Fishing for taimen - methods of catching and gear, habitats and behavior of fish

The salmon order includes many types of fish. One of the most popular, both in gastronomic terms and as prey, is taimen. It has a characteristic streamlined shape, the head is slightly flattened. The scales are small, the color is from dark brown to greenish, the belly is white.

This is clearly seen in the photo of the taimen. There are slight color changes throughout the year. Fishing for taimen is an exciting activity, but it requires careful preparation.

Habitat

Fish can be found in almost all medium and large rivers from the Urals to Yakutia, in the reservoirs of Sakhalin. Taimen is characterized by several varieties: Sichuan, Sakhalin, common, Danube and Korean. They differ slightly. In the common people, taimen fish was called "red pike".

The main habitats in Russia:

• Fast-flowing rivers of the northern region. Almost all types of taimen prefer cold and clean water. During spawning, it rises to the upper reaches of rivers. Closer to the autumn period, they gather in large reservoirs.
• Sea. Sakhalin taimen is found in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, but does not stay there for long. Catching taimen during this period is prohibited, as it does not have time to gain the required mass.

The maximum weight can reach 60-70 kg, and dimensions - up to 720 mm. The color of the meat with a reddish tinge depends on where the taimen fish is found. The maximum weight is reached by September-October. At this time, active fishing for taimen is carried out. The largest taimen had a mass of more than 105 kg.

Most often, the fish prefers to swim at the bottom of the reservoir. It rises to the surface only for hunting. It is not found in thickets and snags.

Behavioral features

Catchy fishing for taimen is possible only after studying its habits. This is a predatory fish and most of the time is in constant motion in search of prey. Before reaching the age of two, it has a small weight and muscle mass, which does not allow chasing large fish. At this age, the main diet is larvae, mosquitoes and other insects. Mass is gaining slowly.

When fishing for an adult taimen, you need to take into account the following features of his behavior:

• adults swim one at a time, two-year-olds and younger swim in small shoals;
• when the water temperature rises, the fish tries to go to the depth;
• in the absence of food in the water, an attack on small rodents located on the shore is possible;
• preferred diet: perch, roach, minnows, small rodents.

During the spawning period, the female taimen lays eggs in small depressions. During this, amateur fishing for fish of this species is prohibited in almost the entire territory of the Russian Federation. From the moment of spawning to the appearance of fry, about 35 days pass.

Until then, adults remain in shallow water and protect the eggs from predators. After that, they go to pits and whirlpools to gain weight. The average life time is up to 20-22 years. Some individuals live up to 30 years. But this is more the exception than the rule.

How to catch

The habitats of adults are often deserted, they can be reached by all-terrain vehicle or by air. In some rivers of Siberia, fishing is prohibited, you need to know about this in advance. You should also carefully approach the choice of tackle - fishing rods, baits, spinners for taimen should be selected correctly.

When choosing equipment, it is recommended to focus on such devices for fishing:

• Spinning or track. The maximum allowable load is taken into account. Classic spinning rods have proven themselves best. The bite is worse on the tracks.
• As baits, you can use dummies of large bats or other rodents. Quite good results were shown by spinners of the "Storm" type. The best option is live bait fishing.
• The fishing line is kapron, with a diameter of up to 0.8 mm. Such a large size is due to the aggressive bite. This is especially true for spinning fishing, be sure to use baits.

The track is used for fishing in deep places where spinning is difficult. But she shows the worst results. It is recommended to choose a rigid rod.

The bait must be moved at the bottom level in jerks, but remaining in the same area. This is the most effective trout fishing. You need to hook at the first bite, as the predator attacks potential prey almost immediately. After that, he can go to the bottom, lie down between the stones. To provoke the movement, you need to sharply pull the fishing line, lightly tap on the rod. Sometimes fishermen throw small stones into the water.

Cooking features

The taste of the meat of this fish is good - it can be cooked separately or in combination with other products. Features - a large amount of vitamins and useful elements, protein is absorbed quickly. During cooking, you need to take into account the peculiarity of the structure of meat - it has thin layers of fat.

It is best to cook fish according to these recommendations:

• age of taimen - up to 15 years;
• it is not recommended to take fish during spawning, as it contains a minimum amount of fat;
• there is no difference between the taste of male or female.

The range of dishes is extensive - taimen can be salted, cooked in the oven or fried. Often its meat is used for dressing salads.

Fishing for taimen is an exciting and interesting activity. It is important to choose the right time and prepare the appropriate equipment.