Just got back in from a great trotting session :)

[lutra]

Thank's for the comments gent's.

When trotting I've had quite a few of 9lb'ers and over, my biggest being 9lb 11ounce and have been chasing a double so I was a bit miffed as i'm positive the one i'm holding topped 10lb...but I hadn't got the bloody scales !...so still no double. The fish was much bigger than it looks in the pic and one of the widest i've seen.

I've only manage a couple of very low doubles when trotting Ian. Was a similar lots of fish but only a very odd double story when I used to fish hemp and caster on the tip a lot. Pack the light fish catching gear away at dark o'clock, stick a big bait out in the same place and just leave it and better fish often didn't seem far away.

 

I think the conclusion I've come to is that the better fish are just more wary and don't like the commotion of other fish being caught. That's my excuse anyway. You might just be unlucky.

[Tigger]

I've only manage a couple of very low doubles when trotting Ian. Was a similar lots of fish but only a very odd double story when I used to fish hemp and caster on the tip a lot. Pack the light fish catching gear away at dark o'clock, stick a big bait out in the same place and just leave it and better fish often didn't seem far away.

 

I think the conclusion I've come to is that the better fish are just more wary and don't like the commotion of other fish being caught. That's my excuse anyway. You might just be unlucky.

 

I know there where big fish there Brian, I could see them very clearly several weeks a go when the water was lower and clearer. For every large one there where lots of average sized ones. It really was a case of luck which actually took the bait first and obviously because the smaller fish out numberd the larger ones it was odds on one of those would take the bait first. It did prove that different sizes/ year classes of fish hang out together. Maybe they change their shoaling habits through the year, I don't know. I think we can come up with theorys of how to catch a specimen but imo it still comes down to luck....unless of course you where to stalk single or certain groups of fish that you can see enabling you to pick and choose which fish has the bait infront of it. I suppose you could just use a very large bait and hope one big enough to take it comes along.

Edited August 16, 2013 by Tigger

[lutra]

I know there where big fish there Brian, I could see them very clearly several weeks a go when the water was lower and clearer. For every large one there where lots of average sized ones. It really was a case of luck which actually took the bait first and obviously because the smaller fish out numberd the larger ones it was odds on one of those would take the bait first. It did prove that different sizes/ year classes of fish hang out together. Maybe they change their shoaling habits through the year, I don't know. I think we can come up with theorys of how to catch a specimen but imo it still comes down to luck....unless of course you where to stalk single or certain groups of fish that you can see enabling you to pick and choose which fish has the bait infront of it. I suppose you could just use a very large bait and hope one big enough to take it comes along.

Yes I would agree barbel of different sizes shoal together and probably different year classes as well, but that maybe a little hard to prove. Don't females grow bigger than males?

 

The only times I can think of when you don't seem to find all the different sizes mix together is spawning time, when its possible to catch fish up to 3 or 4 pounds away from spawning areas. I guess these are immature fish, maybe mostly females. And other than that very small barbel (less than a 1.5lb ish) seem to stick to nursery areas.

 

Outside of all that I don't agree catching the bigger fish (doubles) is or has to be all down to luck. Some techniques have shown a far better return of bigger fish to fish caught for me, but not all big. Feeding often and getting them competing seems to catch lots of fish, but I think you might be finding like I do, that its not very productive for the bigger ones.

 

But what's more fun, lots of good fish to 10lb on a match rod trotting or a chance of a bit bigger one on the heavy gear? Think I'm all done with the heavy gear for them.

[Tigger]

Yes I would agree barbel of different sizes shoal together and probably different year classes as well, but that maybe a little hard to prove. Don't females grow bigger than males?

 

The only times I can think of when you don't seem to find all the different sizes mix together is spawning time, when its possible to catch fish up to 3 or 4 pounds away from spawning areas. I guess these are immature fish, maybe mostly females. And other than that very small barbel (less than a 1.5lb ish) seem to stick to nursery areas.

 

Outside of all that I don't agree catching the bigger fish (doubles) is or has to be all down to luck. Some techniques have shown a far better return of bigger fish to fish caught for me, but not all big. Feeding often and getting them competing seems to catch lots of fish, but I think you might be finding like I do, that its not very productive for the bigger ones.

 

But what's more fun, lots of good fish to 10lb on a match rod trotting or a chance of a bit bigger one on the heavy gear? Think I'm all done with the heavy gear for them.

 

I have had a few doubles on ledger gear but in all honesty when I caught them I did nothing any different to when I caught smaller fish. In those shoals I saw recently there were some really big fish and I was surprised just how many of the larger ones there actually were. In the conditions that I saw them you really couldn't do anything to guarantee hooking one of the larger ones. When watching my bait on the bottom I did try to pull my bait away from the smaller ones so as to give the larger fish the opportunity to get it first but unfortunatly it just didn't happen....oh except once when I struck to soon and pulled the bait out of the fishes mouth !!

Brian, you know I prefer to catch them on a match rod and pin . And yeah, I can live with catching lots of smaller fish on this gear rather than catching a few biggies on heavy tackle.....it would be nice though to hook a bigger one on the float rod and pin. I think i'd be happy with a 16 lber .

[lutra]

I have had a few doubles on ledger gear but in all honesty when I caught them I did nothing any different to when I caught smaller fish. In those shoals I saw recently there were some really big fish and I was surprised just how many of the larger ones there actually were. In the conditions that I saw them you really couldn't do anything to guarantee hooking one of the larger ones. When watching my bait on the bottom I did try to pull my bait away from the smaller ones so as to give the larger fish the opportunity to get it first but unfortunatly it just didn't happen....oh except once when I struck to soon and pulled the bait out of the fishes mouth !!

Brian, you know I prefer to catch them on a match rod and pin . And yeah, I can live with catching lots of smaller fish on this gear rather than catching a few biggies on heavy tackle.....it would be nice though to hook a bigger one on the float rod and pin. I think i'd be happy with a 16 lber .

Ian if you get a 16 on any method, You can do my lottery numbers.

[Tigger]

Ian if you get a 16 on any method, You can do my lottery numbers.

 

 

The lottery is pure luck you know Brian

[Phone]

Guys,

 

Ahh - the eternal question. One speciman or 10 acceptable fish.

 

Phone

[Tigger]

Guys,

 

Ahh - the eternal question. One speciman or 10 acceptable fish.

 

Phone

 

 

In truth I think i'd prefer the fun of winding in ten acceptable fish rather than one specimene, although the size of the specimen fish may change my mind .

[lutra]

Guys,

 

Ahh - the eternal question. One speciman or 10 acceptable fish.

 

Phone

Phone,

 

You can live in a tent hoping big bertha will turn up one day, but I'm going to the ball to play with all the princesses and who knows, I may still get to give big old bertha a kiss one day.

 

ps. Anyway already had her sister and she wasn't that good.

Edited August 20, 2013 by lutra

[JV44]

Ian spent an enjoyable weekend with Rusty on our island mooring trotting for whatever came along using maggots...at least those were the rules of the competition when we started till he cheated with lobworms we then had the oblige break for a pint in the pub across the river and a plate full of grub in the café next door then bloated we resumed conflict and some jumbo Gudgeon and lots of Dace made up the bulk before he decided we would waste away if we didn`t get a curry delivered after the dusk sesh.

Sunday morning was much of the same but without food thank god although he did baggsy the remainder of said curry for his evening meal,In short really good fun with plenty of fish yet the biggest only went maybe 7 oz proving they don`t have to be big to be enjoyable just the thought that the next one maybe....he is looking forward to his visit steve