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Everything posted by BoldBear
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Pedigree chum mixers used to contain a certain amount of gelatine* and we used to dip them in some water for about a minute or so then drain them and leave them overnight to soak up any water that was left on them; and overnight they turned into a milky brownish jelly like bait which still floated well; we used to catch lots of Tench, Bream and Carp on these hook mounted pale coloured jelly baits suspended at various depths from just off the bottom right up to the surface; and the fish loved them. Although we had to make sure that we cast a little more carefully as they weren’t quite as resilient to being cast too violently as normal untreated mixers are. * I suspect that they might have modified their ingredients now but I’m not 100% sure. Keith
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If there is a strongish surface tow or a slowish current float-legering would allow you to hold still while at the same time give you a lot of the advantages that a float can give you. Plus you can use a paternoster rig with the live or deadbait coming off to the side when using a float-leger rig. NB: You can also use the paternoster presentation when using a submerged float in much deeper swims too. Keith
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Have you tried pedigree chum mixers? (If they still sell them). Keith
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If I’m piking fairly close in then I would prefer to float fish for my Pike too. When the wind is in the right direction I’ve also been known to have vanes made out of dart flights attached to the top of my float so that it catches in the wind and starts to drift downwind. however in the local gravel pit where I do a lot of my piking there are some really deep holes where a surface float is too limiting so I’ll often use a leger together with a sunken float to keep my line off the bottom or away from the edges of a deep hole; for this I use a stop knot set at a depth that will keep my line above these things. I occasionally make some of my own surface Pike floats using balsa doweling with either a central hole for my line to go through or use the barbed shanks of sea hooks as in the diagram below: I prefer using a Pike float where it’s possible simply because it gives me a visual indication of what is happening down by my bait instead of just waiting for the line to pull free of a butt indicator. A float will often give me a clear warning when a Pike picks up my live or deadbait by trembling and moving off before sinking out of sight, plus a float gives me the option to vary the depths that I want to present my bait. However if I’m fishing for Pike on a river then I prefer to use lures so I can move around a lot more and search in various likely places. Having said all that, in reality I haven’t been Pike fishing for several years now although I might start targeting Pike again this winter as long as the weather isn’t too cold (I am a pensioner now you know ) Keith
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Hi Peter and welcome to the forum, and to the sport of Angling your 15 to 45g spinning rod can be used for Pike using Plugs and Lures and at a push for Carp and Barbel allthough you’d be better off using a dedicated Barbel type rod. And as S63 said your light spinning rod could be used for drop shotting or spinning for Perch, and even for fishing for Very small sea fish off of a harbour wall or off rocks; as long as the fish are not too big. keith
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Thanks Martin, and it goes both ways Keith
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This is what I usually do anyway; but first I must say that I rarely cast great distances and am usually only casting up to around 65 to 75 metres at most; and I usually use a length of anti tangle tubing behind a 2oz to 3oz in-line lead with the swivel pushed into the tubing that runs through the lead; or if Im fishing over a hard lake or river bed I attach the lead via a ‘correctly’ fitted safety clip. NB: I use the rig at the bottom of the picture on hard bottoms simply because when there’s a hard bottom there’s less chance of the lead landing on top of the hooklink/swivel and possibly damaging it; whereas on thick silted beds it’s not quite as important to me. I make sure that the swivel that is inserted into the end of the tubing or safety clip will come free with only a minimal amount of pressure so that The lead and tubing will never be dragged around by the Carp if the line parts; so is safe; and my safety clips (when used) are not secured too tightly. If I’m using two rods for Carp fishing I use free running baitrunners together with alarms and front bobbins set to hang about 6” above the ground incase I get a drop back (see pic below) although I rarely get drop backs no matter what direction the Carp run. When I get Carp picking up or sucking in my bait and getting pricked by the hook there is a ‘semi’ self hooking action where the weight of the lead is just enough to pull the hook further home as the Carp takes off; until the line is tightened and a strike is made. NB: the lead/tubing often pulls free during the take and will often slide up the line a foot or so anyway; causing my bobbins to usually rise up even when the Carp is moving towards me; plus If the line did decide to part the lead would pull free very easily. This is more or less what most of the other Carp Angler’s would be using at the waters where I tend to Carp fish. legering for Pike: If I’m legering for Pike I usually (but not always) tend to use bobbins attached to my rear rod rests which will tend to break free quite easily on a take; this is because Pike are sometimes easily spooked by any resistance as it moves off with the bait in its mouth; especially if it needs to further adjust the bait before swallowing it head first; so I don’t want a bobbin bouncing about during the take. A friend of mine has rear battery indicators containing mercury switches that automatically sound an alarm as his rear bobbins drop free. but I only have basic ones. Keith
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I don’t like using a braid mainline for the same reasons as Ian and Whitty. A certain amount of stretch is my friend when a powerful Barbel is intent on trying to break free; and also braid doesn’t stand up to being a-braided on rocks or the sharp edges of rushes or on roots etc. the only thing that braid gives you is a total lack of stretch which unless you are fishing at extreme ranges (which you never usually are with barbel) is definately not what is wanted. Thats why Braid is a definite no no for me as far as Barbel are concerned. Whenever I’m legering for Barbel I will always use just one rod and touch leger, so that a Barbel take is immediately felt through my finger(s), and I find that I’m playing the fish the second it’s felt without even having to think about it; and even if bites are rare I will still have my hand on my rod handle ready for an immediate pick up. Keith
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Apart from hooklengths for large inquisitive Carp and for mainline on my beach-casters on the coast; the only other time that I use Braid is when I’m drop shotting for Perch and then I’ll use it as a main line to allow me to feel and control the small movements of the dropshot lure which to me is fairly important when I’m dropshotting; however the hooklength will then normally be fluorocarbon. Plus when I’m drop shotting for Perch Im not likely to lose more than a couple of yards of braid at most if It ever did decide to part before the fluorocarbon did. I don’t use Braid for anything else whether it’s for mainline or for any of my hooklengths; or even for normal lures; and it’s mono for everything else including my Barbel line and hooklengths. Keith
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Best pellets for general coarse fishing
BoldBear replied to The Flying Tench's topic in Coarse Fishing
We used to use Trout Pellets back in the 80s and 90s for Carp, and by pouring boiling water over them we could mould them into larger baits too. We used to catch lots of Carp from the WGC lake in Hertfordshire, and some other more local lakes to us using them, however there was a lot of talk in the Angling press back then with experts saying that they were far too rich for a carps digestion, and could do more harm than good, and not being deemed good for the Carp (and other coarse fish) we rightly or wrongly stopped using trout Pellets because of this; even though they would catch us plenty of Carp. Whether or not this has since changed I don’t know, but I’m still a bit wary of using trout Pellets because of this. Keith -
Best pellets for general coarse fishing
BoldBear replied to The Flying Tench's topic in Coarse Fishing
I use Halibut or monster crab pellets on my Barbel streams and rivers but during the Autumn and winter I tend to coat my pellets with halibut or crab paste which dissolves in the current causing a flavour trail downstream. When I can find some I also use some Lamprey flavoured pellets too. NB: Ive found that the Dynamite Halibut Pellets are not as oily as some of the other Halibut Pellets are. Keith -
My son decided to have an all nighter at one of our club estate lakes last night; and although I wouldn’t be fishing all night with him I decided to have a few hours chasing a few Carp until the light started to fade at 8pm and then leave him there.We got setup by around 3pm and decided to fish along one of the island swims which we had not fished for quite a while.This was my swim facing one of the islands:There was a dreaded Bream shoal in my swim and I was forever getting my bobbins lifting about a foot before stopping which was a tad annoying and was keeping me fairly busy resetting them every time I tried to pour myself a coffee ; unfortunately one of these Bream actually managed to swallow one of my hair rigged boilies hook and all.The Bream of around 2½lb which managed to swallow one of my hair rigged boilies.I had four Carp before I left at 8pm; the largest being just over 17lb.I don’t know how Stuart got on as he hasn’t got home yet.Keith
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There are two main reasons why I don’t often use a feeder. 1. In the streams and small rivers that I usually fish you just don’t need to use a feeder as you can feed tightly enough by hand or catapult. 2. The splash of a feeder landing on top of fish can put them on their guard especially in shallowish clear water; plus a couple of times I’ve seen a feeder actually startling some Barbel when they dicovered it unexpectedly in these conditions. I do very occasionally use a feeder when I’m fishing somewhere we’re I can’t feed accurately by hand or by catapult; especially if it’s a lot deeper or at distance. I also occasionally use PVA stocking attached to the hook, usually containing some pellets or hemp. If the swim suits and doesn’t seem to have any Barbel in it yet then I will also occasionally lay a bed of hemp/pellets using a bait dropper. Keith
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If there is no (or very little) silt on the bottom I just use simple link legers like the ones in the picture below on the right; else if there’s any silt or weed covering the bottom I’ll add a longer link of line like on the simple leger on the left; however 99% of the time I’d be using a running leger instead of using a water knot. If on an extremely rare occasion I am using a water knot; then I’ll use a much weaker line connected to the lead; which is sometimes called a ‘rotten bottom’. Of course When I’m after Carp I usually use completely different setups. Keith
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Here’s the documentary that I mentioned previously about the blatant pollution of the river Wye as well as all of our other rivers. Although the pollutions on the Wye are disgusting It’s not only the river Wye. Apparently not one of our rivers is classed as being healthy today, not a single one. https://rivercide.tv Keith
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It doesn't help that the Wye is being badly polluted by a chicken farm and I mean badly polluted too. With stinking smells and slime coating the river bed. They have just finished a one hour documentary about this blatent pollution into the Wye, and let's hope that heads are now going to roll and something is going to be done about it. And to think that the Wye was one of our best rivers just a couple of years ago. Keith
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Yes a lot of us coarse anglers do use fluorocarbon line for some of our hooklengths; and price doesn’t seem to be that relevant. Keith
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It’s very sad to hear about Chavender. Keith
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Braid is actually banned as a reel line on nearly all of the waters that I've fished over the last ten years, although you can still use slightly thicker braid as a hook length on a lot of them. The two main reasons for this is because it parts too easily on snags because of its lack of abrasion resistance compared to mono, and it's ability to cut the mouths of heavier fish due to its thin diameter and lack of stretch. Keith
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Mono is used more than Braid in coarse fishing for several reasons; not least monos ability to stretch and absorb the lunges of a heavy fish but this also minimises the hook being pulled out and damaging a fishes mouth when it’s put under too much pressure; plus braid is a lot less resilient to abrasion damage. Braid is fine for a lot of uses including hook links when it needs to be soft and less obvious; and when you need to be able to feel the action of a lure, or set a hook at over 100 metres; where line stretch might be a pain, but it’s not very kind when your trying to play a really hard fighting fish that might take several minutes to try to bring it under your control; when your rod action isn’t quite enough to absorb all the turns and lunges and any strong runs; plus fine braid can cause mouth and fin damage during a long fight, as well as an increase the likelihood of hook pulls or your line parting because of abrasion damage. Keith
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Hi Chris, welcome to the forum Keith
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If you use fresh caster that are still fully alive you can make them float really well by just leaving them out in the sun for a while. Unfortunately most of the caster you buy nowerdays is almost (or already) dead so may not react the same. I used to be able to buy fresh live caster from my tackleshop (which had very recently been turned and put into in sealed plastic bags to slow further development) which I normally kept in water when on the bank to actually prevent them from turning into floaters; however I always kept a few of them deliberately out of the water so that they would develop into floaters in the sun, which I could use to try to get the shoal feeding off the surface or to balance with a sinking caster to obtain a very slow descent. Whenever I located a shoal of Rudd that were readily taking food off the surface I would catapult a few pouches of floating caster on top of them and top up this loose feed fairly regularly to keep them feeding off the surface, then I cast a small onion waggler just past them and then and slowly draw it back amongst the feeding Rudd. NB: I fish with my bait (floating caster) around a foot to 18 inches max below the float with no shot on my line at all (all the needed shot tight up against the float with none down towards the hook). The noise of the loose fed caster landing on the surface actually attracted the Rudd. It was just a case of manoeuvring my hookbait in amongst them after I’ve deliberately overcast my float. hope this helps Keith
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I used to always use Tulip luncheon-meat in the past and found it very good for Barbel and Chub as it was not too fatty and was fairly firm and would stay on my hook even in high water temperatures; and the Chub and Barbel loved it ? Keith
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Many years ago I used to turn my own casters when I couldn't get any decent casters from my tackle shop. I would get my older maggots and riddle any casters from them several times per day, and I'd place any caster that I had riddled into a bait box with a damp flannel on top of them and keep them cool in my fridge. NB: If I didn't do this they would nearly all float because too much air would be getting at them. Keith
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To stop my caster from turning into floating caster I keep my caster in water (in my bait box); but I also leave a few out of the water which will fairly quickly turn into floaters in the sun. I will often use a floating caster together with a sinking caster to produce a slow sinking bait but sometimes the weight of the hook is enough to make the floating caster slowly sink without the need of adding the sinking caster. If I am chasing a large shoal of Rudd which is feeding on or near the surface I keep catapulting out floating casters to them and fish very shallow on the surface using a floating caster on the hook with no shot down the line at all. I often find that I can bring the shoal closer by catapulting the floating casters gradually closer and closer to me. Keith