One of the major rivers of Russia, flowing through the Saratov region, Penza, Voronezh and Volgograd - Khoper. He is the largest tributary of the Don. The Khopra basin is estimated at more than 61,000 km; its length is almost 1,000 km. The width varies within a hundred meters, in some places the depth reaches 17 meters. The current is quite fast, the bed is sandy. In the river valley, there are many sections of the old channel.
Fishing on Khopre is diverse and generous.
Fish wealth
In Khopr, along its entire length, there are: white-eye, pike perch, sabrefish, ide, perch, pike, catfish, chub, crucian carp, asp, silver bream, roach, bleak, etc. There are even tench, seam, fish, bruise, gudgeon, common carp, burbot and sterlet. Therefore, fishing on Khopre is an undoubted pleasure.
The first fishermen appear on the river as soon as the spring flood falls. It is in the last decade of June that the first peak of the bite falls. The second surge begins towards the end of September and lasts about three weeks. But only if there is no high water.
Strategy selection
A bream goes well from a boat to a fishing rod with a float. And you need to let go of the float far and get into a deep erratic place.
As soon as stable warm weather is established, even on unfallen water, fishing on Khopra will be good off the grassy shores in the thickets of water lilies, at a depth not exceeding one and a half meters. Guests with a swoop are not always able to catch such a place. The backwater, usually a full tench, rudd and crucian carp, lends itself only to master floaters, especially if they have been feeding local fish for a long time.
In the backwaters with silted driftwood fishermen waiting for a carp. Catch it on a shell with pearl barley or steamed peas.
Predatory prey
Hoper and catfish abound. True, catching him is quite difficult. It is preferable to take catfish on live bait and on the donka.
Zander is good along the entire length of the river. It is perfectly caught in late October – November and even later on bottom gear. Caught up to 7 kg. The best place is Siskovsky farm.
The hostel on Khopre near the village of Kumylzhenskaya invites admirers of bottom gear. The only negative is that you sometimes need to reset. The reason for this is the strong current, which brings sand to the feeders.
Thrifty Khoper in the Volgograd region
Here, the territory of the river is limited by the Khopersky Reserve. Therefore, fishermen must abide by some rules.
- Fishing from the shore is only possible with a fishing rod or spinning on sand spits.
- Only small rowing vessels may be in the conservation area.
- In the conservation area (55 km) you can fish no more than three days.
- It is permitted to stop the vessel in designated areas.
What fish is caught in July in Khopre? A predator is going well. In the area of the village of Tepikinskaya there are silted dams with large rifts and sunken snags. It is difficult to get to the shores in this area because of the dense forest, but there are no restrictions on fishing.
The bream is caught at dawn or at sunset until July 15-20. The place must be steep, but calm. The best bait for bream is bran, cake or cottage cheese. Nozzle, and it is better to keep it at the bottom, worms or peas.
The ide is caught later - in late August - early September.
Any camp site on Khopre has a specialist who knows the places for catching catfish. But it is well known that they go to catfish at night, preferably dark. Nozzle - live bait, earthworms and frogs.
Toward the end of August comes to bite burbot and tench. They love quiet backwaters with thickets of reeds and coastal grasses. As a nozzle, a dung worm or bloodworm is used, and cottage cheese is fed. The float must be very sensitive.
Morning fishing on the Khoper River in the Voronezh Region during the whole summer is the favorite zander, perch and pike. Pecking on the baubles. In recesses with a pressure current, you can drag them to a simple hook.
Khoper in the Penza region
Most of the fishing spots here are in the lower reaches. The best of them are closer to the border with the Tambov region, in the Bekovsky district. The depth in the recesses reaches eight meters. And even the old women delight with fish, especially molt and crucian carp.
Fishing on Khopre in the Penza region will be rich in chub, asp, roach, pike, perch, silver bream, crabfish, and plague. Slightly less often you can catch carp, burbot and catfish.
The end of May and the beginning of June, when the water has not yet completely descended and the old women are connected by channels - the time of lovers of spinning. If you choose the right bait and gear, then the catch of white fish will be huge. Next begins the predator season. Catching it here is easier. In small backwaters, there is no current as such, so they do not overgrow with reeds and grass and do not break off the gear. They catch the head, pike, catfish and the like for poppers, spinnerbait and spinners. The latter together with shallow-water wobblers allow you to catch a good asp (up to three kg). He prefers flooded bushes and driftwood.
Fishing on Khopre, especially on the high banks - is rich in zander. After spawning, he rests in thickets of grass and reeds until bleak goes to spawn. At this time, zander is caught on various pieces of rubber and small wobblers. But for him, you need to know the depth of the "occurrence" of fish. Therefore, it is easier to use rubber lures.
Chalets
There are many tourist camps all over Hopra. Almost all of them are in unique places.
One of the favorite fishermen is “Chalet on Cherkassky Zaton”. The depth of Khopr reaches ten meters here. The backwater is divided into two sleeves: one smaller with an overgrown channel, the other clean with springs at the bottom.
The conditions are based on the Spartan. All amenities on the street. You can cook on a gas stove or barbecue. There is a common refrigerator for several houses. By the way, they are double. But here there is always silence, peace and easy breathing.
What kind of fish is caught in July in Khopre, frequent guests of the recreation center “Old Mill” know. It is located in the Saratov region, Balashov district. The hostel is designed for relaxation by large companies or families. Fishermen here prefer boat fishing.
In the Volgograd region, the Khutorok recreation center is waiting for lovers of fishing year-round. The houses here are for a maximum of five guests. Three meals a day (optional). There is a motor boat rental center at the base.