begins depending on the weather: the beginning or end of April. The fish tries not to leave its wintering place, swimming only to shallows and reaches.

When temperatures warm up to 12 degrees Celsius or higher, catfish activity resumes. According to experts in this area, the best time to catch fish is in the morning, but their activity decreases at night.

With the onset of spawning, the catfish becomes hungry, and the bite increases accordingly. The spawning itself lasts about three weeks.

April is the most suitable month for catching catfish in the spring . However, sudden changes in weather can adversely affect the catch.

Fishing in the spring with quok is carried out in two ways:

From the shore;
From the boat.

This predator should be fed with insects such as:

Medvedki;
Locust;
Beetle larvae.

Shellfish and live bait (frog, crustaceans) are also suitable.

Catching catfish in summer

As a rule, catching catfish in summer does not promise the capture of large specimens.
After spring spawning, the catfish enters a period of main feeding, and already at night it begins to hunt for insects and small fish. In the morning and daytime, the catfish prefers to sit out in pools or in the shade where tree branches hang. But with the onset of night, the river begins to splash, where the fish come out to hunt. During the hot months of the year, there is a lot of food in the reservoir for catfish, which it loves. There you can find:

Insect larvae;
Frogs;
Crustaceans, etc.

When the weather is calm, the best months of summer are July and August. During the morning and day, the fish manages to get enough, and in the late afternoon it appears on the surface again to hunt waterfowl.

In the evening, catfish look for small fish at shallow depths, and an angler who decides to try his luck in catching this predator should not miss his chance to catch such a trophy.

Experienced fishermen have noticed that in summer catfish actively bite during thunderstorms.

You should look for catfish where there is a lot of aquatic vegetation and near holes. This is where this large predator lurks. You can also look for the habitat of catfish in peat holes.

Catching catfish in autumn

With the onset of autumn and the rainy season, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine the habitat of catfish. The time when catfish hunt for quok can vary from day to day. And if an angler is just starting to catch catfish, then it will be difficult for him to do this in the fall. However, from the notes of avid fishermen you can find some fishing spots. Catfish will be found where there is:

Chub;
Bream;
Perch and other small fish.

When frosts come, the catfish begins to look for places to winter. Usually they turn out to be:

Clay pits;
Peat pits;
Whirlpools, etc.

There he continues to feed, but shows less interest in tackle and bait than in summer.

On cloudy days, catfish can easily be caught using a hook from a boat, swimming away from the hatched pools and peat holes. Feeling that winter is coming soon, he develops an appetite, and the fish rushes to any bait. At this moment you can catch a trophy specimen. And when November approaches, the catfish begins to look for wintering places. His behavior becomes sluggish and cautious. All this continues until the fish swims away into hibernation.

Those who catch catfish using kwok in the fall must show skill with this tool and not scare away the fish, but, on the contrary, attract it. The fishing technique depends on this. Fishing with a quok should take place without unnecessary noise and splashes of water. Therefore, it will always be difficult for a novice fisherman to control such a tool. But after practice, you can safely go out on a boat into a pond and fish.

What kind of fish can you catch with a quok?

Kwok was invented solely for the purpose of catching catfish.
The habitat, and most importantly the behavior of the catfish, determines the appearance of such a device. Due to the fact that catfish is a bottom-dwelling fish and swims to the surface only to hunt, fishermen came up with a way to lure it from the bottom. The rest of the fish are unlikely to fall for sounds that they do not understand. The catfish is a predator, this is the main factor that it reacts sharply to extraneous sounds and immediately tries to find out who swam into its territory.

Quick tips for making and using kwok

Since the main bait is kwok, its production and selection must be approached very carefully. To choose a quality kwok, you need to consult with experienced fishermen.
Making kwok can be done not only by professional fishermen, but also by beginner fishermen. To perform a high-quality quok, you need to know exactly the parameters and design features of the selected model.
It is better to use metal to make kwok. This will create a durable product with a long service life. At the same time, do not forget about ease of use. Since the kwok will have to work for a relatively long period, its handle should be trimmed with “comfortable” material.
When using a kwok, you don't have to put in a lot of effort. The blows should be light and monotonous. The chaotic sound will disorient the fish, and it will not know where the “frog” is.
In order not to lose the quok while fishing, you can tie it to the boat. Of course, they are often made with a light weight, which will allow them to float when dropped into water.

What it is?

Kwok is a device used by fishermen when catching catfish. In appearance, it resembles a slightly modified baking spatula - a long handle, a thin plate (blade) and a small “saucer” at the end.

The kwok, or as it is also called the beater, makes peculiar gurgling sounds, which for unknown reasons very much attract catfish.

Perhaps the game of the kwok resembles the mating call of a female, perhaps it resembles the croaking of a frog, from which the name “kwok” most likely came from, or this effect of the catchability of this tackle is achieved simply because of the ordinary curiosity of the catfish.

Be that as it may, having heard the sharp sounds made by the croak, the catfish in most cases leaves its home and rushes to the place of the croaking, where fishermen are already waiting for it with pre-prepared bait.

Often they are:

Frog.
Live bait.
Rotten meat.
Bunch of worms.
Shellfish, etc.

Usually, with the help of kwok they catch from a boat, although fishing from the shore is also possible.

Despite its apparent simplicity, playing kwok requires certain knowledge and skills - we will also discuss this topic in more detail in this article.

Kwok device

The design of the beater is simple, but at the same time extremely functional. It consists of three parts :

handles;
a knife, also called a water cutter;
snout, or hoof.

The only requirement for the handle is that it fits comfortably in the palm of your hand . Ideally, it should be made individually for each angler.

The piglet can be called the most important element of the kwok, because it is it that is responsible for creating the correct sound. When hitting the water, this part of the beater captures an air bubble from the surface and carries it down. When it bursts, it makes that deep pop that attracts catfish.

The piglet has an oval shape; in its central part there is a depression, thanks to which it captures and holds the air bubble. The thinner the snout, that is, the smaller its height, and the sharper its edges, the easier it is to cluck with it, producing the necessary sounds with each impact on the water.

The knife connects the handle and the snout. It can be curved or straight. In a classically designed kwok, the knife has a bend of about 40 degrees. In order to get the “bulks” needed to attract fish with minimal effort, it is better to use quoks, which cut through the water as easily as possible.

What is quoting?

Before proceeding directly to the manufacture of the product, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with how it can be used. If one of your fishing friends already has a kwok, then you need to try to put it into practice. Only after this can you begin to create it. The fact is that not everyone can use such a device effectively and correctly the first time. Kwok makes characteristic sounds when leaving the water, which later attract fish. Many argue that the croaking is reminiscent of the croaking of frogs. There is even a version that this sound is similar to the chomping of a catfish when capturing prey.

Pros and cons of use

Many self-respecting fishermen do not recognize the kwok as a full-fledged tackle and do not want to use it, arguing that it is too simple and “stupid” to use.

Nevertheless, the kwok has proven itself well as a bait tackle and is now being used more and more when catching catfish.

Yes, in fact, it is not fishing equipment as such, since it does not include any functions for catching fish.

But, it is necessary to understand that it is in the hunt for catfish that the quok plays a very important role, since the catfish itself is a rarely encountered fish, and when it is found, it behaves very carefully.

Currently, catching catfish is quite difficult. This is where the quok comes in handy. It is he who plays the role of “ideal bait” and catching catfish with him becomes more orderly.

Some may have problems with the kwok, precisely because of the material it is made of. I would like to briefly discuss this topic in two or three sentences. Usually quotes are:

Types of devices
Wooden.
Metal.
Plastic.

In any situation, it is necessary to adapt to individual circumstances, so we cannot give specific advice.

Here are just a few purely informational information: wooden kwok is susceptible to rotting, so it should be impregnated with a water-repellent coating; the metal quok is not very convenient to use, so it is not recommended for beginners; plastic (factory) quoks tend to break quickly.

Options

Of course, the production of a kwok must be carried out for a specific fisherman, because everyone’s body structure is different, but still, approximate parameters for this tool exist, and they must be adhered to.

At first, the following sizes are recommended for beginners:

Handle length – 100-140 millimeters.
Blade length – 220-250 millimeters. Here you also need to take into account the height of the sides of the boat.
The diameter of the coin is about 45 millimeters. Its shape can vary from a perfect circle to a highly elongated ellipse.
The outer angle of connection between the handle and the knife should be 30-40 degrees.
The patch is attached to the knife so that its plane makes a right angle with the axis of the handle.

When manufactured according to these parameters, we will obtain the so-called “Atanov” form. It was named in honor of the practical fisherman G. Atanov, who was the first to propose its drawing in the magazine “Rybolov” back in Soviet times.

In addition to this model, there are several more:

Kyiv. Her knife is smoothly curved and forms a single unit with the handle.
Severodonetskaya. An analogue of the Kyiv one, it differs in the shape of the heel.
Hungarian. Curved in the shape of a sickle with the convex forward.

Kwok drawings

Making your own quok for catfish is possible if you have a special drawing , which can be done even by someone who is encountering this for the first time. When creating it, be guided by the following:

decide on the shape of the quok;
the width of the handle can be about 30 mm, but it can be narrower or wider if it is more convenient for you;
It is better to make the knife with a bend, the length of the handle to it should be about 12 cm;
maximum length of quok – 22 cm;
there should be an angle of about 40 degrees between the cutwater and the handle;
from the handle to the snout the knife should gradually narrow from 25 to 20 mm;
Heel width is about 25 mm.

Kwok from a spoon

You can also make a kwok from a spoon. For this you will need:

tea spoon;
a wooden spatula for turning food in a frying pan;
an old chair leg, a piece of a garden tool handle, or another suitable piece of wood for a handle;
glue;
varnish

Making a beater is very easy :

grind the cup of a teaspoon so that its lower edges along the entire perimeter are at the same level (in the same plane);
cut a groove from the convex side;
saw off the handle of the spoon;
cut a kwoka knife from a wooden spatula and make a spike on the bottom side;
grind the handle;
connect all parts of the structure together using reliable glue.

All that remains is to coat the kwok with varnish - and you can go fishing. If everything is done correctly, such a simple beater can be very durable, it can bring many bites from good fish and give pleasant moments of fishing time after time.