What kind of fish is silver carp, how to catch and how to cook delicious fish

Silver carp is a fish that belongs to the carp family. She lives in freshwater bodies. The diet of this fish is based on small living creatures that live in the water. Its large size and excellent taste have made the silver carp a favorite fishing object. But to catch this fish, you need to properly prepare the tackle.

Silver carp is often called the bighead or silver carp. In length, it can grow up to 1.5 meters. In this case, the body weight reaches 30 kg. But silverhead is valued not only for its large size. This fish has excellent taste and contains many valuable components. It is characterized by a silvery shade of the sides. In this case, the color of the belly can be white. This fish has a fairly large head with a wide forehead and mouth. The bighead’s mouth is a filtering apparatus. Thanks to this, individuals can hunt plankton.

Varieties of silver carp with photos and descriptions

There are several main varieties of silver carp:

1. White – has a lighter color than other species. This fish is characterized by a medium-sized body and a large head. Her diet is based on plant plankton.
2. Variegated – has a large head. This variety is capable of reaching impressive sizes. The fish feeds not only on plant, but also on animal plankton.
3. Hybrid – was obtained by breeding. This variety has the advantages of the first two types. In addition, it is less demanding on temperature conditions and is able to survive in the cold.

Difference from similar fish

Many fishermen confuse the bighead with similar fish –
carp or grass carp. Indeed, these fish belong to the same family. But they are characterized by some differences. The silver carp features include:

1. Has an extended head and low-set eyes. The grass carp is distinguished by an elongated and rounded body, on which there are dense scales and light fins.
2. A sharp keel is located along the abdomen of the silver carp.
3. With intense noise, silver carps jump out of the water. If you tap the oar on the water, the fish can jump into the boat by itself.

Amur [/ caption]
Large silverhead [/ caption]

Habitat

Silver carp native to East Asia. Under natural conditions, the white species lives in the Amur and Kuban basins. The variegated bighead is found in Chinese rivers. It can also be found in the Dniester, Kuban and other bodies of water. Both fish species are actively bred in artificial reservoirs. Their added benefit is their ability to purify water.

Habits and lifestyle

This fish prefers to settle in the upper and middle layers of water bodies. Most often, she lives in large rivers, ponds and lakes. At the same time, silver carps live in stagnant water and in bodies of water with the current. The favorite places of the bighead include shallows, which have a light current. In this case, the bottom can be silty, sandy, rocky. The fish is tough enough. It easily tolerates a large temperature range, low oxygen content, and the presence of salt in water. The behavior of the fish is determined by the seasonal factor. In autumn, when the temperature is less than +8 degrees, it begins to build up a layer of fat. With the onset of winter, the fish hibernates. To do this, she selects depressions at the bottom. With the onset of spring, a large amount of plankton appears in the water. At this time, the silver carp begins to look for food.At first, it explores the depths and only when it warms up to +24 degrees does it shift to higher layers.
Silver carp is very tenacious and unpretentious [/ caption]

Spawning features

Silver carp ripens by 5-7 years of age. At this stage, the fish becomes large and can give good offspring. Spawning begins in late spring or early summer. This usually happens at temperature parameters from +20 degrees. For spawning, females choose areas with silt at the bottom. In this case, the flow should be slow. During breeding, the female is able to lay up to 1 million eggs. They swell immediately in water. It takes 2 weeks for the caviar to ripen.

What does silver carp eat?

The silver carp’s diet is influenced by its age. But the basis of nutrition is always plant and animal plankton. Silverhead mainly eats algae. Variegated individuals also consume animal food. Their diet is similar to that of white fish. Due to this, individuals grow rapidly and increase in size. The diet of hybrid varieties is slightly larger. In addition to plankton, they gladly consume small crayfish. Also, these silver carps are fed with special mixtures.

How to catch silver carp

Silver carp fishing is a very exciting experience. Silver carp are pelagic fish that rarely descend to the bottom layer. Catching her is quite difficult. This is especially true for bodies of water that have a lot of food and few medium-sized fish. For silver carp fishing, it is recommended to give preference to places where there is strong food competition and a minimum of food. This forces the fish to rush to the bait that the fisherman uses.
A large silver carp has indescribable resistance to the angler [/ caption]

Where to find

Silver carp predominantly live in areas with muddy bottoms and soft algae. In most cases, they live at a depth of about 3 meters. Early in the morning and at sunset, the roar moves closer to the shore. The rest of the time she lives off the coast. In open reservoirs, silver carps choose stretches and sandbanks.

Tackle used

The easiest fishing method is to use a
universal carp rod , which is designed for long-distance casting. In this version of the tackle, it is important to pay attention to the choice of the float. It is advisable to use transparent floats. Ordinary floats will only scare the fish away.
Carp rods can be used when fishing for silver carp [/ caption]

When and how to catch

For fishing to be successful, it is important to choose a calm and calm weather. In this case, the water should be warm, and the reservoir should be transparent. In muddy waters, catching a silver carp will not work. This sign indicates an excess feed content. If the bighead is hungry, it greedily grabs the bait and self-hooks. Otherwise, the silver carp must be lured by first feeding the reservoir.

Important! Experienced fishermen advise against using blunt hooks. If the silver carp feels a prick, it will spit out the bait and the whole flock will leave.

The following tackle can also be used to catch silver carp:

1. Bottom zakidushka . You do not need to use a rod, because the tackle is made rough. When fishing for silver carp, you should use a thick line, 0.22-0.35 mm, a monofila of this diameter is strong enough and able to withstand the resistance of large fish.
2. Float with a sliding float – the tackle has a float that moves freely along the line. Float sliding tackle [/ caption]

Lure

As a bait, you can use special synthesized agents that are sold in the form of tablets. They contain protein elements. You can also do the feeding yourself. For this it is worth using cereals. They need to add wheat flour, bran, cake.

Catching silver carp on technoplankton in summer from the shore

Technoplankton is a special groundbait that is sold compressed. It gradually dissolves in water, forming a cloudy cloud. It resembles the natural food of silver carp – phytoplankton. The use of technoplankton implies long-distance casting. Read more about
fishing with technoplankton in our article.
Rigging for technoplankton fishing [/ caption]

Tackle “fathead killer”

This tackle contains a large float, below which a feeder or frame is fixed to hold technoplankton. Hooks are tied to tackle on short leashes. They put complementary foods in the trough. When released into water, it creates a cloudy cloud. As a result, the fish swims up and filters the dregs with gills. In doing so, she swallows the hooks. How to Catch and Catch a Silver Carp – Video for Beginners: https://youtu.be/Qe69lsqX3u0

Taste qualities, benefits and harms of meat

This freshwater fish contains a lot of fish oil. By this parameter, it is comparable to many marine species. Silver carp is characterized by excellent taste. The meat of this fish contains many protein components, which are distinguished by a balanced set of amino acids. The product contains polyunsaturated fatty acids. The unique composition of the product helps to avoid the development of pathologies of the heart and blood vessels and malignant tumors. In addition, the use of fish meat helps to improve well-being in atherosclerosis. It restores the functions of the nervous system.
Smoked silver carp [/ caption] It is recommended to eat silver carp dishes for gout, arterial hypertension, rheumatism, diabetes mellitus. This fish contains a lot of sulfur and zinc. It includes iron and phosphorus. Thanks to these components, this product significantly improves the condition of nails and hair. Fish meat activates skin regeneration, stimulates the production of hemoglobin and improves carbohydrate metabolism. It has strong antioxidant properties and helps fight free radicals. This product is useful for people with diabetes as it helps to lower blood sugar parameters. Fish is a fairly dietary product. In 100 grams of silver carp, there are only 86 kcal. Meat contains valuable proteins, due to which it contributes to quick satiety.

Silver carp dishes are not recommended to be consumed in the presence of idiosyncrasy – an individual intolerance to fish products. If, after eating such food, rashes, an itching sensation and other unpleasant symptoms appear on the body, it is worth giving it up.

Silver carp can be infected with various parasites that provoke metagonimiasis. They resemble small thorny worms and can colonize the intestines. To avoid this, the fish must be thoroughly cooked. Oven-baked silver carp – recipe video: https://youtu.be/vlDEAr3bqeU

How to cook – recipes and tips

Before cooking silver carp, it must be properly cleaned and cut. To do this, it is recommended to do the following:

1. Remove scales from the carcass . The fish are characterized by small scales that are poorly scraped off with a knife. Therefore, it is better to clean the silver carp with a special toothed scraper. This will help prevent skin damage and remove scales near the gills and around the fins.
2. Carefully cut the gill plates .
3. Wash the carcass . This will help get rid of any remaining scales.
4. Remove the insides carefully . In doing so, it is important to avoid damaging the gallbladder. Otherwise, the fish will become bitter.
5. To cook fish in parts, you first need to remove the head . Then it needs to be cut into pieces of a suitable size.

How to pickle silver carp for barbecue and cook deliciously – video recipe: https://youtu.be/OoFxMbA35-Q Silver carp is versatile. This fish is prepared in many different ways. The fried product is very tender and soft. To prepare this dish, the fish must be peeled and cut into portions. Sprinkle them with spices and pour over lemon juice. Then fold into a deep container and leave for 1 hour. This time will be enough for the pieces to marinate well. Then you need to heat the pan, roll the fish in flour and fry on each side until golden brown. This will take an average of 20 minutes. You can make delicious smoked or dried balyk from silver carp. It can also be baked or stewed. A very tasty dish will turn out as a jellied one. You can make various soups, cutlets, dumplings from the bighead.When choosing fish, you should give preference to large specimens. They contain fewer seeds. How to cook silver carp balyk – video recipe: https://youtu.be/RNdb5rxJ5Cc

Breeding in the pond

Farming silver carp breeding is a laborious process. For it to be successful, it is important to create optimal conditions for the fish. So, the temperature of the reservoir should not exceed +25 degrees. Moreover, the fish is thermophilic. She prefers sunny weather and a muddy bottom. It is important to consider that there should be a lot of plants in the reservoir. The optimum depth for this fish is 3-4 meters. Early in the morning and in the evening, the bighead swims aground, and in the afternoon it lays on the bottom. When growing silver carp, it is important to provide them with the right diet. It should include animal and plant plankton. Zooplankton provides fish with sufficient protein.
Fish acquire marketable weight by the age of two. At this time, they weigh 0.5-0.6 kg. Puberty is observed at 3-5 years old. The body length is 50 cm. It is recommended to breed silver carp in ponds. In this case, it is worth dividing the fish by size. This will help prevent the development of pathologies and make the rearing of silver carp more efficient. For breeding, it is recommended to use a pond with an area of ​​200-300 square meters. It should be filled with different plants in order to improve the attachment of eggs during spawning. In this case, the spawning grounds should be used at the end of May or the first half of June. Spawning lasts a maximum of 2 weeks. For the first time, the fish are moved to a new reservoir 5-7 weeks after birth. Up to 900 fish can live on 1 hectare of pond, subject to a maximum growth of 2 kg.At the beginning, it is recommended to feed the planted silver carp with natural food. In autumn, it is worth picking out large fish and moving them to another pond. There they must live until spawning. For fish farming to be effective, there are many things to consider. The main nuances include the following:

1. Fish will not be able to get the required amount of nutrients from feed if the temperature of the water is less than +18 degrees . All energy reserves will be spent on maintaining normal vital processes. In this case, there will be no reserves left. As a result, bigheads will not be able to increase body weight.
2. The reservoir needs to be systematically cleaned and disinfected . If you do not do this, there is a risk of developing dangerous infections.
3. To make the business profitable, it is worth breeding silver carp or choosing a hybrid variety. These fish grow faster. 80% of their body weight can be eaten.

Silver carp breeding in a pond as a business idea – video report: https://youtu.be/jchEtoNEGI8 Silver carp is a common fish that tastes great and contains many useful elements. The large head is characterized by its large size, therefore many fishermen hunt it. For fishing to be successful, it is important to choose the right tackle and bait.

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