Asp is the fastest predator of our rivers
So, the tackle awaits its hour, the lures are packed in the box, you are on the riverbank. Where to start?
Choosing a spot
Half the success in fishing for asp is an active search for a 'good' spot. It should be remembered that this fish likes to be cautious, so try to be extremely quiet. If the fish shows itself a couple of meters from the boat, it is better to cast a little farther to avoid spooking it.
Asp is a schooling fish and prefers to hunt in a shoal. To detect them, you can use hunting binoculars. By scanning the river area, you can find a school of hunting fish both in the fairway and on the riffles. Often seagulls help the fisherman in the search: they often circle over an asp school – they also get to feast on the fry pressed to the surface.
Boat or fishing from the shore?
You can fish for asp both ways, but it is still more convenient to move after its school by boat, since the fish is very mobile. Having found a school, or a 'boil', do not start an active bombardment with tackle – the timid nature of the fish will do you a disservice and it will simply retreat to an unreachable area. If you are hunting from a motorboat, kill the engine 150 meters before the 'boil' and approach it on oars, but work them as carefully as possible, without loud slaps on the water surface. It is recommended to use a floating bombarda and retrieve the tackle at high speed and with jerks. In the interval between them, the bite begins.
It should also be remembered that asp is a typically surface-dwelling fish. Its food base, in addition to small fish, includes various insects. A feeding asp loves to feed on insects. When moving along the river by boat, do not neglect areas with strong current and an abundance of algae and grass. Here, meeting the fish is most likely – asp prefers to graze in such areas while waiting for prey and does not suspect that it itself can become prey for an observant and patient angler.
Many fishermen note that in terms of hunting tactics, temperament, and excitement, catching asp is one of the most exciting types of fishing. If you have at least once managed to outwit the zealous river dweller, you will again and again seek a meeting with it.
By the way, there is an opinion that this fish is inferior to others in taste, so the point of such hunting is somewhat lost. Nothing of the sort! Having come to hunt on a fishing trip, you will see the opposite. Experienced gamekeepers will help you catch the lively fish, and chefs will turn your trophy into a real culinary masterpiece.
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