Wingham Fish-In Sat 18th to Mon 20th May 2013

[AddictedToScopex]

Good question!

 

I think firstly, be lucky There aren't many and so if they're not in front of you, you can't catch them.

 

But some practical ideas that may help:

 

1. Larger quantities of groundbait and quick breakdown pellets can help get their attention

2. Get all your baiting for the night done by early afternoon at the latest; they are skittish and if they move into your swim late afternoon ready to feed at night and a spod lands on their heads, they'll be off (I've done it and watched them go...not a nice sight!)

3. Avoid recasting from dusk onwards unless really necessary, for the same reason

4. Baits on the edge of, or outside, a main baited area seem to be preferred

5. Areas that are a firm bottom and naturally free of weed are decent bets to fish for them

6. Use long drops after dark and take your time striking, in case it's a big line bite. Strike at a liner and they're very likely to spook and be off (done that too, also not nice!)

 

Others might have other advice, I don't pretent to be an expert, but the above might help a bit. They do have a habit of being caught at fish-ins, so there's every chance someone will get one.

I would love to get one. I think I will do my eeling close in at night so as not to disturb my other baited areas further out to give the bream a chance to come in

 

It must be a horrible sight to see them move away.

[Anderoo]

You get 1 shot a year, to watch them leave because you've mucked it up is pretty sickening...!

 

PS the last one I had (a while ago now) was on a bait 15ft to the left of the baited area. So quite a long way off the bait.

[Dick Dastardly]

Good question!

 

I think firstly, be lucky There aren't many and so if they're not in front of you, you can't catch them.

 

But some practical ideas that may help:

 

1. Larger quantities of groundbait and quick breakdown pellets can help get their attention

2. Get all your baiting for the night done by early afternoon at the latest; they are skittish and if they move into your swim late afternoon ready to feed at night and a spod lands on their heads, they'll be off (I've done it and watched them go...not a nice sight!)

3. Avoid recasting from dusk onwards unless really necessary, for the same reason

4. Baits on the edge of, or outside, a main baited area seem to be preferred

5. Areas that are a firm bottom and naturally free of weed are decent bets to fish for them

6. Use long drops after dark and take your time striking, in case it's a big line bite. Strike at a liner and they're very likely to spook and be off (done that too, also not nice!)

 

Others might have other advice, I don't pretent to be an expert, but the above might help a bit. They do have a habit of being caught at fish-ins, so there's every chance someone will get one.

 

Nice Anderoo I think that sums it up very nicely.

[Errrm]

What would people recommend for Perch?

 

My plan is to fish lob worms and feed a horrible mixture of red maggots, chopped worms, predator plus, tuna fish and browncrumb (the ground bait is just to soak up the liquid from the chopped worms and predator plus and allow me to get it out into the swim) does this seem ok? Is the tuna fish going to help or not because it is not a freshwater fish?

[Steve Walker]

I didn't spend much time looking at scale ageing, except for a comparison with otolith techniques, but I must admit I don't remember reading anything about certain areas of the body providing more reliable scale ages than others, so that is very interesting. The issues with scale ageing are not just replacement but also reabsorption under certain conditions, so it does seem plausible that some areas might be better than others. Seems to me that the shoulder area is the bit of a bream which would leave the smallest wound from the removal of a scale, though, so that may be enough reason in itself?

[Dick Dastardly]

The hardest thing for our guests must surely be deciding what to fish for! I can fish the place anytime I want and for as long as I want and still find this a nightmare! I wish I was 30 again! Just so much to do and I know I wont even scratch the surface.

[Dick Dastardly]

Seems to me that the shoulder area is the bit of a bream which would leave the smallest wound from the removal of a scale, though, so that may be enough reason in itself?

 

Thats what I had allways assumed (along with ease of acsess) was the reason as well?

[Dick Dastardly]

What would people recommend for Perch?

 

My plan is to fish lob worms and feed a horrible mixture of red maggots, chopped worms, predator plus, tuna fish and browncrumb (the ground bait is just to soak up the liquid from the chopped worms and predator plus and allow me to get it out into the swim) does this seem ok? Is the tuna fish going to help or not because it is not a freshwater fish?

 

Steves really the man for this one but I would have thought that worm fished over chopped worm and maggot would suffice.

[AddictedToScopex]

The hardest thing for our guests must surely be deciding what to fish for! I can fish the place anytime I want and for as long as I want and still find this a nightmare! I wish I was 30 again! Just so much to do and I know I wont even scratch the surface.

Your quite right budgie. I have a fair idea in that I know that this being my 3rd attempt I would love to finally get a tench. On the other hand I enjoyed going for the eels last year and I did well so would like to try and emulate the same success of last year. My main plan is two rods during the day for tench and then one rod for tench at night with another close in for eels. On one night I may leave two out for tench. No doubt I will catch nothing but pike and eels again though hehe

[Dales]

ATS I have caught Tench and Eels before in mixed bags and so you can fish for them both at the same time with out much worry of catching one spoiling your chances of the other. It took me a while to come around to the idea of no disturbance if fishing for the Bream, but now days I agree with everything that Anderoo posted about them.