Newbie To Pole Fishing - Advice Please

[fish-on]

Hi Fellow Anglers,

 

As you can see i am a newbie to the forum so please be gentle

I have been a pleasure angler for the past 25 years or so and have pretty much fished in all weathers at many many venues, and fished everything from Gudgeon on the canal to specimen carp from syndicate lakes. In the last decade or so i have seen the pole revolution arrive and have pretty much ignored it and stuck with what i knew, but after recently spending a lot of time watching matches on my local commercial lakes and seeing just how more productive using a pole can be as opposed to a rod and line i have acquired a keen interest in this type of fishing and would like to know more.

I have browsed the internet and read up on the type of poles around etc, but i can't seem to find a website with more details (and diagrams) of the more technical aspect of pole fishing ie: 'cutting back' your pole, choosing and fitting the elastics, connectors, bungs, setting up rigs etc. The 'cutting back' bit sounds a bit scary and i don't really want to knacker a pole that i've spent a few hundred quid on due to ignorance or attempting it without knowing for sure how to do it properly, so diagrams and advice on this would be great.

I already have a shed load of the usual coarse fishing gear so what else will i need to buy apart from a pole, elastics, connectors, bungs, rigs, and a couple of pole rollers?

Are extra top sections important to the average newbie to pole fishing, or are they more for the regular match fishermen who need to change rigs quickly?

I know that this type of question must have been asked 1000's of times on this forum and i apologize, but i'm hoping that you'll be patient with me and maybe point me in the direction of a few sites/links etc where i might find some useful advice on 'setting up' etc.

I was hoping that my local tackle shop owner would give me some tips today when i popped in for a chat about poles etc, but he was as green as me and had just two poles in the entire shop and no idea of how to set them up - but to be fair i do live on the coast where the tackle shops are more geared towards sea fishing than coarse fishing so i'll let him off.

It seems that the advice given to new pole anglers on most websites i have already visited usually starts "it depends on what fish you hope to catch and where you fish as to what gear you should use", so in anticipation of this question, i will be fishing mainly on commercial match lakes with plenty of silverfish, bream, tench and a good head of carp upto 10lb. I also hope (in the future) to have a laugh and join the odd match or two.

any advice is greatly received and appreciated.

Cheers.

Stu.

[s_mac]

Hi, just upgraded my pole recently and fitted it out myself. i decided what i was going to fish and used that as a guide, there are some very good people on here who can give you great advice.

 

i called my local tackle shop, told him what pole i had, 1 top 3 section and 2 top 2 sections.

 

I fitted mine for my main venue of silver fish with a number 4 elastic and then i went to a bush for number 8 elastic using number 4 connecter. this allows the elastic to run freely, also if you was to move up a grade elastic, your pole is ready for that, thats for my top 3 section.

 

My top 2 section, i have a number 12 rating elastic, with the correct bush and connector for that.

 

my second top 2 section i have a 18 elasctic and the the same bush and connectors for that rating.

 

that covers my pole on its maximum rating, and kits me out for all venues.

 

Cutting back the pole is not so bad, bit more scary than it looks, you just have to be patient, and cut back a little at a time to take you bush.

 

I use a very sharp stanley knife, or one of them disspossible knives you can buy, i find it not to harsh on the pole.

 

So start by cutting a little at a time, and keep trying the fit. i use the put over bush as there is slight more margin for error on the fit.

 

The V roller you got is a great addition, but can i ask is that the type you intend to attach to a bank stick. If so can i recommend you buy a roller that has the four ajustable legs, you can get these from around £25.00 upwards. they are great for hard ground and easpecially canal banks where you cant ship your pole behind you due to lack of space.

 

having that a couple of feet to your side, makes shipping back great and keeps it away from dog walkers and cyclists.

 

A range of pole floats, 1/2gramm upwards and then your off and fishing.

 

regards

 

smac

[terry t shirt]

quite often if its a good tackle shop they'll cut back and sort the lacky out for you once you tell them what you plan to catch.for the general fishing you describe personally i'd opt for a 6-8 for the silvers and odd bonus tench/bream, and if poles capable the biggest you can get in it (16-20) for carp fishing. This might sound totally stupid and could just be me but bigger carp are easier on the pole than 5lbers smaller ones seem to tear off all over the place.

[fish-on]

Many thanks for the reply S_mac and your very good tips.

It seems sensible then that no matter what pole i end up buying i should consider extra top sections too and set them up with various elastics etc all ready for any fishing senario.

 

Another couple of things i meant to ask in my original thread was - 'whips'..... i was looking at a 9m whip today with an 'eyed' end, is the elastic simply tied to the eye on whips? and are there any benefits to using a whip over a conventional pole?

And telescopic over pull-apart, what are the advantages of one over the other?

 

Thanks.

 

Stu.

[fish-on]

Many thanks Terry,

 

Is there a general guide as to what lb mono will match the elastics? ie: would 6-8 elastic equate to around 2-3lb mono?.....a 12-14 elastic would be maybe 4-5lb? and a 20 elastic around 8lb+? or does that sound slightly too strong?

 

Thanks.

 

Stu.

[s_mac]

Many thanks for the reply S_mac and your very good tips.

It seems sensible then that no matter what pole i end up buying i should consider extra top sections too and set them up with various elastics etc all ready for any fishing senario.

 

Another couple of things i meant to ask in my original thread was - 'whips'..... i was looking at a 9m whip today with an 'eyed' end, is the elastic simply tied to the eye on whips? and are there any benefits to using a whip over a conventional pole?

And telescopic over pull-apart, what are the advantages of one over the other?

 

Thanks.

 

Stu.

 

I have just purchased a whip myself, like you i have never used one either, this is the advice i was given.

 

 

 

Telescopic whips are normally fished to hand.

For example - a 5 meter whip can have a rig of just under 5 meters attached (so you can swing small fish to hand).

Most whip fishing is for small fish on the drop involving small pole floats, small wagglers or a small float such as a stillwater blue insert float. I prefer a small insert waggler as they are easier to swing than a light pole float.

The great thing with a 5m whip is that you can fish out at 9m in a meter of water or at 8m in two meters of water etc etc.

The idea is to swing your rig out in a straight line in front of you keeping direct contact with the float.

 

 

Modern carbon whips are mainly a mix of telescopic and put over top two three's or fully put over all the way through and normally come with a top two/three flick tip to be used as above and top two/three kits that can be elasticated incase of bonus fish and used with short rigs - long pole style.

[s_mac]

Many thanks Terry,

 

Is there a general guide as to what lb mono will match the elastics? ie: would 6-8 elastic equate to around 2-3lb mono?.....a 12-14 elastic would be maybe 4-5lb? and a 20 elastic around 8lb+? or does that sound slightly too strong?

 

Thanks.

 

Stu.

 

In reply to your question about the elastic rating, to what poundage hook length, the guide below should help you, this is what i go by:

 

2 ..... 0.6mm..... 0.06mm/12oz to 1lb.....Canals/Lakes/Roach,Bleak

3 ..... 0.7mm..... 0.08mm/1lb 8oz.....Canals/Lakes/Silver fish

4 ..... 0.8mm..... 0.09mm/2lb.....Canals/Lakes/Rivers/Silver fish

5 ..... 0.9mm..... 0.10mm/2lb 8oz.....Canals/Lakes/Rivers/Silver fish

6 ..... 1.0mm..... 0.12mm/3lb.....All waters/Small Carp/Skimmers.......

8 ..... 1.2mm .....0.13mm/3lb 8oz.....All Waters/2lb+ Carp/Bream

10.....1.4mm ..... 0.14mm/4lb.....All Waters/3lb+ Carp/Tench/Bream

12.....1.6mm ..... 0.16mm/5lb.....All Waters/6lb+ Carp/Tench/Bream

14.....1.8mm...... 0.18mm/6lb .....All Waters Carp to 10lb

16+...2.0 plus mm ..... 0.20mm 8lb+.....All Waters Big 10lb+ Carp

 

 

 

If you need any more advice, please dont hesitate to ask, and when you reach 15 post, your post will be added imediately, you wont have to wait a few minutes or a couple of hours. its all to help the site.

 

regards

smac