Bream at night

[lutra]

What a thourougly unpleasant way to talk to a fellow Anglers Net user.

 

May your bites be line bites...

Yep a little unpleasant, but nothing i don't think to be untrue.

[Tigger]

May your bites be line bites...

 

 

 

What a thouroughly nasty thing to wish upon a fellow Anglers Net user. Not very sporting is it !

[Steve Burke]

Budgie, it is quite simple to tell the difference. It does not matter how much, or how short, the drops are. If it is a liner then it will tighten and then slip off the fish. If it is a hooked fish, then it will keep going.

 

Den

 

It's not quite as simple as that I'm afraid, Den.

 

With big bream it's essential that you don't strike at line bites otherwise, as I've found to my cost, it's odds on you'll spook them. And as you may get just one such night a season on waters like Wingham that's something to avoid as much as you can. The longer the drop, the easier it is to read what's happening.

 

If that doesn't convince those reading this then consider the following. The shorter the drop the more likely you'll have line pulled off the reel. Every time line is pulled off the reel by a line bite you'll need to get up and adjust the bobbin. And we're not talking about one line bite an hour, but sometimes in excess of one per minute!

 

That's why the vast majority of experienced big bream anglers I know may (like me) have started with short drops, but they now use long drops! They've found no disadvantages, only advantages.

 

And that's why syndicate members and I offer the loan of long banksticks and heavy long-drop bobbins to all the guests at the Wingham Fish-In.

Edited April 3, 2011 by Steve Burke

[Tigger]

If that doesn't convince those reading this then consider the following. The shorter the drop the more likely you'll have line pulled off the reel. Every time line is pulled off the reel by a line bite you'll need to get up and adjust the bobbin. And we're not talking about one line bite an hour, but sometimes in excess of one per minute!

 

 

Steve, surely all those line bites can't be down to specimine bream with them being of such a low density ?

[Steve Burke]

Of course not every line bite is caused by bream, Tigger. But on the few occasions when you have bream in your swim you can get one line bite after another. It's very exciting to say the least!

[Tigger]

It's very exciting to say the least!

 

 

Absolutely Steve

[lutra]

It's not quite as simple as that I'm afraid, Den.

 

With big bream it's essential that you don't strike at line bites otherwise, as I've found to my cost, it's odds on you'll spook them. And as you may get just one such night a season on waters like Wingham that's something to avoid as much as you can. The longer the drop, the easier it is to read what's happening.

 

If that doesn't convince those reading this then consider the following. The shorter the drop the more likely you'll have line pulled off the reel. Every time line is pulled off the reel by a line bite you'll need to get up and adjust the bobbin. And we're not talking about one line bite an hour, but sometimes in excess of one per minute!

Problems with and the potential results of line bites are not in any way exclusive to "big bream" Steve. Read any book on bream fishing or talk to any keen match bream angler and they will tell you that.

 

Pretty much all experienced match bream anglers I've met are methodical about where they place their feed, feeder and hook bait in order to prevent line bites and spooking. Can't say the same about the big bream anglers I've met or talked to and IMO its little wonder they try to come up with ways of reading bites from liners.

 

Now at my age my mind isn't as flexible as it used to be. But even I switched over to long drop bobbins pretty quickly when I started fishing for monster bream.

 

What's more, the vast majority of experienced big bream anglers I know may (like me) have started with short drops, but they now use long drops! They've found no disadvantages, only advantages.

 

And that's why syndicate members and I offer the loan of long banksticks and heavy long-drop bobbins to all the guests at the Wingham Fish-In.

Given the distinct lack of fish caught by most by big bream anglers on LSD waters how do you test anything?

 

What do you make of the suggestion that resistance makes takes more positive and easier to read with bolt rigs when your long drop indicators seem to be aimed at giving as little resistance possible?

[Dick Dastardly]

The way I understood the old matchmens approach to bream (shoals don't forget) was that the idea was (once you were/if you were getting liners) was to fish closer in until you stopped getting them.The idea was that you would then be fishing on the edge of the feed/shoal so not spooking them by catching from the middle of them.

 

I seem to be repeating the same thing and reading the same thing again! I think resistance helps hook bream.I only use free running rigs with delicate baits so I know if they are still on the hook or not.My only interest in determining between line bites and proper bites is so I don't strike at line bites.I still can not see (and no one seems to answer this) how I can tell the difference between a line bite and a real one if my bite indication can only move a short distance?

[Tigger]

I still can not see (and no one seems to answer this) how I can tell the difference between a line bite and a real one if my bite indication can only move a short distance?

 

 

 

Surely if you wait long enough for the bite to develope you'll know the difference regardless of how short/long your bobbins are. If your fishing a tight line to a short bobbin and the baitrunner isn't to lightly set the line will pull off the fish quicker than if your fishing a long drop on your bobbins (as it will drag the line further on a loose line).....if you get my meaning ?

[poledark]

I don't think any of us are talking about open bail, so if the baitrunner/clutch is set to give some resistance, then if "it keeps going" then it is a hooked fish.

 

I am fast coming to the conclusion that extra long drops could actually lead to more missed fish due to spooking them.

 

It's already been said..."sit on your hands" but if it is at night and you are in a bivvy then that should be long enough.

 

Just out of interest, what tactics were used to get the catch of 3 fish last week?

 

Den