Marker Floats & Such.

[Anderoo]

If you do a lot of that type of fishing and want to be firing out a big lead and marker float about regularly, you will certainly need a rod and reel just for that purpose. It's hard work, and both rod and reel need to be up to the job. I use a distance casting 3lb tc carp rod and a big pit reel. If these are your normal fishing rods, then you won't need an extra set-up.

 

A friend recently said to me, when you get home, cross out 'marker rod' on your rod and write in 'fish scarer' Some species don't mind a big lead and huge red float crashing about and going up and down through the water column, but others do.

 

On the basics of it, a marker outfit has 3 jobs - to tell you how deep the water is, what the bottom is made of (weed/silt/gravel/etc.), and provide a target for feeding/casting. I never leave a marker float out for a whole session though, once the feeding has been done and I've clipped up the fishing rods, its job has been done and I bring it in. For the spooky species, I map swims out ahead of the actual fishing trip to save on the disturbance.

Edited December 28, 2010 by Anderoo

[Dick Dastardly]

Wouldn't catch me buying a rod & reel combo just to marker/spod

 

Alot of people do though!

 

 

I certainly wouldn't buy a rod specially for feature finding/marker float.All though I would choose one of my faster taper carp rods as these definitely show up the difference between various bottoms better than softer actioned rods.

 

As for spodding it very much depends on what size spod/distance you want to spod at. I personally use my bank catfish rods (4lb through action) for most of my spodding but have a 5.5lb one for my "Spomb".For years I used an old ABU beach rod for heavy work and a 3 1/4lb pike rod for normal.I certainly wouldnt pay the prices they ask for a new dedicated spod rod from one of the carp companies but when ones are available cheap I would get then instead of a cheap beach caster.But if funds are tight a cheap beach caster will certainly be a safer bet than using your normal carp fishing rod.

[Wordbender]

I certainly wouldnt pay the prices they ask for a new dedicated spod rod from one of the carp companies but when ones are available cheap I would get then instead of a cheap beach caster.

 

Now Budgie, you know as well as I do that, unless all of your rods match, and they're of the most fashionable make and configuration, you simply won't catch. Frankly, I'm amazed that you would subscribe to any other mindset. Shocked, I am. Yes, shocked.

[Dick Dastardly]

Now Budgie, you know as well as I do that, unless all of your rods match, and they're of the most fashionable make and configuration, you simply won't catch. Frankly, I'm amazed that you would subscribe to any other mindset. Shocked, I am. Yes, shocked.

 

 

Ah but my rods do match Tel................................they are all old,or cheap or crap!

[Wordbender]

Wouldn't catch me buying a rod & reel combo just to marker/spod

 

Alot of people do though!

 

I would never fish a lake for tench, carp, bream or pike, without exploring for features with a marker rod. In fact, I'd rather use a single rod on a spot found and baited with the use of a marker, than to fish three rods 'blind'.

 

My marker rod is absolutely vital to my specimen fishing and I wouldn't leave home without it.

[Wordbender]

Ah but my rods do match Tel................................they are all old,or cheap or crap!

 

Ah that designer OCC brand, eh? Ultra-cult and no mistake, Budge old boy.

[Andy Macfarlane]

If the lead is to land where you aimed, rather than falling back towards you in an arc, it needs to sink on a slack line. If it sinks on a slack line, the float will end up on the surface. You can then tighten up and take the first reading from the top down, then pull it back more and take the next from the bottom up. If you'd rather pull the float to the bottom, count it up, pull it to the bottom again and reposition the lead, that's fine too, though it isn't any more efficient.

 

Either way, it isn't rocket science.

 

I don't see the point still. The point of marker float is to feel the bottom first, and once you've found you're spot, you let your float rise, taking the depth at the same time and if all is well, job done, so by that way of thinking, it doesn't matter if the weight arcs towards you.

 

I suppose if you're aiming your marker float right on the money, to a known spot, a weedbed or an island or something, then I can see the point you're making.

[Andy Macfarlane]

I got the Wychwood Rogue Spod (4lb TC) for about 40 quid I think. I actually bought it for throwing small deads and big leads on one of our big waters but now I think it'll be used for the purpose intended.