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Early season tench

Smiffles

By Smiffles
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Smiffles Junior Member

Smiffles

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Over Easter I'm off to to fish at Kingfisher Lake in Norfolk, I'm hoping to catch a PB tench, I caught my very first tench a few weeks ago at Lake John in Essex (the one I caught was only a bubba around the 2lb mark), which according to my boyfriend (Dales) was very early in the season. By his own admission, he struggles to catch big tench, so come on guys (and girls) can you give me a few tips on how to up my PB of 2lb :-)

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watatoad Member

watatoad

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Go and read a couple of old books on fishing for Tench, you could start with a Mr. Crabtree.

 

Use lighter tackle than you think you need say 3 to 5lb line size 14 hooks, try float legering ( it's fun).

 

Begin fishing about an half an hour before dawn.

 

Try to get a spot facing the wind.

 

Keep an eye open for those tell tail streams of tiny bubbles.

 

Talk to local anglers who know the water you intend to fish, there are often local popular baits.

 

Use a wide hook.

 

Don't overground bait.

 

Become a more traditional fishing person.

 

Suffolk Water Park near Ipswich has an excellent head of large Tench 7+lb not considered large there, or so I hear.

From a spark a fire will flare up

English by birth, Cockney by the Grace of God

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chesters1 Member

chesters1

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if theres carp that are fished for in the water fish for them you'l get both bream and tench instead :D

both even take 22mm boilies after chewing on them for a while

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

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Guest Chris Perch

Guest Chris Perch

Posted
Posted
Over Easter I'm off to to fish at Kingfisher Lake in Norfolk, I'm hoping to catch a PB tench, I caught my very first tench a few weeks ago at Lake John in Essex (the one I caught was only a bubba around the 2lb mark), which according to my boyfriend (Dales) was very early in the season. By his own admission, he struggles to catch big tench, so come on guys (and girls) can you give me a few tips on how to up my PB of 2lb :-)

 

 

Lage maggott feeder might do the trick!

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Tigger Member

Tigger

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Posted
Over Easter I'm off to to fish at Kingfisher Lake in Norfolk, I'm hoping to catch a PB tench, I caught my very first tench a few weeks ago at Lake John in Essex (the one I caught was only a bubba around the 2lb mark), which according to my boyfriend (Dales) was very early in the season. By his own admission, he struggles to catch big tench, so come on guys (and girls) can you give me a few tips on how to up my PB of 2lb :-)

 

 

First you need to be fishing in a water you know contains tench then look for a good spot/swim to target them. My favourite bait for tench is maggot and sweetcorn either seperate or as a cocktail. The method of fishing you use will depend on the water, depth, weed, snags etc. If I can I prefer to float fish useing 6lb line straight through to a size 12's to 18's hook with a decent float rod. I'd say it's a bit on the cold side for tincas up here but maybe things are different in your area.

good luck.....and don't let Mr Dales beat you lol !

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Steve Walker Member

Steve Walker

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Easiest way to beat a PB is to go and fish somewhere easy where the average size is greater than your PB ;)

 

2lb shouldn't be too hard to beat - traditional float fishing on anywhere with a decent head of tench should see you right. Tench can be touch and go early season - I've recently been pestered by them while trying to catch perch in March, but on other local waters I've targeted tench in April and blanked. Usually needs to be late April or May to be sure of success.

 

Tench will take most baits - if you particularly want to catch tench, it's as important to use something that the other fish won't take as something they will. Corn is good, as is lobworm - both will catch other species, but at least they tend to get larger examples of other species. Single maggot will catch tench, but the chances are that something else will have it first.

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Mat Hillman Member

Mat Hillman

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If you enjoy catching tench and want to catch a bigger one, consider The Warren at Stanford le Hope, not that far from you and I've had them to 5lb from there already this spring.

 

As to baits, early in the season I use naturals, mainly maggots and lobs, once the water warms and the smaller species start to become a pain I switch to something more selective, often fresh cockles, but also sweetcorn, trout pellets and pastes.

 

and I almost always floatfish for tench, using buzzers boltrigs etc on waters where i can catch them just a rod length out just doesn't seem sporting to me :)

 

Mat

Mat

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Babelfish Member

Babelfish

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Tench love rooting around on the bottom looking for food in the silt/weed. If I were you I would use a groundbait with hemp and caster added and for hookbait use either a cocktail of worm and sweetcorn, worm and caster or the latter on their own. Also never forget that maggot will work on their day to. Good luck on upping your PB.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Dales Member

Dales

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

I caught my very first tench a few weeks ago at Lake John in Essex (the one I caught was only a bubba around the 2lb mark), which according to my boyfriend (Dales) was very early in the season. By his own admission, he struggles to catch big tench, so come on guys (and girls) can you give me a few tips on how to up my PB of 2lb :-)

 

 

Not struggling any more :D

Edited by Dales

Stephen

 

Species Caught 2014

Zander, Pike, Bream, Roach, Tench, Perch, Rudd, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Eel, Grayling, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout

Species Caught 2013

Pike, Zander, Bream, Roach, Eel, Tench, Rudd, Perch, Common Carp, Koi Carp, Brown Goldfish, Grayling, Brown Trout, Chub, Roosterfish, Dorado, Black Grouper, Barracuda, Mangrove Snapper, Mutton Snapper, Jack Crevalle, Tarpon, Red Snapper

Species Caught 2012
Zander, Pike, Perch, Chub, Ruff, Gudgeon, Dace, Minnow, Wels Catfish, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Ghost Carp, Roach, Bream, Eel, Rudd, Tench, Arapaima, Mekong Catfish, Sawai Catfish, Marbled Tiger Catfish, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Thai Redtail Catfish, Batrachian Walking Catfish, Siamese Carp, Rohu, Julliens Golden Prize Carp, Giant Gourami, Java Barb, Red Tailed Tin Foil Barb, Nile Tilapia, Black Pacu, Red Bellied Pacu, Alligator Gar
Species Caught 2011
Zander, Tench, Bream, Chub, Barbel, Roach, Rudd, Grayling, Brown Trout, Salmon Parr, Minnow, Pike, Eel, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Ghost Carp, Koi Carp, Crucian Carp, F1 Carp, Blue Orfe, Ide, Goldfish, Brown Goldfish, Comet Goldfish, Golden Tench, Golden Rudd, Perch, Gudgeon, Ruff, Bleak, Dace, Sergeant Major, French Grunt, Yellow Tail Snapper, Tom Tate Grunt, Clown Wrasse, Slippery Dick Wrasse, Doctor Fish, Graysby, Dusky Squirrel Fish, Longspine Squirrel Fish, Stripped Croaker, Leather Jack, Emerald Parrot Fish, Red Tail Parrot Fish, White Grunt, Bone Fish
Species Caught 2010
Zander, Pike, Perch, Eel, Tench, Bream, Roach, Rudd, Mirror Carp, Common Carp, Crucian Carp, Siamese Carp, Asian Redtail Catfish, Sawai Catfish, Rohu, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Pacu, Long Tom, Moon Wrasse, Sergeant Major, Green Damsel, Tomtate Grunt, Sea Chub, Yellowtail Surgeon, Black Damsel, Blue Dot Grouper, Checkered Sea Perch, Java Rabbitfish, One Spot Snapper, Snubnose Rudderfish
Species Caught 2009
Barramundi, Spotted Sorubim Catfish, Wallago Leeri Catfish, Wallago Attu Catfish, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Mrigul, Siamese Carp, Java Barb, Tarpon, Wahoo, Barracuda, Skipjack Tuna, Bonito, Yellow Eye Rockfish, Red Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Black Fin Snapper, Dog Snapper, Yellow Tail Snapper, Marble Grouper, Black Fin Tuna, Spanish Mackerel, Mutton Snapper, Redhind Grouper, Saddle Grouper, Schoolmaster, Coral Trout, Bar Jack, Pike, Zander, Perch, Tench, Bream, Roach, Rudd, Common Carp, Golden Tench, Wels Catfish
Species Caught 2008
Dorado, Wahoo, Barracuda, Bonito, Black Fin Tuna, Long Tom, Sergeant Major, Red Snapper, Black Damsel, Queen Trigga Fish, Red Grouper, Redhind Grouper, Rainbow Wrasse, Grey Trigger Fish, Ehrenbergs Snapper, Malabar Grouper, Lunar Fusiler, Two Tone Wrasse, Starry Dragonet, Convict Surgeonfish, Moonbeam Dwarf Angelfish,Bridled Monocle Bream, Redlined Triggerfish, Cero Mackeral, Rainbow Runner
Species Caught 2007
Arapaima, Alligator Gar, Mekong Catfish, Spotted Sorubim Catfish, Pacu, Siamese Carp, Barracuda, Black Fin Tuna, Queen Trigger Fish, Red Snapper, Yellow Tail Snapper, Honeycomb Grouper, Red Grouper, Schoolmaster, Cubera Snapper, Black Grouper, Albacore, Ballyhoo, Coney, Yellowfin Goatfish, Lattice Spinecheek

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