In late autumn, anglers are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first severe frosts, which will cover the reservoirs with a layer of ice and will open the winter ice fishing season. This is a very exciting activity, having tried it, many anglers no longer take up spinning, feeder, float and other types of fishing. There are many types of winter fishing, each of which is interesting in its own way. Today we will talk about a subject such as winter fishing on a feeder. This direction is especially interesting, because it originated recently.
Background
In recent years, ice fishing enthusiasts have increasingly begun to use feeders in their rigs, and so a winter feeder appeared from the ice. The equipment for such fishing completely repeats the summer version. Another similarity to the classic feeder is the sensitive tip. As for the differences, there is only one thing - the absence of a fishing rod with a large number of rings in the winter feeder. Practice has shown that the use of feeder mounting together with a special winter bait gives very good results. Fishing on the winter feeder is often carried out in places where other tackle shows itself very poorly.
Where to catch
As you know, in winter the fish is not as mobile as in the warm season, however, it does not stand still. Migrations of fish occur along a specific route. It is important to find this route on a particular body of water. According to experienced anglers, winter feeder fishing is most successful in those places of the river where fast and slow currents border. Such places are near the edge along the coast. They are attractive to fish in that they are nailed down by the course of feed.
To study the topography of the bottom, several holes are made across the river. In each of them, depth is measured. Based on the information received, it is possible to present at least an approximate picture of the bottom. Having found the desired brow, which is distinguished by a sharp difference in depths, you need to make several holes up and downstream to check for the presence of longitudinal brow.
Training
When the place is determined, you need to prepare it for fishing. Since winter feeder fishing in its classic form involves the use of one fishing rod, you need to make only two holes. They should be at a distance of 1.5-2 meters from each other, along the coast. The hole, which is located upstream, is intended for feeding, and the one below is directly for fishing. If the ice is very thick, the working hole is made at an angle to the stream. This allows you to facilitate the fishing process and protect the fishing line from a cut on the edge of the ice.
Lure
For winter bait special requirements are put forward. Firstly, its aroma should not be too intrusive. The fact is that in winter the river water has a very faint smell, so the sharp aroma of bait will surely scare away the fish. In this case, you will either have to change the place of fishing, or wait until the water has washed the bait. The coloring of the bait mixture is also worth paying attention to. Bright and unnatural colors alert the fish. The food should merge with the bottom, which means that dark colors are preferred.
It is important that in the winter bait for the feeder there are light and heavy fractions. The first, thanks to the flow, will create an attractive trail for the fish. And the second will make the fish bury in a mule and raise a cloud of dust, thereby attracting their relatives.
It is advisable to moisten dry bait at home, since it swells much longer in cold river water. Do not get too carried away with moisturizing: bait should resemble plasticine in consistency and disintegrate with little effort.
In order for the winter feeder on the river to succeed, the composition of the bait must be balanced. A mandatory element is live animal food. As a rule, this is a feed bloodworm, which can be slightly diluted with soil. In winter fishing, animal feed is used everywhere: in bait and as bait.
Feeding Tactics
The first feed is done immediately after drilling the holes. While the fisherman "settles in" at the place of fishing and prepares gear, bait will fulfill its function. In the process of fishing, fish is fed. To do this, use small sports feeders and a bloodworm. Small heaps of bloodworms hold the fish and do not overfeed it. If the fish leaves the point, it is worth starting all over and feeding the place with a mixture.
Winter ice feeder: snap
Any ice fishing rod equipped with a reel is suitable for an ice feeder. The only requirement for a fishing rod - it should not wedge. In this type of fishing , large fish often come across, so there should be a good supply of fishing line on the reel. As in the standard feeder, fishing is carried out in a stationary form, so the presence of a convenient stand for a fishing rod is required. For those who prefer to work actively on winter fishing, a spinner is more likely. For winter fishing on the feeder you need to be patient and concentrate.
When choosing a gatehouse, special attention must be paid to its rigidity. It should not be too soft so that the current does not affect his work. At the same time, it is important that the gatehouse holds the right angle with the fishing line and is sensitive to bites. Its details should not interfere with the free passage of the fishing line. As for the fishing line, it should be moderately soft and strong so as not to cut itself on the edge of the ice. Under water, she should not sail and play along. Monofilament fishing line with a diameter of 0.18 mm is quite suitable.
The main part, without which a winter feeder from ice could not take place, is equipment. For the ice feeder, the same editions are used as in the summer. The diameter of the leash, as always, depends on the activity of the fish and varies in the aisles of 0.08-0.11 mm. The leash length is from 0.6 to 0.8 meters. As for the hooks, the 16-18th numbers are quite suitable.
Surely everyone who caught on a feeder in the warm season, already figured out how to make a winter feeder. And for those who began acquaintance with the English donka from winter fishing, the photo below will clearly show what a typical montage called Gardner's loop looks like.
Bait
The main bait for the winter feeder is bloodworm. Sometimes they also use maggot, or "sandwich". Deeps are rarely used in winter underwater fishing. If used, they take the aroma of a worm, bloodworm, shrimp, crab and other underwater inhabitants. To decide which bait to use, you need to find out what the local fish feeds on. All river fish feed on feed that is brought in by the current. But one part of it is swarming in the mule, and the second prefers to catch food from the train. The second just need to hunt. They peck much more decisively.
Fishing technique
As already mentioned, this type of fishing is stationary. The feeder is not lure. For winter fishing, the feeder does not need to constantly work with your hand and walk on a pond. If the fish is active, just drop the equipment to the bottom and wait for the bite. From time to time, you can twitch the fishing line so that the bait slightly “comes to life”. If there is no bite, this is no reason to stop the winter feeder from the ice. The equipment will play perfectly if you throw the feeder a little and pit the line. In this case, the bait will jump downstream, provoking the curious river inhabitants to attack.
Active work with feeder fishing is not everyone likes. Therefore, many to lengthen the bite, lengthen the leash. If there is no bite, you definitely need to change something. As in any other form of fishing, in the ice feeder there is always room for experimentation.
Conclusion
The winter feeder gives you the opportunity to have fun in the fresh air. This type of fishing is suitable for both avid feeders who do not want to wait for spring to do what they love again, and for ice fishing enthusiasts who want to diversify their arsenal of skills. Fishing is always a discovery. Therefore, it often combines styles and methods of fishing. About twenty years ago, no one could have imagined that they would use feeders for winter fishing. Well, now this fishing method will definitely develop.