January is the least promising month from the point of view of sport fishing. The active bite associated with the formation of ice has already ended; active biting associated with the gradual melting of ice is still a long way off. The fish feels a lack of oxygen and therefore feeds rarely and reluctantly. Deaf winter is especially pronounced on small lakes with large areas dead vegetation - here the oxygen regime is completely unfavorable. On rivers, especially fast ones, it is easier - the current provides a small influx of oxygen, but in particularly severe frosts, life freezes here too. However, even in the dead of winter, an experienced fisherman will be able to get a couple of tails, heads and other fish components. Whose exactly - read below.
Chub
In January, chub are caught very rarely and only small ones. Its biting stops completely towards the end of the month: oxygen starvation takes its toll. The relative activity of the chub is observed only during thaws - at temperatures from 0 to -5C0.
At this time, he goes out to feed in places with shallow depth - sandbanks, ridges, etc. cover the ice with something lightproof.
Gustera
The silver bream bite in January is weak and unstable. During the thaw it is caught a little better, in deep frosts it is worse, and sometimes it stops feeding altogether. The silver bream in particular is caught extremely rarely: usually the angler focuses on all the active white fish at the same time. The fishing method is traditional - reel and reelless jigs. The silver bream is not too timid and often forgives the angler serious mistakes: the only thing you should pay close attention to is the thickness of the fishing line and leash.
Ruff is perhaps the only fish that, at the very peak of winter, retains an excellent appetite and bad character. The latter manifests itself in the fact that if you come across a school of ruffs, you are unlikely to see another fish - they will confidently peck all the bait thrown to them. The problem, however, is that the ruffe population in many reservoirs in recent years decreased, and in some places it was completely replaced by either rotan or otra
botanical petroleum products. If there is a ruffe in the reservoir, then you should look for it near the pools, as well as near the sandy shores, where there are no rotting plants absorbing oxygen.
Burbot
At the end of December and beginning of January, burbot spawns and at this time it is practically not caught. The exception is immature individuals, which are consistently caught even at the height of spawning. After spawning, burbot “gets sick” for 7–10 days, and then the actual feeding begins. At this time, the main thing is to find a place where the burbot is staying or to be on the path of its movement. In places where burbot is found in large quantities (this is almost the entire north of Russia), catches can be very large. You can catch burbot at this time with very simple bottom tackle, using pieces of fish, meat or a small fish (ordinary frozen herring is quite suitable) whole as bait. The bait, even a whole one, must be changed periodically in order to enhance the smell. Pieces of meat or fish intestines can be additionally seared over the fire.
Perch
In January, large perch stand in pits and practically do not hunt - they save their strength, which is already in short supply in conditions of oxygen starvation. Only sometimes, when the weather is favorable, the predator becomes active, and at this time it is caught with vertical lures and balance beams.
As for small fish weighing 400–500 grams, they feed more or less steadily throughout the month, with the exception of days with particularly severe frosts. Very young “sailors” can be caught with a jig or bloodworm at the same time as roach and ruff (in winter they usually stay in the same places, hunting bottom invertebrates and sometimes fry). Schools of young perch stay very compact and rarely engage in collective driven hunting, which requires active breathing. Individuals the size of a palm or larger can attack both a jig and a spinner. Very often, alternating fishing methods is effective: first a balancer is in the water, then a spoon, then a jig, and then the angler moves to another hole.
Roach
Roach is one of the few peaceful fish that turns January from a dead month into an unpromising month. Even in the dead of winter, roach (together with bream and silver bream, which lead a similar lifestyle at this time of year) sometimes shows quite decent activity and allows you to get away from zero.
You can catch roach with a float or nodding fishing rod. As a rule, jigs with attached bloodworms or burdocks, or even just a foam ball, are used as bait. Often the bite can be enhanced thanks to bait, which mainly includes porridge.
Bream and white bream
In the depths of winter, large bream show minimal activity: their capture is extremely rare. Podleschiki different sizes They are caught better, but they very often refuse all baits. This is primarily due to a lack of oxygen: it has been noticed that in areas with gullies and ice holes, bream and other fish are caught much better.
Bream is caught in much the same way as roach and silver bream - using a jig with bloodworms or maggots. Bream is quite shy, and therefore
It makes sense to darken the ice in the fishing area. In addition, it would be a good idea to pour some snow into the hole, although it can create some difficulties in severe frosts. Since the movements of bream in the depths of winter are severely limited, the fisherman has to move: often finding a good place is possible only after checking several dozen holes (which still need to be drilled).
Zander
The pike perch does not read fishing manuals and therefore does not know that in the dead of winter it is supposed to sit quietly and not stick its head out. Even in the dead of winter, pike perch retains the habit of feeding at exits. The only problem is that the place and time of such an exit is almost impossible to guess. The exception is open sections of rivers with medium and weak currents - there the probability of catching this predator is quite high.
In open water, winter pike perch is caught with a jig, on ice - with lures or balance beams. In general, pike perch prefers fairly large spoons, but in January it is wiser to use small and medium-sized baits. Why is not entirely clear, but it works.
A winter pike perch bite feels like a series of short pulls and an unexpected heaviness, reminiscent of a hook. This is a full grip of the bait, which should be followed by a confident hook. The predator resists quite actively, although weaker than in the warmer seasons: however, if you let the pike perch “take a walk”, it will most likely hide in a snag and tear off the bait.
Pike
The pike bite weakens in January, but persists. However, catching it at this time is not interesting: the pike, weakened by lack of oxygen and low water temperature, cannot provide serious resistance. In addition, girders are usually used to catch pike in January: this is a completely unsporting and, in general, barbaric method of fishing. As for winter glitter, it deserves to be discussed in more detail.
Winter pike is extremely wary of artificial baits, and therefore only an attentive fisherman who knows the habits of the predator can get a decent specimen using lures. For pike fishing, lure throwers of various designs are used - from short fishing rods with a regular inertial reel (for example, Nelma is suitable) to high-tech devices with multipliers. Line thickness - from 0.22 mm; leash is required.
Pike activity is observed in the morning and briefly at noon. Sometimes pike hunt in the late afternoon, but only during thaws. The main depths are from 2 to 5 meters, although much depends on the nature of the reservoir.
The choice of spinners and balancers for pike fishing is huge and it’s impossible to point out absolute favorites here. In general, the baits that you know how to work with work best. It should be noted that the pike releases even the best spinners and balancers from its mouth very quickly, and therefore the reaction to a bite should be instantaneous. However, this is precisely the main attractiveness of trolling pike - unlike installing dozens of fishing poles, such fishing requires a developed brain and straight arms.
Fishermen call this time of year the “dead season.” Under a thick layer of ice and snow, it is dark and stuffy, there is little oxygen in the water, underwater life stands still. Even the tireless and ubiquitous perch, slightly moving its tail, weakly reacts to the fisherman’s offered sweets. During this period of no bite, a real fisherman must be able not only to find a fish, but also to cause it to bite. January fishing requires endurance, patience, skill and, of course, good, sensitive gear.
In January, fish rush to where the water is richer in oxygen. Fishing in ponds, lakes, and closed reservoirs it will be less successful than in rivers, reservoirs, canals, springs, and in places with sandy and rocky-pebble bottoms.
During the thaw after long frosts, on calm days with stable atmospheric pressure and temperatures down to -10°, the angler can count on success. Under favorable meteorological conditions in ice-free rivers in the Aral, Caspian, Black and Azov seas using a float and bottom fishing rods they catch:
At the end of January, on cold days, burbot lays eggs on underwater pebbles or pebbles. Before spawning, burbot have a pre-spawning feast, and those who are not too lazy to spend the night near the hole will have a successful catch. From the first days of the New Year, burbot must be caught with girders, hooks, on which a piece of ruff, gudgeon, or roach is placed. As soon as it gets dark, it begins to fatten in places with a rocky or gravelly bottom.
In January, using a jig or float, you can catch the following fish:
- perch,
- roach,
- gudgeon,
- dace,
During this difficult time, fishermen are trying in every possible way to catch fish such as pike perch, pike, bream, but those who prefer to catch more have a chance to catch. Perch, roach, white bream, and silver bream are caught using a jig.
Near the shore, in shallow water, perch bite more often, but small, and at a depth of 4-6 m, less often, but larger. Sometimes you can’t catch a perch with a jig covered with a bloodworm, but a jig without an attachment or only with a bloodworm on the hook head bites willingly.
Fishing in January video
In January, all kinds of fish are caught, but the most popular ones can be identified: perch, pike, pike perch, crucian carp, roach, bream. Well, in addition to those mentioned, others are also caught, depending on the reservoir. Which we will talk about in more detail in other articles.
In the first half of January, on many rivers, fish behave the same way as in December. But closer to February, the activity of the fish decreases, the bite becomes sluggish, the fish may be practically not caught, and the period of deep winter begins - the most difficult period for fishing.
In January, perch stands out against the background of other predators; it continues to be caught throughout, many fishermen do not like this, since it interrupts the bite of other types of fish.
There are several ways to catch perch in January; it can be caught using both lures and jigs. Jigs are used both reelless jigs and regular jigs with a nozzle.
The perch bite in January will primarily depend on the chosen location. At this time, you should look for perch near the pits, not in the pits themselves, but along the edges of the pits, on the edges. The perch does not go to great depths, and during periods of thaw the perch can come close to the shore.
Spoons for catching perch are usually used in small sizes, up to a centimeter wide and no more than 3 centimeters long.
To catch perch, they use reelless jigs - these are devil, uralka, goat. For bloodworm fishing for perch, drop-shaped jigs are used.
Fishing for pike perch in January.
In January, pike perch is caught using spoons. Narrow, elongated spoons are well suited for pike perch. The length of the spoon is from 5 to 7 centimeters, its width is about a centimeter. The color of the spoon for fishing in January can be either bronze or steel. Spoons of various colors are rarely used for pike perch.
In January, pike perch will finally move to greater depths; at shallow depths it will be difficult to find pike perch at this time. Usually at this time the pike perch stays near the holes, near the riverbed. In January, pike perch almost does not stand still; it actively moves around the reservoir. Usually, pike perch, when moving along a reservoir, moves along the same route from year to year, so when you come to the reservoir, you should carefully watch the local fishermen, since they already know exactly where the pike perch lives.
The technique itself for catching pike perch in January with a spoon is very good. Assembling the tackle will also not be difficult, you will need a fishing rod, preferably with a flexible whip, a fishing line with a diameter of 0.2 mm, you don’t need to use a leash, but to protect yourself in case of a pike bite, it would be better to attach a flexible and durable leash. The following can be said about the spinner game itself: the game should be active and smooth. But by no means slow, pike perch at this time is not attracted to passive prey, it needs excitement, so to speak.
If we talk about catching pike in January, it is very difficult to catch it. Pike activity at this time is almost zero. She is already quite well-fed and just stands mostly under snags, feeding exclusively on the fish that swim in the immediate vicinity. But attracting her from afar is very difficult.
Therefore, the success of pike fishing in January will depend on how close you drill the hole and play with the bait.
You can catch pike in January either with a spoon or a balance beam. The balancer will even be more successful. Since you can use a balancer, you can cover more space.
Fishing for pike in January using girders is much more successful, but we already have articles and videos about this.
Playing with bait for catching pike should be soft and smooth, so to speak, without sudden movements; pike, unlike pike perch, primarily reacts to sluggish prey.
Fishing for crucian carp in January is quite a difficult task.
In January, on most reservoirs it is practiced night fishing crucian carp, but not in all reservoirs. There are reservoirs where crucian carp are winter time practically undetectable.
Well, if there is crucian carp in the reservoir, then you should look for it in areas above average, in the water areas of pits, riverbeds, and under cliffs.
Crucian carp is inactive in winter and does not particularly move around the reservoir; it plows through the silt in search of food; the main food of crucian carp at this time is bloodworms and other inhabitants of the river bottom.
In January you can catch crucian carp either with a jig or with a winter float tackle. A jig for catching crucian carp should not be large size, even minimal. There is no game as such when fishing for crucian carp with a jig. You simply lower the bait with the jig to the bottom, so that the line is taut, and then from time to time lightly hit the nod with your finger, from bottom to top, and then again wait for a bite.
Fishing for roach in January
The roach bite in January can be called relatively good. Only when the weather changes can roach be caught worse.
In January, the roach finally moves to greater depths and stays exclusively in holes. The deeper the fish, the larger the fish will be; small fish usually stay on the edge of the holes.
When fishing for roach in January, the use of groundbait has proven to work especially well. The main thing in feeding a roach is not to overfeed it; the main task is to attract the roach, and not to feed it.
In January, roach is more often caught with a blood jig; here the fishing principle is similar to that of crucian carp. You simply lower the jig and bloodworm to the bottom and wait for a bite.
Well, that's all for today. And of course a couple of videos about fishing in January.
No matter what fisherman tells you, January is one of the most difficult months for fishing. It is during this period that the fish begin a period of oxygen starvation, but this is associated only with stagnant bodies of water, or, more simply, ponds and lakes. On large and small rivers in January, fish are caught quite successfully, but you still have to break your head before catching at least one qualifying tail. In January it is cold and therefore the fisherman will have to face such a problem as freezing, so before you go fishing, prepare to meet difficulties.
And so let's start with what gear we will need in January. I will say right away that it is best to try fishing in many reservoirs, and choose small and large rivers as the main fishing place, and this is what explains this. On the large and small rivers there is a fairly good current, which maintains a constant microclimate of the reservoir, due to which the fish are constantly active and well fed. The main catch on large and small rivers in January will be roach, and those who like to fish will also fully enjoy its bite. The most important thing is to correctly determine the location and concentration of fish in the reservoir. In this case, searching for promising areas will help us, which is what we will talk about now.
Search for promising points on the reservoir
Since the main fishing in January will be carried out on rivers, we will have to try pretty hard before finding a catching point. First of all, let's take depth measurements; depth measurements must be taken in the most promising places in your opinion. Having found good depths, we must determine the presence of a drop or hole in a given place; perhaps there is an edge where white fish come out to feed. Having found the right place, you shouldn’t rush and start fishing instantly; first you need a promising area, and you should drill a lot of holes, knowing that the current will gradually pull off the bait and form a fairly large food trail. In view of the fact that the bait will be evenly distributed along the bottom, small fish will approach first, and then large individuals will begin to swell their smaller brothers. As for bait and lures, the fisherman must remember that in winter, namely in January, fish respond well to small baits and moving baits, such as and. Moreover, it is worth noting that fish attack small bait better than large ones, and do not forget about the color of the bait. In strong and medium currents, tungsten and heavy spoons work well, if, of course, we are talking about catching predatory fish.
Let's not forget about the respected spinners who are looking forward to the open water period. I’ll say right away that, fellow spinners, not everything is as bad as it seems. In January, there is good activity for fish such as pike perch. still actively feeds, except that its stopping places change. If in the fall the handsome fanged fish could be found in deep holes with virtually no current and with the presence of snags, then in January everything turns out according to a completely different scenario. In January, pike perch goes to places where the current becomes obvious, this is explained by the fact that there is more oxygen here and all the white fish come out here to feed. At this moment very 
It is important to choose the right tackle and bait. The best bait will be silicone with a sluggish action, and with the onset of twilight, the pike perch becomes even more active and it becomes easier to catch it with artificial baits like . It is up to you to decide which class of wobbler to choose; the most important thing is that your bait matches the fishing horizon and holds the stream well. In my opinion, the best class are wobblers with a minnow body shape. As for the spinning rod and reel, the choice here depends on the purely personal beliefs and specifics of the fisherman himself. There is one practical advice for fishing in January, if the fish are not biting and it is quite difficult to find them, then ordinary shallow water will help out, there is always a lot of small fish here, and as you know, a predator also comes out to feed on small fish. To have hope for at least some result, I recommend adding odorous mixtures to the stationary bait, which attract fish very well, and spinning anglers should not forget about the attractant, which even at very low temperatures activates the biting of pike and pike perch.
Now let's sum it up. Fellow fishermen, when it’s cold outside and there seems to be no hope that you’ll catch anything, run bad thoughts, January is a good month for fishing, except that you will have to choose the right gear longer, use the thinnest fishing lines and very miniature baits. In January, the fish are just as active, but it is better to choose the most appropriate time to find it. For winter breams, choose bright sunny days. No tail, no scales!
Video about fishing in January
January is the middle of winter. The reservoirs are tightly bound with ice and covered with snow. Deaf time of the year. The day is still short. The frost is crackling. Blizzards. It would seem that fishing passions have subsided. However, rest is only for spinners. Floaters and other fishing enthusiasts do not sit at home: they are on the river, reservoir, lake in the dark, chiseling holes in the ice.
So the morning dawn began. And here, next to it, is winter gear with attachments and bait. Frost invigorates fishermen. They would have more movement, tinkering, fighting out large predators. But there are no bites and no bites. Of course, there is no need to be surprised. In January, fish behave differently. In some places the bite is active, while in others there is complete calm.
Russian rivers and lakes are rich in vegetation. In spring, reeds, reeds, water lilies and other greenery begin to grow. A lot of algae appears, especially in mid-summer. In some reservoirs, as they say, the water “blooms.” By winter, naturally, the plants die, sink to the bottom, and rot. This process absorbs a lot of oxygen dissolved in the water. The fish experiences oxygen starvation. In shallow, overgrown and silted reservoirs, where in winter the water is almost not enriched with oxygen, the fish becomes inactive, sick, loses appetite and does not take bait at all.
In deep lakes and reservoirs, mainly with clean and running water, it is easier for fish to breathe, and they continue to feed. The lack of bites on such reservoirs on some days can be explained by the weather conditions. The fish does not take when there is a sharp drop in air pressure, frequent changes in temperature, or strong winds in the north, northeast, northwest direction.
Favorable times for fishing are quiet, windless days (cloudy or sunny), thaws after snowstorms and severe frosts. In good weather, the bite does not stop during the day.
In January, perhaps the only interesting exception is burbot. This voracious predator leads its own isolated life. In the most severe cold weather, it spawns, gathering on pebble and rocky areas of reservoirs. In bitter frosts, burbot takes on bottom fishing rods baited with gudgeon, ruffe, small fish (even dead ones), chicken giblets, etc. The most intense bite is in the first ten days and worse at the end of the month.
In lakes and reservoirs, small and medium-sized perch, ruffe, roach, and bream are caught with float rods using worms and bloodworms in favorable weather. The bite, of course, is better with bait (small bloodworms, bread crumbs, crushed potatoes, boiled potatoes, porridge).
On the middle reaches of rivers with a sandy or pebble bottom, the chub bite on pieces of lard is sometimes good. You can spend two to three hours on a quiet current even on a windless night. At such times, roach, dace, chub, and bream bite on bloodworms. Nice places for fishing near steep banks, where the depth is about a meter or more.
Pike fishing continues with vertical lures and winter baits. This predator should be looked for in lakes and reservoirs at considerable depth, and in rivers - in holes and whirlpools. Early in the morning and in the evening (until dusk), pike perch takes lures in deep and snags in reservoirs.
Experienced fishermen lure at a slow pace, with pauses, skillfully present the bait, and, as a result, almost always with a catch. But a novice angler is sometimes impatient and often and strongly tugs on the lure, thereby scaring away the predator. Perch prefers small spoons. Takes it on a jig with a bloodworm or fish eye attachment. The smallest jigs are suitable for fishing without bait. But the bite improves if a pair of red beads are attached to the hook shaft (before soldering it to the jig).
January, in general, is a difficult month for anglers. During this winter season, it is better to head to well-known bodies of water, to places that have been previously considered. But it happens that for some reason the route may change. In such cases, you cannot rely entirely on your experience and intuition in choosing a place for fishing. It doesn't hurt to get to know the local fishermen; take their advice.
We should not forget about the general phenomenon characteristic of Russian reservoirs. During heavy snowfalls, the ice shell of rivers and lakes is covered with a thick snow cushion.
Snow puts pressure on the ice and under its weight it cracks and sinks. In such places there is water that does not freeze under a thick layer of snow. And if you are not careful, troubles cannot be avoided.
You should be especially careful near populated areas. Many villagers cut rather large holes at reservoirs from which they take water. On a frosty night, by morning, the holes are usually frozen and are clearly visible in calm weather. What if there was a blizzard at night? The ice crust, covered with snow, remains thin and fragile. The fisherman will find himself in a very difficult position if he falls into such an ice hole.
Danger awaits the fisherman in areas of the reservoir where there are springs. The ice here is thin, and under the snow layer it is not visible. River rapids with fragile ice cover can also be unpleasant. Therefore, in unfamiliar places, before taking a step, you need to check the strength of the ice with an ice pick.
Fish migration is sharply limited. White fish (bream, silver bream, bluefish, roach, roach) are becoming more active. The bite of sabrefish is observed in pits with the presence of waterways (with reverse flow of water).
Tackle for catching white fish – float rod with a hook or jig. Hooks No. 2.5 - 7
The tackle for catching a predator is a vertical lure. The bait is preferable in not bright colors (matte white, yellow, black - for a sandy bottom). A balancer works well from 25 to 70 g. , jigs weighing from 5 to 80 grams are successfully used. depending on the current. The “devil” and “witch” work for both the predator and the white fish. On the bays and ilmens there is exciting fishing with girders.
Baits:
For catching white fish - worms, bloodworms, burdock larvae, maggots, vegetable baits (barley, millet, peas, dough), lard, hare's lung, squid, cow's udder.
As bait: cake is used, breadcrumbs, millet porridge. Ready-made, proprietary mixtures work successfully.
