Wingham Tips

[Errrm]

My issue is how much feed to put in when fishing outside of catapult range............ the advice is not to put much feed in, as you might be in the wrong spot. But if I am only going to spod out once a day should I start by identifying possibly places to fish and then spodding out some bait and then just top it up with PVA bags after each fish? How much is enough? I would normally for 3 rods but out about a 10-15 spod fulls of groundbait (the groundbait is just to hold flavour) with hemp, corn, maggots in the groundbait out to the areas I am going to fish.... is this too much?

 

I'm also trying to decide what bait to use as I am not confident with anything at the moment, on the syndicate I am fishing this year (only done 2 overnight sessions) I have had 50% (2) of my bites on fake sweetcorn but I just can't seem to feel confident in it at the moment and what I caught on last year at Wingham I haven't had any bites with...... the other bites came on Halibut pellet which I'm not sure how used it is at Wingham....... :-( I feel like I want to get over my hangup with fake baits though and so a carpet of particles and fishing fake corn popped up a couple of inches might be best...... although I vaguely remember hearing that fake corn catches quite a lot of Pike..... is this still the case?

 

After reading my post through again I clearly have no idea what I'm going to do..... I suspect I will end up catching an annoyed pike as normal though ;-)

[Rob Ward]

My issue is how much feed to put in when fishing outside of catapult range............ the advice is not to put much feed in, as you might be in the wrong spot. But if I am only going to spod out once a day should I start by identifying possibly places to fish and then spodding out some bait and then just top it up with PVA bags after each fish? How much is enough? I would normally for 3 rods but out about a 10-15 spod fulls of groundbait (the groundbait is just to hold flavour) with hemp, corn, maggots in the groundbait out to the areas I am going to fish.... is this too much?

 

I'm also trying to decide what bait to use as I am not confident with anything at the moment, on the syndicate I am fishing this year (only done 2 overnight sessions) I have had 50% (2) of my bites on fake sweetcorn but I just can't seem to feel confident in it at the moment and what I caught on last year at Wingham I haven't had any bites with...... the other bites came on Halibut pellet which I'm not sure how used it is at Wingham....... :-( I feel like I want to get over my hangup with fake baits though and so a carpet of particles and fishing fake corn popped up a couple of inches might be best...... although I vaguely remember hearing that fake corn catches quite a lot of Pike..... is this still the case?

 

After reading my post through again I clearly have no idea what I'm going to do..... I suspect I will end up catching an annoyed pike as normal though ;-)

 

I'd try not to spod unless you're sure it's the right place, a few casts with a feeder or pva bags can put enough feed in to get an idea of whether the spot is likely to produce or not.

 

If the fish are there and feeding you'll catch them so if you're not getting takes try another spot, once you find a spot where the takes are coming then think about spodding to it.

 

At the fish in I'd spod before you go to the BBQ so you've got time to rest the swim before recasting your rods. Try to avoid spodding over the heads of the fish if they're feeding as you might put them off.

 

The amount you've suggested sounds reasonable.

Edited May 4, 2011 by Rob Ward

[Rob Ward]

Thanks for that Steve. Again very useful advice. My plan is growing slowly in my head while I am working. I am thinking that saturday day will be spent targetting the tench and perch and maybe large roach if any are in the area on the float in the margins using either of the following:

 

-Chopped worm and maggot mix as attractant cupped in with the pole and large lob on the hook. (possibly add pred plus)

-Maggot fed little and often with varying numbers/colours on the hook.

-Another swim to other side fed with sweet groundbait and scopex soaked corn on the hook (my favourite for tench and bream).

 

Those are my ideas for now. Feeder wise for the night It is all up in the air at the moment and will require a little more thought at this stage.

 

What line would you recommend for the float? I currently use 6lb main to a 4lb bottom on a 13ft match rod.

 

Rik, you could do well on the Pole as well in the margins!

[Anderoo]

Errm, I have had most of my tench so far this year - and no pike - on fake corn. I wouldn't read too much into that though, as it's mainly what I've been using for bait! The reason being I'm fishing for the bream and I want a bait that I can cast out and leave for days if need be, without worrying if it's been pinched or fallen off. But the tench are picking it up regularly. If you're not too confident in it why not just try it on one rod to start with?

 

By mid May the bloodworm beds have usually kicked off and then red maggot often takes some beating.

 

Amount of groundbait/spod is a dark art and ask 10 people and you'll get 10 different replies! Again, perhaps try different amounts of different spots? I would say though, that you definitely don't need to put out a lot of bait at Wingham to catch plenty of fish. You can do, but you don't have to.

 

I have fished for tench there in the way you describe, and found that half a dozen spods on each spot per day, fishing little PVA bags over the top, was plenty.

[Mat Hillman]

Well I've just ordered myself a "Mini-spod" - hopefully a 2.5lb carp rod will be able to cope with casting it as it's the heaviest rod I've got!

 

Is there a tackleshop local to Wingham to obtain fresh maggot? I can't get to a tackleshop during the week

 

Mat

[Anderoo]

A general point on where to fish, as everyone's talking about location and accuracy - it is not a heavily stocked water and the fish don't need our bait, so piling in the bait is unlikely to bring fish to you. You need to put baits where the fish will be. Rather than trying to attract fish to your baited spot, think about how the fish would move around the swim, around/across/along the features, and aim to put baits in strategic positions and pick them off as they move between those features. The google earth maps really help in this regard, as you can see clearly where the biggest bars and humps are and think, well if a couple of tench want to get from here to there, they'll have to go through this little gap- so I'll put a bait there!

 

In the more open water swims, try looking for any feature where a fish might feed, like a lone gravel hump or up against a weedbed.

 

In general terms - for the tench - in the silt up against the bottom of the bars/humps is usually productive, and also up the slopes (if not too steep) and on top of them too. The silt around the base is often home to bloodworm and the slopes and tops are where the big insects like the caddis, and shrimp and snails, live. When all the nymphs hatch, they crawl up the bars to the shallow water on top, and hatch from there, and the fish feed on them as they make their journey. So if it's warm and loads of insects are hatching, especially the bigger ones, they'll be coming up the bars and into shallow water. If there are clouds of midges, there will be loads of bloodworm in the silt at the bottom. Fishing at different depths gives you the best chance to be in the right place for where the fish are naturally feeding.

[Rob Ward]

I had two Pike at the weekend, both on cocktail baits - one boilie tipped with fake corn and the other on a halibut pellet with a fake maggot as the hair stop. The second totally wiped out my other rods in the middle of the night There's not a lot you can do to avoid the Pike if they're in the area and in fact the two biggest Pike I've caught were fluked at Wingham on baits intended for other species.

 

Andrew's right, you don't need a huge amount of bait and five or six spods per rod is a decent starting point. It's also a good point he makes about trying different amounts on each spot as the fish may respond to smaller or greater amounts of feed.

[Errrm]

I'd try not to spod unless you're sure it's the right place, a few casts with a feeder or pva bags can put enough feed in to get an idea of whether the spot is likely to produce or not.

 

If the fish are there and feeding you'll catch them so if you're not getting takes try another spot, once you find a spot where the takes are coming then think about spodding to it.

 

At the fish in I'd spod before you go to the BBQ so you've got time to rest the swim before recasting your rods. Try to avoid spodding over the heads of the fish if they're feeding as you might put them off.

 

The amount you've suggested sounds reasonable.

 

I am travelling from Cambridge so assuming I get there at 10am-11am then I won't have started fishing until after the BBQ... or I haven't in previous years. Should I make an effort to get there earlier to get a few hours fishing in before the BBQ and then perhaps spod bait out based on knowledge of bites, line bites, fish showing etc?

 

Regarding fake corn, in my mind I know it works and I want to get used to using it so perhaps I'll try to get to a commercial and fish fake corn to get some confidence in it :-).

[AddictedToScopex]

Rik, you could do well on the Pole as well in the margins!

I was going to ask about that but then I thought that a 9lb tench may be a little much on the pole as they wouldnt half hurtle off. It was an idea I was playing with as I do like to pole fish if it is in range for its accuracy and presentation. I think a 2 pound plus perch would be a really enjoyable fight on the pole. I will likely bring it down as I was planning to cup bait in with it and knowing me the urge to use it will become overwhelming lol.

 

So many ideas lol. I will end up cramming the car with everything I think I may use.

[Rob Ward]

I was going to ask about that but then I thought that a 9lb tench may be a little much on the pole as they wouldnt half hurtle off. It was an idea I was playing with as I do like to pole fish if it is in range for its accuracy and presentation. I think a 2 pound plus perch would be a really enjoyable fight on the pole. I will likely bring it down as I was planning to cup bait in with it and knowing me the urge to use it will become overwhelming lol.

 

So many ideas lol. I will end up cramming the car with everything I think I may use.

 

That's the major consideration, Rik. It would have to be fairly stout pole tackle to be capable of handling the Tench so something along the lines of what's used at commercials for Carp to double figures would be in order.