I'm gonna figure out a way to fish this bit of river

[PeterNE1]

Yup. Those baits & tactics sound promising and that is a great looking fish. I've ordered some "flexi weights" in ½ oz and 1 oz that should hopefully reduce snagging.

 

Of interest to Phone - I spoke to a friend and very experienced carper last night who said he'd fished a little below where I took those photos and out of the shallows. Results were 2 catfsh, a carp, 2 buffalo, and an unknown fish he simply could not stop. I'd love to see the fish he couldn't stop because I know the size of the ones he's caught over the years.

 

Flexi-weight

 

Hi Newt - have seen the flexi weights before online, though never used them, as they're quite alien, this side of the Atlantic.

What's the thought / logic behind them, just in case I'm missing something?

[Ken L]

Hi Newt - have seen the flexi weights before online, though never used them, as they're quite alien, this side of the Atlantic.

What's the thought / logic behind them, just in case I'm missing something?

 

Yes, I'm mystified too. It looks like it's intended to be fished in line but that's just an invitation to snagging.

I make my rough ground weights by cutting some lead pipe or roofing lead and hammering it over a bit of wire - a paper clip will do in freshwater.

Then it's just a case of tying a big surgeons lop in the mainline, splitting the loop and tying a hook on the long end and using a couple of overhand knots (a granny knot) to secure the lead to the short arm of the paternoster.

Snag the lead and it will pull free leaving no ironmongery on the line other than the hook.

 

This is one of my go to rigs for fishing abroad or off the beach for doggies. Reverse the paternoster so the hook is on the short link and it's my wrasse rig.

[Phone]

Newt,

 

That river looks just the place for the odd 30+ flathead as the unknown fish he simply could not stop.

 

Phone

[Newt]

It does indeed Phone and that's my best guess too. We went to the area he fished and baited with a plan to fish it tomorrow. The river looks like prime flathead country from there down to the next shallow/rapids are about 15 miles down river.

 

Here's a shot downstream. The calm area to the right of the photo (and extending about 100 yards from the edge of the photo) and out into the current a bit are where will will fish.

 

And a shot upstream. The concrete is a favoured spot for launching kayaks and we saw about a dozen in the water today.

 

Here's a shot of Bobbi's (my fishing partner) grandson putting out some bait. They both like pack bait & pops and will be using that I plan on using range cubes (a cattle feed made from a mix of various nutrient grasses & mollasses, pressed into a hard rod about 1 inch in diameter).

 

The weights - steel pellets in a tough, flexible covering - don't tend to hang in rocks or logs and if they do, can usually be freed by a technique that works although I'm not sure why. You pull the line as tight as possible then pluck it like you would a guitar or banjo string. 4-5 reps and the weight is normally freed.

[poledark]

I think you should stock some Barbel in there Newt Looks like some serious fishing to be had............

 

Den

Edited September 24, 2012 by poledark

[Nicepix]

Hi Newt - have seen the flexi weights before online, though never used them, as they're quite alien, this side of the Atlantic.

What's the thought / logic behind them, just in case I'm missing something?

 

We used to use link ledgers. A short length of line folded over the mainline and clipped together with enough shot, usually swan shot, to hold bottom. It was simple, cheap and the shot slid off if snagged. Then NASA got involved.............................

[Newt]

Well, I guess a requirement to have good fishing is to know your water and earlier today, we didn't. The Catawba River is like most rivers in this part of the US with lots of hydroelectric dams providing electricity. Water flow is regulated to provide electricity as needed and to provide irrigation water when needed. It doesn't make much difference on the large lakes created by the dams but we are trying to fish a section of river. I had still assumed (wrongly) that with cooler weather the water flow would be fairly constant.

 

Oops, not so. When we arrived today, the water was 3-4 feet down from yesterday and the area we had baited was either shallow or dry.

 

As a reference, the steps yesterday when we baited

 

The steps today when we arrived to fish

 

 

We assumed the water would be down for a few days so left to fish another spot that has much deeper water (no luck there) and when I got home I did some checking on water flow and water depth from the USGS (US Geological Survey) monitoring station for this section of river. It turns out the idea was good but our timing was off by a few hours. They are bouncing water levels like a yo yo.

 

 

Now I've just got to try to locate an open/close schedule for the dam since the fish are used to the changes and probably go back on the bite as the water rises.

[Anderoo]

Great topic Newt, really interesting - keep them coming

[gozzer]

We have a similar thing, (on a smaller scale). Some of our Yorkshire rivers have dams in the higher reaches, and several times we have arrived to see the water at a good level. Within an hour or so it's risen 4 or 5 feet, and the temperature's dropped dramatically. Fishing has been a waste of time.

It was particularly annoying when I drew a 'hot'spot' in a match on the R Wharfe for the first time, and after catching well for an hour, it killed it off.

 

Is there a big drop in water temp when they run off from the dam near you, Newt?

 

 

John.

[Newt]

It depends on the type of dam, time of year, and reason for the water, gozzer. Hydroelectric dams usually use water from low on the dam for routine generation and that can be a lot colder than water from the surface. If the water is overflow it will be surface water and probably nearer the temp of the surface water below the dam.