River feeding methods?

[barbelbillo]

hi there,i dont beleive for one minute that the thames is featurless,depth variations,gulleys,etc,?

[barbelbillo]

sorry,i'll refrase that,i dont beleive the features are of little importance.they matter in all rivers no matter what species you are after.

[dogfish]

In the old days a popular method on the Trent used to be 'bag baiting'. This involved filling a paper bag with maggots or whatever and putting a big stone in it and chucking it in.This method was so common that most clubs used to specifically ban it! I am not suggesting anyone does it but PVA bags can be used the same way without causing litter.I tend to use Great big baitdroppers modified with extra weight if necessary.These can actually be cast a fair way with a spod rod.

[Dick Dastardly]

I thought we were talking BIG rivers here.The key in any BIG river with a BIG head of BIG carp is BIG beds of bait.No matter how much bait you put in it is all wasted unless it stays in one place!No type of groundbait or delivery system can ensure this in a BIG river only locating a suitable spot.Ive never fished in Canada but I am sure we are talking BIG rivers.Have done a lot on smaller rivers like the Thames and always found plenty of features (I class features in this context as ones below the surface of the water!).

[dogfish]

Budgie

I agree with you.

This discussion has mixed up the mechanics of baiting and basic principles about WHERE to bait.Both are worthy of consideration.

I have fished for Sturgeon on the Columbia river(pretty BIG) in Oregon and you will simply not catch without a guide unless you are very lucky which is why guides are well paid. However of lot of fish holding feature are fairly easy to find on most British rivers,if you make the effort.

Fish will rarely move to bait unless there is a feature to hold them. You may not believe this if you read too many bait adverts!!

[singy]

The rivers I fish over here the carp have to move for food. I've seen the same fish caught within the space of a few days 2 miles away from the first capture. Certainly on the tidal Thames there are very few holding features that will continually provide food. The flow is stronger than any river I've ever fished. 6oz dial leads often can't hold in the margins. And as for it flowing both ways every 8 hours.

 

I've baited features heavily and caught and I've baited baron areas and caught. The main problem on the Thames is access. 90% of it is unfishable unless you're in a boat. Heavy baiting holds these very nomadic carp for a while.

 

Obviously this is just about the tidal Thames and may have little bearing on the big rivers you fish, but I would still put heavy pre baiting as the number 1 priority on any river I fish.

 

Singy

[Dick Dastardly]

I think you still misunderstand me mate.The features I refer too are places where the bait will stay put ie deppressions in the river bed,slacks,back eddies etc,As you quite rightly say introducing large ammounts of feed and waiting for the fish too move in is the way but as I have said just pilling it in in areas where the current will just wash it away is a total waste.On all of the big rivers I have mentioned this works just takes a bit of time.