Fishing in Tatarstan. Fishing in Tatarstan: winter and summer. What to do to get a good catch
This metropolis is a subject of the Russian Federation and is located in its European part, at the junction of two great rivers, the Volga and Kama. The city of Kazan, which is the capital of the republic, is located approximately 800 kilometers from the capital of Russia. The borders of Tatarstan are the Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara and Orenburg regions, as well as Bashkortostan, Mari El, Udmurtia, Chuvashia.
The republic's water resources include the largest rivers, the Volga and Kama (tributaries: the Belaya River and the Vyatka River). Tatarstan also has over eight thousand ponds and small lakes. All the wealth of the republic’s waterways contributes to the development and popularity of fishing. Beautiful landscapes and fishing spots of rivers and lakes are always happy to bring a lot of positive emotions to fishermen, without leaving them without a well-deserved catch.
Choosing a place for fishing in Tatarstan is very important for an effective catch.
The Volga River, especially its right bank, is favored by fishermen in the summer, since pike during this period can be caught in very large sizes, reaching 11 kilograms. On the right bank of the river, this can be fishing on the shore, as well as from a boat, you can catch bream and carp. Predatory fish species (pike perch, catfish, perch) also delight the fisherman’s soul. The right bank of the Volga also makes it possible to catch sabrefish, roach and other river fish.
On the Volga there is the Blue Bay, distinguished by its magnificent beauty and a large number of different species of fish. You can drive from the center of Kazan within an hour. You can catch silver beauties using any of the methods that are used for river fish. Carp, perch, crucian carp, bream and pike live here in sufficient quantities.
The Kama River, its right bank is considered the best place for fishing. But to count on a good catch, you need to stock up on a boat. A large number of fishermen use the float type of fishing, since there are many fairly smooth banks on the Kama River. In the summer, maggots and worms are used, and at the end of summer, vegetable bait is used. And then it is better to use bottom tackle. At this time, there are a lot of fish in the reservoir, a large number accumulate in the shallow Kama areas. But not only the shore can be the best place for fishing: there are a lot of small places in small lakes and creeks. Local fish do not like depth, and it scares them.
But what’s curious is that all Kama fish bite on a variety of bait, so you need to take a lot of different baits with you when fishing, and a variety of baits also contribute to effective fishing. If you use lupine (a bean-like plant) as bait and add it to the bait, then the fishing will be very good, since a lot of fish will approach your fishing spot. Once you try it, you will use this lupine quite often.
True, this bait takes a very long time to prepare: the lupine beans first need to be soaked for several hours and then boiled for more than half an hour. After cooling, the water is drained and then dried on a dish. There is a lot of hassle, but the time spent will pay off with interest. You can try a shell smeared in clay as bait - it also gives good bite results. Of the porridges prepared at home, pearl barley is the most suitable. You just need to try to make it both not too liquid (it will slide) and not too thick.
In autumn, when the water has cooled a little, fish bites become more intense. The fact is that “native” fish are inherently cold-loving. These fish include bream, which are caught using rings and feeders. Those who hunt mainly for predatory fish species, with the help of schools of bream, find the habitats of chub and pike perch. As a rule, they are caught with a spinning rod, but bottom tackle is also suitable if the fisherman is experienced.
Of all the baits, Kama fish prefer to bite on the twister and ripper. It is these baits that can bypass dense aquatic vegetation and do not get entangled in it. Another fish reservoir in Tatarstan is Lake. Kaban, which is located in close proximity to Kazan. During spring floods, this reservoir is filled with spring waters from the Volga River. The Bulak channel, which comes out of Kaban, “helps” with this. Thus, young fish of various species grow in this lake. Middle Boar is rich in silver carp, which is currently a rarity in the republic. The straits and channels will delight anglers with large herds of carp and many crucian carp; Sometimes pike perch swim in.
Tatarstan, perhaps more than other regions of Russia, is designed for a relaxing fishing holiday, where everyday worries and problems associated with the crisis in the country are forgotten. The time spent in this republic is remembered not only by successful and large catches, but by the opportunity to learn the history and culture of this metropolis.
Fishing in the republic today is represented by numerous recreation and fishing centers. Reservoirs and picturesque places welcome fishermen from different parts of the world.
Very often, various competitions between fishing athletes are held on the territory of Tatarstan. Moreover, they are carried out both in summer and winter. For example, the autumn regional stages of the All-Russian festival “Folk Fishing”, winter jig fishing competitions and others. Such serious and authoritative events allow for the exchange of experience; a particularly pressing topic is the catching of pike on the girders, because it is this toothy beauty that attracts a large number of people who want to go fishing.
Fishing in Kazan is best on the Volga and nearby lakes. As elsewhere, there are some peculiarities regarding seasonality. In winter, we can fish areas inaccessible for summer fishing, and in summer, on the contrary, the banks and areas near reed thickets. Where the bottom is heterogeneous, large schools of fish swim, and you can make money at different times of the year.
Winter fishing in the reed thickets of Tatarstan begins with drilling holes. Each fisherman drills in his own way, but the best option is considered to be 2 rows of holes in the channel and near the reeds. When using girders, you can do more, but many holes will be more difficult to control. It is good to put live bait on the girders, which is easy to pull onto the reelless bait. Whatever you choose, in winter you will need perseverance and patience, but the result can be very pleasing.
There are more than 8 thousand lakes in the region, they are mostly floodplain and are located in the Menzelinsky, Yutazinsky and Muslyumovsky districts. Most of them are small in area - 0.1-10 hectares, but there are exceptions - reservoirs with an area of 20 hectares or more (there are about 30 of these in the republic). Large-scale lakes are called Upper, Middle and Nizhny Kaban, Tarlashinskoye and Kovalinskoye, as well as Lebyazhye, which consists of three parts connected by channels in the city of Kazan. More than 40 species of fish live here, 11 of which are objects of constant fishing (among them bream, pike perch, carp, ide, asp, catfish, etc.). The ponds also have a lot of small fish: perch, roach, bleak, crucian carp.
The largest left tributary of the Volga is the river. Kama, in Tatar they call it Chuma. In addition to the main channel, there are numerous lakes and creeks, which are home to decent concentrations of tench, crucian carp, pike and perch. Moreover, these representatives can be caught at any time of the year.
As mentioned above, the Tatarstan Kama only pleases with its fish resources. Here you can try different fishing tactics.
Many fishermen specialize in float fishing. This is facilitated by favorable conditions: smooth banks, small tributaries and the presence of good places for fishing with float tackle. Plant baits begin to be used towards the end of summer, before which maggots with worms are used. Naturally, each type of fish requires a specific approach, but there are more or less universal requirements that are suitable for most aquatic organisms:
All the fish on the Kama take all kinds of bait - it’s better to take more options with you and not limit yourself to worms and maggots. It is also worth trying a variety of baits;
The use of lupine in groundbait and as bait has an excellent effect on local fish. By using this element, you will immediately see the result - a large number of fish will approach your place, and if you are fishing with several hooks, then there is a high probability that you will catch several fish at once;
A shell rolled in clay is considered an excellent bait;
Of the vegetable baits, pearl barley is the most effective, but it is important to prepare it correctly so that it does not fall off the hook and is not too hard.
In addition to float equipment, it is common on the Kama Donka which gives good results. Bottom tackle reaches its peak of popularity at the end of the summer season, when the reservoir is absolutely teeming with fish and very often you can see schools swimming by - the right moment to switch to bottom tackle. Most of the fish accumulate in small areas of the Kama.
But this does not mean that you need to fish only near the shore; there are small places in creeks and lakes. The depth frightens the local fish; there is practically none there. With the onset of autumn, the bite intensifies even more and this is influenced not only by the hunger before winter, but by the cold-loving nature of the local inhabitants. The most popular lover of low temperatures is bream. Most often, its activity increases at night. And you can catch it either with a ring from a boat or with a feeder from the shore.
If you are aiming to catch a predator, then these same schools of bream will greatly help you in finding a place, because it is in this area that chub and pike perch go hunting. The classic tackle for pike perch is a spinning rod, but sometimes craftsmen manage to catch it with a donk.
Regarding the baits. The most productive fish on this river are twisters and rippers, which perfectly bypass water thickets and do not get tangled in the stems of river lilies.
Lake Kaban
It is located within the city of Kazan and consists of 3 large reservoirs: Upper, Middle and Lower, which are connected by channels and straits. The bottom of the reservoir is covered with a thick layer of silt, all 3 lakes are shallow (about 1-3 m, in some places up to 6 meters).
The Bulak channel emerges from the near part of the lake, thanks to which in the spring the Kaban is replenished with water from. This has a beneficial effect on the formation of young fish of various fish within the reservoir.
The banks of all three parts are surrounded by reeds, and willow grass grows in shallow areas.
Low overgrown banks, as well as shallow depths, contribute to the development of ichthyofauna; many fishermen come here. There are a lot of pike, bream, perch, silver bream and roach here. In Sredny Kaban there is a silver carp, which is very rare in Tatarstan today. The straits and channels are full of carp, crucian carp and occasionally pike perch.
Video Fishing in Tatarstan:
R. Mesha: Kulaevo, Rozhdestvenno, Karaduli, Narmonka. Almost all types of river fish, especially crucian carp.
R. Volga: Pobedilovo, Teteevo, Krasnovidovo, Blue Bay, Morkvashi Embankments, Vasilyevo. All types of river fish, including predators - pike and catfish.
R. Sviyaga: Gavrilkovo, Sviyazhskaya dam, Quiet reach, Britvino. Carp. Crucian carp, squid, pike perch, pike, bersh, bream.
R. Kazanka: Admiralteyskaya Sloboda, Kazan Arena Stadium, Podgorny, Torfyanoy. Carp, crucian carp, white bream, perch, pike perch, bream.
R. Kama: Maslovka, Kama mouth, Atabaevo, Laishevo, Rybnaya Sloboda. All types of river fish, including predators - pike and catfish.
Lakes: Bogorodskoye, Ilyinskoye, Archiereiskoye. There you can catch carp and crucian carp.
The rivers of Tatarstan are rich in fish, 22-23 thousand tons according to estimates of the Federal Fisheries Agency. Over the past 5 years, the number has been stable.
These are mainly bream, silver bream, a little less pike perch, and even less carp. There is a little sterlet, we recently included it in the Red Book for further conservation,” says Ramil Sharafutdinov, head of the Zakamsk zone of the Administration for the Protection and Use of Fauna of the Republic of Tatarstan.
In the summer of 2015, fishermen caught huge catfish. A resident of the village of Kuntechi, Laishevsky district, caught a catfish 2.5 meters long and weighing 65 kilograms. Fishermen from Zelenodolsk returned with a trophy of 2.20 meters and 73 kilograms. The largest catfish was caught by a fisherman from Tashkirmen: the fish pulled 2.5 meters and 95 kilograms. But in general, there are fewer fish, fishermen believe.
The ruffe has practically disappeared, but there have been a lot of hybrid crucian carp. There are fewer predators, more white fish,” says Roman Maslov, fisherman and organizer of the “Total Spinning” fishing tournament, which will be held in Kazan from July 7 to 9.
37 teams from all over Russia have already registered to participate. Each team is given 8 hours to bring their catch. In this case, the winner is determined not only by kilograms, but also by assortment. You need to catch a pike - at least 45 cm, pike perch and zherich - at least 40 cm, bersha - at least 25 cm and perch - at least 20 cm. It is important to bring the fish to the finish line alive, because according to the terms of the competition it must be released after weighing into the pond.
We promote the slogan “catch, release,” we must take care of nature, catch no more than is needed for cooking,” says Roman Maslov.
They don’t go into the forest with their own firewood, but the participants of “Total Spinning” will come with fish to buy fish. They will release juveniles into the Kuibyshev Reservoir to replenish their reserves of living silver.
Advice from an experienced
What to do to get a good catch?
Maxim Krivtsov, fisherman with ten years of experience:
For me, the best bait to catch fish with is a worm. But if you are just starting out, then it is worth trying all existing types. By the way, first you should try fishing without a weight, it will be easier the first time. True, you will be more likely to catch small fish, but there will be a lot of them.
Ilya Vorobyov, head of the Torpedo fishing club:
There are no small details in successful fishing. When going to a pond, be prepared for any situation; amateur fishing should, first of all, bring pleasure, so take care of your comfort. The weather can change dramatically: heat, rain, wind - you need to be prepared for anything. Prepare easy access to your gear and fishing accessories. Special fishing suitcases and boxes are best suited for this. Wasting time searching for the right hook, sinker, swivel or untangling leads is not a good idea, especially during active biting. When hunting peaceful fish, remember that the bait and bait must be fresh. In hot weather, take care of the safety of live baits. Keep bloodworms, maggots, and worms in the shade, and ideally in a cool thermal bag. Don't be afraid to experiment with baits, use different combinations of them. On unfamiliar bodies of water, try to strike up a conversation with local fishermen and find out their secrets. It’s even better to study fishing forums before your trip to find the information you need. The most important rule is to have fun, spend time with friends, take care of nature. The number of fish in the cage is just a nice addition, don’t forget about it.
See also the map of fishing spots near Kazan: