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Everyone, even young anglers, probably knows about this small fish, but unfortunately, catching it isn't always possible. Purchasing it in a store is also unlikely, so this article will focus on its characteristics and where to catch it.
What does a white bream look like?
The fish, like many other peace-loving individuals, belongs to the ray-finned group and is, like the dace and asp, a close relative of the carp.
The carp family has a separate group with the same name, i.e. the genus bream, to which the small bream is related.
In appearance, it strongly resembles the bream. Its body is similarly flattened on the sides, and it contains numerous small bones. However, many fishermen like to smoke or dry it right on the shore.
It's worth noting that this peaceful fish has seven teeth on each side. Its head ends in a blunt snout, and its lower jaw protrudes slightly forward. The white bream has no barbels, but its fins, like those of most ray-finned fish, have numerous rays.
Compared to bream, the silver bream has larger scales and a distinctive groove running along its head. Another difference from its close relative is that its fins have significantly more rays.
As for enemies, they are the same as those of any other peace-loving individual:
- Pike perch;
- Perch;
- Pike;
- Jereh.
The white bream grows up to 35 cm and can weigh over 1 kilogram. However, smaller fish weighing no more than 200 grams are more common.
Where is the white bream found?
This species is most often caught in the Baltic Sea. It also inhabits large numbers in the seas (Caspian, Azov, and Black). It also prefers to breed in various ponds and lakes. Still, currentless water is its favorite habitat.
In Russia, the largest numbers of white bream are found in the Leningrad Region. This fish can also be caught in Siberian waters, but here it is most often used as live bait, especially when hunting for noble predators such as taimen, char, and brown trout.
Outside the country, this fish is found in the Balkans, the Pyrenees, and the waters of the Alps. Large numbers of white bream live in Sweden and Finland. They can be caught using a variety of tackle, from bottom fishing rods and float rods to light spinning rods.
Conclusion
Although white bream isn't a trophy-sized fish, anglers often prepare various delicacies from it. Outdoors, it's easy to smoke and then enjoy, for example, as a wonderful beer snack. The small fish's 3-4% fat content makes it suitable for making an excellent and tasty fish soup.
The white bream has excellent flavor, although, like its relative the bream, it is considered particularly bony. This active fish makes an excellent bait for zander and pike. All these qualities make the fish more desirable and popular, so fishermen, after landing a specimen, tend not to part with it too quickly and release it back into the water.
