Cockroach - fish widespread in many countries of the world. It is known to every Lithuanian fisherman. Although roach is not a valuable type of fish, but every spring attracts fishing both beginners and experienced fishermen.

Kouja - belongs to the family of fish of the carp family.

Appearance of a roach:

• Body - elongated, slightly flattened from the sides (becomes thicker and wider with age)
• The back is smooth, dark gray with a slight greenish or bluish tint
• Sides and belly - silvery (sometimes with a yellowish tinge)
• The scales are large, close together
• Fins - different colors: belly, pectoral and anal - red-orange, and back and tail - gray with a greenish tint
• The mouth is small with an elongated upper jaw
• red-orange eyes

Cockroaches are characterized by slow growth. During the first three years, its length increases by 4-5 cm, and then this number decreases and every year the roach grows by 2-3 cm. Individual specimens can reach the size of 30 cm only after reaching the age of 10. The maximum life span of a roach is 20 years, and the average life span is 8-15 years. The average weight is 250-450 grams, and the largest recorded weight of a roach was 1.8 kg.

Lifestyle

Roaches live in groups. Each group is formed depending on the age of the fish, so there can be only a few large specimens in a group of small fish. Generally, roaches prefer to stay as close to the shore as possible. Larger individuals choose deeper places, while small ones stay in shallow water. Basically, roaches stay in reeds or grassy areas. Roaches winter in dense flocks, and when the ice melts, they move to the shallows, where they begin to actively feed before spawning. During this period, you can notice the movement of the flock from a distance, but you should take into account that the roach is quite timid and will immediately move to another place in case of danger.

Cockroaches actively feed at any time of the day and can eat both living organisms and algae. In the middle of summer, when food is plentiful, you should look for roaches at a depth of 2-3 meters.

In winter, roach swarms are near aquatic vegetation in deeper areas. In winter, roaches are good, but you need to discover their pack. When spring comes, the roach leaves the deep-water areas and swims to the coasts, where it actively feeds.

When does a roach spawn

Male and female roaches start puberty at different ages. Puberty takes two to four years for males and three to five years for females.

Spawning begins in April, when water bodies are freed from ice and the water warms up to + 8-10°C. Before this, the males are dressed in breeding clothes. Light spots appear on the scales, which later darken and harden, and disappear after spawning.

On average, spawning itself lasts 2-3 weeks and occurs in May. For breeding, females usually choose calm dams and shallow waters with underwater scrub and well-warmed water up to + 12-15 ° С. Depending on the age, females can spawn from 10 to 150 thousand spawn (from 1 to 1.5 mm in diameter) of light yellow color. Due to their sticky coating, they stick well to aquatic vegetation.

After 1-2 weeks, chicks appear from the eggs. They first feed on the contents of their yolk sac and then move on to small plankton and plants. Hiding from enemies in coastal thickets almost all the time. In the second half of summer, the young generation leaves their shelters, gathers in flocks and swims out into the open waters.

When is the best time to catch a roach

Spring is recognized as the best time for roach fishing. In early spring, reeds and algae have not yet filled the entire coastal space, which makes the task of fishermen much easier. You can find flocks of roaches in places that are well heated by the sun.

Summer fishing should be moved to the evening or early morning. In summer, the roach prefers to feed at dusk or at night.

In the autumn period, the fish will retreat to the depths. Successful fishing can be done using a feeder or bottom rod.

In winter, catching roaches is most successful on cold and sunny days.