Baits that blow out

[RobStubbs]

Sorry guys but I still don't believe baits blow. Sure some fish are more fickle than others, some get caught lots some don't. Some will get caught on bait a) others get caught on b ). Mug fish are often the bigger fish - they get an easy free meal so who's the mug ?

 

I'm with Roger on this that rigs are generally to blame. The fish just get more wary of eating in certain circumstances and some of them are cleverer than others (if you can ascribe the word clever to fish).

 

Rob.

Edited July 31, 2006 by RobStubbs

[peter mccue]

Reading Budgies reply concerning mug fish has just made me chuckle, I remember reading Rod hutchinsons tongue in cheek theory about fish that are on the bank so often they develop legs!

 

He wondered whether we had got it all wrong & the mug fish were actually the really intelligent ones. The theory was, that they had realised that they had an ample food source for little output. They had worked out they were going to be inconvenienced for a short while, but were going to be put back in the water. This he felt was the reason mug fish didn't fight much, they'd figured it all out!

 

Mind he was as mad as an hatter, so it might be best to stick with Budgies explanation.

[poledark]

Let's throw another aspect into the equation....I have on two occasions been lucky (not luck mate ) to have found a "new" bait that the carp hadn't seen before. This was on a "rock hard" syndicate water.

 

I will not tell you the second bait we (me and a mate) used, but the first one enabled us to catch almost every fish in the lake in 2 months. The second was not quite so effective............

 

What was very clear from these results (and others over the previous years) was that rigs etc do not matter...for some reason the fish were/are only afraid of the bait.

 

If carp were hookshy then we would never catch any of them, 'cos the only thing all our rigs have in common is the hook.

 

If only that were the end of the story though.......so what about those surface feeders that turn away from a floater? The only difference to the freebies is the hook/line attached to it. No question that the carp sees there is something wrong/frightening and so refuses the offering....so does that happen on the bottom of the lake?? Is that why night fishing is usually more productive? Most of us seem to catch more when the water is a bit coloured as well.

 

And who said "mug fish" don't fight as hard?

 

Den

Edited July 31, 2006 by poledark

[peter mccue]

And who said "mug fish" don't fight as hard?

 

Den

 

A 'tongue in cheek' Rod Hutchinson Den.

 

Mind 'tongue in cheek' or not, most of my - oh my gawd will it ever stop - Carp have been either virgin fish or at least those that have rarely seen any pressure, though I have also caught Carp that see the bank quite regular & have fought hard. However once I know a Carp comes out on a regular basis I lose interest, so that probably colours my view.

[Dick Dastardly]

I dont think I could honestly say that Ive had a rig "blow".When I have had to change rig it is normally because the carp has become wary of the bait and isnt picking it up as confidently as it was.Still trying the bait though therefore changing the rig to be "self pricking"/"anti eject" etc.Yes definately not the rig as I could use a "new" bait on a water on the most basic of carp rigs and catch where the use of a "blown" bait would entail a far more complicated rig to be sucsessful.

 

Ive thought for a long time the biggest problem with floating baits is the presentation rather than the bait.If you can avoid FNS (Floating Nylon Syndrome-where the floating hook link near the bait casts a shadow and spooks the fish at the last moment) or better still keep the line off the surface of the water it takes a lot,lot longer (if ever?) for the surface bait to blow. FNS is obviously agravated by bright light conditions so what apears to have blown on a bright sunny day may still work on a dull one!

 

Still on the subject of surface baits, I know waters of equal richness,equal degree of dificulty where mixers have long blown on one and on the other still work! Neither have had any great changes stock/condition wise so why this is I dont know?

 

Despite my veiws being that it is the bait rather than the rig that blows I have heard and read of several cases of where a blown but once sucsessfull bottom bait has been "converted" to a surface bait the fish have once again taken it confidently for another period of time.No personal experience of this though.

[borntofish]

I think my situation is maybe a bit different to most of you chaps, as it would be hard to land all the fish in the lakes I fish. Yes the waters I fish are not dependant on anglers for food.

 

A good point is night angling, just to add to that is not because it is quieter at night as well the carp seem to come a lot closer to the bank, here I am looking mainly at my situation. Bank noise is very high most warm days , motor boats and such. Worst still jet ski.

 

A little more humor on the subject fish swim in schools so they must be clever.

 

Roger

[Newt]

LOL @ "hard to land all the fish in the lakes I fish". Impossible would be closer.

 

How warm is your water right now?

 

And a pox on all jet ski people when they are rude enough to buzz the shoreline.

[borntofish]

LOL @ "hard to land all the fish in the lakes I fish". Impossible would be closer.

 

How warm is your water right now?

 

And a pox on all jet ski people when they are rude enough to buzz the shoreline.

Newt, it is winter this side of the world the water I fish is down to 8 deg C. i have to add this has been the coldest winter in years.

 

Roger

[Dick Dastardly]

Newt, it is winter this side of the world the water I fish is down to 8 deg C. i have to add this has been the coldest winter in years.

 

Roger

 

 

They showed Johanasburg under a carpet of snow (first time in 20 years?) on our news last night! It carries on like this Roger you will be trying to import some Pike!

[borntofish]

They showed Johanasburg under a carpet of snow (first time in 20 years?) on our news last night! It carries on like this Roger you will be trying to import some Pike!

Budgie, let me tell you it is no fun we just do not have the gear for this type of cold. Normally our winters are cold and dry not wet like this one has been.

 

Roger