Specimen hunters dont look here

[Guest rabbit]

Rabbit, just thought I make a point here on using sprat as pike bait. Just in case any young piker out there using sprat as bait. ok?

 

In my view and some other pikers as well.

 

With a small bait such as a sprat can be very dangerous indeed, the reason is that unfortunately you tend to get very poor bite indication with freelining. It is mainly due to not being able to tighten down enough to register the smallest of touchs. Some times a Pike will pick up a bait and swallow it on the spot with the resulting consequences. Far better to either float or ledger a deadbait or livebait using (4ozs minimum).

 

Good point Andrew, and thanks for explaining. I just think that the image of trotting for roach on a winters day, catching, and seeing the pictures was a real treat for me. Like a true predator angler you viewed the catch differently. That was my point and with respect, I was hoping you saw that the image you and Tigger portrayed was not in keeping with the spirit of the original posting by Terry. Your opinon on that point would be appreciated

[DavyR]

Terry, I can't make out if that's the Nene in your photo or a stillwater. Looks like a pub garden in the background!

[terry t shirt]

Terry, I can't make out if that's the Nene in your photo or a stillwater. Looks like a pub garden in the background!

 

 

its a section of the nene at cogenhoe (may aswell be a still water with the amount of flow it had yesterday

)

[DavyR]

That's a place that's mis-pronounced about as often as Alsager (where I live now)! Had many a good game of skittles in the Royal Oak at Cogenhoe....

[Guest tigger]

I just think that the image of trotting for roach on a winters day, catching, and seeing the pictures was a real treat for me. Like a true predator angler you viewed the catch differently. That was my point and with respect, I was hoping you saw that the image you and Tigger portrayed was not in keeping with the spirit of the original posting by Terry.

 

Your opinon on that point would be appreciated

 

Are you claiming psychic abilities now Rappit ?

How do you know it wasn't in keeping with the spirit of the original posting? I thought he'd put the picture on to show what a good day he'd had.

 

As all round anglers we obviously just saw the potential for pike bait in this catch and didn't romance/fantasize in the same imagery as you did.

 

I just think that the image of trotting for roach on a winters day, catching, and seeing the pictures was a real treat for me.

How do you know he caught them trotting Rappit?

 

Tigger.

[Guest rabbit]

Are you claiming psychic abilities now Rappit ?

How do you know it wasn't in keeping with the spirit of the original posting? I thought he'd put the picture on to show what a good day he'd had.

 

As all round anglers we obviously just saw the potential for pike bait in this catch and didn't romance/fantasize in the same imagery as you did.

How do you know he caught them trotting Rappit?

 

Tigger.

 

Quite honestly Tigger if you can only see a netful of roach as ''pike bait'' then I suggest you reconsider your all round angler claim. Yes I expect he did put the picture on to show what a good day he had, dont suppose having a good day only envolves catching pike for some, shame you dont appreciate the finer side of our sport

Its RABBIT by the way

[Vagabond]

1/ only hooked one thing half decent a perch (saw it lost it )

 

2/ but did end up with about 5lb of roach biggest about 6 oz but even in the cold it was great

 

To go back to the title of the thread, there IS something useful to the would-be "specimen hunter" here.

 

taking point 2 first - you can often get a shoal of roach feeding even in very cold weather, then point 1 applies - such a shoal might well attract the attention of a "half-decent perch" or better. I have had several good perch that had turned up when I was busy roach fishing - in fact if fishing for perch, I now deliberately feed the swim to attract small fish - which in turn attract the perch.

 

I'm making a couple of assumptions here:-

 

a/ all the roach caught and the perch you hooked and lost came from the same swim, and

 

b/ you had already got the roach feeding when the perch turned up

 

is that so?

 

Nice catch in the circumstances anyway.

Edited December 30, 2005 by Vagabond

[terry t shirt]

yep the roach were feeding before the perch showed up and there were more than 1 pike hanging around aswell only jacks though (but they didnt get any of my roach) as for all the hoohaaa going on in here about the pike .the post was originally done to demonstrate you can catch fish in winter if you get off your arses . I used to pike fish (and used sprats) so dont mind if they are looked upon as bait. point to remember though

what with cormorants , polution etc the roach stocks in most waters are getting low what was 5lb of roach this time 20 years ago would have been 25lb is it really worth endangering them further by seeing them just as pike bait? the arguement we only take a few doesnt stand before you jump. in a lot of fews makes a lot of fish and bearing in mind most roach over 4oz are females thats a lot of eggs your losing for the future generations.

[Guest rabbit]

Terry, at last sanity prevails.

Catching roach is the mark of a good angler, always has been always will.

Sorry to hear that the numbers are down on previous years. Cormorants, Heron and so on always take their share of fish, but I cant help wondering if there is some other reason , perhaps we should consider that the decline river match angling, might be a factor. Also, perhaps some of our waters are just too clean?

[Guest rabbit]

To go back to the title of the thread, there IS something useful to the would-be "specimen hunter" here.

 

taking point 2 first - you can often get a shoal of roach feeding even in very cold weather, then point 1 applies - such a shoal might well attract the attention of a "half-decent perch" or better. I have had several good perch that had turned up when I was busy roach fishing - in fact if fishing for perch, I now deliberately feed the swim to attract small fish - which in turn attract the perch.

 

I'm making a couple of assumptions here:-

 

a/ all the roach caught and the perch you hooked and lost came from the same swim, and

 

b/ you had already got the roach feeding when the perch turned up

 

is that so?

 

Nice catch in the circumstances anyway.

 

Funny how attitudes differ, If I was catching roach of that stamp, and some old pred turned up to spoil the party, I think I would pretty much pi$$ed off. I cant help thinking you have missed the point, dont believe he was targeting perch or pike anyway. (Its all in the title of the post)

 

With respect Vagabond, and a Happy New Year to you and your family!!, also a big 'up' for what you did earlier in the year