Marker Floats

[Elton]

Posted on behalf of Tom - please add all replies to this thread:

 

after watching a great episode of Korda underwater about marker floats, I'm very keen to improve my chances to catch the "big one" and any other takers haha (I'm not fussy). I would like to know if anybody uses marker floats and how they rate the productivity and if it improved their catch rate. If anybody has some simple but effective set-ups for the marker float please reply diagrams would be incredibly useful too. Thank you, Tom.

[Elton]

A couple of articles here may help:

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/Carp-Fishing-A...re_finding.html

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/Carp-Fishing-A...ding_setup.html

 

I'd also recommend a look around the carp section as a whole:

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/Carp-Fishing-Articles/

[RobStubbs]

I would never fish without a marker float. If you don't use one you can't 'map out' the topography of the lake bed in terms of bars, weed beds, slit or gravel patches. I would estimate it would halve my catch rates, if not worse.

 

Rob.

[johnhere]

There is no doubt using a marker floats helps you catch more fish. If you have use of a boat then this is something you might want to try.

 

I use 2 sometimes 3 solar powered floating lights as used in garden ponds. Attache a line and weight (having first found out the depth or the water) drop them in the area I am fishing. I can see them during the day as well as at night. When using 3 I set them up in a triangle.

 

Plus it makes the lake look nice at night lol

[Anderoo]

Unless you're on a looong session or you're on a lake where the carp aren't that fussy I wouldn't chuck markers about before fishing. A much better idea is to go over to the lake on a quiet day (winter is good for this, and mid-week even better) with a marker set-up and A4 pad and pencil and map out the whole lake in one go. Take your time and at the end of the day (maybe 2 depending on how big the lake is!) you're done and every time you fish there you can avoid disturbing your chosen swim before dropping a bait in.

[johnhere]

Unless you're on a looong session or you're on a lake where the carp aren't that fussy I wouldn't chuck markers about before fishing. A much better idea is to go over to the lake on a quiet day (winter is good for this, and mid-week even better) with a marker set-up and A4 pad and pencil and map out the whole lake in one go. Take your time and at the end of the day (maybe 2 depending on how big the lake is!) you're done and every time you fish there you can avoid disturbing your chosen swim before dropping a bait in.

 

 

Bit lost here. I use the markers to show where I have baited up and also where to bait up. So I fish on top of that area. Why would putting markers out disturb the fish anymore than spodding bait out?

Carp are a very inquisitive fish. I often see my markers being attacked by carp and lost count the number of times they have had a go at my controller when fishing on the top. Not trying to eat it just having a go at it.

[Si...]

Bit lost here. I use the markers to show where I have baited up and also where to bait up. So I fish on top of that area. Why would putting markers out disturb the fish anymore than spodding bait out?

Carp are a very inquisitive fish. I often see my markers being attacked by carp and lost count the number of times they have had a go at my controller when fishing on the top. Not trying to eat it just having a go at it.

 

Some waters the carp are really spooky and will simply swim away from disturbances, including spodding and when you`re using a marker float.

 

I have fished waters like this in the past, where 4-5 fish a year was the norm, thats where you have to do what Anderoo says and go to the lake when its quiet and map it out.

 

I always have a marker rod with me when ever I go fishing, sometimes when i`m not, I keep a rod in the car at times (just in case), it helps you get a feel for the lake, and whether you`re fishing on gravel, silt, sand, in weed etc....

[borntofish]

I do not think I could fish unless my marker float is in the water, it helps to feature find before you fish. To be able to find where you put the feed in it is the only way to keep the feed and your hooks in the same place. it gives you a target if shooting your pre bait out with a catty and something to cast for if using a spod.

 

I always clip my marker float rod up and will remove it at night, nothing worse than a tangle with your float at night. I know some people will back lead the float line, but a carp is very curios and can run your float line.

 

Take some time off and give the lake a work out with your marker float, it pays off in the end, put all your results in a note book so that you can always refer to the "book".

 

It helps a lot when spodding your prebait out, its fun to see how many times you can hit the float, puts some excitement into an otherwise boring job.

 

Feature finding is an adventure all on its own, sand, silt, snags can all be found and then mapped out before you loose precious tackle, you also know what depth you are fishing at.

 

Feature finding is an art, I will often just go out with a float rod and feature find even if I know the water, just to keep in practice I will also watch the swims for signs of fish, put all the info together its can only increase your chances.

 

Roger

[RobStubbs]

If you don't use a marker float then you don't know what you're fishing on. Sure you feel the lead down, except at range or in cross winds. That of itself may tell you if you're in weed or on something more solid. It will not tell you if you're on the top, side or bottom of a gravel bar, if you're in a tiny gap in the weed or in a massive clear patch in it. You also have no way of telling where to put your freebies. People say about mapping it all out which is great. What that won't do though is pick up changes in weed beds. If you fish weedy lakes these can change over weeks never mind months as well as varying seasonally.

 

I hear what Si says about fish spooking from markers but I've never experienced it on any of the dozens of waters I've fished, from the heavily pressured waters to the almost empty big pits.

 

At the end of the day though it's about watercraft and learning about the water you fish. If it is a fickle water then bear that in mind and keep the disturbance to a minimum. That includes casting out your baited rigs though - no need to re-cast all the time if your baits are in the right spots, just leave them alone.

 

Rob.

[TomXIV]

Thank you Elton, and thank you all for replying to an improving angler .... well trying to improve the replys have helped me alot thanks again,

 

Tom