🎣 Winter fishing: 10 tips for beginners

Winter fishing is a special direction. The main difference is, of course, the difference in temperature. The inhabitants of the reservoirs show little activity and do not want to peck. And the fisherman needs to constantly remember about his safety. Moreover, we are talking about both hypothermia and being on ice. And yet, there are those who prefer winter fishing to summer fishing. Even competitions are held among professionals. Pilgrimos got to know the destination better and much in advance so that there was time to prepare for the season.

When is the season?

The winter fishing season in Tartu starts in early December, but it can start earlier. It all depends on the frost. If you don’t want to wait, you can contact Tiqets.com or trip.com. Tour designers will be able to choose a trip to suit your budget and you will have to wait less for the start of winter fishing. For example , you can organize a trip to Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia

What do you need for winter fishing?

Suitable equipment. It should be comfortable and warm. After all, most of the time fishermen are in a sitting position and move very little. Therefore, the risk of hypothermia is quite high.

You will also need an ice drill, an ice pick – a metal rod to check the thickness of the ice, and a depth gauge. It's worth taking a slotted spoon to clear the snow. Otherwise, after crushing the hole, the snow will turn into mush and cause inconvenience.

Who to catch in winter?

During this period of time, the choice is significantly reduced. You can mainly catch predatory species – perch, pike perch, pike, trout. But peaceful fish are also caught: roach, bream, crucian carp.

Also remember that in winter, fish love places where there is a lot of algae or where small rivers flow into the reservoir. In addition, large individuals prefer depths of up to two meters.

How to organize a place correctly?

Before you go out on the ice, you must check its thickness. The optimal minimum is 8 centimeters. If the reservoir is unfamiliar, then the holes will have to be made at random. Be prepared to do several of them in one fishing trip. It is recommended to darken them so that the fish are not afraid of bright light.

At the same time, you cannot drill many holes, and even at close range. This reduces the ice area and increases the risk of breaking. It's better to wear a life jacket.

Some experienced fishermen replace the vest with empty plastic bottles wrapped around the waist. If you fall into the water, plastic with air will help you stay on the surface.

Once you've finished fishing, return along the same route you came. Do not drive your car onto the ice.

About winter fishing first hand

Professional feeder fishing athlete Igor Matyushkov goes winter fishing for himself. He notes that she is especially good at finding cool places.

“You can come, drill and look for fish.” Winter fishing is also the cheapest. You only buy an ice screw, a box and a fishing rod. Or you fish with “goats”, some kind of devils, jigs. All ammunition will cost $10-15, and you can catch 10-15 kg of fish per day. In winter fishing, the process itself is complex: you need to select the load, the terrain, and understand how thick the fish are.

Nowadays such trained winter fishermen are! Each one has an echo sounder and a scanner. They see everything, draw depth. In winter fishing, it doesn’t matter what you find, for example, that there will be a layer of fish six meters away that will reach the bottom. Winter fish are very challenging fish. There are many different factors. As tourism, it's awesome. In many “winter” countries they have wooden houses around such ponds, which are heated by various heaters. People come in groups on Thursday and Friday. They sat down and fished. They are gathering with their families. They travel with children, with dogs, and pull large sleds.

For example , many organizers bring a family to the site with a marker. So they will fish there, and no one will bother them. The same as in Europe. In some countries you can fish, someone will come from behind you and drill right under your box, although according to fishing conditions it should be 4-5 meters. But their people don’t understand this. Although I see that the guys have already begun to treat each other more loyally, they don’t make scandals or be rude. They try to sit further away, they catch it – and it’s good.

— Is summer or winter more popular in Europe?

– Summer. At the World Ice Fishing Championships, mainly two countries from Eastern Europe are in the lead. They have about 15-20 champions. And there are many world champions, and there are many personal ones. They are tied to winter conditions. The leaders are also Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Finland. All other countries are rather weak.

— Five tips for everyone, both beginners and experienced fishermen, from an expert with many years of experience?

— Simple tips: don’t take too many fish, fish calmly, don’t interfere with each other. There are fish, they bite, you don’t need to fuss, that’s all.