On that day, the bite was infrequent, the weather was warm, but the sky was overcast. According to Khoroshev, the larger the crucian, the more finicky it becomes about bait. One-kilogram specimens are particularly cautious and demanding regarding the lure, and their preferences can change within an hour: at first, they actively bite on earthworms, and then suddenly switch to bread or pearl barley, ignoring the worms. To catch a large crucian, he used a "fisherman's sandwich," hooking a maggot, corn, and an earthworm simultaneously. For bait, he used a porridge mixed with finely ground maggots, which creates a cloud of dust in the water, causing the crucians to "vacuum" the bottom of the water body. His approach paid off: with the float rod, he managed to catch a crucian weighing over three kilograms.
According to Vladimir, he had no idea that such trophy specimens could be found in the waters of Ala-Archi. He also noted that among his fellow fishermen, no one had reported catching such large crucians. "In the Chui region, the usual size of crucians caught is 300-700 grams. A crucian weighing one kilogram is a desirable but rare trophy, and catching a crucian weighing 3 kilograms and 600 grams is a true fishing sensation," he shared his impressions after the successful fishing trip.
