16 replies to this topic

[bluezulu]

When fishing larford match :confused lake last saturday i was using soft hooking pellets as bait.I was advised by a lot of people to use pellets at this venue.I mainly use corn,meat,bread etc at this sort of carp venue without to many problems.The trouble i found with fishing pellets was that i just could not hit the bites!!I caught a couple of carp but i must have missed a hundred bites and after each strike i would have rebait as the pellet was gone every time.I started fishing on the deck and then moved up to six inches under the surface but i had the same problems, missed bites!As soon as i switched to corn i started to hit fish almost every bite,so what was i doing wrong with those damn pellets as i would like to put it right next time i visit larford,any ideas? :confused:

[ridgeacre]

Feed micro pellets and fish the corn I do when there.

[bluezulu]

Thats just how i ended up fishing ridgeacre but that dos`nt anwser my question why was i missing so many bites?

[kendo]

the same thing was happening to me at a different venue didn't matter how I hooked them and even though sometimes I was getting complete sail aways I just could not hit them,I discovered later when I was able to hook them that they were small carp of about a pound but how they were able to give such positive bites without getting hooked is a mystery.

PS mine were soft pellets 6mm size 14 barbless/16.

[*Dave*]

Hi, Don't strike when using pellet. let your pole do the work as a bolt rig, carp hit bait
hard and self hook, have a float to pole line
distance of six inch

[kendo]

hi Dave I was using rod and line,I don't know if bluezulu was and I was only fishing a few feet out along the margins.

[*Dave*]

same thing Kendo, but keep the line tight
to rod and float, try to fish dead depth,or if
you have to lay it on the lenth of your float should do and try this wait till your rod is draggin in then pick up and play said fish

[edd]

ive had the exact same problem was using a size 14 hook after i'd mised bout 30 bites i changed hook size up to size 12 and lovely jubbly i had a catch total of 160lb

[bluezulu]

Dave G:
Hi, Don't strike when using pellet. let your pole do the work as a bolt rig, carp hit bait
hard and self hook, have a float to pole line
distance of six inch

Thanks dave i think that may have been my problem.I`ve not had a lot of experience fishing with soft hooking pellets as most places i fish ban them.I must learn not to strike at bites!i was fishing the pole with size 12 hook from the off and just could not hit the carp!

[*Dave*]

Hi Bluezulu, i think your hook is to big, i
only use 18 or a 16s thats with most bait
corn/meat, try the Preston NU carp barbless
they look like a bent pin but have the staying
power, or the B911 series,The reason i don't
use hooks much bigger a lot of venues have a
limit to size 14s,I use a 20s B911 up in the water,with pellet and have found out that they
hold better than a larger hook, fish 3,lb +.