fish-on

Many thanks for the advice and suggestions all, the pole is rated upto 16 elastic so it should cope ok with a 12. I have elasticated two top sections using the information provided in the link above and am now all ready to go and try out the pole! Cheers, Stu.

Thanks Gaz, just the ticket! stu.

Hi Folks, Any advice would be great. My first pole that i bought a few days ago came already elasticated with number 6 elastic, this is not really ideal as i aim to use the pole mainly on my local lake and target the huge stock of carp upto 10lb. I am in the process of changing the elastic but could do with some reassurance that i'm doing it right and also have a couple of questions. I know that a tackle shop can do the job for me, but i'd like to learn how to do it myself as if anything breaks down when i'm sitting at the lakeside fishing it makes sense to be able to fix it. I have removed the no6 size internal bush in the top of the pole and replaced it with a 12-14 external bush, the internal bush that was removed was attached to a 12" rod, do i replace the rod in the top section even though there is not a bush or was the rod in place simply to hold the internal bush in? I am a little concerned as to the bung sizing choice, even though it was the larger choice from the tackle shop, it still slips up into the 2nd section of the pole about 12" which i assume is way too much? should it be just an inch or two inside the bottom of the second section? and how exactly does the bung retractor rod work, it basically resembles a drinking straw with a small 1" long flattened section, there appears to be nothing on the bottom of the bung to attach the retractor to, so how is the bung removed? Fitting the elastic seems straight forward enough, i attach it to the top of the bung, thread it up through the 2 top sections, stretch it slightly and attach it to the stonfo connector? does that sound about right? Many thanks in advance. Stu.

Hi Folks, In a couple of weeks time i will be entering my first ever privately run match at my local commercial lake (stocked full of silverfish, bream, tench and carp upto 10lb), I am excited about the prospect but also a little aprehensive and there are a few things i am not sure of and could do with some advice from hardened match anglers. I aim to use a pole but should i take a rod/reel too just incase things are 'slow' on the pole, if so would a feeder rod be best suited? Should i take as many baits as i can think of or just the basic few (pellets, corn, maggots, meat)? and what about groundbait/hemp etc? (there are no groundbait or similar limits or bans), Should i be targeting silverfish and tackle/bait up accordingly, or should i beef things up slightly and aim for the bigger fish? Also, i have sat and watched a few matches but have not been there to witness the start/finish, therefore am not 100% sure of the match proceedures, so is it normal practice for all entrants to set up their gear all ready to cast out before the match, and is pre-baiting allowed before the start? Any advice on these matters and anything else a 'first-timer' should know is very much appreciated. Cheers, Stu.

Hi there, We live just 5 miles from Twitchen Farm/Park in Woolacombe yet have never fished it, so can't offer any tips...sorry, but i'd be interested to hear how you get on! btw, don't know if you know, but a long section of the A3123 is closed for road repairs just outside Ilfracombe near Mulacott Cross, therefore you may be better taking the A361 through Braunton to get to Twitchen Park. (depending on which way you are coming of course) all the best. Stu.

Hi there, We live just 5 miles from Twitchen Farm/Park in Woolacombe yet have never fished it, so can't offer any tips...sorry, but i'd be interested to hear how you get on! btw, don't know if you know, but a long section of the A3123 is closed for road repairs just outside Ilfracombe near Mulacott Cross, therefore you may be better taking the A361 through Braunton to get to Twitchen Park. (depending on which way you are coming of course) all the best. Stu.

Many thanks Terry, Is there a general guide as to what lb mono will match the elastics? ie: would 6-8 elastic equate to around 2-3lb mono?.....a 12-14 elastic would be maybe 4-5lb? and a 20 elastic around 8lb+? or does that sound slightly too strong? Thanks. Stu.

Many thanks for the reply S_mac and your very good tips. It seems sensible then that no matter what pole i end up buying i should consider extra top sections too and set them up with various elastics etc all ready for any fishing senario. Another couple of things i meant to ask in my original thread was - 'whips'..... i was looking at a 9m whip today with an 'eyed' end, is the elastic simply tied to the eye on whips? and are there any benefits to using a whip over a conventional pole? And telescopic over pull-apart, what are the advantages of one over the other? Thanks. Stu.

Hi Fellow Anglers, As you can see i am a newbie to the forum so please be gentle I have been a pleasure angler for the past 25 years or so and have pretty much fished in all weathers at many many venues, and fished everything from Gudgeon on the canal to specimen carp from syndicate lakes. In the last decade or so i have seen the pole revolution arrive and have pretty much ignored it and stuck with what i knew, but after recently spending a lot of time watching matches on my local commercial lakes and seeing just how more productive using a pole can be as opposed to a rod and line i have acquired a keen interest in this type of fishing and would like to know more. I have browsed the internet and read up on the type of poles around etc, but i can't seem to find a website with more details (and diagrams) of the more technical aspect of pole fishing ie: 'cutting back' your pole, choosing and fitting the elastics, connectors, bungs, setting up rigs etc. The 'cutting back' bit sounds a bit scary and i don't really want to knacker a pole that i've spent a few hundred quid on due to ignorance or attempting it without knowing for sure how to do it properly, so diagrams and advice on this would be great. I already have a shed load of the usual coarse fishing gear so what else will i need to buy apart from a pole, elastics, connectors, bungs, rigs, and a couple of pole rollers? Are extra top sections important to the average newbie to pole fishing, or are they more for the regular match fishermen who need to change rigs quickly? I know that this type of question must have been asked 1000's of times on this forum and i apologize, but i'm hoping that you'll be patient with me and maybe point me in the direction of a few sites/links etc where i might find some useful advice on 'setting up' etc. I was hoping that my local tackle shop owner would give me some tips today when i popped in for a chat about poles etc, but he was as green as me and had just two poles in the entire shop and no idea of how to set them up - but to be fair i do live on the coast where the tackle shops are more geared towards sea fishing than coarse fishing so i'll let him off. It seems that the advice given to new pole anglers on most websites i have already visited usually starts "it depends on what fish you hope to catch and where you fish as to what gear you should use", so in anticipation of this question, i will be fishing mainly on commercial match lakes with plenty of silverfish, bream, tench and a good head of carp upto 10lb. I also hope (in the future) to have a laugh and join the odd match or two. any advice is greatly received and appreciated. Cheers. Stu.