something a little bigger please...!

[martboy21]

Hi all, I have returned to fishing after manys year and have gone back to what I know best...float fishing!

 

Now my problem is this, my local lake has some decent size carp and some lovely big bream/roach/perch and some pretty awesome tench. Ive come home yesterday having caught well over a hundred fish over the day but all small, maybe 2-4 inches in length of all different breeds.

 

I prebait my swim with either homemade groundbait or swim stim stuff before I setup and apply the little and often approach with maggots. its never more than 20 seconds and im on to another fish. This is great for me and my little ones but would like something bigger, something that will bend my little match rod

 

should I stop with maggots? ive tried soft hooking pellets caught a couple of tiddlers but again nothing worth noting.

 

I use either a 14-16-18 barbless hook with double maggot, or caster, I plumb my depth. sometimes I fish over depth too but all yeild the same results....tiddlers!

 

Where am I going wrong? How can I attract the bigger fish into my swim and get past these nuisance fish? I cast out past my swim , sink the line and reel back into the swim. If I dont i will be on to a fish as soon as the bait hits the water!! would love even a 2-3 lbs carp, that would make mine and my kids day!!

 

Hope this makes sense, only thing im yet to try is sweetcorn. The reason being there was a few anglers using it yesterday and caught nothing and put me off slightly

 

thanks in advance

 

Please leave some tips/advice below

Cheers

[Phone]

Martboy,

 

Bigger baits and bigger hooks. WAY BIGGER! Fish lower in the water column. Try NOT prebaiting.

 

Phone

[wotnobivvy]

Try another part of the lake. As Phone says, bigger baits and hooks. Make sure the little ones can't nibble at the bait, as that is very frustrating, lots of dips and false bites

[gozzer]

I'd try to the side of where you have been baiting, often the small fish rush in, and larger fish are a bit more cautious. If you are used to a bite every cast, then you will have to be more patient with bigger fish. I'd give sweetcorn a proper go, before giving up on it.

 

John.

[Sportsman]

I would second the use of sweetcorn. I find that maggots will get me more bites but that the fish tend to be smaller.

[Vagabond]

All good advice re bigger baits (on bigger hooks), and fishing on the fringes (either side or a bit further out) of your baited area.

 

.....and not just sweet-corn as an alternative, but an inch or two of fat lobworm, chick peas, half-inch cubes of luncheon meat, a piece of prawn (raw or cooked), a dollop of bread paste, bread flake, and the really really secret bait that is so effective I dare not mention it by name . (Hint, you can buy them from a good fishmonger's)

[Adam247]

I would keep at the little and often approach but have a larger amount of shot near your hook link if using one if not about 6 inces or so of grouped shot as it should take the bait down past the fry quicker , also mix in a few casters and chopped worm into your ground bait mix as will create a strong smell bringing in carp tench perch and bream. Also try the lift method. If you don't know how I can explain. Also try a bigger hook , yes you may get the tiddlers taking the bait off the hook but try larger baits too as fish are attracted to feeding so carp would eventually turn up into your swim along with the rest. By the way what does the swim look like ? Any lillypads or reeds around it ? Ideal location for tench and carp to feed amongst

[martboy21]

Thanks all for the replies

 

Before I had a chance to read them at all I stopped at a tackle shop and bought myself some Preston innovation method feeder and press. Thought id try that again at some point. Ok I have a tin of sweetcorn in the cupboard, im stealing it for the tackle box

 

Have been watching a few videos on youtube too about fishhing in by the bank and close to the lillys.

 

So dont prebait my swim? I was told that chuck some ground bait out before I set up, say 8 golf sized balls. That will get the fish into your swim at least.

 

I guess all its doing is attracting the little ones and not much else for me.

 

Im off to frant lakes on the 7th for two days with alot of experienced mates so cannot blank on something decent.

 

So whats the mystery bait from fishmongers? Please do tell

 

Dont really wanna do hair rigs and start buying boilies etc as im not specifically after huge carp. Will have two rods setup, one for my feeder further out and the other in closer on a float.

 

Any tips for frant lakes anyone please

 

And just to clear this up, I have a no.8 shot around 5-6 inches from the hook, should I be fishing over depth and have this on the bed with the sweetcorn floating of the lake bed? Or shoukd I have the bait dragging along the bottom , vertical down from the float?

Thanks so much again guys

[martboy21]

Ok heres the pond

 

 

The marker is where I sit. However theres alot more lillys to the left and also the whole right bank is covered and no one fishes there due to that.

 

Sorry its not more up to date

 

Ill try draw something instead

 

Oh also please explain the "lift method" please buddy

 

Thanks so much for the tips again [

[RUDD]

I would try a 6 or 8mm expander pellet or 6 or 8mm hard banded pellet and feed 4 or 6mm soaked hard pellet. Plumb carefully so the pellet just touches the bottom.

The pellet acts like your last dropper shot. If pellet taken on the drop the float doesn't settle, sometimes it settles and you may get a lift bite, if they are having it you get a sail away bite.

Make sure you use a float that can support the pellet as you may need to shallow up if fish are up in the water.