Fishing methods......tactics..ect

[PeterK]

Craynerd,

 

Your questions are not stupid, I just wish all beginers would ask before going out

 

If you want to float fish at this time of year I think it's safe to say fish on the bottom or just off of the bottom.

 

To find the bottom use a plumb weight. Your tackle dealer will tell you how it's really simple. It's a weight that is too heavy for the float - so when you cast out to where you want to fish - if you cant see the float (with the plumb on the hook end) then the line is too short. You don't keep it on for fishing of course!!! It would get in the way of the bait

 

I would keep bait simple at first. Maggot is always going to catch you something. Bread is great but its slightly harder to use and can get really hard in this cold which can cause you to miss bites.

 

Keep it simple, try to find a good looking spot. Try fishing on or near the bottom, if you don't get a bite add a few loose maggots (or whatever your using). Keep adding a few every few mins but don't go too mad with free food in this weather. If you cant get something going move on. Probably better to fish the deeper areas at this time of year. Keep it simple!

 

Dont get carried away with tiny hooks unless you really need too - size 10 - size 14 might be a good place to start.

 

Where to put the split shot weights is a difficult question, what type af water are you going to fish?

 

Please make sure you buy these two things :-

 

A decent landing net (you really don't anything too big)

 

Proper forceps for unhooking any fish that takes your bait into the back of it's mouth

 

Also, and please dont take this the wrong way, please leave the water better than you find it. By that I mean don't leave any litter and if you can take some that's been left by others.

 

Above all have a good time, good luck.

[RUDD]

Its going to be very hard this time of year fishing a pond, lodge (man made pond to do with locks?) or lake.

 

I would recommend 3.5lb line as a good allyear general line.

My personal choice is 2 or 2.5lb main this time of year and the 2 gets used alot more.

 

I would also only fish with a MAXIMUM of a size 18 hook to a 0.10mm or lower hooklength.

I go down to as low as 0.06mm (1.1lb) and a 24 hook.

 

Fish an insert waggler and shot it with almost all of the shot around the float with two or three drop shot (size 7 or 8)down near the hook (first one next to loop connecting hooklength with the others about 5 inches apart going back towards float) so only a fraction (3 to 5mm of tip) is showing as the majority of bites will not be more more than gental tweeks (float must be big enough to combat both wind and undertow) and start with your bait just on the bottom (by plumbing your reg).

 

Mark or make a note of depth.

 

Most stillwater fish this time of year want a bait presented on the bottom and static.

Use pinkies as both loosefeed and hookbait.

Feed around 5-7 pinkies every three minutes.

 

If you dont get bites within 20 min then try moving the drop shot nearer / further from each other and adding or subtracting a few inches of depth on your float.

 

Its all trial and error and WE ALL have to make these changes to get bites.

 

If you do get a shoul of fish feeding it is highly possible even in freezing conditions that they will come up in the water to intercept baits.

If this happens you can either cut back on loose feed but put in 10-12 every 5 mins or shallow your rig and try to keep contact with the shoul.

 

If I have silver fish feeding I put in a few grains of hemp to keep them near the bottom as I feel they are easier to catch off the bottom than mid-water.

 

Good luck