Fish shamayka (or shemaya) has a wonderful taste, so it has been an object of fishing for a long time. However, over time, due to active fishing, its numbers have significantly decreased. Now it is in the Red Book, but at the same time it is illegally mined in the basins of the Azov and Black Seas.
Features of shamiki
Shamayka is considered to be a carp breed, but it has a number of distinctive features that make it easy to recognize. In favorable conditions, it reaches up to 30 cm in length, and its weight can reach 900 grams. But more often individuals weighing about 300 grams come across, large ones are extremely rare.
Its body shape is oblong, which distinguishes it from other carp breeds. The scales are small with a silvery tinge. A feature is the elongated lower jaw, which is thickened. The head of the fish is small in size in relation to the body, and it has a dark greenish tint in color. Its back is gray, and its abdomen is silvery.
Where does shemaya live
There is a shamayka in only a few places. These are rivers flowing into the Caspian, Black or Azov seas. In addition, this fish prefers to stay close to the sea basin, and does not go upstream. You can catch it in the Aral Sea. The largest individuals are found here. She also lives in the rivers Terek, Kura. Outside our country, small populations of shamikas can be found in the Danube River.
What eats
The behavior of this fish is formed depending on the habitat. The shamika inhabiting the territory of our country remains in the sea coastal zone, occasionally swimming into rivers for spawning.
Instances in the reservoirs of Europe prefer to feed near reservoirs, where the bottom is rocky. In such places, the water contains a large amount of oxygen.
Regardless of its habitat, this fish prefers rivers with an active current, so it is impossible to catch it on the Volga. Shemaya is rarely found in the Dnieper, but in modest quantities. Much more of it is in the Terek or Kuban, where there is a fast current.
The diet of this fish also includes insect larvae and algae, but it is more of a predator. Its main food is plankton, insects or fry of other fish species. Spawning occurs when the shamayka reaches the age of two. Spawning occurs in warmer waters, so during this period the fish rises upstream into rivers. The deposition occurs only in the dark, in places where there are rifts, an active current and a bottom surface with stones. At the end of the spawn, the shamayka returns to its natural habitats, and the appearance of fry occurs after 4-6 days.
How to catch and what shamayka
Since the shamayka is more a predator than a peaceful fish, you need to use the appropriate baits to catch it. These include maggots, grasshoppers, bloodworms, worms, crustaceans, and larvae. A sandwich made of several attachments can also increase.
Fishing for shamike begins in the second half of spring, and for this you can use a float tackle or spinning rod. To enhance the bite, use a bait mixture from a store or corn, porridge, bran or cake.
Large individuals are caught in the upper horizon of the river, at a depth of about a meter. Small shamayka rises to the very surface. You should hook up immediately after the bite, otherwise the fish may get scared and leave. The hook is set no more than No. 6, and the line is 0.2-0.4 mm.