Help for weedy clear-water tenching please?!

[MotherHen]

I joined a local club last week and today paid a visit to one of the venues. 2 millpools, both gin clear and full of weed (there are swims which people have raked before me - or so it seems as they are void of surface weed) Unable to get to the tackle shop before hand, the only bait I could take with me was bread and corn which I picked up from a garage on the way! I spent around 8 hours there from 9-5 and I know these aren't good times for tench but there are big rudd and crucians and nothing showed bar a few small rudd! Anyway here's the summary of today:

 

First I went down to the bottom lake, found a pre-raked swim under trees as there was pretty heavy rain. Plummed up, threw in a couple balls of groundbait, handful of corn and cast out. Not a nibble in an hour or so on either that or breadflake. I moved up to the top lake and found a swim which also looked raked, repeated the procedure and still nothing. So I went for a stroll and saw a swim with tenchy bubbles coming up from just beside a few bullrushes a few feet out. So I relocated a while back from the bank and decided to use the lift method as it was so close I assumed it was shallow and the sound of a plummet coming in and out might have spooked them. So I threw in a little corn and put my hookbait in the middle of it. For the next 20 minutes there were bubbles coming up all around my baited area and I would get bites but couldn't hit a single one. The only explanations I can possibly think of that caused this are that they were mistaking my shot next to the hook for hemp and attacking this or they were just line-bites and due to the water clarity not taking my hookbait. They weren't crays as I lifted slowly on a few bites and didn't feel any resistance. Normally I would just put this down to small fish but the fact that there were bubbles coming up from all over my area made me think otherwise. Eventually a couple of swans came over and due to the depth and visibility, any bait I put in they had instantly! So was forced to leave and call it a day.

 

I was using a 4lb b/s hooklength which may be a bit too heavy but the lightest I had brought today as I hadn't been informed of the clarity. Simple waggler and lift fishing, neither worked. single / double grains of corn on size 12 / 16 hooks. Breadflake on size 12 hook. Nothing caught worth mentioning, so my question to you is how would YOU approach this? What baits should I take? Maggots? Casters? Hemp? Redworms/Lobworms? What methods? Also, any general tench fishing tips would be appreciated as I've never really targetted them directly. The lakes have no carp, just bream, tench, rudd, perch, roach, crucians and some big pike that I'll target in the winter.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks,

MH

Edited August 26, 2011 by MotherHen

[Chris Plumb]

I'd stick with the lift method - very sensitive and a big fav of mine. As for baits I'd try something meaty - bacon grill or black pudding fished over pellet OR naturals such as maggot, worm caster cocktail or cockle/maggot cocktail. This dependent on how annoying the smaller fish are. All fished on a size 16 to 4lb b/s bottom. I'd fish dawn or dusk - or probably both in high summer AND I'd rake the swim myself before starting - not just to clear the weed - stirs up the bottom nicely - and will often attract tench in. It's surprising how quickly you can catch after raking. In fact on one lake I fish I throw the rake out mid-session if the action has gone quiet - will often bring fish in to investigate. Takes a leap of faith - but it's worked for me...

 

 

C.

[MotherHen]

I'd stick with the lift method - very sensitive and a big fav of mine. As for baits I'd try something meaty - bacon grill or black pudding fished over pellet OR naturals such as maggot, worm caster cocktail or cockle/maggot cocktail. This dependent on how annoying the smaller fish are. All fished on a size 16 to 4lb b/s bottom. I'd fish dawn or dusk - or probably both in high summer AND I'd rake the swim myself before starting - not just to clear the weed - stirs up the bottom nicely - and will often attract tench in. It's surprising how quickly you can catch after raking. In fact on one lake I fish I throw the rake out mid-session if the action has gone quiet - will often bring fish in to investigate. Takes a leap of faith - but it's worked for me...

 

 

C.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'll give the cocktails a go next time I'm there and any ideas how I could make a decent rake cheaply? Also, do you think a swan shot a couple of inches from the hookbait is the right way to go in water this clear or not?

 

MH

Edited August 26, 2011 by MotherHen

[Tigger]

I'd fish after dark via a starlight/ glowlight attached to the float or a battery float. Bait would be bunches of maggots, corn, corn maggot cocktailes and maybe casters. Float fish just off bottom and try up in the water also. I'd fish over a light bed of brown crumb with corn, maggots, trout pellets, hemp etc mixed in.

If there are rudd present then I'd try floating caster or bread and try fishing both just under the float.

Edited August 26, 2011 by Tigger

[MotherHen]

I'd fish after dark via a starlight/ glowlight attached to the float or a battery float. Bait would be bunches of maggots, corn, corn maggot cocktailes and maybe casters. Float fish just off bottom and try up in the water also. I'd fish over a light bed of brown crumb with corn, maggots, trout pellets, hemp etc mixed in.

If there are rudd present then I'd try floating caster or bread and try fishing both just under the float.

 

Unfortunately my club doesn't allow nightfishing

And I'll be sure to try maggots but I've been put off corn!

There's some big rudd to nearly 3lb there so may go after them at some point. Thanks.

[Mat Hillman]

and any ideas how I could make a decent rake cheaply?

MH

 

 

I made mine using 2 old fashioned metal rake heads I found on ebay, attached back to back with about a dozen heavy duty cable ties, and tied to a length of line from Wilkinson's (sold as washing line!)

 

total cost about £15 and works a treat

 

Mat