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New water with lots of snags...tips?


craynerd

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Hi guys,

So despite this being my first post in probably 12 years, if you look at my registration date, I signed up on here many years ago (2005)! I was really into carping and was on here all the time. I then had kids, sold the fishing gear....you know the story. Anyway, my lad is growing up and I fancied taking him fishing so bought a cheap float fishing setup to catch a few fish. I joined a local Facebook fishing group and asked where the best quiet spot was to fish (didnt want all you pros watching me!) and a random guy recommended a spot only 10 minute drive away, somewhere Id never heard of. He agreed to meet up and show it me one evening and sure enough, it was a really amazing spot, super quiet, only enough room for a couple of people fishing but I really believe it is hardly fished (weirdly even the chap on the Facebook group showing it me wasnt a keen angler and hadnt fished it in three years ....despite being a member of the group! ). Anyway, went up there 5 or 6 times over early summer and caught some great size roach, my lad was buzzing and never met another person up there fishing in probably over 40 hours. First person I saw in all that time was an old dog walker and he started chatting. Told me that he believed there was some carp in there...he didnt know who had put them in but he knew a guy who use to fish there and there was carp in it. Well, I was already bitten by the fishing bug, blown away by this pretty, unfished water and now told there was carp in there. Obviously the only thing I could do was buy a second hand carp setup off fleabay and get back on there. Sure enough, an 8 pound mirror took my bait off a hair rigged popped fake sweet corn on a standard safe bolt rig (only setup I remember) within an hour of being there.

 

So the story almost seems too good to be true...for me anyway. A free water, nice local location, hardly/rarely fished with carp in it.

 

However, here is the problem. Ive now lost 3 fish and got properly snagged up a couple of those times. Since carping on there, Ive stayed on a little later and some bikers tend to hang around just around the corner. I went up to chat to them (asking if they ever saw anyone fishing it) and they mentioned that they know there is all sorts of crap in there....rocks, tyres and even cars!

 

Im not going to lie, Ive not really considered my setup as Ive just been getting back into it and its been hard enough remembering the basics, baits, knots, standard rigs, pva bags etc without considering my setup but I think its time I stopped until I have a better strategy of how to fish it. I cant keep getting snagged up as it isnt fair on the fish either! It is very very deep. I was trying to fish off the bottom when course fishing with the kid and literally only 6 foot out its over 8 foot deep! Im guessing it is way way deeper. That said, my last fish was taken from the margins.

 

So after me going on for too long now, how would you fish it? Line, setup, location...knowing there are bad snags? Is it even right to keep fishing it for carp knowing this is the case. Love to know your opinions. It is a great water so would love to keep at it and see what else is in there!

Here fishy fishy.......

 

140 hours of blanking at Carcus!! 2 carp runs and countless bream .

 

Anyone wanna chat about fishing and help a keen begginer - msn messanger - craynerd@hotmail.com

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Craynerd,

 

Welcome back!!

 

My tips apply to America as first hand advice. Don't know how it will work in your new found "honey hole".

 

Fish with a powerful rod

50 lb braid

STAY CLOSE

Lock your rod down (no drag)

Use #4 - 2X short shank hooks (SHARP!!)

 

If you locate these objects of course don't bait over them. If they are to irregular or random there is not a perfect solution. Maybe you can pop-up a kernel of sweet corn. The "goal" is to get control of the fish before it can turn and get up a head of steam. The fish will have hooked itself as most do 90% of the time anyway.

 

I usually site fish the line where it goes into the water and throw a TEXAS whip hookset at the line quiver. 15 minutes is a Looong time to leave a bait out for me. I use a very simple terminal setup, in this case you describe I would probably at least start with a barrel swivel, short leader of mono (?) line weight ( you want it to safely break if you don't get early control and the fish wins).

 

Phone

 

BTW a TEXAS whip hookset requires a little open space. You remember the guy that whales the rod over head and runs backward for 10 meters? If space is limited use the "modified TEXAS hookset". That's where you just tip your chair over backwards and land in your bait bucket.

Edited by Phone
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Maybe get them used to taking dog biscuits off the top with confidence for a few days & not fish during that time, thus avoiding the snags below!!

 

A trick I saw on telly (Matt Hayes) was then to use a similar coloured, more buoyant, floating boillie cut to represent a dog biscuit to compensate for the weight of the hook (They seemed to be able avoid the proper biscuit which had the hook in it)

 

Use super glue to attach hook to Boillie or Biscuit.

 

Banded "Go Cat" biscuits also work well, especially the fishy shaped ones - band holds very well.

 

A marker float for casting weight about 6 foot away from bait should be about right.

 

Even if you only get 1 or 2 this way would be highly satisfying IMO!!

Edited by Martin56

Fishin' - "Best Fun Ya' can 'ave wi' Ya' Clothes On"!!

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Braid can be the kiss of death for a fish in snaggy waters as the braid will most likely cut into underwater branches rather than "flow" over it like mono can.

 

Use decent strong line, I use 24lb 0.35mm control mono from pbproducts and can honestly say its the best line I've used in 30+ years of fishing.

 

Stay locked up, reel drags tight, tight lines and absolutely no baitrunners.

 

Strong banksticks or even better a goal post set up (as shown below).

 

http://imgur.com/a/R2aIjF8

 

Never a rod pod, these can get pulled over by an angry carp.

 

Be on your rod within seconds and use plenty of side strain in the opposite direction to the snags.

 

Most importantly of all, use SAFE rigs, no leaders of any kind. Especially those so called "safe zone" leaders. They simply are not safe in snaggy areas.

 

Ideally use hooklinks weaker than your mainline. I use either 12lb or 15lb hooklinks.

 

Use strong hooks, continental style hooks have a heavier gauge wire and are less likely to open up. Banktackle.co.uk continental hooks are superb for hit and hold type snag fishing.

 

Anything else, just ask and I'll try to help.

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