Anyone who has been fishing at least once in their life knows exactly what a crucian fish looks like. Because this unassuming fish is literally everywhere. Fishing for crucian carp is possible even in the smallest pond, completely overgrown with duckweed, and in it there will be, no matter how small, crucian carp.

There was an amazing incident in a dacha area in the Urals. After a powerful spring flood and the return of the Urals to its shores, after a week or two, a crucian carp was unearthed in one of the areas at a depth of 25-30 cm, seemingly dead. They threw it into a barrel of water to check. A quarter of an hour later the fish was already swimming. These are miracles of survivability. What can I say! In shallow bodies of water, where the water freezes through, crucian carp, buried deep in the silt, manages to survive, despite the fact that all other fish are completely suffocated.

“Karasev’s Ushitsa is living room food,” says a well-known saying. But it’s not his ears that he’s famous for. Lying on his deathbed, the old Ural Cossack asked to taste fried crucian carp one last time. It is fried in oil, especially from the spring catch, before spawning, that attracts gourmets. Crumbly sweet caviar adds a special aroma. Caviar is also added to the soup instead of millet, and the result is an incomparable soup.

Crucian carp does not know at all what luxury is in the fish concept. He can live almost anywhere, and he is the object of hunting all his life. It's no secret that pike are never averse to eating them. And let’s not even talk about fishermen. In many places where there were crucian carp - you could even scoop up a bucket - today the water surface is dead. The market has taken its toll. In the 1990s, it was sold for almost nothing on every corner, scooping up nearby lakes with nonsense.

Photo 1. An ordinary crucian carp pond.

Lakes and ponds with stagnant water are its main habitat. What do crucian carp live and eat? The main food is products of aquatic plant life, insect larvae, and plankton. Large crucian carp can sometimes feed on fry, but this usually happens in the cold season, when everything in nature falls asleep and there is nothing to eat.

Variety and appearance

Crucian carp is a fish very similar to carp, and it comes from the same carp family. We will make our description of crucian carp in comparison with carp. The most significant difference is the smaller head. The body shape of the crucian carp is wider and diamond-shaped, the mouth is also smaller and not so extended forward. No mustache.

Photo 2. Silver beauties.

Two varieties of crucian carp are widely known - silver and gold. Silver is a more aristocratic species; these fish tolerate shallowing and depletion of the reservoir less well, but gold is able to survive in truly Spartan conditions. Perhaps it was he who became the prototype of the famous goldfish, his homeland is too vast and his habitats are numerous.

Photo 3. Two types of crucian carp: gold and silver.

Both species feed the same; no significant differences in habits were observed. Golden crucian carp can grow to larger sizes, apparently due to their increased vitality.

Choice of time and place

Fishing for crucian carp has its own wisdom. Let's start with the first one - how to choose the right place to fish for crucian carp.

1. Under no circumstances should you sit on clear water, where not a single blade of grass is visible on the surface, and the entire shore of the fish from the bottom can be seen at a glance.
2. Start looking from the most overgrown areas of the reservoir; perhaps somewhere there is already a suitable place equipped.
3. Ideally, the best fishing for crucian carp is in small windows in the middle of the grass; try to find just such a window.
4. If it is difficult to find windows, find some suitable border of grass mass with clean water, the fishing result may be no worse.

Fishing time is either in the morning from sunrise, or in the evening closer to sunset. Under favorable daytime weather conditions, crucian carp fishing is often productive even in the heat, especially in May, before spawning.

Lure

Setting bait is the first thing to do at the chosen location. Fishing for crucian carp without this component on the most successful days also brings big catches, but rarely. What bait is best to use? A sample, but not mandatory, list is as follows:

• semolina rolled into balls;
• dough;
• cake;

Can be used individually or mixed. They also use peas and Bonduelle corn, but we present the simplest baits that have been tested over the years. Anything that crucian carp eat will do. Complementary foods should be pre-mixed, moderately soaked, until the consistency of a homogeneous crumbly mass. Use anise oil as a flavoring; any other oil is less effective for crucian carp. Throw approximately at the point where you will throw the fishing rod, in small portions, but regularly during fishing, at approximately half-hour intervals. Don’t forget to catch crucian carp between feedings.

Basic fishing gear

Catching crucian carp is primarily a creative process. It would be hard to call crucian carp a selective and capricious fish, so there are no too strict requirements for the execution of gear. Basic tackle for crucian carp and its characteristics:

It is most interesting to catch crucian carp using a float rod, so attention is focused on it. Select the length of the fishing line so that the tackle is delivered almost silently to the fishing spot. Silence and the absence of unnecessary movements are very important when fishing for crucian carp. Like all cyprinids, it is very sensitive to noise.

There are other types of fishing gear for crucian carp. Crucian carp is a bottom fish, so any type of bottom, feeder or casting rod with 3-5 hooks is welcome. But here a different place is chosen, for the appropriate gear. Fishing and crucian carp fishing is common in many regions, but there are differences that are generally unimportant. When there is a good catch, it’s nice to talk about fishing! And what could be more pleasant than the feeling of vibration of the rod due to the resistance of the caught fish?

Lures and Lures

Anyone who thinks they know everything about catching crucian carp will say that the most popular bait is a worm, earthworm, crawler or bloodworm. And he will be right. You should also mention dough and semolina, but a flock of small things immediately swarms on them, and there is nothing left before the large fish approaches.

The diet of crucian carp also includes plant foods, so boiled corn grains and barley, and less often peas, are often successfully used. Interestingly, the most trophy specimens surprisingly selectively prefer pearl barley.

They say that somewhere crucian carp is successfully caught using maggots. Maybe. There are a lot of regions where it is found. Its nutrition may differ by region, it is possible. Crucian carp is a fish with quirks, and if none of the above helps you, try maggots - what if? Just throw it in, and there it is, feeding on maggots...

Advice! The more varieties of bait you have, the more likely you are to please our picky eater!

Photo 5. Semolina is one of the best baits for crucian carp.

How do seasons affect crucian carp?

Let's ask the question directly - when is the best time to catch crucian carp? As noted above, the ideal time is with the arrival of the first warm spring days until spawning, that is, until the end of May. “Warm days” are very important. The water should warm up after winter and awaken the fish, reviving its hungry instincts. There is an approximate limit of water temperature, on different sides of which the behavior of crucian carp is diametrically opposite.

1. The water temperature is below about 10°C. When the temperature drops in the fall, especially after the first frost, the activity of crucian carp sharply decreases, it becomes inactive, and in this half-asleep state it gradually goes into hibernation.
2. The water temperature is above approximately 10°C. In order for the water to warm up, it is “warm days” that are needed. Sunny but cold are not effective. Crucian carp returns to active life, and is excellently caught until spawning, and the presence of caviar gives it a special taste.

In the summer, after spawning, crucian carp are in a lethargic state for a couple of weeks, “resting,” as they say. Then the phase of active life begins again, and all summer long crucian fishing is at your service.

It is very difficult to catch crucian carp in winter, and the best time for this is the winter thaw at the end of February. Apparently, by this time the crucian carp is already beginning to gradually feel a feeling of hunger, oxygen and physical, so it rises to the surface and gets hooked. But it’s too early to talk about his awakening. Caught in winter, he is practically half-dead and hardly fights on the ice.

It is in winter that there are cases of large crucian carp biting on fry. Apparently, he is so hungry that he is ready to turn into a predatory form? No, that's just nonsense. Half asleep, he doesn’t care what to eat; a fry will do. But a similar case is also known in the summer, and the weight of a crucian carp caught as a fry was about 1.5 kg. The biological world is complex. It’s not just people’s actions that are sometimes inexplicable...

Rainy weather is very favorable for crucian carp. Often the bite in the rain is just crazy. But not a downpour with a thunderstorm, but a short rain followed by calm. A kind of appetite irritant. Check it out for yourself.

The wind is the opposite messenger. When the ripples on the surface of the water turn into a small wave, fishing for crucian carp is hopeless. Move on to the perch, this is his weather.

If you are fishing from a boat along windows in the grass, position yourself so that you can cast in the sun. Your shadow will be behind you, and its sudden movements will not disturb the fish in the window you have chosen. The same goes for fishing from the shore, in low sun, when the shadow is long and moving.

If this material helps you, then you have not wasted your time. Good luck and success in catching crucian carp!

Crucian carp (lat. Carassius)- a genus of fish in the carp family.

Scientific classification

Domain: Eukaryotes
Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordata
Class: Ray-finned fish
Order: Cyprinidae
Family: Cyprinidae
Genus: Carp

The dorsal fin is long, the pharyngeal teeth are single-rowed. The body is tall with a thick back, moderately compressed laterally. The scales are large and smooth to the touch. Color varies depending on habitat. Golden crucian carp can reach a body length of more than 50 cm and a weight of over 3 kg, silver crucian carp can reach a length of 40 cm and a weight of up to 2 kg. Crucian carp reaches sexual maturity at 3-4 years. They spawn in the spring, eggs (up to 300 thousand) are deposited on vegetation. In places with a harsh climate, crucian carp hibernate during the winter, while at the same time withstanding complete freezing of the reservoir to the bottom. Crucian carp feed on vegetation, small invertebrates, zooplankton, zoobenthos and detritus. They live exclusively in swampy and low-lying lakes and rivers; in mountain lakes and in mountainous areas in general, crucian carp is a rather rare occurrence. Crucian carp is a very tenacious fish, so small crucian carp are often used as live bait when fishing for pike. Crucian carp are commercial fish and pond farming objects.

The genus includes species:

1. Common or golden crucian carp (Carassius carassius). Distributed from Central Europe to the Lena basin.
2. Silver crucian carp (Carassius gibelio). Initially it lived in the Pacific Ocean, in the rivers of Siberia and in the lower reaches of the rivers of the Aral Sea, but was artificially settled in many reservoirs of Europe and Siberia.
3. Goldfish (Carassius auratus) is a form of crucian carp artificially bred from goldfish in China. Currently, there are many breeds: telescope, shubunkin, comet, lionhead and others. An ordinary goldfish has retained the greatest resemblance to its ancestor, the crucian carp.

Externally, gold and silver crucian carp are similar. In some reservoirs both species live together. At the same time, there is a gradual displacement of gold crucian carp by silver carp. Occasionally, a hybrid of silver and gold crucian carp is found.

Distinctive features of the species:
- the scales of golden crucian carp always have a yellow tint, from copper-red to bronze or golden, silver crucian carp often has a silver-gray or greenish-gray color, although there are specimens of yellow color;
- goldfish have 33 or more scales in the lateral line. The scales of the goldfish are larger, with less than 31 scales in the lateral line;
- from the side, the head of a golden crucian always has a rounded appearance, while that of a silver crucian it is often pointed;
- juvenile goldfish have a dark spot on the body in front of the caudal fin. With age, this spot disappears. This spot is always absent in silver crucian carp.

Golden crucian carp, or common crucian carp (lat. Carassius carassius)- fish of the carp family.

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordata
Class: Bony fish
Order: Cyprinidae
Family: Cyprinidae
Genus: Carp
Species: Golden carp

Usually, golden crucian carp, like silver crucian carp, lives in swamps, oxbow lakes, and lakes. Its appearance does not coincide with the silver crucian carp: the golden crucian has a dorsal fin, pelvic fin and tail of a dark brown color. Goldfish are smaller than silverfish, but not by much. The weight of golden crucian carp at a young age is about 400-700 grams. In adulthood, it increases to 750 g-1.2 kg, then to 1.2-2.5 kg and in old age to 2.5-4.5 kg. The maximum length of goldfish is 50 cm.

Silver crucian carp (lat. Carassius gibelio), this binomial name has been adopted since 2003 - a freshwater fish from the genus of crucian carp of the carp family.

Scientific classification

Domain: Eukaryotes
Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordata
Class: Ray-finned fish
Order: Cyprinidae
Family: Cyprinidae
Species: Silver crucian carp

Silver crucian carp differs from gold crucian carp in having larger and lighter scales and a shorter body height. As a rule, the color of the scales is silver-gray or greenish-gray, but occasionally there are specimens with a golden or even pinkish-orange color. The ratio of body height to length can vary significantly depending on living conditions.
The first ray of the dorsal and anal fins is a hard, jagged spine, the remaining rays are soft.
Silver crucian carp reaches 40 cm in length and weighs up to 2 kg. Some specimens live up to 10-12 years.

Initially, silver crucian carp lived in the Amur River basin and adjacent reservoirs. Artificially resettled in the 60s of the 20th century in many reservoirs of Siberia and Europe. Now introduced to North America, India and other regions. At the same time, in European and Siberian reservoirs there was a gradual displacement of common crucian carp (golden carp) by silver crucian carp, up to the complete disappearance of the latter.

Spawning is portioned and can occur from one to three times a year, depending on the water temperature. As a rule, there are 4-6 times fewer males than females. In some reservoirs, the population of silver crucian carp is represented only by females. In such reservoirs, female goldfish spawn with males of related fish species (roach, goldfish, tench, bream, carp and others). True fertilization does not occur, since the sperm does not fertilize, but only stimulates the development of eggs. In this case, only females appear in the offspring. This method of reproduction is called gynogenesis.

Goldfish (lat. Carassius auratus auratus)- a subspecies of freshwater fish of the crucian genus.

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordata
Class: Bony fish
Order: Cyprinidae
Family: Cyprinidae
Genus: Carp
Species: Carassius auratus
Subspecies: Goldfish

Telescope

Its ancestor was domesticated by humans back in the 7th century AD, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish, represented by a whole group of breeds of domestic aquarium animals, obtained as a result of centuries-old directed hybridization and selection of individuals with certain random characteristics that arose as a result of mutations. One of the outdated names for all domestic and pond “goldfish” was “golden carps”, which comes from the general scientific systematic name, Cyprinidae.

Veiltail

The history of selection of Asian goldfish goes back at least a thousand years and arose from a childhood hobby for collecting, in which all kinds of small and medium-sized living creatures were brought into the home and settled in cages, pens, wells, tubs and barrels - as the first, peculiar pets of the house . In China and Korea, more than a thousand years ago, they practiced not only fishing, but also breeding and raising goldfish. Over the years of selection work of Chinese fish farmers, natural mutations appeared and consolidated with a radical change in the shape of the body, as well as the structure of the fins, eyes, structure of the skin and color of the fish - decorative forms and color variations were obtained, which became the basis for most of the breeds known today. The first written mention of goldfish with red scales came from China - during the reign of the Qin Dynasty (265-420 AD). At that time, these fish were seen in one of the lakes of Mount Lushan, in the area of ​​the Hong Ha River - near the modern province of Shaanxi, which flows to the south of China and the northern part of Vietnam. In the ancient Chinese treatise Shan Hai Jing, supposedly written at the end of centuries BC - beginning of our era, there is also an entry about the “red crucian carp”. However, there is absolutely no certainty that these wild representatives were the ancestors of today's goldfish. It is assumed that the red color was obtained as a result of targeted selection work of the first pet lovers and falls during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).

In small pools, especially near housing, crucian carp rarely reach more than 1 kg of weight, but under favorable conditions they have much larger sizes. Lake Chukhloma (basin of the Kostroma River, a tributary of the Volga) was famous in this regard, where specimens weighing 4-5 kg ​​were found. Occasionally, crucian carp weighing about 3 kg are also found in Lake Senezhskoye, but they are not caught there with a fishing rod (Rozhdestvensky, 1931).

Record crucian carp:

Golden carp

5.5 kg of crucian carp (“hanging over the edges of the pelvis”) was caught in Lake Osyno (Sebezh) by a resident of the village. Osyno I.D. Ivanov.
The Belarusian record is a crucian carp with a length of 50 cm and a weight of 5 kg, age 12 years.
The length of goldfish is up to 500 mm, rarely more (Berg).
Latvian record Golden crucian carp weighing 3.15 kg and 48 cm long.
A crucian carp (pictured on the left), weighing 3 kg, was caught by Yu.I. Skvortsov in June 1998.
Crucian carp weighing about 3 kg are not uncommon in the lakes of the Sebezh district of the Pskov region, although they are no longer suitable for food.
Crucian carp for 2,963 kg was caught on 1990-08-19.
Crucian Carp. The British rod-caught record is 2.565 kg (5 lb 10 oz), caught by G. Halla near Kings Lynn in 1976. On the Continet the maximum recorded is about 50 cm.
Crucian carp. National record of the former GDR 2.54 kg.
Crucian Carp. IGFA 50 cm record 2.01 kg.
Crucian carp. Polish national record 1.97 kg.
Latvian record. A golden crucian weighing 1.775 kg was caught by R. Kolcovs in 2001 in Babоtes ez.
Crucian carp. 1.37 kg 36 cm Poland, 08/2/1986
Crucian carp. 1.25 kg 40 cm Poland, 08/10/1986.
Crucian carp. 1.25 kg 38 cm Poland, 08/12/1986.
Lake Dubchany (Belarus, Lida region). Sergey caught a crucian carp weighing 1.2 kg, and 10 minutes later another one weighing 1.1 kg. Damn bait, float rod.
Write to me if you have information about crucian carp weighing MORE THAN 1 kg.

Silver crucian carp (Carassius auratus)

The largest specimens in the Ili River (and its tributaries) reach about 50 cm in length and weigh up to 3.2 kg.
On one of the river channels. Zeya came across crucian carp weighing 2.5-3 kg
2.75 kg Loshanskoe reservoir, Minsk region. caught P.I. Stetsevich on a bottom fishing rod in 1992
The crucian carp caught in the net during spring scientific control and biological fishing on the Dnieper Reservoir (1996) weighed 2.35 kg (Roman Novitsky, ichthyologist).
Polish national record 2.20 kg (Jerzy Szmit from Warsaw).
45 cm (Collins Guide, 1997).
2.12 kg 44 cm Poland, 07/27/1986
Latvian record. A silver carp weighing 2.10 kg was caught by D. Vainovskis in 1998 in Ungurmuizas ez.
Old Polish national record (until 1986) 2.08 kg
H. Brümmer, who managed to get almost 2 kg for bread.
A. Goliarov caught a silver crucian carp weighing 1.85 kg on a worm (“Record fish of the year” - 93).
Silver crucian carp was caught in the Zelenodolsk reservoir (Ukraine) in 2000, length 35 cm, weight 1.8 kg, age 9 years (from the newspaper "Klev").
national record of the former GDR 1.41 kg
IGFA record 1.36 kg (Collins Guide, 1997).
1.35 kg 39 cm Poland, 07/10/1986
Silver crucian carp 1.3 kg on Terletsky ponds in Moscow in 1999, caught by Sasha
A crucian carp weighing 1.28 kg and 39 cm long was caught by Valery Lepishev on April 24-25, 2000 in a lake in the Ivanovo district of the Amur region. Crucians of this size are not uncommon there.

Crucian carp belongs to the carp family, a representative of the ray-finned genus, and is a freshwater fish. It lives in reservoirs in vast areas not only of European Russia, but also in the Far East and Siberia, in northern Asia. Crucian carp are found in European countries, the USA and Asian countries - Pakistan, India, China, Mongolia.

Description of crucian fish

The crucian carp, which has a wide body with a rounded back, has slightly flattened sides. On the massive back of the crucian carp there is a large fin descending to the tail. The fish has a small head, small eyes with expressive dark pupils. The mouth is raised upward, there are pharyngeal teeth growing in one row. The scales of crucian carp are large, dense, with a smooth structure and a very attractive appearance. The average lifespan of fish is 10-12 years.

Features of the view

Like some other fish, the crucian carp has one sharp ray and has a serrated dorsal and anal fin.

The lateral line of crucian carp performs an important function; in fact, these are pores associated with subcutaneous receptors, thanks to which it is able to detect the slightest vibrations and movements of insects even at a distance. This is important when he is feeding in the water and when a predator is approaching him.

Crucian carp has a well-developed sense of smell. It detects various odors even at a great distance. Crucians have excellent eyesight, they see well, not only during the day, but also in the dark. It is known that crucian carp distinguishes bright shades, for example, orange.

Color and size

The scales of crucian carp are luxurious and have a pleasant color of old gold. Either it, it depends on the type, has a silvery tint. Common crucian carp has a rich golden color or grayish with a slight yellowish tint, this is due to its habitat conditions.

Silver crucian carp is sometimes found with a grayish tint to its scales, but it also happens with a greenish tint. It happens that silver carp have a yellowish-gray body color.

The fins of golden crucian carp are yellow or reddish in color. Fish with silver scales have gray fins with a black tint.

Larger lakes and rivers contain larger specimens of goldfish. There they often grow up to half a meter in length, and their weight can reach almost three kilograms. The silver crucian carp is slightly inferior to them; it gains a mass of no more than two kilograms, its length is 10 cm less than that of the gold crucian carp. Pond crucian carp are always much smaller and are inferior to river crucian carp in weight.

Known types of crucian carp

In total, ichthyologists count five species of crucian carp. However, three species are most widespread in Russian water bodies.

Golden, the most common and ubiquitous species of crucian carp with golden scales. It lives in Eurasian reservoirs and lakes of Siberia and always lives in flocks. This is not a very active fish. Loves ponds overgrown with greenery and marshy ponds. It is larger than other species.

Smaller in size than the goldfish, this species consists exclusively of female fish with silver-colored scales. This type of crucian carp has almost twice as many stamens in the gills. At first, this species lived in Siberian rivers flowing into the Pacific Ocean, in the lower reaches of rivers in the Aral Sea. Today it is found everywhere in Eurasian waters.

Goldfish is a decorative species of crucian carp; breeders bred it artificially. This fish has a bright orange color. Not found in natural reservoirs.

Two more species of crucian carp - mabuna and white crucian carp - live in the reservoirs of Japan, and sometimes they are found in Far Eastern rivers.

Where does the crucian fish live?

It is difficult to name bodies of water in Russia where crucian carp is found. Moreover, both in the European and Asian parts - in Siberian and Far Eastern reservoirs. Its habitat is extensive. These are both natural lakes, estuaries, river backwaters, and artificial ponds. This fish is not found only in fast and cool mountain rivers and in the northern regions.

Crucian carp are widespread in Central and Eastern Europe; they inhabit the waters of the USA, India, Pakistan, Japan and many other countries.

Crucian carp likes to settle in low-lying reservoirs with stagnant water and rivers with weak currents. It likes wetlands with abundant aquatic vegetation, even those where the surface is covered with bog. Suitable habitats for crucian carp include pits, flooded quarries, closed lakes, silage pits, and peat bogs. Where there is a lot of duckweed, reeds, cattails - the most crucian places.

These fish are very undemanding to living conditions. They can be found in bottom pits and mud. If the bottom of the reservoir is muddy, then this is the best habitat for crucian carp. They swim among algae at the very bottom of lakes and ponds. In the warm season, crucian carp often feed at the surface of reservoirs. Only with the onset of cold weather do crucian carp sink to the bottom and lie there for hibernation.

Crucian carp is a unique freshwater fish that can adapt to the most difficult living conditions. Crucian carp do not die when the reservoir dries out; they burrow deep into the silt and wait there for the arrival of water. This fish is able to overwinter in a completely frozen pond or lake; it does not suffer from a lack of oxygen.

What does crucian carp eat?

Crucian carp is often called an omnivorous fresh water fish. He is really unpretentious when it comes to food. His diet includes:

• seaweed;
• Daphnia;
• plankton;
• insects;
• bloodworm;
• shellfish;
• simple organisms;
• plant leaves;
• snails;
• larvae of aquatic insects;
• crustaceans;
• annelids.

The usual food of crucian carp is various living creatures from the bottom of the reservoir - worms, crustaceans, larvae, mollusks, insects. With this menu, slow and clumsy crucian carp gain weight and grow well. But feeding on algae, mud, and herbaceous aquatic plants is quite acceptable for them.

In winter, crucian carp lie at the bottom, bury themselves in the silt and until spring they completely do without food, being in a sleepy state.

How does crucian carp reproduce?

Puberty in crucian carp occurs only in the fourth or fifth year of life. At the same time, males mature earlier. Spawning of these fish begins in water well heated to 15-18 degrees in May or early June. Crucian carp spawn in several stages, in portions, pausing for a week and a half.

Females spawn close to the shore on aquatic plants. Very sticky yellow caviar attaches well to leaves and stems. One female is capable of laying up to 300 thousand eggs. The number of males participating in spawning is always four or five times less than females. Their group spawning takes place quite noisily, with splashing water, for two or three days.

The incubation period lasts about a week, then the larvae appear, located inside the yolk sac, from which they receive nutrients. The hatched fry first feed on plankton. Growing up, juvenile crucian carp gradually switches to plant foods and bottom animal organisms.

Crucian carp has a rare ability for fish to adapt well to the conditions of a particular body of water. When it is swampy - and the diet is mainly plant-based - crucian carp grow more slowly and are smaller. Even their appearance may change - the body becomes more elongated. With good nutrition and living conditions, crucian carp become the owners of a tall body and gain weight well.

Female silver crucian carp spawn with male carp fish - roach, carp, bream, golden crucian carp. Only females emerge from the eggs. This method of reproduction is known as gynogenesis.

Dangerous enemies of crucian fish

In reservoirs, crucian carp have always been the main enemies, especially hunting for them. It’s not for nothing that popular wisdom appeared: that’s what the pike is for, so that the crucian carp doesn’t doze off. Of course, other predators also attack the clumsy and sleepy crucian carp. He often becomes a victim.

This fish is destroyed in large quantities by newts and frogs, which mercilessly eat crucian caviar. In addition, recently born crucian carp fry become their prey. Equally dangerous enemies of fish fry are water beetles - very aggressive swimmers, gargle beetles, and water bugs that attack fry. Moreover, the larvae of these beetles are even more aggressive and voracious.

Crucian carp are attacked from the air by birds - seagulls, kingfishers. Birds are also becoming carriers of dangerous fish diseases. In ponds and lakes, small crucian carp are easily caught by ducks, especially species such as grebes. Gray herons can eat dozens of crucian carp.

Predatory animals that swim beautifully are no less dangerous for crucian carp. Otters and muskrats constantly hunt for fish, and muskrats and ferrets are not far behind them. The crucian carp is deftly tracked and caught perfectly by the fox.

But more than anyone else, it is, of course, a man with a fishing rod that destroys the crucian population. Most often, good-natured crucian carp that come close to the shore are caught. But other well-known gear is also used to catch them - an elastic band, a spring.

The most common bait used is worms, bloodworms, maggots, pieces of dough, bread balls, steamed grains of wheat, corn, and peas. Millet, semolina and corn porridges are also used. The bait is flavored with fragrant vegetable oils, anise drops, and fruit flavors.

Fishermen consider cottage cheese and buckwheat porridge to be excellent bait for crucian carp; sometimes a drop of aromatic laurel or anise essential oil is added to them for scent. Bait for crucian carp is usually prepared from crackers, pearl barley, oatmeal, bran, boiled millet, and cake.

The gear used for catching crucian carp is the most inconspicuous, and the fishing line is thin, because this fish has a keen eye. The most favorite fishing spot is considered to be a pond overgrown with reeds near the shore with a depth of up to three meters. Fishing enthusiasts also practice using small crucian carp as bait for predatory fish.

Crucian carp loves strong smells; they make him feel uneasy. Fishermen often provoke it to bite by smearing the bait with fragrant vegetable oil - sunflower or linseed, garlic, and even dripping gasoline on it.

Population and species status

If in the common crucian carp individuals of both sexes are found in equal proportions, then in the silver crucian carp the females strongly dominate the males in the population. Ichthyologists estimate that males of this species represent less than 10 percent of the total population. For example, in pond farms it is generally customary to cultivate single-sex populations of silver crucian carp.

If earlier golden crucian carp predominated in literally all reservoirs, now, as a result of the artificial relocation of silver crucian carp, this situation has changed dramatically. In many cases, goldfish have completely replaced goldfish populations. Hybrids of both species often began to appear.

Ichthyologists note that over the past half century the number of crucian carp individuals has been stable, even despite the unfavorable living conditions. And silver crucian carp is constantly increasing its numbers in all water bodies.

Commercial value

Crucian carp have always been valuable commercial fish. The silver crucian carp, which has increased its numbers and has taken root well in many reservoirs, has also become a popular object of commercial fishing, especially in Kamchatka.

Growing crucian carp in pond farms is widespread; farmers are increasingly breeding this fish by equipping crucian ponds.

Every year, several thousand tons of crucian carp are caught in the rivers and lakes of Russia. This does not include those that grow in artificial ponds on farms.

Taste qualities of crucian fish

The meat of crucian carp is white and very tasty. It is considered a dietary product because it contains protein, which is easily digestible, as well as many useful vitamins - A, D, E, saturated fatty acids and mineral elements. Crucian carp meat is rich in calcium and phosphorus; it contains magnesium, chromium, iron, fluorine, molybdenum, sodium and nickel.

A delicious aspic is prepared from crucian carp. But the most luxurious dish, especially for fish gourmets, is crucian carp cooked in sour cream. Fish can be fried and baked. Ukha cooked over a fire from freshly caught crucian carp is a real delicacy.

crucian carp

Few people know that crucian carp can be effectively caught using foam. Perhaps you still don’t believe in it, but we will tell you how to do it correctly and you can check the effectiveness of this bait yourself. And the whole beauty of such a bait as polystyrene foam is that once you load the tackle, you can fish with it all day...

crucian carp

Experienced fishermen know that fishing for the same fish in different seasons can differ significantly. At different times of the year, fish behave differently - their tastes and locations change, and you need to look for different approaches to catching them. Only by understanding the behavior of fish in a certain season and understanding the factors that influence...

crucian carp

Catching crucian carp in the fall is no longer as easy as in the summer. But, if you know certain rules for catching crucian carp at this time of year, then you can continue fishing for crucian carp almost until freeze-up, however, its bite will get worse and worse every day. The colder the water, the more passive the crucian carp becomes. This time of year..

crucian carp

What fish can boast the same popularity as crucian carp? I am sure that there is no more popular fish. Almost every angler began his fishing career by catching crucian carp, at least it was one of the first most desirable fish, since fishing for minnows or perch does not bring as much pleasure as fishing for crucian carp. In this article we will look at all the main...

crucian carp

A float rod is the most successful tackle for catching crucian carp. Sensitive, lightweight, allows you to quickly recast, does not require long preparation, such as a feeder. In general, for catching such a voracious fish as crucian carp - just the thing! So we’ll just figure out which fishing rod to choose for crucian carp and how to properly equip it so that fishing is effective and...

crucian carp

Crucian carp is a popular fishing object and a favorite fish of many fishing enthusiasts. It’s easy to catch, the taste is excellent, and it doesn’t require expensive or fancy gear. True, there are too many bones. But to get to the point of counting the bones, you still need to catch this crucian carp first. And in October, catching crucian carp with a float rod is not as easy as in summer. The reason is simple..

crucian carp

Catching crucian carp in October on a feeder will no longer be as easy a task as it usually was on hot summer days or warm days in early autumn. Cooling water affects the behavior of crucian carp, its activity and, directly, its bite. But the crucian bite doesn’t stop, and if you know how to catch crucian carp in October and some tricks like that...

crucian carp

For many amateur fishermen, catching crucian carp with a float rod is associated with childhood. It was with such fishing on a quiet village pond or small river that most of our fellow hobbyists began their fishing careers. Float rod for crucian carp It is not an exaggeration to say that the average layman, far from the world of fishing, imagines a fisherman as nothing more than sitting..

crucian carp

Crucian carp is a very popular object of fishing for amateur fishermen at any time of the year. This can be explained by the fact that crucian carp can be found in almost any body of water, in villages and cities, and it is caught using convenient bait - a worm, pearl barley, etc. This is precisely what can explain the popularity of this fish - it is not picky and quite interesting in...

crucian carp

Crucian carp is a fish of the carp family. The most common species, living in the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the Caucasus. The main food for fish of this species are insect larvae, mollusks, some types of crustaceans, as well as a variety of aquatic vegetation. A distinctive feature of crucian carp is the high quality of meat, which is why this type of fish is one of the favorite fishing objects. Given..

crucian carp

Fishing for crucian carp, as always, remains in the forefront of many fishermen's minds. A good object for fishing, because this fish is widespread, not fussy, catches well, and has very good taste characteristics. And most importantly, you can almost always catch crucian carp, unlike other capricious fish. In this article we will talk about a very effective bait for fishing..

crucian carp

We can confidently say that the most popular fishing object is crucian carp. After all, in the CIS this is probably the most common and picky fish. Crucian carp can survive in very harsh conditions in which other fish die. Therefore, there are a lot of reservoirs in which there are no other fish except crucian carp. Crucian carp breed very successfully in such reservoirs and catch...

crucian carp

With the arrival of spring, all avid fishermen are looking forward to the start of the spring crucian bite. Float fishermen are probably the most excited about it. Cast the float rod again, watch the frozen float waiting for a bite, what could be more interesting? And catching crucian carp in the spring with a float rod is the main goal of many anglers. Over the winter, many fishermen have already forgotten all the subtleties of catching crucian...

crucian carp

Bait for crucian carp prepared by yourself is a great way to ensure yourself a good catch. Crucian carp is very fond of baited places. You've probably noticed how the lack of bite of this peaceful fish can easily be corrected by throwing a small amount of bait at the fishing point. So, crucian carp responds well to almost any bait, but there are options that are cheaper than store-bought ones and much...

crucian carp

Large crucian carp are not found in every body of water. In reservoirs where golden carp live, there are both large and small specimens of this fish. This is an independent species. Golden crucian carp lives, reproduces and grows to the size determined by nature. Silver crucian carp is a separate subspecies of crucian carp, which consists exclusively of females. Their eggs are fertilized by other fish species. Therefore, the maximum dimensions...

crucian carp

Crucian carp is a schooling fish that loves warmth. This fish is one of the last to wake up in the spring. Crucian carp begins to show its activity in any of the reservoirs when the water temperature exceeds 10 degrees Celsius. That’s why the very first crucian carp appear in fishermen’s catches in shallow bodies of calm water. Then, as the water warms up in deeper bodies of water...

crucian carp

Many fishermen still have little idea of ​​the difference between gold and silver carp. Meanwhile, if a fisherman strives to improve his skills, this knowledge is necessary. Experienced crucian fishermen, lovers of the famous crucian carp bites, are not without reason asking questions: why is silver crucian carp caught all summer with caviar? Why is there so little goldfish being caught? Why did the silver suddenly begin to actively peck even in winter, from under the ice?

Let's try and figure out why there is some confusion in the ideas of many fishermen about crucian carp, who exactly we usually catch and whether there are any peculiarities in catching these two fish. Let's start from the very beginning. Which types of crucian carp exist.

There are two types of crucian carp: gold and silver. Both have the strongest survivability and are able to winter even in areas that freeze to the bottom. bodies of water due to the fact that they are able to burrow deeply into the silt. Crucian carp is a common Slavic word borrowed from Old German, in which karas goes back to the Latin carassius.

Golden crucian carp is written in Latin as Carassius carassius and sounds like “carassius carassius”, in other words - crucian carp ordinary. (Note that the goldfish, well known to aquarists, is directly and directly related to crucian carp and bears the Latin name Carassius auratus auratus, which means “golden crucian carp” gold", since in Latin aurat means gold.)

And here silver bears the not entirely clear name Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch. This is exactly how the German scientist Bloch classified crucian carp. The paradox is that the silver one received the “golden” name, since it was the ancestor of that same goldfish. In many countries, crucian carp is called that way - crucian carp - or very similar and consonant names with this word. Finns call crucian carp “kouri”, Tatars call it “taban” or “tuban-balyk”. The indigenous peoples of Siberia and the Far East have countless names for crucian carp: the Zyryans call it “gyuch”, the Tungus - “dovachan”, etc.

Much more often we catch silver crucian carp. Unlike the golden one, it has a shorter body height and light (silver), slightly larger scales, as well as a wider range of colors. There are brightly light-colored crucian carp, and there are also almost dark ones that live in peat lakes. And there are those with a golden and even pinkish-orange color, and then the silver crucian carp can be difficult to distinguish from the golden one.

In addition, the shape of the silver body also differs: some fish are almost round, others are runny, like carp. It is also known that both types of crucian carp - silver and gold - can develop in completely different ways. Some of them will be “piglets” all their lives, while others can grow quite quickly. And the statement that silver crucian carp can only reach a weight of up to 2 kg is incorrect - there is reliable information that fish weighing even up to 4 kg are often caught in Siberian lakes. This depends on the habitat and food supply of the reservoir.

In general, I would like to note that a lot of things in fishing periodicals are thoughtlessly copied from Old Testament sources. Many outdated data migrate from one page to another, not to mention the Internet, where you can’t read anything! Meanwhile, over the past years, much has changed, new reliable information has appeared. And as for silver specifically, Russian ichthyologists from both the European part of Russia and Novosibirsk have been watching it very carefully for a long time. By the way, it was ichthyologists who had a hand (literally and figuratively) in shaping what modern silver crucian carp has become.

The fact is that not so long ago (from a historical point of view) in most of Europe, silver crucian carp was not found at all. And although from the works of L.P. Sabaneev, we know that in the 19th century there were already two types of crucian carp, the silver one did not occupy such a prominent position as it does now. The golden one reigned supreme, and it was the common crucian carp that lived up to its Latin name. It is known for certain that only the skeletons of golden crucian carp are found in the fossil remains of fish in Europe. So when did goldfish appear in Europe?

It should be noted that silver is considered one of the most flexible fish species. Ichthyologists are almost sure that the first silverfish in Europe was a goldfish, bred a thousand years ago in China from silverfish (which, by the way, lived in the Far East and Siberia from ancient times).

In the 16th century, goldfish from China came to Japan, at the beginning of the next century it was brought to Portugal, and half a century later it came to Russia. The above-mentioned plasticity of crucian carp, apparently, was the reason why goldfish from the ponds of nobles and nobility ended up in ordinary ponds and began to spread throughout European reservoirs. A similar opinion is expressed not only by Russian, but also by European ichthyologists. By the way, in Ukraine, silver crucian carp was even called “Japanese” before.

There are historical facts indicating the resettlement of crucian carp from Yakutia to the European part of Russia in 1772. And, by the way, this fish was transported from Yakutia especially to the royal table, since this is where the most delicious and fatty crucian carp lives - in Lake Nidzhili in the Kobyaisky ulus. The lake itself has excellent clean water and a very good food supply. The crucian carp in this lake feeds well under the ice all winter, which lasts 8 months in those parts.

It is quite possible that, thanks to its vitality, it could remain alive in barrels throughout the entire journey from Yakutia to St. Petersburg. It is a pity that the taste of crucian carp is not inherited, but depends on the habitat and food supply. Even with a good pedigree, crucian carp living in lakes with mud will always have the smell of mud.

In general, one way or another, but in the 17th-20th centuries, silver crucian carp spread more and more widely throughout Russia and Europe. Why then did it not increase its numbers as sharply at this time as happened in the 60-70s of the last century? And why, starting from this time, did this lump and couch potato suddenly turn into a massive, rapidly spreading species?

There were two hypotheses. The first assumed that the silver crucian carp spent these several centuries of living in the European part of the mainland for acclimatization. Then the number of silver crucian carp began to grow and increase progressively according to some complex laws of biology. According to the same theory, it was assumed that crucian carp could well be an autochonous species, that is, it arose and initially evolved in a given place. this means that silver crucian carp could have lived in Europe before. But all these assumptions were not supported by evidence.

The second theory turned out to be more correct and supported by facts; it proceeds from the fact that back in the 30s of the last century, along with industrialization and plans to divert Siberian rivers, many Far Eastern species of fish began to be actively bred in Russia. Crucian carp occupied a special place during resettlement, since it is simply impossible to find a more successful fish for acclimatization - it can live in almost any body of water and requires almost no care.

But it was not the Yakut or Siberian silver that settled throughout Russia, but Amur, this subspecies of crucian carp does not differ much in appearance from the ordinary silver carp, except that it has slightly lighter scales and a slightly more runny body. and in the process of resettlement it turned out that the Amur crucian carp, which grew up in flowing and semi-flowing water bodies, in serious competition with many other Amur fish, had a higher ability to reproduce. in other words, it survived in a more aggressive environment due to certain qualities, including the likely ability to reproduce wherever possible.

At first, the Amur crucian carp very quickly adapted to cultural ponds and fish farms and from there began to spontaneously spread throughout all reservoirs in a row, not only where there is no current, but also in flowing waters, and even in the pre-estuarine areas of the seas. By the way, it is precisely this feature of his behavior that confirms that in this way the Amur silver crucian carp from the Amur River spread throughout the country.

The rotan has now traveled approximately the same path; there is only one exception - the rotan does not live in running water. In many rivers, the local population even called this newcomer silver crucian carp differently for some time: now white, now “hybrid,” now “buffalo” (although it has nothing to do with American fish, they are quite similar in appearance; in fact In fact, buffalo is a fish of the Chukuchanov family)…

Scientists have had the opportunity to test the incredible adaptive ability of the Amur crucian carp more than once. For example, the Amur was released in 1994 into the Siberian Lake Chany, the largest in the Novosibirsk region. In just a few years, its numbers have grown so much that it has become the No. 1 fish in the lake. Moreover, now on the lake. The crucian carp bites in the vats almost all winter.

It also turned out that these qualities of crucian carp - rapid population growth and aggressive behavior - have a significant influence on the population of other fish species. Even such fighters as perch and ruff suffer from crucian carp. In all cases, along with the increase in Amur crucian populations, the number of other fish species in the reservoir decreased.

But the goldfish got the worst of it. If previously it lived in peace and harmony with the silver crucian carp, now it is on the verge of extinction. This is due to the fact that when crossing gold and silver crucian carp, hybrids are obtained that do not produce fertile offspring. In this way, the population of golden crucian carp is gradually decreasing from year to year. Almost certainly the same changes are occurring with native silver carp. But since these two species are very similar in appearance, such changes are almost invisible to the angler’s eye.

In addition, the peculiarity of the Amur crucian carp has been repeatedly noted not only to move long distances, but also to make its way to places where any other fish would not go. Accustomed to living in rivers with changing water levels, Amur crucian carp senses the situation well and therefore can safely travel through unfamiliar terrain.

Amur crucian carp often moves from one body of water to another along the most incredible routes and with any possible opportunity. It can remain even in the smallest puddles that freeze to the bottom and spawn there. And in general, its spawning in the summer can begin not only according to the annual schedule, but also as urgently needed.

It should be noted that spawning is a separate phenomenon of Amur crucian carp. Goldfish have two forms: bisexual and unisexual (females). There are bodies of water where both of these forms live together, and there are also those where only females are found. Moreover, outwardly these two forms of crucian carp are no different, they only have a different set of chromosomes: the bisexual form has 100 chromosomes, and the unisexual form has 156.

Therefore, same-sex female crucian carp spawn well with other carp fish: tench, bream, roach, etc. From such fertilization, for genetic reasons, only females will be born. The fact is that the sperm of males does not fertilize the eggs of same-sex females, but only stimulates their development. It is precisely because of gynogenesis that the hereditary characteristics of males are not transmitted to the egg and only females are born.

In addition, as a result of this method of reproduction, virtually identical twin crucian carp are born, which hereditarily retain high adaptability, fertility and other characteristics inherent in Far Eastern crucian carp. For this reason, there are so many crucian carp with caviar in the catches. Sometimes it happens that all the crucian carp turn out to be eggs. From this we can draw another conclusion: there are significantly more females of the current silver crucian carp than males, which means that the population of crucian carp is not only not decreasing, but it is unlikely that anything will threaten it in the near future.

To be fair, it must be said that silver crucian carp does not live in all reservoirs. To live, it needs reservoirs with mud or soft soil and underwater vegetation. It is extremely rare in mountain rivers or clean sandy lakes.

In general, the diet of silver crucian carp is the same as that of golden carp. The only thing that scientists have noted is that silver crucian carp prefers planktonic crustaceans (cladocera). By the way, he doesn’t shy away from fry. I myself have twice witnessed how crucian carp was successfully caught using a rotating spoon. Silver crucian carp has spread not only to the waters of Europe. He now lives in North America, India and other regions. It is still bred both for commercial purposes and for recreational fishing.

Why do fishermen need to know all this? Realizing that we are dealing with slightly different fish than those described in the specialized literature, we can approach fishing differently. Beginner fishermen, having read outdated materials about crucian carp, can learn that fishing for crucian carp is possible only in warm summer months and only on lakes. Meanwhile, crucian carp is excellently caught from under the ice, and also literally immediately after the ice melts, and the smaller the body of water, the faster the ice melts there and crucian carp begins to be caught. In shallow bodies of water, the water warms up faster, there is more food, etc.

Silver crucian carp does not bury itself in the mud unnecessarily; it can stay awake almost the entire winter and immediately after the ice breaks up, it can walk and feed even in the most grassy ponds. Knowing this feature of the behavior of silver crucian carp, local residents of Siberia actively catch crucian carp during this spring period, until the floodplain lakes go under flood water or are overgrown with thick grass by mid-summer.

It should also be noted that silver crucian carp is almost as capricious in biting as golden carp. Almost, because fishing is generally more fun. In addition, the fishing season for silver crucian carp is much longer. The peculiarities of biting crucian carp must be known and studied in each specific area and in relation to each body of water. Once, for example, I noticed this peculiarity - in the spring it is caught better in the evening hours in calm sunny weather, and during the day, on the contrary, it bites in the wind and in cloudy weather. I tested this assumption for several years in a row and became convinced that it was not an accident.

This year, too, I went in the spring to catch crucian carp during the day, when a strong wind was blowing and the weather was cloudy - and I managed to catch several hefty specimens. I fished with a match fishing rod. Immediately after the ice melts, crucian carp rarely come close to the shore and prefer to stay at least 10-15 m from the shore.

For the sake of sport, I went fishing on a warm spring day and didn’t see any bites - only two ducks swam on the water surface of the lake. What is the reason for such a bite - I can’t answer right now, but I’m trying to understand. Silver crucian carp must be given bait - all crucian carp love it very much. It is worth noting that it can now be caught well not only in lakes, but also in slow-flowing rivers, in chickens and oxbow lakes, and even just in the quiet backwaters of large rivers, using a feeder and other amateur gear.

It is quite possible that year-round fishing for silver crucian carp (as well as bream) should be allowed in many Siberian regions. Both of these fish have now spread seriously, and in this way their numbers, and therefore the numbers of other fish species, can be regulated. In any case, there is no need to worry about the fate of silver crucian carp - our grandchildren and great-grandchildren still catch this fish.

Needless to say, both of these fish - silver crucian and golden crucian - are good in many dishes, including canned ones.