How to Catch Asp Fish?
Fishing Tips and Tricks: Best Time, Place and Lure to Catch Asps
Let us begin with a few words about the asp (lat. Aspius, aspius). It is a predatory fish species that can be found in the majority of the rivers in the European countries. It reaches up to about 12 kg/ 25 lbs in weight and 1.20 m/ 4' in length.
Catching it is a real fun, as it is a very fast and furious fish. However, this is not always an easy task. The challenge to catch an asp comes trough its chaotic way of chasing. This usually happens by low water, as well as in wide areas of the river during the warm season.
Best Time to Catch Asp
Catching an asp can be relatively easy right after their spawning period and in the phase of full moon. At those times the asp is feeding actively. In general, it is catchable during day and night hours, and throughout the whole year, except for the spawning period.
The water level plays an important role when you are chasing for asp. Constant or rising water level offers excellent conditions to fish for asp and other predatory fish. If it is falling, it is useless to wait for asp, as it will be hiding.
Best Place to Catch Asp
Search for white waters, fallen trees in the river that meet the current, edges of sandbanks, spots with reverse flow, river mouths, waterfalls. The asp loves all these spots with fast running waters and you will have good chances to catch it there.
Best Crankbaits for Asp Fishing
We recommend using very light, slim, wooden crankbaits to catch an asp. See some productive lures (3:24 min) that we have used to catch the asps from our videos. They are our own handmade production, elaborated from robust poplar wood, covered by real fish skin that best mimics bait fish, and with wooden lips. They are all unique masterpieces with proven efficiency.
Other effective lures for asp fishing are the Realwobbler Retro Lures (3:53 min). They are also handmade from robust poplar wood and custom painted and can help you catch nice asps. There are also the new Realwobbler Retro Ultra Light White and Ultra Light Silver Crankbaits. They are very slim and light - from 4 to 6 g/ 0.14 to 0.21 Oz. - and perfect for asp fishing.
During the warm period you can use good top water lures for asps. The Realwobbler Belly Lures will be an excellent choice.
Best Line for Asp Fishing
The best line to use is a thin braided line of 0.10 - 0.15 mm/ 0.004-0.006". With it you will be able to pull out any asp. For clear waters you can use fluorocarbon of 0.20 mm/ 0.008" .
The asp is a very fast and furious fish. Don't forget to stay focus while fishing for it and have your reel break perfectly tuned!
Reeling Techniques
By slow current you can retrieve with fast to very fast speed. By fast current retrieve slow or with moderate speed!
By slow or moderate current you can also make short pauses while reeling, so that the lure shows on the surface and dives again. This techniques mimics the behavior of small fish feeding on the water surface. The asp will be attracted and will strike.
Here is an example of excellent fishing spot (6:20 min.). It is shallow in the distance and getting deep in front of the bank. Casting the lure to the shallow water and retrieving it through the deep spot can bring you nice asp. The asp usually waits in ambush on the edge between the shallow and deep spot. The reeling can be fast in the shallow waters and slow in the deep waters.
Feed a Spot to Attract Asp Fish
A good technique to attract an asp is to feed a spot for bait fish. Choose a quiet spot with slow running water behind a fallen tree. Feed the spot and wait until the school appears. Then either start casting a wooden crankbait in order to help attracting an asp, or wait until it comes and then cast the crankbait.
Using this technique, Realwobbler's lure designer and expert fisherman Tsvetomir caught this nice asp on a Realwobbler Retro Red Head Crankbait.
You can see another asp caught on perfect asp fishing spot (9:15 min). In this case it bit on a Realwobbler Retro Ultra Light Silver Crankbait. Tsvetomir explains his reeling technique in the video.
These are our most important tips about asp fishing. Hopefully, they can help you catch more and bigger asps from now on.
If you know other asp anglers, who can benefit from the tips in this article and video, please share these with them!
For any questions, feel free to contact us!
We wish you Tight Lines and Big Asps!
Realwobbler offers a variety of handmade wooden crankbaits designed by an expert fisherman with the aim to help spinning and trolling anglers from all over the world to convert each fishing trip into a memorable experience.
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