Tench

[DRAGONFLY]

Hi i'm new to fishing in the uk and was wondering what would be my best bait to catch tench?Or best method of catching tench?Any tips are welcome.

[SAMTENCH]

it depends were u r fishing but corn is always a good bet for tench, try sweet thing or natural baits like worms if its hard.

[DRAGONFLY]

Thanks for the information and i will give it a go when i next go fishing.

[Newt]

DRAGONFLY - welcome to the bbs. Good info here.

 

You say "new to fishing in the UK". Where were you before? The use of "fishing" vs. "angling" makes it possible you are (were?) a countryman of mine.

 

Interesting word useage. Me, I fish. These guys mostly angle.

[DRAGONFLY]

Well i was born in Zimbabwe in Africa and i did alot of fishing as every one i knew in Zimbabwe loved fishing.When i moved to the uk i did not get into fishing fast until i went fishing with a mate and caught a 13 pound carp now i go as much as i can.As i try to break my personal british best.

[scoobs11]

try soaking some corn in molasses tench love it

[Hereford_angler]

Use a light method feeder. Some roundbait soaked in Van Den Eynde liquid green muscles and on the hook...

1) Sweetcorn (unnatural)

2) Red magots (looks like big blood worms so quite natural)

 

If you want to know where to fish i suggest you fishin in the most horribly hard places. Like in amongst Norfolk reeds or lilly beds! Thats where they'l be.

[DRAGONFLY]

Thanks everyone i shall be trying all the tips i've be given

[Chris Playle]

Just had the rest of the week off after the Jubilee. Since the missus was working alot of the time got to do quite a bit of fishing down the local pond, Tenching ......bliss.

 

Tried several different baits and several different methods. Best one I found that produced the most fish (5 Tench of average 5 1/2lb around the last hour of sunlight before sunset).

 

3/4 fill a groundbait bucket with brown crumb

add a full tin of sweetcorn, juice aswel

add a full tin on Dynamite Baits Frenzied Hemp

lightly crush 1/2 pint of casters and add them

handful of chopped worm

handful of dead red maggots coated in Scopex

Couple of handfuls of CSL Pellets.

 

the Frenzied Hemp and CSL pellets give off a nice oily cloud which attracts the fish and the different size baits in the mix give you a variety of hookbaits to try.

 

Throw 2/3 of it in then keep topping up the swim with a couple of small handfuls every 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour. You'll know if the Tench are there cos of all the small bubbles coming up around your float. As soon as the bubbles appear get yer hand on your rod. Fishing for Tench near lillies is a case of hit and hold if you can. As soon as they feel that hook they're off for the lillies.

 

Two Tench were caught on corn, two were caught on dead red maggot, the other was caught on Scopex flavour bread paste.

 

Method that proved most effective was waggler. Plumb the swim and then fish about 6" overdepth. Lift method also proved effective. Ledgering didn't produce any bites at all :confused: .

 

I used to ledger all the time for Tench until I set out mastering float fishing on the bottom. There's nothing like seeing the float bob a couple of times and then sail away as the Tench swims off. Once you strike you know you are in for one hell of a battle.

 

Unfortunately, the club I belong to say no fishing after 10pm so I had to pack up. No doubt I would have had more out if I could have stayed longer.

 

My Dad used the same method the next night and had 4 fish of around 5lb and one topping 9lb (a new P.B. for him).

 

Good Luck

 

Tight Lines

 

Chris

[Steve Burke]

Hi Dragonfly.

 

There's no "best" bait or method for tench, or indeed any other fish. It very much depends on the venue and the conditions. This is particularly marked with tench, as in gravel pits they usually behave totally differently to tench in many other waters. Thus what works in say an estate lake might be relatively ineffective on a pit.

 

If you tell us more about the water you have in mind, I'm sure you'll get some more specific advice.