how to fish.....

[steve17]

hi all, i *might* be lucky enough to be guested onto a local syndicate water later this week for a day and a night session, i have fished this lake once before with no success.

 

the lake is about 15 acres with a small island one end, a couple of bays and is heavily packed with bottom weed which grows to the surface. depths run to not much more than 4ft and the bottom seems fairly hard. clear areas are hard to find but it is possible, and the lake is surounded by trees so lots of good vantage points. a couple of over hanging trees down one bank and there are a few rushes running against one side of the island, there are a few areas of bistalk amongst all of the weed, the lake is very clear.

 

the margins dont usually fish well at all so im told so my main questions are...

 

what baits would you feed, and how much bait would you put in??

 

also any ideas you may have, tactics, rigs, location wise etc will also help.

 

the stock is only bout 40 carp and the lake is packed with tench. carp run to 30s with 20s being the average. the lake isnt heavily fished but does see maybe 5 - 10 anglers per week.

 

[ 10. September 2005, 04:11 PM: Message edited by: steve17 ]

[Common 40]

Sounds a lovely place, When I visit a water for the first time, After a good sightwalk of the lake, I put 2 rods on a likely looking spot fairly close together with the same bait on each and introduce a large scattering of bait between the two. My 3rd rod would be sat waiting for any fish showing signs which I would immediately cast to. I would do no leading around if it was for 24 hour sesh only.

Perhaps this would be also one of the seldom times I use a popped up bait or critically ballanced to sit on or above the dense weed. I would depending on the time I arrived do this for a good 4 hours, before I either moved or cast elsewhere

 

[ 10. September 2005, 04:25 PM: Message edited by: Common 40 ]

[saskcarp]

Sounds like a nice place. Good luck!

[Steve Burke]

Fish at least 1 rod in the margins. In fact if you're allowed 3 rods fish 2 in the margins!

 

Yes, I know that the margins aren't supposed to fish well. However that's exactly why I'd fish them. Very often these words are self-fulfilling phrophecies - few try the margins so the fish rarely get caught there. Hardly surprising, is it?! In fact, it may be the place where the fish feel safest.

 

In any event, I've yet to fish a water where the margins don't produce.

 

It also means that there's less chance of losing fish as you won't be bringing them back through the weed, plus it's a lot easier to find and cast accurately to clear spots in the weed at short range.

 

Just remember to keep disturbance down to the minimum and sit well back from the water. If you can find a swim where other anglers won't pass the edge so much the better.

 

I'd also certainly spend some time looking for fish before deciding on a base. If you take a rod and the minimum of tackle with you whilst you're doing so you may get a chance at a fish.

 

This would include the option of floater fishing. If there are lots of tench, floaters may well improve the odds of catching the carp.

 

If you find some fish (whether in the margins or not) the problem of location, the most important in a lightly stocked water, is solved. If you can't I'd go along with Common's suggestion of keeping one rod primed to cast to any fish that subsequently show.

 

[ 11. September 2005, 10:31 AM: Message edited by: Steve Burke ]

[cidermonkey]

Totally agree with Steve re the margins. When I started carping a wise old angler told me to find out what the majority of anglers were doing on a lake and do something different. Could just give you the edge you need and if the margins aren't being fished could just be the spot!

[steve17]

thanks for the ideas i will definitly have at least one rod in the margins. any ideas how to combat such thick, deep weed if i do see fish showing?

[fantasticfisherman]

try solid pva bags