Too early to fish the Method?

[DonRamos]

Hello All,

 

I recently fished a smashing little lake complex near where I live, which holds a good head of silver fish along with some good carp.

 

I fished it on the pole and caught plenty of silver fish, and then along would come a carp which I would end up having a long fight with, loosing a couple of big ones and landing some up to 7 pound.

 

I am heading down there next week and would really like to target the carp, but my pole isn't up to the task. I was considering fishing The Method, but was thinking it may be a bit early in the year?

 

What do you guys reckon?

 

DR

[coarsefish-torbay]

Assuming the venue responds to groundbait and feeders, you should be alright as long as you fish it correctly.

I would start with a very small feeder, (by the way, I always use inline method rigs, not elasticated) and a fine groundbait. Riddle your groundbait through a kitchen sieve before you mix it, then mix it just wet enough to cast and hold on the feeder. You don't want a ball of stodge.

For hookbaits, try a dead red maggot or two fluoro pinkies.

 

If at any point you find carp taking the tip round as soon as the feeder hits bottom, cast frequently, there will be little point sitting on a feeder load. Probably cast every five minutes if you have one quickly.

Should you have a couple of fish and then nothing, take the feeder off and cast a small bomb just past your groundbait line.

The carp will probably be moving into shallower water now, so don't be afraid to cast tight to island margins. Accuracy will be the key to a big bag.

Good luck,

Steve

Edited March 21, 2006 by coarsefish-torbay

[chris mc]

Wat does everyone use with there method mix?I haven't fished the method in years and never really did it properly.Do people add brown/white crumb to there method mix?Vitalin??

[Puzzled]

Chris, I find that Vitalin, a few carp pellets, hempseed and sweetcorn held together with a good helping of CSL makes a cracking method mix for carp. With a halibut pellet as hookbait, almost never fails!

[chris mc]

Cheers Puzzled much obliged but wat is CSL???I've got "Dynamite baits SwimStim feed Mormuler" here recomended by local tackle shop delear.Was thinking of using this with a mixture of wat youv'e just said.

 

I use quite a lot of Dynamite Baits stuff so i thought this stuff would be allright???

 

 

Cherss.

[Puzzled]

CSL = Corn Steep Liquor

Dark, sticky and pretty smelly stuff, irresistible to carp.

[DonRamos]

Excellet Chris, thanks for the info.

 

Will give it a try and let you know how I get on.

 

DR

[WickerDave]

I've fished a second rod on the Method all winter and have always caught on it, admittedly on a heavily stocked commercial. The bait has usually been a small bunch of maggots.

 

It worked pretty well yesterday afternoon, 7 carp to 6lb+, a bonus chub of 4½lb, 2 rudd and a roach. I used a small flatbed feeder and a purchased method mix (with no added freebies) with 4 multi-coloured maggots on a size 12 hook. This was casting close to an island, the tiddlers were caught very close to the island and were obviously in the shallows.

 

If you were catching/hooking well at pole distance, then why not just use a waggler?

[david t]

I use the method on canals with a small head of wandering carp, often in the spring. not in the same way as most fish the method, i dont cast it repeatly, and build up the swim, I just use it as an instant area of attraction round the hookbait. quicker and easier than a pva bag, and you dont have to wait for it to break down like a pva bag. I also dont rate real short hooklinks for canal carp, I never got any real runs on them, the bobbin seemed to hop about abit, like they were just playing with it, and didnt like it, i use a 6 or 8 inch hooklink. I use it free running too, never seemed to catch any more on a semi fixed method.