Catching rotan with a float rod: tackle, bait and fishing technique

What to catch rotan in autumn

After the active bite of small rotan in the fall on a small pond or lake, you may get the impression that fishing for rotan is simple and straightforward. In part, this opinion can be considered correct when it comes to catching individuals 20-50 grams. To catch this fish, weighing over 400 grams, it is important to decide what to catch rotan in the fall. Select gear for catching rotan that is suitable for fishing in specific conditions, as well as replenish your arsenal with catchy lures and bait for rotan.

Tackle for catching rotan

The choice and equipment of gear for rotan requires taking into account the characteristics of fishing for this fish. The firebrand (the name of the fish according to its genus) lives in areas with lush aquatic vegetation, and after the algae die off, the rotan waits for prey behind snags and other bottom obstacles. Therefore, you should install equipment that avoids frequent snagging. The following gear is suitable for catching rotan:

Spinning. To catch firebrands, select a spinning rod with a fast or ultra-fast action. The rigidity of the rod allows you to perform a sharp hook to pierce the strong jaws of rotan. The optimal length of the rod is 2.4 m. This rod is convenient for casting from the shore and boat.

The Carolina and Texas rigs, as well as the Tyrolean stick, help reduce the number of hooks. To move the bait above the bottom surface, you can use a rig with a sinker. A cone-shaped load is attached, and a floating wobbler, up to 5 centimeters in size, is attached to the leash. With this equipment, the sinker is successfully carried among bottom obstacles, and the bait plays in the bottom layer of water. This is relevant for catching rotan using a spinning rod in late autumn.

Taking into account the fact that an active predator in the fall does not pay attention to the bulkiness of the gear, it is possible to equip the spinning rod with a margin of safety. No one is safe from annoying snags. The wobbler release often does not help to save the bait when it has a “deaf” hook. It is advisable to equip the tackle with a fishing line or cord with a load capacity of at least 7 kg. This will allow you to pull a snagged snag of impressive size ashore;

Float rod. To catch rotan from the shore and boat, a float rod is used. When it is necessary to fish in limited “windows” of surface vegetation, then you have to change the usual equipment. It consists of replacing the float with a nod. It is attached to the tip of the rod, and in order to timely determine the beginning of a bite, the nod must be turned to one side. This is also true when fishing with a float rod in a plumb line from a boat or bridge;
Summer girders. If bottom depressions or cliffs are found in the coastal zone, then in November productive fishing for summer girders is possible. When fishing with live bait, you should not perform frequent recasts. Rotan is often tempted by stationary fish. You can also attach other rotan baits to the girders;
Winter nodding fishing rod. A winter fishing rod is suitable for catching rotan vertically. It is equipped in the same way as when fishing from ice.

Rotan into pieces of roach

We were returning from a small river, where we walked around kilometers of the right bank, stumbling over tangled red grass and hummocks, clinging to prickly rose hips in the bushes of bays, falling into holes filled with icy water and cursing the day when we picked up spinning rods. For the whole morning, between the two of us we caught only one pale and elongated pike. And then she took it not with a spoon or a sinking wobbler, but with a Mepps perch spinner, set up like this for pampering at the end of the fishing trip. We had some catches that were caught in advance. They tried to seduce the pike with roaches, putting the fish on the tackle. But also in vain.

On the way back, passing the village closest to the outskirts of the city, we saw a boy with a fishing rod on the shore of a small pond, most likely a fire reservoir. They became interested and came closer. It turned out that the village fisherman catches rotans here.

We had fishing rods, but there were no worms, only maggots. Rotan didn’t want to take it on. What if... We put a piece of the track, which was left over from the lures for the rigs, on the pike. And rotans pecked, although not often. Moreover, the roach meat came across specimens slightly larger than those of its neighbor. As a result, the fish pieces ran out, but the fishing excitement was still there. Well, I had to kill several rotans with the handle of a knife, what to do with it. Fishing, like hunting, is a rather cruel business. But this has already happened since those times when a man was a breadwinner not in a supermarket, but in the wild. Maybe with our politicians we will return to those times. So there is no need to lose your skill...

The rotans pecked their fellow rotans into pieces even more viciously. They're also cannibals.

Fishing for rotan in October

Mid-autumn is an excellent period for fishing for rotan. There is less natural food, and the predator bites well on artificial baits. Live bait tackle should not be ignored. The predator also reacts to fish that have lost their mobility. So, you should not rush to replace live bait.

Fishing for rotan in October is carried out in existing bottom depressions, in which some surface plants still remain. As they subsidence, the natural “windows” expand, and this allows you to catch the predator using different gear. After a steady drop in temperature, bait should be preferred. Rotan in October bites on red worms, maggots and lard. The greater the choice of bait, the higher the probability of catching a large firebrand weighing over 0.5 kg.

If it is possible to catch rotan in October vertically (from a boat, surface structures, etc.), then you should not ignore fishing with vertical lures. The bait used is jigs, oscillating spoons and balancers up to 5 cm in size. To increase the catchability of baits, various baits are attached to the hooks. “Sandwiches” of bait are also good at provoking a predator to bite.

Spinning fishing

The most effective spinning equipment in November is the drop shop. Moreover, it can be used in any reservoir to catch bottom fish, which becomes rotan in late autumn. An elongated sinker is attached to the end of the fishing line, which allows you to overcome various obstacles in the form of remnants of algae, debris, etc. Even if something gets attached to the hook, it is enough to make a few sharp jerks to throw off the excess load.

What to fish with:

ultralight spinning rod with dough up to 7 g;
spinning reel with 2500 spool;
thin monofilament fishing line or braided line;
fluorocarbon leader 40 cm;
at its lower end there is a weight in the form of a stick of 15 g;
12-15 cm higher hook (No. 6, 9 according to the domestic classification);
the upper end of the leash is tied (for example, with a shock leader knot) to the main fishing line.

Rice. 4. How to tie a shock leader knot.

What does rotan bite on when fishing with a spinning rod:

Various silicone baits. For example, twisters, slugs, worms. They are inexpensive, you can make them yourself from the remains of old baits or by purchasing silicone at a fishing store. The advantage of such baits is that they allow you to make slow retrieves, stopping in the most interesting places.
Rotating and oscillating spoons. It is recommended to use those that allow slow wiring. Rotators with a petal like Aglia show good results.
Wobblers. The previous options are used less frequently, but they are also quite effective. It is best to use minnows (floating or suspenders).

There can be several options for eyeliners:

swinging the tip of the rod;
high-frequency pitching;
stepped wiring;
quick movements of the tip.

Also, good results are shown by microjig with attachments up to 2 g, eyelids, and various leash rigs (Carolina, retractable leash). The smaller the bait, the more passive predators will be interested in it. Experienced fishermen often use light jigs to catch rotan in late autumn. The equipment listed above collects all bottom debris, so it is advisable to use it only in clean reservoirs. The basic principle of the fishing technique is to hold the bait at the predator's location for as long as possible.

Expert opinion

Valery Andreevich Sizov

Professional fisherman with 35 years of experience

Note! Jigging gear has a higher retrieve speed than drop-shop fishing gear. In addition, they are difficult to use in strong winds, because... The cord is blown into an arc, which makes fishing difficult. Therefore, a drop shop is still preferable.

Veki is perfect for catching large specimens. If it is expected that there are large fish in the reservoir, it is best to use this equipment. It is recommended to do the wiring with light twitches in the water. It is recommended to use live worms about 3 cm long as bait.

For Carolina and diverting leashes, slow retrieving with dragging along the bottom and light twitching is best. This type of equipment has a significant drawback. The bait constantly moves along the bottom, catching all the debris.

Fishing for rotan in November

After the onset of stable night frosts, rotan activity decreases, and it more often waits for prey in ambush. Rotan can be successfully caught using live bait and artificial bait in November. Fishing for rotan in November using spinning rods is carried out using jig baits, spinners and sinking small wobblers. Pauses between pull-ups can be maintained for about 10 seconds. To make the baits more attractive, woolen threads are tied to them, clearly visible in clear water. A good bite of rotan in November is observed on baits with a noise effect.

The advisability of using bait on rotan in November is decided by each angler at his own discretion. After a cold snap, you have to look for flocks of predators more often. Although groundbait made from crushed bait can keep fish in the baited area.

So, catching rotan in the fall often results in a good catch. The main thing is to properly prepare your gear and take care of a variety of baits and lures.

Fishing methods and gear for rotan

The choice of gear and bait for catching rotan should be made taking into account the habitat. There are several main ways to harvest this Far Eastern “beast”.

A float rod is the simplest and most common tackle. It is no different from a fishing rod that is used for fishing for roach or crucian carp. Some features of this method should be highlighted:

It is necessary to use only animal bait (worms, chicken skin, pieces of meat);
the bait should be lowered onto the rotan almost to the very bottom;
periodically you need to play along with the bait, irritating the rotan.
Photo 2. Float rod.

Fans of ultralight or microjig manage to catch “firebrands” using artificial baits. The best ones are silicone worms, edible twisters and slugs. The most catchy spinners for fishing rotan are spinners with an Aglia type petal. The “firebrand” can also be found on small minnow-type wobblers, which have neutral or positive buoyancy. The spinning rod is selected with a length of 2.1-2.4 m with a test weight of up to 9 g. As for wiring, a small step or dragging along the bottom works best. You can use both classic options for equipping baits and equipment with a retractable leash.
Photo 3. Light class spinning rod.
Fishing with a fishing rod with a side nod has proven itself to be excellent in the fall. For fishing, a lightweight carbon fiber rod 5-7 m long is suitable, on the tip of which a bright nod is mounted at an angle of 90 degrees to the line of the fishing rod. The fishing line is wound on a small inertial reel, and a jig is tied to the end. With such gear, rotan can also be caught using a balance beam. The bait is played at the very bottom; depending on the activity of the fish, the speed of the retrieve and the amplitude of the oscillations are selected.
Zherlitsy and stavushki allow you to purposefully hunt for large rotan. They can be installed on the shoreline if waders are available, or placed throughout the body of water using a boat. Small verkhovka or other inhabitants of a pond or lake are used as live bait for fishing for rotan.

Attention! Live bait should be located on the horizon 10-25 cm from the bottom surface.

Spinning on rotan

Ultralight and lightweight spinning rods are suitable for catching rotan. Build fast or super fast. Test for the weight of the baits used.

Select a convenient reel. Inertial and non-inertial models are suitable. For targeted fishing of rotan, you can use a fishing line that can withstand a breaking load of 1-2 kg. Although active rotan in summer pays little attention to the bulkiness of the equipment. Therefore, it is better to play it safe and equip a spinning rod for rotan, taking into account the possible by-catch of larger fish.

It is important to take care to reduce the likelihood of snags, because wiring will have to be done in areas with bottom accumulations. You can use a Tyrolean stick or a Carolina rig.

Spinning lures for rotan:

Lures for jig fishing: twisters, vibrotails and foam fish;
Rotating spoons with a petal length of up to 4 cm;
Silicone baits that imitate the behavior of small fish or other aquatic inhabitants;
Wobblers up to 5 cm long.

Fishing in autumn with winter baits

When you have to catch a “firebrand” in snagged areas of a reservoir, winter baits come to the rescue. They are ideal for vertical fishing and can be used on a long rod equipped with a side nod. The advantage of the winter fishing option is the caring attitude of the fish towards the moving bait. You can fish successfully both from the shore and from a boat.

Since the “firebrand” has a large mouth and a greed for food, it is not worthwhile to mince the bait. The jig for rotan is chosen to be large; it can be of any shape and color. It is useful to hang a bunch of bloodworms or several pieces of worm on it. Fish love the smell of animal food, so they react to the bait immediately.
A balance beam allows you to successfully harvest large rotan. Since fishing must be done vertically, it is best to fish from a boat. Then the length of the fishing rod can be shortened for ease of use. Both a summer spinning rod and a winter fishing rod for trolling are suitable as a fishing rod.

Beginner fishermen should not be afraid of missing out on a rotan bite. If this fish bites, the bait and hook quickly end up deep in the large mouth. The only inconvenience when tightening with hooking will be the long removal of the hook from the “head”.

Bait or what rotan bites on

When a novice fisherman is looking for an answer to the question of what rotan bites, it is necessary to remember that this fish is a clearly defined predator. Therefore, only animal baits should be used to catch rotans. It is better to leave plant baits for crucian carp or roach. What can you use to catch rotan in the fall?

First of all, you should start from the food base of the reservoir. You can catch rotan in September using insects such as flies, gadflies and grasshoppers.
Closer to winter, there is a good bite for worms, maggots and bloodworms. The “firebrand” does not disdain such rare baits as chicken skin, pieces of meat, lard or fresh fish.
Snails, leeches and juvenile fish can tempt fish to bite in the fall.

Photo 3. Verkhovka attracts the predatory sleeper.