Are Commercial Fisheries Easy??

[Rogerb]

For anyone that knows it I do a bit of pleasure Carping at the Viaduct Fishery in Somerset, mostly in Spring or Middle lake which contain the larger fish. My PB is only a 15lb 8oz Common, but the other day one of my 13 year old daughters came with me. She dropped in the margins at the next peg and picked up a 21lb Mirror. Me jealous – no way, just chuffed to bits. Anyway to get to the point some kids at her school (and their dads) have been saying that they jump on the hook at the Viaduct which prompts the question; is that really the case?

 

My understanding is that on pressured waters the fish get extra crafty and difficult to catch. I appreciate that it is balanced a little by increased fish density but at the end of the day is the fishing easier? :confused:

 

Your opinions would appreciated.

 

All the best.

 

Roger.

[Newt]

Roger - just ask em to show a pic of their best from the venue (kids or their dads). Sort of "put up or shut up".

 

I imagine the heavily stocked fisheries are like anywhere else. Small fish are easy as they never seem to learn caution. Larger fish are not easy anywhere that I have ever been.

 

I think the fact that your PB from there after fishing it a while is at 15+ says her 21+ is a real catch and the nay-sayers are just jealous.

[Chris Shaw]

The answer to your question is, yes, the fishing is easier, and it is not that the bigger fish get crafty, it is that they are out numbered by the smaller fish, and the smaller fish get to the food first. I have fished a water like this, it was a club water so overstocked that it was unreal, carp would suck paste bait from your fingers in the margins, whilst you was fishing.

 

This water was about 16 acres in size, the carp were anything from single figure commons/mirrors doubles and twenties. You could go for a day and catch in excess of twenty to thirty carp. All the years that I belonged to that club I only ever caught one double, but did catch many many single figure carp. This was because the small carp just greatly out numbered the odd few bigger ones that where there.

 

I have always looked at it like this, if you are fishing a water, any water, and you catch bigger fish than anybody else, or your average weight is bigger than others, or you are catching more than others. I would then say if people criticise your catches, ask them along to the water that you fish and do better, they will nine times out of ten turn down the offer.

 

Well done on the first twenty, by the way.

[Steve Burke]

Great answers from both Newt and Chris which I 100% go along with. Like Chris I've fed carp from such a water out of my fingers. Crisps are what they took in this instance!

 

Heavilly stocked waters are indeed usually easier than lightly stocked ones despite the increased pressure. This is purely because the fish are hungrier and much more, if not all, of their diet consists of anglers' baits. They've therefore got to eat baits to survive.

 

Two ways of improving your chances of catching on these waters are firstly to create competition. This is why match anglers spraying maggots often catch more than specialist carp anglers using boilies. However, the reverse is likely to be true on more lightly stocked waters.

 

Secondly, use a different bait to what the fish are used to and/or use a different presentation. For instance if everyone is ledgering boilies on a hair rig you could float fish a boilie and sidehook or top hook it. It's also worth trying an unusual bait and here's where imagination comes in.

 

You say that your pb is "only" a 15½lb common. If this is bigger than average for the water then you've done well and congratulations are in order.

[Rogerb]

Thanks for the input.

All the best.

Roger.

[david platt]

Hi Roger,

I too Fish Viaduct Quite a lot My PB is

14lbs from this venue caught last time

which was 23rd April this year I dont

think that the carp are too easy to catch

at Viaduct not the ones over the 10lb

mark anyway

david

[Rogerb]

Thanks David - whats RSSG?

Roger.

[david platt]

Roger you have E-Mail

David

Rssg stands for,

RIVER SYSTEMS SUPPORT GROUP

a new organisation set up to

help keep an eye on our rivers

david

 

[ 20 June 2002, 08:53 PM: Message edited by: david platt ]