Boat fishing for predators and wels catfish

What you need

• Boat: stable and suited to the water: a 3.5-4.5 m boat for lakes, a bigger one with an engine on the Danube; two anchors with long ropes.
• Safety: a life jacket for everyone on board, worn; a torch, a phone in a waterproof pouch, a bailer and a spare rope.
• Sonar: shows you the depth, the shape of the bottom and the fish; very useful for zander and wels catfish.
• Rods: 1.9-2.4 m spinning rods, shorter than for bank fishing, for pike, zander and perch; for wels catfish, a short, powerful rod for vertical fishing.
• Accessories: a big landing net with a long handle, long pliers, a glove for catfish, a lure box and a tidy spot in the boat for the rods.

Baits

• Shads and twister tails on jig heads, for zander and perch on the bottom.
• Crankbaits and spoons for pike, cast towards reeds and weed.
• For wels catfish: big soft lures for vertical fishing, bunches of worms or fish baits, where permitted.

When to fish

• From late spring, after the closed seasons, until late autumn; autumn is the best season for pike and zander.
• Early morning and evening; don't go out in the boat in strong wind or when a storm is forecast.
• Wels catfish: summer and early autumn, when the water is warm.

Where are you fishing

• Reservoirs, large lakes, the Danube and its arms, and the Danube Delta on the waters open to recreational fishing.
• The open-water side of reeds and weed, holes, underwater ledges, groynes, fallen trees and the old river bed in reservoirs.
• Don't cross the border line by boat and don't land on the other bank.

Step by step

1. 1

   Check the water's rules. Fishing from a boat is allowed on public waters unless the association, the park or the manager forbids it; read the rules for the water, and in the Danube Delta get the access permit for the boat as well.

2. 2

   The boat's papers. The boat must be registered (with the harbour master's office or the town hall, depending on its size) and carry the mandatory safety equipment, including a life jacket for every person on board. For a motorboat, ask the harbour master's office which skipper's certificate you need.

3. 3

   Anchor properly. On a fixed spot, anchor the boat upstream or upwind of it, with one anchor at the bow and one at the stern so it doesn't swing, and cast towards the spot, not on top of it.

4. 4

   Fish on the drift. On large areas, let the wind or current move the boat slowly and cast in the direction of the drift; that way the lures cover new water on every cast.

5. 5

   Fish vertically. Over holes, lower the jig or soft lure under the boat to the bottom and work it in short hops; keep the line vertical, positioning the boat against the current.

6. 6

   Playing fish from the boat. Stay seated, keep the fish away from the engine and the anchors and let the drag work; land a big fish with the net or, for a wels catfish, by the lower jaw with a glove, and only once it's tired.

Common mistakes

• Keeping your life jacket under the seat instead of wearing it.
• Standing up in small boats and overloading them.
• Going out on the water in strong wind or a storm: on the water, carbon rods are the highest point.
• Stopping the boat right over the spot: the fish are spooked by the shadow and the noise.
• Noise in the boat: knocks on the hull carry a long way underwater.
• Alcohol on the water.

Frequently asked questions

Step-by-step guides

• Rig guide: Jig for zander and perch
• Rig guide: Pike rig (wire trace + lure)
• Releasing fish properly: Pike
• Releasing fish properly: Wels catfish

Fishing for pike by county

Other fishing techniques

• Spinning for pike
• Zander on the jig
• Perch on the micro-jig
• Wels catfish with the clonk
• Ice fishing
• Pike on fish baits
• Perch on the drop shot
• Catfish from the bank
• Feeder fishing
• Carp on the method feeder
• Carp on boilies
• Trout on spinners
• Prussian carp on the float
• Spinning for chub
• Asp on crankbaits
• Bream on the feeder
• Barbel on the feeder
• Tench on the float
• Homemade groundbait
• Fly fishing