How to catch fish on an estate pond

[davedave]

A local estate pond has been very badly stocked. There are lots of small roach but only the very rare large carp or bream. They are in there but just in small numbers. As i love fishing this particular pond can anybody give me any advice on how to try and catch one of these fish, im thinking a very smelly groundbait to attract them and a bright hookbait. Any advice?? Cheers

[viney]

A local estate pond has been very badly stocked. There are lots of small roach but only the very rare large carp or bream. They are in there but just in small numbers. As i love fishing this particular pond can anybody give me any advice on how to try and catch one of these fish, im thinking a very smelly groundbait to attract them and a bright hookbait. Any advice?? Cheers

Firstly you need to locate possible features (islands, bars, holes, silt, gravel etc.)

These should provide you with possible patrol routes/feeding areas. Baiting these areas regulary when not fishing will create confidence in feeding in those areas. To avoid being plagued by roach i would fish using boilies with a pva bag of crushed boilie and groundbait mix or pellet with a pva bag of pellet and groundbait. Then scatter 10 or so of your chosen hookbait around your hookbait.

Hope this helps,

matt

[larsagi2010]

A local estate pond has been very badly stocked. There are lots of small roach but only the very rare large carp or bream. They are in there but just in small numbers. As i love fishing this particular pond can anybody give me any advice on how to try and catch one of these fish, im thinking a very smelly groundbait to attract them and a bright hookbait. Any advice?? Cheers

 

If its the large Carp/Bream your after there are a few different tactics you can try. Firstly of all if you chuck some ground bait in you will likely find the smaller fish would come in large numbers at first mopping it all up. The key is to get enough bait in to hold the smaller fish there for a while, then the bigger fish should slowly move into the swim. What you ideally need to do is head for a bait which the small Roach cannot get into their mouth on the hook. Maybe get a good bed of particles (Ground-Bait/hemp) down and then hit with 2-3 kernals of sweetcorn on a Hair rig with a size 10-12 hook, or Boilie ect: This way you can get bait in to attract the larger fish, but be immune from catching the smaller fish. Sweetcorn is good for both Carp/Bream, but Roach may destroy the bait off your rig in seconds.. So head for a larger/solid bait if needed.

 

That is my best advice anyway. I fished a Lake today which is packed with Perch/Roach/Ide and I was continuously getting them instead of my Carp So.... I got a hair rig with a size 12 hook and triple sweetcorn, and used a Method feeder packed with Pellets that had been soaked in boiling water. No baiting up at all, just the pellet-paste off the feeder and my hookbait.

 

and this is what I caught on my first 3 casts out.

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1203...p;id=1580673497

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1203...p;id=1580673497

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1203...p;id=1580673497

 

So the rig worked well for me in deterring the smaller fish and attracting the Carp. Got a 6lb Mirror, and a 1lb and 2lb Common which is pretty good for my first attempt at fishing the lake for Carp.

 

A MAJOR part is finding the fish. I use polorizing sunglasses from Argos (£9.99) and you can see them if they are near the surface. Also look for fish rolling or reed beds shaking!

 

I found them all to be patrolling an island located in the middle of the lake. In order to catch them I had to cast about 6 inches from the island, any further away I wouldn't even have a knock.

Edited September 25, 2010 by larsagi2010

[Jack81]

Some really good advice there. If the water is very sparcely stocked it may be worth staying mobile and putting some bait into a few swims as you walk round looking for fish. If you then don't have any luck in your chosen spot you can look around the other areas you have baited for signs of feeding fish. In a silty estate lake the carp/bream will probably send up bubbles as they root around, or you may be able to see them if the water is clear. Location can be the key if your after a small population of carp. Like Dan said hemp, sweetcorn and polaroids are your best bet.

Edited September 25, 2010 by Jack81

[davedave]

thanks very much, there are no features such as islands, but it is very deep as it is an irrigation pond, would it better to go in the deepest part in the middle or in the margins, but the margins are the same all the way round, reeds, so wouldnt know where to start really. Also there is a small pontoon about two rods lengths out, would this be good to aim for?? Cheers

[Jack81]

I would try the margins, and/or along the edges of any weed beds. Spotting the fish and working out where they patrol is the key. I fished an farm irrigation pond last week. Caught my first 20lb common from less than a rod's length out into the margins. I spent well over an hour looking round before I spotted a couple of carp really close in. After they had gone a bit further down the margin I put out half a tin of hemp and a few 14mm halibut pellets, then fished a pellet sized piece of Pepperami over the top.