Match Fishing Advice

[Elton]

Posted on behalf of Jo. Please add all replies to this thread:

 

I have entered a small match in memory of my cousin who died recently. I will be fishing a very small pond that was a pit water reserve, i am unsure of the fish stocked but presume it will be roach perch and poss the odd tench. I am used to fishing commercial waters and I am a beginner. could anyone give me tips as to what groundbait, bait and tactics I would use on a venue I do not know. I generally use a wagler set up as i have not graduated to pole yet. thanks for any help, it will be appreciated.

[gozzer]

If it's a very small pond, then there's a chance that groundbait might be banned, check first.

 

Look for a feature, (weed, over hanging trees),and plumb the depth to find any variations in depth that fish might find interesting.

I would loose feed maggots or casters, little and often. In warm weather that can mean a dozen or so, every minute or two.

Fish a lot lighter than you would on a commercial, small waggler, size 18-20 hook to a 1 or 1.5 bs hook length.

If groundbait is allowed, then mix it to form a cloud when put in, and no more than golf ball sized with a few hook baits in it.

Start on the bottom, using a slow sinking shot pattern, then gradually shallow off, if the fish are taking on the drop.

 

Keep bankside disturbance to a minimum, and you stand a good chance of catching in the margins. If the fishing is very slow, then a larger bait such as bread or worm, fished in the margins can produce one or two of the bigger fish, such as a tench or bigger perch.

 

Good Luck

 

John.

 

P.S. Forgive me for laughing at the "I have not graduated to the pole yet", comment.

The pole is just a method that sometimes beats other methods, and sometimes doesn't. It's not a 'super' method that we all aspire to, just another way of fishing.

[Dick Dastardly]

In fact Ive always found the pole to be far easier than running line!

 

Any way back to the question.The best bet if you can is to obviously go and have a couple of sesssions on the water in question before the match.Another is to go and watch a match on the water.

[melpen]

The art of match fishing is to watch other anglers see what they are doing.

 

Sometimes throwing in ground bait can kill a swim, especially if matches are common on this lake/pond

 

I tend to use 6mm pellets on a size 18 using a pellet band.

 

Fish about 12feet out in front to start with, feeding 6 to 10 pellets every five minutes, and at the same time throw another 6 - 10 pellets in the margins close to you.

 

If you get nothing in front, come in close to the margins where you have thrown the pellets.

Keep feeding 6 - 10 pellets in various places.

 

Sometimes by moving your bait slowly can induce a bite, Carp seem to like slow moving baits.

Once the fish have confidence in the bait, which can take 30mins then its a case of a fish a cast.

 

In match fishing going for the biggest fish is not advisable, by the time you have landed 1 x 15Lb carp you could have landed and unhooked 4 x 5Lb carp.