First fishing day of the new season (2020)

Planed to start  this fishing season by catching some chub before trying to catch some perch, but... it wasn't meant to be.

I've fished under a dam, where the water was shallow and pretty clear. The fish could ve seen catching flies and, in the margings, the small ones were busy rushing around.

Tried different lures, had few attacks, but no fish was caught.  I think that that was caused by the fact that the rod was too rigid (Xesta S69s) and by me using a braid line.

As I've conpleted my fishing tackle with  new lures, I can say that, today, I've liked two new acquisitions: 

1. Duo Ryuki Spearhead 50 - it's a great lure and, even though I've used it in shallow water, full of small stones I've didn't snag it (I've buyed an used one and I didn't put the treble i the middle, fishing only with the one on the tail). Unfortunatelly,  the fishh didn't offer any proper feedback. 

2. Some second hand hand mads lures, of which I'm satisfied (tried only the slim model)- I've took photos only of another model, a, hm, plumpier one and of two crankbaits(?).

After I've spent around 1 hour trying to catch some chub, I've gone to try to catch oerch, in the dam lake (around 11-12 am).  Had little success as the underwater weeds grew faster than I've expected- forgot to take that into consideration, or else I would  take adifferent fishing aproach or try a different place; in a way, I half expected for some ,,canals" to be made in vegetation by coarse fishing anglers. 

At some point, saw  roach and striped fish swimming around, after some chased my jig, I've indentified them to be a shoal of small petch. It's a surprise as, even though it was a partially cloudy day, with few drops falling from time to time, the weather was getting hoter and hoter.

Tried different places and had two catches around a water structure- from what I've saw, the fish, in that area, weren't agresive, nor did they like big lures.

Saw few dead fish, one of them in the shallow water - a crucian carp; the zone was frequented by shoals of small fish and.. tgat could be a reason as for why I've could  spot the perch shoal so near to the margins.

At some point.. saw a green leach coming to the bank, at first ,I've thought that it was something natural, a suicidal (kinda) action of it, but after I've throwed it farther in the water, it hid in the grass. I think  that it was surprised by the water fluctuations.

Winter chub at lures

Today went fishing for 2-3 ours in the afternoon. The bad thing is that I've missed the best time for fishing in winter with lures, when it's sunny outside.

After few rainy days, the weather ,,calmed" and it got warmer.

Initially, the plan was to test the perch, but it was getting dark and  coudn't reach a new fishing spot  and so I've decided to try the  chub. Tried few chub lures (small sizes), had few posible attacks and, in the end, caught 2 at different lures. The first one was  caught on a surface lure while the  second one was caught at a middle to surface lure. The attacks came  on a slow retrieve  with small stops...cclose  to an area where calm water was meeting fast water.

 Looks like you can catch chub on lures in winter. Maybe I should insist more and try to catch chub, but there are few spots where they may eating... but I think that search for the  perh

Chasing the perch

The last fishing sessions were intended for perch. Unfortunatelly, on 1st november a law became appliable - you can't fish up/down any brigde for at least 500 meters. It's an interesting part of the  law as it brings into question few ideas like.. the fact that the brigde can be associated with a structere which is needed by fish to reproduce, but also to face the cold weather. Unfortunatelly, there are few things that are unclear, like the reasons as for why that part of the law was legiferated.. and the fact that in the dam/reservoir in which I fish are at least 2 bridges.. so.. almost all of it is, currently, unfishable.

After this fishing sesion: http://anotherangler.blogspot.com/2019/10/breaking-ice.html - had another two who had fish, there were more, but witouth fish.

The first good fishing sesion for perch began with this snagged fish - it's an invasive species (from what I know) here, so I've gave it to another angler to use it as fish bait - it doesn't get bigger and I'm not sure if it's detrimental to other fish. Perch seems to eat it from time to time.

Seeing that there were no good attacks, I've changed the place and decided to fish with a Relax grub of 4 centimeters, the one from the image. The result appeared soon after that.

That day caught enough perch to be ,,hooked" by this fish species. As here you can keep fish to eat, I've kept some who were smaller than that one and bigger than 12 cm (the legal limit).

Today went fishing at around 8 am and didn't have much succes except few perch who were all released.

As I've coudn't fish where I've wanted to - initially I've planned to find a perch spot to be able to understand their attacking patterns, but, in the end, had to try to fish for pike with spoons as there were no places available to fish due to the 'bridge rule'.

In the grass, at some point of time, found this snake. At first, I've though that it was a dried snake as it didn't move when I've photographed it. At the end of the photographing sesion, I've tried to confirm if it was alive or not and tried to touch it with a stick - it was alive and it remained alive as I've didn't touch it, nor did I annoy it more than that.

 I also have some photographs with a toad that I really like how they've ended, but I'll have to download them from my phone.

Next weekend I plan to fish for perch with soft lures in a small river, the river in which I often fish for chub with lures when the time and weathers allow - that happens, most often, in the summer season. Maybe I'll also try to fish in a lake(?) where I've saw big perch being caught at sunfish on the bottom few years ago. Someone also told me that there's a lake, close to that one who has pike, perch and catfish. Maybe I'll give a try..

Tight lines!

Breaking the ice

In the morning went fishing with lures for ~2 hours, from ~7 am to 9 am. Had no attack and because I've had to go somewhere else, I've coudn't test what I've intended to test - the morning was really cold and it was misty.

At ~3 Pm returned to the dam/reservoir with 2 rods, one for pike and one for perch. Tried different places, watched an angler catching small perch at the drop shot method and tried to 'break the ice' for perch at soft lures.

Had a small pike attaking the pike spoon, a big one for it's size as I apreaciate the pike to be no bigger than 20 cm.. it was pretty aggresive as it attacked the lure thrice.

At some point of time, I've decided to test a place where I knew that there could be nice perch and, in the end succeded in catching one - it the past I've wrote another post in which I've showed my first (?) perch caught at the drop shot method. I've started fishing with some pike spoons and seeing perch following the spoon I've changed to soft lures.

The fish attacked at 17:51 and the attack was pretty agresive. There was another perch who was following this one, but I was distracted by a fish that jumped in the middle of the dam. I think that there were other perch that attacked the lures, but I've coudn't distinguish between attacks and snags.

The tackle that I've used while fishing for perch:
Reel: Abu Garcia
Fishing rod: Xexta Black Star 69 S
Wire trace: Jaxon (2.5 kg)
Soft lure: Relax Bass (It was a gift)
Fishing line: Balzer, 0.06.

when perch appears

The last few fishing sessions were targeting pike, but only perch decided to attack my lures. Had a good attack, few days ago, at a weeds  margin from a pretty  big fish, but, because it attacked when I was distracted I've didn't strikeand so it unhoked itself. The attack came at a spoon, crucian carp like, with few black and red stripes and spots made by me.

 

This perch was caught on 13th octombrr at 4:22 pm.

 

This one was caught on 15th octomber at 18:59 

Tfew photographs with the dam/reservoir :

This one was caught at 18:59 , the same one from the previous photograph:

This one was caught at 07:35 

At 08:37

Between some weeds had a short attack, it was a perch who tried to 'bite' the spoon that I was using while searching for pike.. as I've got tired of fast attacks.. put a crankbait and caught this perch:.

The 'biggest' catch of the day...:

 Some moron/s decided that they had enough of perch and let them dry in the sun. I'm not sure if the person did that intentionally, considering the perch to be a non-valorous fish species or because he used them as pike bait... and they've died soon:

Some spoons and wire traces that I've buyed for pike; one of them was given to me as a gift..

new beginings

Today was a strange day. Last night rained a bit,  the morning was cold and cloudy. Storm clouds were often present and the  sun  alternating with rain.
Went fishing two times, from 8 am to 11 am and from 3 pm to 7 pm. Caught two fish as I was too impatient and didn't playthe spoon/lure close to the botto.

In the morning the water was clear, but  in the afternoon it got crystal clear.

At 8 caught the first fish of the day - personal record for perch at spoon.

The perch was released.
As I really like a topwater lure, I've decided to insist on it. Caught my first fish ever on topwater lures (popper/...), a small chub whose lenght I don't know and I kinda regret the fact that I've didn't film it, nor took better images.. but that happened because it s too agressive and it double hooked itself. While trying to unhook it I've  used both hand and coudn't risk to drop the phone in water as the hook was in a risky area for the fish and because it was a hard place.

TThe attack came in a weed ,,path"; I've fished in a reservoir/dam and autumnis the season when underwater weeds get loose due to cold and water level fluctuations.

 

A dieing fish who's colors I've liked - the have a really small mouth and so it's a pain to catch them.

From different anglers learned that yesterday some pike were caught; one around 2 killos, on around 4 killos - they were caught with live  bait, on float... and a 6.800 grams pike who attacked a spoon lure alin the morning, around 10 am. I'm not sure if I know the angler who caught it; planned to fish more, but it got really windy and the waves and wind were bothersome.

Plans for the future:

• To insist more on top water lures, even though I've geared that pike were caught on lures retrieved close  to the bottom;
• To retrieve the lure slower;
• To use a better pike leader, a softer and not so heavy trace leader, maybe I'll try fluorocarbon?
• To be more confident in the lures
•  Buy a good lip grip.