So I have my rake heads set back to back and have attached them to rope.....

I assume it is simply a case of lobbing it to the area I am intending to fish, wait for it to hit bottom and pull ? - do I pull slowly (else surely you will simply lift the rake from the bottom ?)

Is the purpose of raking simply to stir up the bottom or to remove any weed growth ?

How many times do you repeat the process ?

cheers !

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A slow, steady pull usually works best.

Both to stir up the bottom and remove some weed. The number of throws depends on the quantity of weed at the venue, I fish an old clay pit that has over 3' of weed in many swims, this usually requires 5 or 6 attempts to create a large enough hole to fish in. I drop the extracted weed back in between pegs to allow the aquatic life it harbours to survive.

HTH

Will

Depends what your doing Jon!
If just stirring it up for Tench, a few quick drags across the bottom will suffice.
If you’re clearing weeds/reeds 1/2 hour or two slipped discs is generally considered about right!(very stout rope & gloves required!)
I find the swim is fishable straight away - it's like the fish hang around waiting for you to finish!

It certainly works, read the tricky tench thread for my recent experience with raking a tench swim!

its good to have a couple of feet of heavy chain between rake and rope ,it helps keep the tines more of a 90deg angle to the bottom ,if its not used the tines can become hooked under roots etc
its purpose ?
is to allow you to chuck things in the pond for a reason rather than without
a tip, kittens in sacks should go in last it saves hooking them back in

[ 10. August 2004, 06:42 PM: Message edited by: chesters1 ]

if raking to attract tench and weed growth isn't a problem then up to about 3 slow retrieves should suffice,do this before you set up your rod and add a few hook bait samples and perhaps a little hemp,hopefully by the time you make your first cast the fish should be present.

I really gotta try this raking lark to see if any of our fish are attracted to the raked area. No tench here but maybe something will like it.

If not, no harm done certainly.

Can you tow a rake behind a boat to clear a path thru the weeds?

One of the main benefits of raking is that it stirs up the bottom layers, exposing or dislodging invertebrates and rendering them vulnerable to fish predation.

Also, the water usually become cloudy, itself an attractor to fish (as can be the 'splash' as the rake goes in).

Three or four slow drags across the swim usually works. I agree that you should have your tackle ready BEFORE you drag, so that you can fish straight away.

Newt: doubt that it would work for bass (never figured them out), but it should do for most panfish, catfish, carp and 'minnows' Interestingly, the 'splash' can act as a Northern (pike) attractor. The species would be attracted anyway if the panfish/preyfish responded.

You're right about the splash attracting pike, BB. Back in 1980 when the Middle Level (fen drain) was being seriously dredged, I avoided the areas where the excavators were working, thinking it would scare the pike. Big mistake. Much cleverer anglers than me were fishing very close to the disturbance and catching, big-time.

Wayda cotton to those Limey phrases, pardner!

Terry