DEPRESSED!

[WickerDave]

The other angler obviously knew where the best early Spring peg was . Well, it does seem odd he fished so close to you. Was he doing anything different tactics wise? Did you cast into his swim if he left earlier than you, and still no luck?

[Guest Brumagem Phil]

Actually dave its a water I know VERY well and know how to fish it but looked like a rank amateur yesterday.

 

He was actually casting almost into my swim! I had one rod at reasonable distance and one right in the margins but his rod was only 20 yards out which is generally an odd kind of distance on this water.

 

He did spend much time baiting up two margin swims (even as he left) but didnt fish them. He did say he'd fished there the day before and the fact he was almost in my swim and at an odd distance suggets to me he had baited that area the day before.

 

I didnt even have a fish as it got dark....most unusual.

[Dick Dastardly]

Sounds like he was fishing right on the edge of your grounbait.Some times this is the best place to be.Several reasons why.On some waters the fish are scared of being over the bait as they associate it with danger but are still atracted to it.Some times they dont want a lot to eat so by the time they have "eat their way" on to the bait they are full.If the fish arnt tightly grouped or present in any great numbers baits amongst the groundbait go un picked up whilst baits on the edge (in amongst much lower densitys of groundbait) are more likely to be found.

 

Amount of groundbait used has to be very carefully worked out.One bream water I fished had massive (300+) shoals of big (8lb+) bream. When they moved on to a large bed of bait (around 40ltrs dry) it would only hold them for a couple of hours.Another water held bigger bream (14lb+) but they only moved around in ones and twos.Hardly any bait would be used as if you were to put to much in you would be seriously reducing the chance of your hook bait being picked up.

 

A real balancing act trying to work out the amount of bait required to attract,hold the fish without burying your hook bait!

[Andy Macfarlane]

Could be that the colour of the groundbait is too light for this time of year. With the water clarity and the distinct lack of cover, it could be that the fish simply don't want to swim over lightly coloured groundbait.

[PIKE]

I would have been fed up if somebody fishes next to me and there was nobody else on the lake.

 

 

I would go steady on the ground bait until the water warms up a bit it is still only march We only

had a cold snap last week.

[Phil Adams]

Aswell as catching on the edge of a baited area, dont forget that lakes have underwater tow just like rivers. Maybe your groundbait wasnt exactly where you thought it was.

 

But I bet it was just one of those things, it happens to us all (sadly lol)

[Guest tigger]

Maybe your just a crap fisherman?

 

Tigger

[Guest Brumagem Phil]

Maybe your just a crap fisherman?

 

Tigger

 

Its you're and carp

[Vagabond]

dont forget that lakes have underwater tow just like rivers. Maybe your groundbait wasnt exactly where you thought it was.

 

Very very true....and bearing in mind the strength of the wind over the last few days........

 

I learnt that lesson many years ago, when I cast a herring out from the downwind margin of a gravel pit on a very windy day. The end tackle trotted away upwind so fast that I was convinced I had a run. It took three false runs before the penny dropped.

 

When it is windy, after plumbing up, check out the undertow with a small float and a bulky but light bait (lobworms, chunk of crust etc). The time spent will yield valuable information on strength and direction of the undertow.

 

Depending on the underwater contours, some waters have more intensive undertows than others.

[Steve Burke]

Phil, could it be that your flavour levels were too high? It might have been that they were attracting the fish to the general area but smelt too strong when close by. I've had the same happen to me on one occasion when I tried upping the amount of flavour from the usually successful level - all I got were line bites!