Any  advice to fishermen  from their experienced colleagues begins with stories about preparation.   And rightly so: the time you spend preparing at home will save you time on the pond. And if you came to the river or lake for just a few hours, then it is thanks to the preparation that you can devote every minute to your favorite hobby. 

So what is the right preparation? 

We choose a pond. If possible, then you need to go to the rivers ,  about the lakes or reservoirs, on which someone is already catching. This gives a certain guarantee that there is at least some fish there. On the other hand,  you should not go to places chosen by dozens and hundreds of other anglers: as a rule, fishing “press” leads to the fact that the bite in such places is greatly deteriorating. 

We choose who we will catch. Each fish needs its own approach, so decide in advance who you see as your future trophies. Here, the information from the previous paragraph will come in handy: for example, crucian carp bite well in one pond, and perch fatten in a neighboring section of the river.  

We collect information. Now it’s much easier to do this: on local forums and groups on social networks, you can either read reports about past fishing trips or ask for advice from the “natives”. Of course, the story about the “mad” bite should be divided by at least 2 – but then you can at least roughly understand where you can go and where you shouldn’t.

Tip 2. Pick up tackle 

If you have a rough idea of ​​where and who you will catch, you will be able to navigate in the preparation of gear. What should be considered here? 

• Float tackle is universal. Having at your disposal a pair of rods, a set of lines, hooks and weights, you can quickly assemble equipment that will allow you to successfully catch both peaceful fish, such as roach and crucian carp, and medium-sized predators – perch, small pike perch, pike. 
• Donka is already more serious. If the fish in your chosen area rarely comes to the shore, it is easier to catch it on the bottom gear, casting it to the depth. In this case, it is worth getting a feeder or bottom rod with a reliable and capacious reel, as well as taking care of bait. 

• If your goal is primarily a predator, then the choice is obvious – spinning. In recent years, the predator has become more capricious, therefore, for a guaranteed catch, thin gear is required, capable of working with very light – from 15 g – lures. 

Here it is worth paying attention to two more nuances: 

• The thinner the snap, the greater the number of bites. On the other hand, it is more difficult to play a biting fish on a thin line. But still, even professionals strive to make tackle as gentle and sensitive as possible. 
• Different  methods of catching fish  involve the use of different lures and baits. For float or bottom fishing, worms, maggot, bloodworms, and dough / bread will be universal options. Spinning is more difficult: at least a set can include spinners Mepps No. 2-4, several silicone twisters and vibrotails of different sizes, as well as 2-3 wobblers with guaranteed catchability (Yo-Zuri L-Minnow, Jaxon Karas or ZipBaits Rigge) . 

By the way, if you go hiking or just often drive a car, you should always keep a universal set of gear (compact spinning or telescopic fishing rod) at hand. A box with equipment and lures will not take much time, but you will be fully equipped at any time. 

 Tip 3. Choose a promising place

If the preparation is successful, then the answer to the question of  how to catch fish in a pond is simplified. The main component of success is the search for a promising place:  

• Knowing what kind of fish we plan to catch, we determine the point of fishing. If you need a peaceful fish, then a quiet, fairly deep backwater or pool, at the bottom of which there is a clay outlet, is best suited. You can look for a predator either in the current, or coastal whirlpools, or near thickets of underwater vegetation. 
• Using a fishing rod or an echo sounder (it will increase the accuracy of measurements and save time), we examine the bottom of a promising point. If there are pits or hills at the bottom, overgrown areas, snags or boulders – the chance for regular bites increases!

Other promising areas include: 

• Dams and sites near them. 
• Rifts (at the entrance and at the exit you can catch predators who love clean water). 
• Pools under a steep bank. 
• Bays and dams (large carp, tench and carp often stand in them). 

As a rule, in such places you can find the remains of old fishing camps. And if someone was fishing there, you can catch it too! 

Tip 4. Experiment!  

Now let’s talk about  how to fish  – so as to increase the likelihood of successful fishing! 

• To begin with, it is worth doing a few test casts. If you are catching peaceful fish, then it is fashionable to use several donoks or float rods with different baits: by the first bites you will understand what exactly the fish prefers here and now. 
• If you are fishing for spinning, then the best strategy would be to actively search for the bait or wiring you need. The perch does not take a spinner – after five casts we change it to a silicone twister, the pike does not want to grab the wobblers on a uniform wiring over the surface – we change the bait and begin to process the bottom with a “step”. 
• It is worth catching the entire area: sometimes the fish takes only the bait that you literally put under its nose. So, neither open areas of the bottom, nor snags and patches of grass found with the help of an echo sounder, nor the edges of reeds should be left without attention. 

Such experiments, especially at the beginning of fishing, may not bring a trophy. But they will give us the main thing – information about the addictions of fish in the pond. 

Tip 5. Have patience  and listen to your intuition 

Well, and the most important advice, which is guaranteed to bring good luck to both beginners and experienced fishermen . Patience is the key to success, and those who know how to wait will surely be lucky: 

• If you are catching peaceful fish, try to feed a few places and catch them periodically. Sooner or later, the fish will come to the bait spot, and then you will get a chance to leave the pond with a full net. 
• A spinner needs patience too: sometimes you have to try the whole arsenal of lures on a promising creek or pool in order to find the combination of bait and wiring that will attract a flock of perch or a large pike. 

And most importantly – if you are sure that you have fish in the place you have chosen, and experience or intuition tells you what you need to do to catch it – listen to your inner voice. As practice shows. It is with such insights that the stories of the most successful fishing begin. 

Yes, there are many ways to fish, and advice to anglers is endless. But that’s why we love fishing – no advice is 100% able to replace the experience, knowledge and love for this wonderful hobby!