Asp

Quick facts

How to identify it

A long, spindle-shaped body with a pointed head and a large, deeply cleft mouth that reaches back to the front of the eye; the lower jaw is slightly longer and hooks into a notch in the upper jaw. The back is dark grey-green, the flanks bright silver, the fins grey with an orange or reddish tint on the lower ones. Scales are small (65–74 along the lateral line) and the tail is large and deeply forked. Small asp resemble ide and chub, but the asp's big, toothless mouth, keel-like belly behind the pelvic fins and slimmer profile set it apart. Adults are unmistakable by their size and pike-like build.

Where it lives

Asp are fish of large, well-oxygenated rivers and are most at home in fast, open water: the tails of weir pools, confluences, the heads of gravel islands, the tips of groynes and the seams where fast current meets slack. They also thrive in big reservoirs and lowland lakes with a river connection, hunting along dam walls and windward shores, and tolerate brackish water in river mouths. Juveniles live in shoals over shallow gravel; adults are solitary or hunt in small groups, patrolling the upper water column and striking baitfish at the surface. In winter they drop into deep, slower runs and holes near their summer haunts.

Season and behaviour

Asp spawn early, from March to May, on gravel in strong current at about 6–10 °C, and are protected by a spring closed season in many countries. From late May onwards they feed aggressively, and June to September is the classic surface season: at dawn, dusk and on warm, overcast days they slash through bleak shoals with a loud, unmistakable splash. Autumn brings the biggest fish as they gorge before winter, chasing prey deeper and further from the bank. In cold water asp slow down but keep feeding; winter fish are caught deep on slow-rolled lures or dead baits. They are daylight predators, most active in the first and last hours of the day.

Fishing methods

Spinning is the main game: long casts with a 2.4–3.0 m rod rated 10–40 g, braided line and a fluorocarbon leader, working slim lures fast through the surface layer where asp hunt. Aim well beyond the strike and retrieve quickly across the current seam; asp chase and hit hard, so keep the rod low and let the drag work. Fly anglers use streamers and surface poppers on 7–8 weight outfits, casting to rising fish below weirs. In deep reservoirs and in winter, a slow-rolled shad or a dead bleak on a light ledger rig takes the largest specimens. Float-fished live or dead bait in the current works where permitted, but catch-and-release is the norm for this hard-fighting fish.

Baits and lures

Asp lures should be slim, fast and flashy to imitate bleak: 6–10 cm slender crankbaits and jerkbaits, heavy spoons, spinners with a long-cast body, lipless minnows and surface walkers in silver, white, chrome or natural bleak patterns. Small soft shads on 5–12 g jig heads score in deeper water and in winter. Fly patterns are silver-and-white streamers, deceivers and small poppers. Natural baits are less used but effective: a live or dead bleak, a bunch of large worms or a fillet strip fished in the current.

Tips from the bank

1. 01Cast beyond the splash and retrieve through it — an asp that just struck is usually still hunting the same spot.
2. 02Fish fast: asp keep pace with the quickest retrieve you can manage and lose interest in a slow lure.
3. 03Concentrate on the tails of weir pools, groyne tips and confluence seams in the first and last hours of daylight.
4. 04Use a long rod and braid for distance and hook-set; asp often strike at extreme range and the take is instant.
5. 05Keep the drag set light — the first run of a big asp is fast enough to snap a locked reel.
6. 06In winter, slow right down and swim a small shad along the deep, slow runs near the summer hunting spots.

Where to catch Asp

Waters where Shoalmap's fishing reports list Asp.

• Tisa
• Rumenački kanal
• Veliki bački kanal
• Ugrinovački kanal
• Devojka sa krčagom
• Čonopljansko jezero
• Begej
• Palićko jezero
• Kikindski Kanal
• Čik
• Beli vir
• Ločka Provala
• Majdan
• Rokov potok
• Veliki bački kanal
• Akumulacija Panonija
• Kanal Zlatica
• Šodroš
• Dunav
• Kapitanski rit
• Čik
• Mali Begej
• Čukarički zaliv
• Topčiderska reka
• Grbovica
• Mali potok
• Srebrni potok
• Glibovac
• Matyér–Subasai-főcsatorna
• Homokbánya

Related species

• Chub
  Squalius cephalus

  The big-mouthed, all-year opportunist of rivers and streams — it eats almost anything.

• Ide
  Leuciscus idus

  The silvery all-rounder of big lowland rivers — grazer, riser and hunter in one.

• Zander
  Sander lucioperca

  The low-light hunter of deep, murky rivers and reservoirs.

• Northern pike
  Esox lucius

  The ambush predator with the biggest teeth in European fresh water.

Frequently asked questions