Tyumen Anglers Catch Massive Zander During Winter Fishing
It took the anglers two days to land the trophy zander, weighing 7 kilograms (15 lb).
Feb 24, 2026 0
The zander«s substantial dimensions highlight the challenge of winter angling on the Irtysh River.
Source:
Tyumen anglers Ruslan Faizullin and his friend Alexander successfully conducted a winter fishing trip on the Irtysh River, where they managed to catch a large zander weighing 7 kilograms (15 lb). For the cold season, such a catch is considered a significant achievement.
Anglers frequent the Irtysh River for its reputation of yielding sizable fish during the winter months.
Source:
The men dedicated two days to searching for fish. Due to the ice thickness, which reached approximately 60 centimeters (24 inches), they had to use a drill with a diameter of 200 millimeters (8 inches) to create holes.
“We drilled the Irtysh ice for two days with a 200 mm (8 in) drill, which was quite labor-intensive given the current thickness; the ice is already about 60 centimeters (24 in). This drill diameter was chosen this season for a reason, a record has been set,” the fishermen explained.
According to Ruslan Faizullin, the zander bit on the second day of fishing in the Vagaysky District of Tyumen Oblast. The angler noted that in winter, large specimens rarely show activity and are difficult to pull out due to the structure of their mouth.
“We were fishing in the Vagaysky District. On the second day, we caught this beauty! A big zander is a serious trophy for the winter period. Because in winter, in most cases, such fish won«t fit through the hole and is less active than in summer. For us, this is a memorable catch because such fish are very hard to persuade to bite. They are already smart, having seen life. And even if a zander does bite, due to its armored mouth, it»s very hard to set the hook, but we succeeded!” Ruslan Faizullin said.
Read more
