fishing deep moving water

[Mark Quinney]

Hi all,

I am after some advice on holding a bait down in deep (15ft) moving water that is pushing through heavily. The river in question is the St Lawrence, fished there last year but even my 3 ounce leads did not touch the bottom when put out into the current, I am sure there are more fish in the moving water than in the still and want the option of fishing in the current. It is not a big cast only about 30 yards...

 

Any ideas would be more than welcome....

 

Thanks

[poledark]

Braid?? Breakaway leads? Heavier leads?

 

Den

[seph]

More lead mate. I have been known to use 10oz on the Severn.

[RobStubbs]

I used ordinary sized leads in the St Lawrence OK, but it's a big bit of water and currents vary. As others said you can use breakaway leads as per sea fishing. You need to cast these up stream and let out a large bow of line otherwise they won't hold in the current if it really is as strong as you say. Be mindful however that food (and bait) will all naturally dift into the slacker water, so the carp are less likely to be holding out there (and using up lots of energy doing so).

 

Rob.

[Newt]

River carp in current are prone to eat up in the water so you might want to try a rig under a float with enough weight to keep it in the water but without the need to hold bottom.

 

Another idea is to fish 'catfisherman style' with a free sliding weight on your mainline and knowing the hooklength will be up off the bottom at times but still in easy reach for the carp. Easy enough then to use enough lead to hold bottom since you can buy that style (usually called an egg sinker due to the shape) in a variety of weights.

 

If you prefer (and it is easier on your mainline) you can use a 'sinker slider' and any style weight that you like.

[saskcarp]

Hi all,

I am after some advice on holding a bait down in deep (15ft) moving water that is pushing through heavily. The river in question is the St Lawrence, fished there last year but even my 3 ounce leads did not touch the bottom when put out into the current, I am sure there are more fish in the moving water than in the still and want the option of fishing in the current. It is not a big cast only about 30 yards...

 

Any ideas would be more than welcome....

 

Thanks

I find that casting down current and letting the lead settle and then adjusting the BR drag until it JUST stops pulling line on my running rig. I fish Canadian Rivers too. Good Luck!

[Dick Dastardly]

That isnt particularly deep Mark.I found on the real deep stretchs/places on the Saone (30'+) there were very few fish any way! Most hung around on the marginal crease created by the sudden rise up of the bottom near the banks.In flood conditions this was still there but further out so to speak due to the banks flooding.A quick run over with the sounder or chucking a lead soon finds it if the fish aint showing (on the Saone you could clearly see the carp topping on the edge of the crease)

 

Rods up high,braided mainline (I dropped to 20lb braid to get the diameter of around 6lb mono) and as much lead as is needed! I found it better to tape (with electrical tape) two leads together to get the required weight as this gave you a flatter profile and could be easily adjusted.Looked a bit "noddy" but worked much better than any of the comercial flat leads.Didnt have any "watch" type leads to try but my mate Rob used to use them when we were catting on the Ebro and they worked better.Just used to be hard getting hold of the right sized ones then though.

 

Barbel anglers in the UK have for some time now realised that using 5ozs+ of lead is quite acceptable in powerfull currents.I never had to use more than 10ozs even for catting with 1 1/2lb livebaits though even in the early (flood) part of the season on the Saone so would sugest that if you cant hold bottom with a carp bait comfortably with 5-6ozs then your in the wrong place any way!

[Dick Dastardly]

Oh I forgot to add as Ive never fished the St lawrence I am only surmising that it would be the same.

[Mark Quinney]

Thanks Guys, some very useful advice which I will put to (hopefully) good use in June...

[saskcarp]

Thanks Guys, some very useful advice which I will put to (hopefully) good use in June...

If there is a bunch of weed flowing in the river current in June, try pointing the rod tips in the water instead of a back lead if you can get away with it.