On The First Snow. Fishing In November

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Fishing Academy

November in our climatic conditions is a time of extremely unstable weather and the same changeable mood of anglers. This month is a kind of transition to winter … Often in the first half of November there are prolonged rains, which are replaced by a light frost when the sky clears. And then at the shores of small lakes, ponds, oxbows and slowly flowing rivers, rims are formed, which with each frosty night capture an ever larger territory of the water surface.

But since small frosts quite often give way to warm weather during the day, the formed ice either completely disappears, or turns into a thin transparent film, slightly powdered with freshly fallen snow. On the reservoirs of the Leningrad Region, it happens that the whole November is stable warm weather, and therefore there is no real freeze-up. Or suddenly it forms, and then just as suddenly collapses. And fishermen have to be patient, waiting for the time when solid, and, therefore, reliable ice is established. This is the time of the so-called off-season. Here it is just right to recall the advice of the sage Mark Twain, who suggested: "If you do not like the weather, then you have to wait." Our great Russian fisherman L. P. Sabaneev advised using the off-season for the manufacture or repair of skids, on which, as he writes:“… For winter fishing, you have to carry with you a lot of things and, moreover, very heavy things, such as an ice pick for cutting holes, an oak bucket, a long pole used to stir up water, which lures fish … It is also very useful to take an iron bucket with you with coals, so that in case of severe frost you can make a fire in it and warm yourself."

It is clear that in these times, hardly any of the anglers will take full advantage of these tips. It is much more effective to use the off-season period to check and prepare for fishing all the tackle in winter, as well as for the manufacture of lures, jigs, girders and other necessary fishing accessories. It would be nice to think in advance about the possible routes in the reservoirs on which it is supposed to fish. With a decrease in temperature, the activity of most fish decreases significantly. Fish schools gradually move away from the shores to deeper places, or even go to wintering pits. Therefore, it becomes more and more difficult to catch fish. Although with knowledge of the bottom topography of a particular reservoir (and therefore catching places) with appropriate gear, baits and baits, it is quite possible to count on success.

Fishing on the first ice is especially successful. First of all, the perch and ruff brethren can please you. These fish often congregate in shallow waters near the edge of grasses. They can be caught on a jig with a hook of burdock moth larvae, caddis flies, various worms, bloodworms and even leeches. With sufficient skill, as well as with well-chosen small spoons and with a certain amount of luck (what kind of fishing without it!), You can catch medium-sized perches, roach, undergrowth, silver bream, ruffs and other fish with sheer fishing. I have seen how fishermen pulled large pikes, perches and pike-perches from depths of 8-12 meters onto the gutters and donks with a nozzle of ruffs, minnows, roaches and perches. And once I witnessed how a two-kilogram burbot fell on the donka.

However, I want to warn you right away: in no case should you think that, strictly following the above or other advice, anyone who wishes can end up with a good catch. It's not like that at all. After all, no one has canceled the well-known folk wisdom: "Without work, you cannot pull a fish out of the pond." This is especially true of the off-season.

In order to successfully fish in November, you must not only be a master of angling in difficult conditions, but also be extremely careful. It takes my breath away as I watch the reckless anglers moving across the swaying ice. Indeed, most often it is such ice that does not withstand the weight of a person, it breaks, and the unlucky fisherman finds himself in the cold freezing water. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to safely get out of the water captivity. I strongly advise all anglers, especially beginners, to keep this in mind and not risk it.