Hooking paste correctly

[prez]

Hi everyone,

 

I gave paste a good try for the first time this evening at my local lake. Just a simple paste of trout pellet powder and eggs. The fish seemed pretty keen - had lots of enquiries on the float and the quivertip. BUT I only managed to hook the really suicidal ones - 4 nice tench from countless missed strikes.

 

I was using a size 12 hook and moulding the paste around it. I tried different sizes of paste either hiding the whole hook or leaving the tip exposed.

 

What's the best way to put a paste like this on a plain hook? I'm not too keen on using paste springs and other gizmos.

[rich]

just mould your paste round the hook (12s are ok)in a big lump. are the bites you are missing slow ones or quick jabs. If they are slow then they are probably liners, a quick bite is a proper one when pasting.if the float is quivering then it might be small fish mouthing the paste.

 

Cheers,

 

rich

[Paul]

I just make the paste in the shape of a coin in my palm put the line in the middle of it then fold it over and create a ball, then i slide the paste down over my hook. I haven't use a hook size bigger then a size 14 i've even had fish on size 18 before. Some times the little fish just keep nibbling at it with can sometimes produce false bites

[RUDD]

When using paste I now fish it on a hair rig.

Take a small pellet that matches the hooksize and put it on the hair rig. Then mould your paste around the pellet.

This has two advantages :

 

1. Your hook point is always exposed.

2. If you paste comes off for any reason you

still have a bait on your rig.

 

When pole or float fishing I use a float with the longest tip (insert for waggler) possible.

Line bites and small pests just make the tip dip a little. I only hit bites that are a steady pull on the float or when the float completly dissapears.

 

When quiver tipping if you hold your line you can feel the small fish tweaking at the bait.

When you get a bite you will feel a steady pull or a sudden lunge.

I hold my line alot when quiver tipping as I find staring at the tip to much causes eye strain.

When I look up everything including the land and trees seem to be moving!

[rich]

quote:

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When I look up everything including the land and trees seem to be moving!

---

so you take a few cans fishing then

[RUDD]

Only cans of worms.

I know people who fish all night and take a crate of beer.

Dont see the point, if you get a run you will probably miss it due to being intoxicated.

Or worse if you fall in you will probably drown!

 

I think that over concentrating on a float or tip can affect your eyesight for a moment when you try and focus on something else.

It could be caused by the water movement.

[monkeyboy]

You will have to go steady on the skunk Rudd.

I dont see the point in getting ****** while fishing either. The pub after the session seems a better option to me.

I get that eye strain too especially when the water has a bit of movement and its sunny.

[prez]

OK had another short session this morning to refine the technique somewhat. Here's what happened:

 

I like the size 12 hook so stuck with it. The float was a drennan stillwater blue - the finest tip I could find. Used just enough paste to make a little worm shape on the shank. This seemed to work wonders because I got lots of small bream and roach. The bites were difficult to hit and I always waited for the float to disappear.

 

Next I tried hair rigging a small lump on a pellet. Didn't get many bites on this but the ones I did get were solid. Got 3 tench.

 

I think I like the plain hook better.

[rich]

quote:

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I get that eye strain too especially when the water has a bit of movement and its sunny.

---

get yourself some oakley sunnies :cool: and a target board for the quivertip.

 

Cheers,

 

rich

[RUDD]

prez:

OK had another short session this morning to refine the technique somewhat. Here's what happened:

 

I like the size 12 hook so stuck with it. The float was a drennan stillwater blue - the finest tip I could find. Used just enough paste to make a little worm shape on the shank. This seemed to work wonders because I got lots of small bream and roach. The bites were difficult to hit and I always waited for the float to disappear.

 

Next I tried hair rigging a small lump on a pellet. Didn't get many bites on this but the ones I did get were solid. Got 3 tench.

 

I think I like the plain hook better.

Prez

 

most paste work is done to target bigger fish/species.

Most fish I have caught on paste have been good specimens. Paste seems to winkle out the bigger fish that are feeding and does take longer to get bites on for this reason.

I am glad that the advice has worked for you.

You could try a smaller hook size with a hair.

I go down to a 16 but use a strong hook such as a drennan super specialist or kamisan animal.

This way you can use smaller lumps of paste which smaller fish may take.