Slack line fishing.

[Ducktape Corkfeet]

What is the best way to set up when fishing slack lines? Anything I should be aware of when targetting Tench, Bream, Eels or specifically Perch? Never done it before, but after getting hold of a Delkim, I think it's about time I started to on a couple of waters.

[lutra]

What is the best way to set up when fishing slack lines? Anything I should be aware of when targetting Tench, Bream, Eels or specifically Perch? Never done it before, but after getting hold of a Delkim, I think it's about time I started to on a couple of waters.

A free running rig, tighten up and sink your line as normal then just let it go slack and lay on the bottom. No bobbins just sit with your rod and strike at the first bleep.

[Steve Burke]

I'd caution against using slack lines when after perch. This is because there's more chance of deephooking, that with perch can mean death due to the unusual position of the heart and other vital organs.

[Phil Adams]

You can slack line and still use a bobbin/visual indicator. I tend to use a very lightweigh Solar hanger which is barely enough to pull any line tight at all. I do find however that by using a lightweigh bobbin, that indications are registered better, I think this is due to the sligh weight making the line contact with the alarm more effeciently. Although with the Delkims (great choice btw) it shouldnt matter.

 

Give it a go.

[Ducktape Corkfeet]

I'd caution against using slack lines when after perch. This is because there's more chance of deephooking, that with perch can mean death due to the unusual position of the heart and other vital organs.

I'd always heard that slack lining was the better way to go for Perch due to the lack of resistance, and therefore less chance of deephooking, although tbh, I'd respect your opinion.

 

You can slack line and still use a bobbin/visual indicator. I tend to use a very lightweigh Solar hanger which is barely enough to pull any line tight at all. I do find however that by using a lightweigh bobbin, that indications are registered better, I think this is due to the sligh weight making the line contact with the alarm more effeciently. Although with the Delkims (great choice btw) it shouldnt matter.

 

Give it a go.

I too have a lightweight Solar bobbin, and tbh I hadn't considered for a second, fishing without a bobbin. Yeah, the Delkims are great alarm, I still haven't got used to the sensitivity.

Edited October 6, 2007 by Ducktape Corkfeet

[Steve Burke]

I'd always heard that slack lining was the better way to go for Perch due to the lack of resistance, and therefore less chance of deephooking, although tbh, I'd respect your opinion.

 

It's not as straightforward as it seems as there are a lot of factors involved. Unfortunately I'm extremely busy revamping our paperweight web site and so haven't got time to go into details at present. Sorry, I should perhaps have added this to my original post, but I wanted to ensure that anyone avoided slacklining for perch for the time being.

[Ducktape Corkfeet]

Sorry, I should perhaps have added this to my original post, but I wanted to ensure that anyone avoided slacklining for perch for the time being.

 

Message recieved and understood.

 

So, really small hooks and freelined rigs for eels then.....................

[Anderoo]

You can slack line and still use a bobbin/visual indicator. I tend to use a very lightweigh Solar hanger which is barely enough to pull any line tight at all. I do find however that by using a lightweigh bobbin, that indications are registered better, I think this is due to the sligh weight making the line contact with the alarm more effeciently. Although with the Delkims (great choice btw) it shouldnt matter.

 

Give it a go.

 

Agreed, 'slack' lines and a very light bobbin will give excellent indication, and offer a lot less resistance when using running leger rigs. (This is the reason I make my own bobbins - shop-bought ones are usually far too heavy.)

 

I put slack in ' ' because the line is never really completely slack. As Steve has inferred, if your line is left totally slack you'll miss bites and start deephooking fish, which is bad news. After casting and feeling the lead/feeder down, peel some extra line off the reel and leave it to settle for a minute or so. (Make sure your mainline is a sinking line!) Put the rod in its rests (pointing directly at the lead) and clip on a (light) bobbin. Keep winding line on your reel very slowly until the bobbin is hanging 2/3 of the drop between rod and ground, to allow for drop-backs. The line will now be lying along the bottom near the rig, with a gentle curve up to the rod tip. Any movement of the bait will give excellent indications on the bobbins, and you don't have a fish-scaring tight line between rod and rig.

 

The only time I'd advocate fishing with no indicator (float, bobbin, etc.) at all is when carping right in close with a bolt rig. Even then I'd use something if possible, because it's likely you'll miss small indications or liners otherwise.

 

Edit: this is assuming you're fishing a stillwater...

Edited October 8, 2007 by Anderoo

[lutra]

Agreed, 'slack' lines and a very light bobbin will give excellent indication, and offer a lot less resistance when using running leger rigs. (This is the reason I make my own bobbins - shop-bought ones are usually far too heavy.)

 

I put slack in ' ' because the line is never really completely slack. As Steve has inferred, if your line is left totally slack you'll miss bites and start deephooking fish, which is bad news. After casting and feeling the lead/feeder down, peel some extra line off the reel and leave it to settle for a minute or so. (Make sure your mainline is a sinking line!) Put the rod in its rests (pointing directly at the lead) and clip on a (light) bobbin. Keep winding line on your reel very slowly until the bobbin is hanging 2/3 of the drop between rod and ground, to allow for drop-backs. The line will now be lying along the bottom near the rig, with a gentle curve up to the rod tip. Any movement of the bait will give excellent indications on the bobbins, and you don't have a fish-scaring tight line between rod and rig.

 

The only time I'd advocate fishing with no indicator (float, bobbin, etc.) at all is when carping right in close with a bolt rig. Even then I'd use something if possible, because it's likely you'll miss small indications or liners otherwise.

 

Edit: this is assuming you're fishing a stillwater...

 

Got to say Ive only played around with slack lines a bit and for the first time this season, I had been pre baiting under some bushes on a local 4 acre club water that had 20 carp put in it about 10 years ago (didn't get my vote at the time). Its close to home and rumors had it they where getting to a good size (Pushing 20) but are hard to catch (sounded like a bit of a challenge).

 

On the 3rd night of going up there and tossing some boilies under some likely looking bushes and watching I could see id got there attention. so i set up a rod down the bank about 25 yards away. Free running rig with boily as bait and a couple of bank sticks with a Delkim for the rod to sit on (no bobbin). I over cast the the bushes into open water and just pulled it back tight to the bushes, let the line sink put the rod on the delkim and feed a few inches of line out. I got six bites and hooked six fish in about 2-3 hours and landed 5 carp (one got in the bushes and came off) between 7 & 17lb.

 

It was only a short cast, with not much wind about but all the bites where good bites and i didn't think and don't see how a bobbin would have help as with the running rig you should get some sort of pull first before a drop back or am i missing some thing?

 

By the way i did put them back unharmed just for them as think they know me.

[Steve Burke]

I'm afraid I'm shattered from a long succession of 12 hour days relaunching our paperweight web site - and I'm supposed to be retired! I'm therefore not able to give this topic the attention it deserves.

 

All I will do is repeat what I said about the danger of using slack lines when after perch in particular. Used properly the technique can be useful; set up wrongly when livebaiting in particular it can lead to deep hooking.