Winter fishing on the Rybinsk Reservoir

Reports from Rybinka

Many fishermen who visited the Rybinsk Reservoir and its surroundings wrote detailed reports about their fishing. They can help people who come here for the first time understand the specifics of local fishing , assess the prospects for biting and the diversity of prey. Some of these reports are given below.

Chesnava

Chesnava is a river flowing through the Yaroslavl region. Near the Rybinsk Reservoir there is also a fishing and hunting base “Chesnava”, which is a real park hotel that allows you to make your vacation truly comfortable and unforgettable.

Below are fishing reports from these areas:

Boris: “In May of this year I fished on Chesnava, the bulk of my catch was bleak, which bit just fine, I also managed to catch several small pike. Just before leaving, the active roach bite began, and the fishermen located nearby managed to catch one tench. As they said, sometimes I took bream, but I never managed to catch it.”
Sergey: “I visited Chesnava for the first time with my family this year, we spent three days here. At first the bite was unstable, we managed to catch only one small pike, but after feeding the chosen place the perch began to show itself and the fishing became much more interesting. We managed to catch several pike perch weighing about a kilogram, but on the third day the bites gradually began to stop. There were a lot of mushrooms on the shore, the places here are beautiful, so everyone was happy with their vacation.”
Vladimir: “I’ve already fished on Chesnava several times, but recently I stopped for the first time at the base of the same name. The prices here are affordable, and the conditions turned out to be very attractive: the restaurant has a lot of dishes from traditional Russian cuisine, you can grill kebabs on the territory of the base, the rooms are very comfortable and have an individual bathroom. Naturally, I didn’t forget about fishing: I can’t say that the bite was constant, but I got a good catch of pike and perch. I had an unforgettable experience on this vacation; I didn’t want to leave this place.”

Opposition

Protivye is a village in the Tver region, from here it is not at all necessary to get to the Rybinsk Reservoir, since there are a large number of other water resources nearby. The place is a cult place for many fishermen, this is largely due to the presence of large fishing bases.

There is a nature reserve nearby, so you should fish carefully so as not to cross its borders.

Below are reviews from anglers who have already visited this place:

Dmitry: “This year, immediately after the New Year, I went to Protivo to open the winter season. At first there was no active bite, and I already thought that I had chosen the wrong time for fishing, but gradually the perch began to bite. As a result, I identified several of the most promising places for myself and periodically fed them. I returned home with a good catch, the total weight of which was a little more than 15 kg.”
Pavel: “As soon as I arrived in Protivje this winter, the temperature dropped sharply, and I already thought that fishing in such conditions would not work. However, the perch began to bite steadily from the very beginning, taking the balancer and live baits. Only one pike was caught on the girder, weighing 1.8 kg; I caught a decent amount of perch, but I won’t say that it was easy: I had to constantly move along the river, make new holes and look for suitable places.”
Tatyana: “I have relatives living in Protivye, so my husband and I visit this place several times a year, and we always try to go fishing. We spent 3 days here, all this time medium-sized perch were biting well, gradually the roach began to bite, we managed to catch several large specimens of 400-500g each.”

Bohrok

Borok is a large village in the Yaroslavl region with a very good location, since from it you can reach not only the Rybinsk reservoir, but also the Volga, local small ponds and rivers, as well as the Rybinka recreation center.

Given these advantages of this place, a large number of fishermen flock here, many of whom then leave reports about their vacation:

Leonid: “I visited Borok during the New Year’s holiday, spent 4 days here. Fishing turned out to be quite difficult, since we still had to look for fish, and the ice was too thick in places. It was mainly burbot that bit and not very actively, so on the second day I went a little towards Breytovo, where the perch bite improved. The prey was mostly small, but the bites were consistent."
Kirill: “This year I went to Borok for the first time with friends, the place turned out to be simply magnificent. There is a recreation center and a number of hotels with excellent conditions and inexpensive accommodation. There are also plenty of places for fishing; we managed to rent a boat, so we actively engaged in trolling pike fishing. We landed on Zeleny Island several times, and there was a good bream bite from the shore, which we immediately fried. Everyone was satisfied with their vacation, we plan to come back here again.”
Alexey: “This year I went to Borok and fished in its surroundings. At first, the place under the railway bridge seemed to me the most promising, but there was almost no bite there. I had to go to the canals, where small pike occasionally pecked, but as soon as I picked the right bait, the production volumes immediately increased. While experimenting, I realized that local perch take poppers very well.”

Fishing in Vesyegonsk

You can head northwest from the village of Protivye and reach the town of Vesyegonsk, located right next to the Rybinsk Reservoir.

Below are fishing reports from these areas:

Andrey: “I used to live in Vesyegonsk and very often went fishing at the Rybinsk Reservoir with my grandfather and father. I still come to these parts from time to time, as before, the burbot bite is excellent here, and there is also the opportunity to catch pike, perch or pike perch. I only fished here a few times in winter, but each fishing trip was quite productive, the bream bit very well.”
Oleg: “I’ve been traveling to Vesyegonsk with work colleagues since 2012, and we haven’t missed a single summer fishing season yet. We usually stop at a local recreation center and fish in its surroundings; last time we took a boat with us, which allowed us to get to a small island. The main catch is always bream, which bites here on virtually any bait.”
Sergey: “I was in Vesyegonsk in 2007, and visited this city again a month ago. I devoted the entire week to fishing, caught perch, and used a worm as my main bait. There was no large prey, but small and medium-sized perch were biting almost non-stop.”

What can you catch in the reservoir in 2018-2019

The local fish population includes such inhabitants as: pike perch, pike, bream, asp, roach, perch, catfish, bleak, rudd, burbot and bersh. There are also plenty of crucian carp in the bays of the reservoir. When you come to hunt in this place, it is best to take a boat with you or use the services of numerous fishing bases. There you will always be offered not only the necessary fishing equipment, but also experienced huntsmen. Everyone will be able to get acquainted with the conditions and specifics of local fishing. Do not forget that the watercraft must be very reliable. After all, the reservoir is a large river, and the wind often drives waves like the sea.

The Rybinsk Reservoir is primarily famous for predator fishing. Although there are good spots for shore fishing, it is best to use a boat for such purposes. When you are looking for a predator in large areas, an echo sounder will come in handy. In addition, sometimes you have to look for your prey in dense snags or in flooded forests.

The largest pike perch or pike are caught in the thickest snags or in flooded birch forests. It is there that the fish looks for reliable shelter. In most cases, you will have to cast long distances to catch a predator. Just try to get to the border of the flooded snag. Fishing in these places requires a lot of endurance and patience, as there are many snags.

Specific places where you can stay overnight

Most fishermen who have not yet visited the Rybinsk Reservoir are interested in the question of where they can stay overnight so as not to spend a lot of time searching for suitable places.

Below are the main options that have collected a large number of positive reviews from people vacationing in this region:

The cape near Breytovo is a good place for people who prefer camping. Here you can not only have good fishing, but also swim and find a good place to launch a boat.
"Afanasy" is a recreation center in Vesyegonsk. Many fishermen choose it due to its low prices, comfortable conditions, a large number of additional services and close proximity to fishing spots.
“Rybinka” is one of the most popular recreation centers on the Rybinsk Reservoir. Guests here will enjoy comfortable accommodation conditions and varied recreation. During the winter season, it is possible to rent snowmobiles, allowing you to easily get to selected places.

About the problems of the Rybinsk Reservoir

The main problem of the Rybinsk Reservoir is the gradual decrease in the number of fish.

Various factors contribute to this, including:

Poachers using prohibited fishing methods and equipment.
Deterioration in water quality due to the nearby metallurgical plant and other industrial enterprises.
Reducing the number of people who monitor the maintenance of order at the reservoir.
Discharge of water from a local hydroelectric power station in the spring, leading to mass death of fish.

Today, experts are actively discussing ways to solve these problems, including the issue of artificial fish farming and options for improving the environmental situation in the region.

A lot depends on the fishermen themselves and local residents: stopping the dumping of waste from coastal summer cottages and removing garbage after fishing in the reservoir can significantly improve the condition of the water.

What's biting on Rybinka?

The Rybinsk Reservoir has always been known for the variety of prey that can be caught in local waters, but the number of fish species has been significantly decreasing in recent years. Burbot is still very common here , bleak bites very often, but it is not of particular interest to anglers due to its small size.

Pike is not found in all areas of the reservoir; perch of various sizes continues to bite throughout the season. Depending on the chosen location and preparation, it is possible to catch asp, tench, crucian carp, catfish, chub, dace, roach and other types of fish.

Video: Winter fishing for pike

Pike remains active almost throughout the year. However, ice fishing in winter is a rather difficult task, first of all requiring a lot of patience, endurance and a certain skill. Larger specimens can become a real trophy for a fisherman, which fully compensates for his efforts in cold weather.