For many anglers, catching crucian carp with a float rod is a fishing classic. During periods when crucian carp is catching, you can catch it without any difficulties. On the other hand, if you know exactly where the fish live, you can pull out a couple of crucian carp with the right approach even without biting. But for the most part, fishing for crucian carp is something between these two extremes. To catch, you need to experiment with tactics, bait, lures, and find the right place to fish. Let's look at how to properly catch crucian carp with a fishing rod, depending on the conditions of the reservoir and seasonal changes.
Crucian carp on a fishing rod
For the amateur, crucian carp can be caught on a float from the shore in all small bodies of water, and in large ones - in the warm season. Although, of course, in the main channel of large rivers or reservoirs it is often possible to reach its habitats only from a boat or by feeder or donk.
However, even in such water areas, quite often you can find depressions near the shore, overgrown with reeds, breaks, creeks, where there will definitely be crucian carp in the summer - if they are even present in this body of water in principle.
The determining factor here will be the fishing distance. From the shore or fishing, you can reach the desired place with a regular fly rod. In some places on small rivers, lakes and ponds you can catch crucian carp literally under your feet - among the coastal water lilies or on the near edge. We need to go a little further - we use tackle with a reel, a Bolognese fishing rod, and cast. Even further - match equipment.
In the current, if the float is not standing, you can use equipment in the half-bottom version. However, if the crucian carp stands at distances of 40 meters and further, then of course it is logical to use bottom gear rather than float gear.
Where to look for crucian carp
Silver crucian carp, and especially its alien Amur form, which reproduces by gynogenesis (fertilization from any similar cyprinids), has already spread everywhere, especially in the south. This fish broke the stereotype that the habitat of crucian carp is quiet ponds and muddy bays. Hybrid, dushman, and in some regions - buffalo, which is wrong, since this is a completely different fish - just like the Amur silver crucian carp, which has spread virally since the 80s, is not called.
And now it is everywhere - in large rivers, reservoirs, on sand and clay, and in traditional muddy reaches. In addition, it does not sleep in winter, but thrives quite well and is even caught from the bottom. In winter, he sleeps, buried in silt, only in closed, remote ponds and peat bogs. For example, in the basin of the Volga, Don and other rivers, crucian carp lives like bream, carp - on the edges right in the riverbed, going out to the shallows in the grass in the warm season. On ponds - in thickets. On small rivers - it plies everywhere in the water area.
In addition, huge masses of migratory crucian carp from large reservoirs rise into tributaries in the spring to spawn. Some remain there, while others gradually slide back in the summer. So, now you can catch crucian carp anywhere, and the further south you go, the more. However, in closed reservoirs, especially to the north, you can still find golden, yellow crucian carp, or our indigenous sedentary silverfish, just in Sabaneevsky places, on silt and in mud, in overgrown peat bogs and oxbow lakes.
Now 9 out of 10, and even 99 out of a hundred crucian carp caught are precisely this alien Amur form. This crucian carp has spread so widely due to its adaptive ability. They catch it everywhere - in the current with donks, at depth with feeders, in the coastal zone and overgrown irrigation with a float. On each specific body of water, the choice of location is important - it determines whether there will be a catch or not. Naturally, despite some differences, crucian carp also gravitate towards warmth and thickets in the warm season. And the places for catching crucian carp with a fishing rod are standard:
- In the warm season - areas with or near aquatic vegetation, the edge of reeds, shallow overgrown bays, the first coastal edge, fields with water lilies.
- In cold water - lower edges, holes, snags, deep places.
- Large crucian carp are also present in the grass in summer, but they can also be found in deep areas, especially on shells or snags.
- In the south, the rule is blurred - where there are fish, in principle, because there is a feeding area, there is also a high probability of crucian carp appearing. And at the depth where carp or bream are caught, and in standard shallow crucian carp floodplains.
- Any windows of clear water among the thickets, places near flooded bushes, fallen trees, areas with a smooth current, overgrown with water lilies are suitable for float fishing for crucian carp.
- Not far from the shore, you can use a fishing rod to reach the deep-sea (relatively) lower parts of coastal dumps, tables and anomalies with differences in depth.
This difference determines the huge range of possible gear for hunting crucian carp with a fishing rod - from a short fly rod for fishing in water lilies from the shore or boat to gear for long casting, or even half-boats. It all depends on the specific fishing conditions.
Detailed article about the basic principles of crucian carp fishing: link coming soon
The right choice of place for catching crucian carp on the river
Crucian carp is a schooling fish; it periodically enters every point of the reservoir, so it may seem that it is everywhere. But in fact, crucian carp will always spend more time in those areas where it feels comfortable, and even better, protected. And if such an area is also fed, then fishing for crucian carp on the river can become very successful.
When choosing a place on the river to catch crucian carp, you need to have an idea of what areas may attract crucian carp. This will ensure you have some good fishing if the weather is right. Promising places for catching crucian carp on the river will be:
stuck areas;- areas with flooded trees, stumps, bushes and structures;
- thickets of reeds near the shore;
- pits and exits from these pits;
- sections of the river covered with water lilies;
- the boundary of the channel flow and coastal shallows;
- oxbows, backwaters.
It is also worth knowing that in cold or hot weather the crucian carp will stand at depth. Since the water here cools down more slowly and heats up accordingly. If warming occurs after cold weather, for example, the first spring sun finally warms up, then the crucian carp rushes to shallow water, where the water warms up faster under direct sunlight. Also, there will be crucian carp in shallow water if coolness sets in after intense heat.
In hot weather, you should look for crucian carp either at depth or in shaded areas of the reservoir - under the crowns of trees hanging over the water or in thickets of aquatic vegetation. Also, in the heat, crucian carp will be actively caught in a section of the reservoir where springs gush from the bottom, cooling the crucian carp and saturating the water with oxygen.
If there are places on the river equipped for fishing, you can take them. Such places are often baited and the crucian carp purposefully visits them specifically for the purpose of searching for food. So, settled fishing spots are often very promising, especially if on the day of fishing you add the usual bait for the fish, if, of course, you know what they feed the crucian carp with.
If there are no equipped places, do not rush to choose the most convenient places for fishing. Usually crucian carp is caught where people have limited access to water. In such places you can catch a larger specimen and catch more small crucians. The main thing is to feed the chosen place.
The right fishing rod for crucian carp
This, of course, is not quite the correct formulation - there is no fishing rod for crucian carp or roach. Well, perhaps, for large carp you need special, more reliable equipment. The tackle is adjusted to the fishing conditions - range, current, size of the fish. And it doesn’t matter who gets caught there, it’s more a matter of tactics, bait, bait. The difference in conditions determines what the fishing rod will be like for crucian carp in that particular place. Of course, we add to this the personal preferences of the fisherman.
- Fly fishing rod - when a piece of fishing line is tightly attached to the tip of the fishing rod without guides.
- A fishing rod with a reel - a regular one with rings and a small reel, or with a spinning reel for long-distance casting. Or even match tackle - you can cast a donkey almost to a distance, with a heavy loaded float with a long antenna.
- A plug fishing rod in which, when fishing, a short rig is delivered to the fishing point and back by docking and undocking the knees. The length of such a boom can reach 10, 15 meters or more. But this is more likely not for an amateur, but for a narrow circle of athletes. The average fisherman doesn't need such hassles.
- A half-bottom is a rig with a sinker of obviously greater mass, up to tens of grams, for fishing in currents where a regular float carries. Instead of a sinker, a spring feeder is often placed, which is very effective for crucian carp.
For fishing from the shore, you can use either a walnut rod or bamboo just for fun. However, telescopic blanks made of fiberglass or carbon fiber, carbon fiber, have long replaced these ancestors of modern fishing rods. And it’s inexpensive - the simplest fishing rod made of carbon fiber now probably costs less than bamboo, which still needs to be found.
Fly fishing rod
The simplest thing to start with is catching crucian carp with a fly rod. This is the easiest and most convenient type of gear for manipulation. A piece of fishing line with equipment slightly longer than the rod is tightly attached to the tip - through a plastic or rag connector. This is a modern version of a regular bamboo fishing rod, when the line was attached to the tip with cambrics, nipple rubber, or some other means.
The equipment is most often mounted in the usual, blind way, but you can also install a sliding float. Even a 5-6 meter carbon fly rod weighs 200-400 grams, and it is easy and pleasant to handle. This gear is perfect for fishing nearby areas from the shore or boat. What could be more pleasant than a kilo of crucian carp from a boat onto a float in water lilies on a light three-meter fishing rod, like a toy.
The equipment is stored on reels. Athletes have several of them for one rod - they simply install the one they need into the connector for fishing. Many amateurs have one equipment. For ease of transportation, rolling up and deployment of gear, the reel can be installed directly on a fishing rod, standard or regular plastic with voids on clamps or electrical tape. As a last resort, you can make hooks under the reel using electrical tape directly on the form, the old fashioned way. The fly float makes it possible to simply manipulate in conditions of reeds, coastal thickets, and over grass. There is no fishing line or guides on the rod - there is nothing to cling to.
Detailed article on fly rod rigging
More universal, but similar in fishing method, is a fishing rod with rings and an inertial reel. Here the reel is used to store fishing line - you can’t make long casts with it. However, the presence of a coil provides additional possibilities. When fishing, you can release the equipment slightly, or play it downstream. This option is probably even more common among our fishermen.
Fishing rod and reel
If you put a spinning reel on a telescopic fishing rod, you get the so-called Bolognese, or Italian, tackle. I don’t know why they call it that - well, we have a fashion for Western names. I fished with this kind of gear for many years before I found out that it turned out to be a lapdog. Ever since cheap plastic spinning rods for fishing rods appeared in stores.
This is an even more versatile fishing rod. It can also be caught as with the swing. However, with the right approach, even 1-2 gram floats can be thrown at a distance of about 20 meters and caught further from the shore. The equipment is also installed with both a blind float and a sliding float. If desired, the same fishing rod can be converted from a float rod into a half-bottom rod or into an amateur version of a fly rod with a heavy long-range float. An ordinary telescope from a store and a cheap reel are enough.
If you are targeting a large crucian carp with the possibility of a carp getting hooked, as long as the clutch works properly. This makes fishing much easier. Of course, if you wish, you can also buy an expensive stick or reel in order to get the “correct” gear as recommended by advertisers and athletes. There are plenty of articles and videos on topics like what is the best fishing rod for crucian carp and crucian carp on the Internet.
Detailed article - Bolognese float tackle
Match tackle
Catching crucian carp with match gear is relevant when the range of a lapdog cannot reach the desired point. In the classic version, a match fishing rod is a special fishing rod, similar in appearance to a feeder or picker rod, but without a flexible quiver tip, with a good reel and special equipment. The equipment is mounted on the basis of a match float - with a long antenna for observation from afar, a weighted lower part for aerodynamics, in a sliding version.
A correctly configured match is capable of casting to medium feeder distances, 40-60 meters. In the amateur version, in order not to buy expensive rods or reels, a semblance of such gear can be easily mounted on a regular fishing rod with rings and a reel. The possible casting distance, of course, will be shorter with such gear. But up to 30 meters it’s calm, and this is often quite enough. More about match fishing rod with float
The process of feeding crucian carp during the current
You should start feeding crucians immediately after arriving at the river: having made the initial cast, you can start laying out your fishing accessories, unwinding your fishing rod and getting ready for a wonderful outdoor recreation. Approximately two-thirds of the total amount of bait taken with you is spent on the first cast.
The remaining amount of the mixture should be evenly distributed throughout the entire stay on the river bank: in this way, fish will be attracted from an increasingly larger area and this will have a positive effect on the result of catching crucian carp in the current. In addition, with this feeding strategy it will be possible to keep the fish at the casting site for a long time and not overfeed it.
It is also necessary to take into account the accuracy of casting supplementary food: this is also an important factor for frequent, effective biting. If you cast very precisely - to the fishing place, then the crucian carp will compete with each other and, therefore, there will be a high density of crucian carp at the casting site. And if the bait is scattered over a wide area, the fish will also walk in search of it and will not pay attention to the bait.
Often, many fishermen observe the following picture: at the beginning, 15 - 20 minutes after the initial casting of the bait into the river, increased fish activity predominates, and after some time it weakens and then disappears completely - the crucian carp stops biting. This happens because this resident of the river destroyed all the food and began to wander around. To prevent such a situation from arising, you need to feed him on time - approximately twenty minutes after the first feeding.
Fishing rod rig for crucian carp
Correctly assembling a float rod for crucian carp means, of course, not only making fly tackle, or Bologna, match, etc. The type of gear rather depends on the desired range and the preferences of the fisherman. But for tactical fishing, directly, the equipment itself, floats, hooks, and weight are much more important.
The technique of catching crucian carp with a float rod in most cases involves holding the hook with the bait at the bottom, at the point with the bait. And it doesn’t matter whether we have a sliding rig or a blind one, or even a half-bottom one - the crucian carp needs to put the bait correctly. In this case, the float, no matter what it is, must clearly register the bite. Crucian carp do not always strike boldly and confidently, even in summer. Often the silver glutton tries the bait, sometimes for quite a long time.
I noticed that many fishermen have floats of 5 grams or more when fishing - I use these for catching perch with live bait. Yes, the crucian carp will pull even such a reel into an active bite. However, during periods when the bite is cautious, neat and small spindle-shaped floats, with a thin long leg and antenna, work better. Or even a goose feather with a weight, so that when the weight hangs above the bottom, about two centimeters sticks out above the surface. And if the sinker was at the bottom, the float would be in an oblique position - well, according to all the classics of the genre.
Sometimes the movement of the bait works on crucian carp - that is, when it is slightly dragged along the bottom. Even less often - in the wiring, like on a roach. Still, the basis of the float tactics for catching crucian carp is bait on the bottom, a sinker or a catch, too, or directly above it. It all depends on the fishing conditions. There is no current, there is no wind either - the hook is on the bottom, the load is above it. It blows away - we try to place the sinker on the bottom, and we need to accurately set the depth so that the float becomes askew or rises slightly from the standard position - signaling that the load is lying. Then you can clearly see the crucian carp biting on the float rod as it rises - the float rests on the water or the antenna simply rises, depending on the design.
Equipment for crucian carp can be made in any version:
- Sliding;
- Deaf;
- Match sliding;
- Half-bottom with a sinker or feeder;
- Generally a jig with a summer nod.
Detailed article - equipping float rods for crucian carp
It is important that there is reliable contact with the equipment, and even cautious bites are observed. It is this factor in the rig that distinguishes a successful angler from an empty one, when the crucian carp takes it sluggishly in cold water or is simply lazy in the summer, because it is not hungry and is capricious.
For crucian carp, a basic monofilament of 0.12-0.2 mm is sufficient. For small crucian carp from a puddle, 0.1 mm is suitable. In the south, where crucian carp grow up to 1.5 kilos and above, carp can also bite - up to 0.3 mm. But usually it is 0.14-0.18 mm. This is enough to pull crucian carp of any size and non-trophy carp (provided there is a working clutch on the reel). We do not set the hooks for crucian carp - this is a misconception. The size of the hook is selected according to the dimensions of the nozzle. Usually these are sizes No. 16-10 according to the international classification.
Features of fishing with a float rod
At shallow depths, the best results will be achieved with a slowly falling float rod rig. In such a rig, only the float is surrounded. Thanks to this trick, the bait slowly falls in the water column. Resembling natural food. Another plus is that the bait does not sink into the mud. It will be more catchy to use such equipment in the wind using a jig.
The float will rise up and down on the waves, at the same time raising and lowering the jig. With this method, it is important to correctly set the depth at which the jig will touch the bottom and create a small spot of turbidity. Fishing will be more successful if you add an animal bait to the jig. Accurate bait casting is important. If you throw bait in different places, you will not be able to collect fish at one fishing point, which will significantly reduce the likelihood of a large catch.
If the fishing point is located at a considerable distance from the shore, you can use a bait slingshot to deliver the bait. Match fishing is more effective in places where there is no vegetation nearby, since it is more difficult to control the direction of movement of the fish after the bite. If fishing is done with a fly rod, the best place will be areas protected from the wind. When using such a fishing rod, it is important to quickly remove the caught fish from the water so that the noise does not scare away the inhabitants of the reservoir who responded to the bait at the fishing point. Fishing with a fishing rod with a side nod is no less effective. This method can be used to fish not only from the shore, but also from a boat. The peculiarity of this method is that with a tackle with a side nod it is possible to fish windows in aquatic vegetation and duckweed.
Tactics and fishing techniques
Fishing for crucian carp is always an experiment, even if there is a lot of silverfish, and, in principle, now is the season for catching it. The composition of the groundbait, bait, some nuances in equipment and tactics - all this is selected experimentally already on the reservoir. Somewhere it goes in a hole for a worm, in another place - in the bushes for pearl barley. In some places, fishing for crucian carp using a float rod at night, with phosphorus tips, works.
In the usual classic version, you need to correctly set the height of the float, the working descent, and correctly work with groundbait and lures. Sometimes it is necessary to use thin equipment, especially in reservoirs pressed by fishermen. It all depends on the specific fishing conditions and reservoir, as well as the season.
Clean standing water
More often you have to fish in the usual way - on a clean one, when long casting is not required. Well, or not far away - up to 10 meters, with a Bolognese fishing rod. It could just be a good place from the shore or a boat, a large gap in the vegetation, a canal, a river, a pond. Or a section with a reverse flow, a clear strip behind the water lilies.
Here nothing interferes with fishing - we test the entire arsenal of accumulated methods for catching crucian carp with a float, from experiments with baits and bait to the position of the composition on the bottom. We are experimenting with attachment methods and flavorings. You may have to look where it is coming from - closer, further, to the left, to the right. And sometimes - twitch the rig so that the bait moves on the bottom. In a small current or wave, the equipment can be slowly dragged along the bottom. On the one hand, this is good. The fish may respond better to movements. However, it is better to work with one fishing rod - since it needs to be re-cast often. And because of such dragging, the hook can get caught on something at the bottom. This is, so to speak, semi-wiring fishing.
Crucian carp in reeds and water lilies
In late spring or summer, it is better to look for crucian carp in thickets of reeds or water lilies. In ponds and stakes, where these massifs are continuous, crucian carp live there all year round. From the shore you can fish in the existing windows and clearings. Sometimes the fishing strip is cleared artificially. It’s easier from a boat - you can swim up to a specific window, clean it for the fishing rod and feed it precisely. Then move away to the required distance and fish.
For fishing in reeds, you need more powerful equipment, up to a fishing line with a diameter of 0.25 mm. This type of fishing for crucian carp from a boat using a float rod is fraught with slips and snags. Therefore, fishing with a reel is out of the question. Therefore, if the rod is with a reel, tighten the clutch brake. The fish must be quickly and forcefully brought straight into the landing net so that it does not take the equipment into the thicket. Hooking a crucian carp on a float rod in the bushes also needs to be done clearly when laying the float or starting to move to the side - otherwise it will lead.
Long cast
In larger water areas, if we don’t catch it near the shore, we try catching crucian carp by long-distance casting on a float. To do this, you need a tuned lap dog or match tackle. If a fisherman has an ordinary telescopic fishing rod, a reel for 200 rubles and light equipment, then it may simply not fly when casting. To improve the range, you need to wind the backing onto the spool so that it is filled to the top. In addition, on cheap plastic spools there are often burrs along the seams - they interfere with the flow of the fishing line, they need to be smoothed out with zero-grade sandpaper.
For very long casts, it is better to use equipment with larger floats and, accordingly, a heavier load. Then it will be easier to throw. Or even use match floats with sliding equipment.
When casting long distances, accuracy is important. The length can be limited by a clip on the spool. And in azimuth - when casting, aim at some landmark on the other side. After all, we are catching crucian carp - which means, most likely, we have fed the place. And this means that you need to get exactly into the feeding place. This is probably the main secret of catching crucian carp with a float rod on a pond, when you need to cast far. It is important to feed the point pointwise, and not over an area. And then place the equipment exactly on the baited place.
On the current
If the current is so strong that any float, even a large one, drags, then it is more convenient to use a half-bottom. Especially in the spring when the current is stronger by default. The usual sliding equipment is mounted - only with a large inline sinker, up to 10.0 grams and above, to keep it in the current. This kind of fishing for crucian carp with a fishing rod is to some extent bottom fishing, it’s just a float rod, and the float itself is present in the equipment.
The float is sliding, the sinker is heavy - so it will completely sink the float if the depth is set less. It is important to fine-tune the working trigger here. When biting, the line is pulled freely through the sinker, and the float is pulled away by the fish. Instead of an inline sinker, you can put a spring feeder or a small watermelon.
Another trick when catching crucian carp with a fishing rod in this way is that you don’t have to adjust the float at all in depth, but raise it obviously higher. When charged, it will simply hang on a line above the water. The bite will still be visible - by the movement of the fishing line, float and rod tip. This method is useful for fishing underfoot, no further than the length of the rod, in narrow channels and rivers. The equipment is not even cast, but simply lowered with the rod down into the water.
More details - fishing rod with feeder for crucian carp
Fishing gear
Float tackle is considered the most effective in catching crucian carp. The recommended rod length should not exceed 5 m, which makes the casting process convenient. The carrying capacity of the float in this case should be 1-2 g, and its weight should not exceed 8 g.
The light weight of the gear will make the fishing process enjoyable and will not leave muscle pain after a long fishing session.
The fishing line in this case should be invisible, with a diameter of 0.12 mm. Hooks are purchased under number 5. When loading the float, make sure that only the antenna is visible from the water surface.
If desired, you can use match rods or spinning rods to catch peaceful fish.
Lure
Catching crucian carp correctly with a fishing rod also means feeding the point. Only in winter or early spring is bait for crucian carp not needed; here you need to accurately hit standing fish. As the weather gets warmer, we begin to use finely dispersed mixtures. Even warmer - add feed fraction - corn, millet, pearl barley, chopped worms.
To feed crucian carp, you need to take into account seasonality. If you throw a bucket of bait over passive crucian carp in cold water, then it may simply not approach such a strange point. Or just eat enough and abandon the bait on the hook. Composition and aromatics are a matter of experimentation. The capriciousness of crucian carp in this regard is known. In the south he loves sunflower cake, in the north - breadcrumbs, in Siberia - mormysh. On one body of water it goes for the smell of garlic, on another - on anise, on a third - on some kerosene, WD-40, Corvalol or Doctor Mom.
Bait and crucian carp are a separate big topic for discussion. This issue is discussed in detail in the article on proper feeding of crucian carp
In summer
As the temperature rises, the water also warms up. The higher the temperature rises, the deeper the crucian carp prefers to move. Rarely does this fish live deeper than 3 meters. It goes to shallow depths only to feed. Only in the morning and before sunset can catching crucian carp with a fishing rod from the shore in the summer be effective. During the day, using bottom gear is more productive. The most suitable of all gears will be a feeder. Good results can be achieved by fishing at night. At this time of year, crucian carp prefers plant foods. Despite all the features, fishing for crucian carp in summer is no less effective. In summer, it is more effective to use bait of plant origin. Corn, peas, pearl barley, dough are the best bait for crucian carp in the summer.
Lures
The main bait for crucian carp when fishing with a fishing rod, as with other gear, is worms, maggots and corn. In cold water, passive crucian carp are attacked by bloodworms. In the summer, when small fish don’t allow us to fish with a worm or maggot, we experiment with plant baits. Steamed peas, pearl barley, corn, dough, bread, mastyrka - thousands of recipes for various attachments can be found on the Internet. The best of them does not exist - one thing works somewhere, another works in another place. Here we need to select and again experiment.
There is no exact answer to the question of what to use to catch crucian carp using float tackle. Only if a specific body of water, season, and fish preferences are known. The standard set is worms, maggots and corn. In the summer - plus peas, mastyrka, some kind of semolina mash. It all depends on the specific area.
On pseudo-sites about fishing, one list is copied, in which:
- Horseflies
- Gadflies
- Bark beetle larvae
- Caddis flies
- Grasshoppers
- Slugs
- Some bugs
- Leeches
Of course, you can catch crucian carp with this. But I can hardly imagine where to procure sufficient quantities of such bait for fishing. Just try it once for fun. Crucian carp is omnivorous. That's why it spread like that. But what he likes at this particular moment - you need to find out. In the spring, any worms usually work steadily - dung worms, earthworms, crawlers, maggots. As it gets warmer, there will also be corn, pearl barley, and steamed grain. For a well-fed summer crucian, you may need to invent some special delicacy - bread with halva, dough with cottage cheese, etc.
There are hundreds of DIY recipes for crucian carp baits for fishing with a fishing rod - there is no point in listing them. You need to select which of these works on the specific body of water where the angler fishes. But usually worms always work. Or maggot. Or corn.
Detailed article about baits and attachments for crucian carp
Seasonal influence
When catching crucian carp with a float, as with other gear, it is important to take into account the peculiarities of seasonal changes. Places, groundbait and bait, tactical features directly depend on the time of year and where and what the crucian carp is doing now. In early spring, it can stand in the depths and feed at certain hours during the lunch hour. In the summer, in the forty-degree heat, it’s the other way around - it may be more successful at dawn or even at night catching crucian carp with a float rod somewhere on the edge of the reeds near the edge, when the heat subsides.
Spring
In open water, the entire float fishing season for crucian carp opens in the south immediately after the ice melts. You can catch silverfish in March before the high water, almost in winter, on overgrown stakes in the bushes, in rivers in pits, in reservoirs near the mouths. At this time, the main object is small rivers. Since in large reservoirs ice breakup is usually accompanied by floods. And the crucian carp there is still far from the shore, along the riverbed.
With warming, local crucian carp become more active, and migratory carp rise upstream. When the water temperature reaches +10°C, crucian carp begins to actively feed, and at 15°C, it spawns. In April May you can get into real food. At this time, the usual bunches of worms, maggots with a corn sandwich, are already working, and not a small moth as before.
More information about catching crucian carp in spring using fishing rods:
https://rybafan.ru/poplavochnik/po-vidu-ryby/karas-vesnoj-na-udochku
Summer
All summer is the ideal time to fish for crucian carp using a float. At this time, the silverfish lives near the shore, in overgrown bays, even in large reservoirs. And in small bodies of water you can get it everywhere with a fishing rod. In warm and nourishing months, crucian carp may not bite simply because they have already eaten, and the angler did not get there when it was feeding. Here you need to study the reservoir - look for a place, a time. Somewhere the crucian carp feeds in the morning and evening, in another place - measuredly all day long. The weather also affects this. It's difficult to predict. It happened that catching crucian carp in the heat on a float right in the heat in the water lilies brought success, but a perfect quiet morning in a known right place - not a bite. A sudden change in weather can stop the biting, and vice versa - in unexpected rain, a frenzied bite can begin.
Summer fishing for crucian carp is a classic of the genre. You need to pick up the keys for the silver glutton. Besides, he is no longer hungry. Here you need to seduce the fish, put bait on the spot, lure it with a tasty bait or aroma.
Autumn
In autumn, the crucian carp moves deeper, following all the fish. There is nothing left to do in the coastal reeds. The speed of this transition varies. On ponds, for example, silverfish can stand in the reeds all year round. On rivers, most likely, from small bays, already in August you need to move to the lower shore edges, entrances and exits from holes, calm reaches. Overgrown shallow waters and rapids often seem to die out by September - all the fish are deeper. The colder the water and the closer to winter, the more relevant animal bait becomes again, as well as the live component in groundbait. Article about fishing for crucian carp in autumn
Winter ice float
Do you think it’s impossible to catch crucian carp with a float rod from the ice in winter? Ask the fishermen in the south of the European part and Siberia. There it is the main fish for winter fishing, like roach or bream. It is caught there both on the first ice, and in February, and on the last one. Crucian carp sleep in winter only in northern closed shallow water bodies with a poor food supply and a thick layer of silt.
Detailed article on Podgladnik about winter fishing for crucian carp
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The best time to catch crucian carp on the river
Crucian carp begins to be caught in the river immediately after the flood. During this period, when the water is still quite cool, crucian carp are caught throughout the daylight hours and even at lunchtime the bite does not stop, and often even intensifies.
As the water temperature rises to 13-15 °C, the crucian carp is already beginning to switch to a different mode - there is a good morning and evening bite, while during the day, more often, the crucian carp rests from feeding. But this rule does not always apply; in some reservoirs, even in the summer heat, crucian carp are actively caught at lunchtime. So you need to take into account the characteristics of the reservoir.
In summer, when the water temperature is high, crucian carp is reluctant to be caught during the day, but in the cool mornings and evenings, when it is not so hot, you can fish well for crucian carp. Very often in summer crucian carp are active at night. Moreover, mostly larger specimens are caught, and carp can often be caught along with crucian carp. If the gear allows, then you can catch this unexpected trophy.
In autumn, while the water is warm, crucian carp are also more active in the morning and evening, and when the water begins to cool, they switch to daytime mode again and feed at the time when the temperature reaches its peak, that is, from 11 to 15 o'clock in the afternoon.
Spawning of crucian carp begins when the water temperature reaches plus or minus 15 °C. The bite for crucian carp gets worse during the spawning period, but very rarely stops altogether, since crucian carp can spawn in batches for a very long time. That is, it’s not like other fish - it spawned, got sick and is caught further. Some crucian carp spawn, some continue to be caught.
The activity of crucian carp continuously begins to increase from the end of February, gradually increasing until May. The most active bite of crucian carp is observed from May to July inclusive. In August, the activity of crucian carp decreases slightly, but in the fall it increases slightly again, when the summer heat subsides a little. September and October are also quite favorable months for catching crucian carp, but from the end of October the activity of this fish drops sharply and the crucian carp prepares for wintering, moving closer to the wintering pits, so that in November the crucian carp is already inactive or does not bite at all.
