Floodlight fishing

[MatNewman]

Right then. Commercial fisheries - I am not defending them or promoting them I am simply saying that if I choose to fish them then it is my choice.

 

I love catching fish, small fish, large fish, funny looking fish whatever fish. As long as my float goes under and I have a scrap then I am happy - this to me is fishing.

 

I do not like what has already been mentioned where carp invade your swim - this is overstocking. I do not like easy fishing as this is boring and tiresome

 

Going back to fir tree. Me and Stu fished there last year and caught barbel and carp a fish a chuck - this put us off for ages as it was too easy. Whilst the winter months have been slow we decided to go back for a confidence booster after many slow outings.

What a difference a few months makes - the fishing was completely different and it wasnt a fish a chuck but instead a few fish each. This is when we decided that it might not be that bad.

 

I think that commercials get slated too easily - some are good - some arent so good but this depends on what you want.

 

A good commercial to me is one where there are plenty of fish (whatever species) and you have a decent chance of catching a few. A fishery where they have tried to make the pond as natural as possible i.e with varying depths, features, trees, shapes (not just 14.5m to the island all the way round) etc. One that provides secure parking (if possible) - staff that are dedicated to their work and actually know what they are on about instead of just in it for profit - where there are rules in place to protect the fish - net dips, landing nets to be used on all fish etc

 

A bad commercial is one that is overstocked and that allows too many anglers on in close proximity to eachother where the fish come out missing lips as they have been caught so many times. Where the owners dont care - where the pond is easily predictable. A place that overstocks (correct me if I am wrong) F1 carp that dont grow to much over 4lbs and cannot breed and eat all the time.

 

Back to the point - Lighting is just something this fishery chooses to add to allow people to fish for longer in the winter.

[smudger]

quote mat newman

I love catching fish, small fish, large fish, funny looking fish whatever fish. As long as my float goes under and I have a scrap then I am happy - this to me is fishing.

 

I do not like what has already been mentioned where carp invade your swim - this is overstocking. I do not like easy fishing as this is boring and tiresome

 

good commercial to me is one where there are plenty of fish (whatever species) and you have a decent chance of catching a few.

 

Forgive me, but with the above statements you seem to be contradicting yourselve

one minute it's hard fishing you like, then you like to catch plenty, then you don't like easy fishing,

 

Carp puddle's are nothing more than over stock hole's in the ground that allow a person to catch fish

full stop.There seem's to be very little skill or decision on what bait or set up to use,the term "Baggin up" used to decribe hauling 100's of pounds on a commercial . if thats fishing i eat my hat.

Most kid's today would'nt know how to fish a river or canal, they have not the patience to sit that long waiting for fish to come in to a swim.All they are taught is commercial, commercial,if they are'nt catching they get bored

 

Would love to know the mortality rate for these night light fisheries come 12 months time.The stress these fish will endure being caught day time and nightime.

 

RANT OVER

[Newt]

smudger - I doubt the lighting will have any effect on fish health or fish mortality.

 

They eat when they are hungry and have senses designed to locate food at night unless they are a purely day-feeding species in which case I would not expect the lights to fool them into thinking it was day time unless it was really bright and some sort of full spectrum bulb which isn't the case.

[cheshire1]

Commercial fisheries, My opinion is that i love them them for a cofedence booster, the nearest one to me is Cudmore and i have had many times when i have finished an 8h sesion wit apx 70lb in my nets in summer, but it gets boring after a bit, espesially when the small tench come in to your swim, but like i said they are a real confidence booster if you have had 4 or 5 bad matches in a row, also i think that they are a must for kids as my daughter (10 years old) loves coming with me as she knows that she will catch on a good day.

but you go on a wet, wind and overcast day and they can be hard to fish at times.

But thats my opion

[Steve Walker]

smudger - I doubt the lighting will have any effect on fish health or fish mortality.

 

Photoperiod does influence physiology in fish, though, most noticeably the development of spawning condition. Maybe spawning success isn't relevant in a commercial stocked at artificially high densities, but there might be other effects. Fish are behaviourally and metabolically adapted to survive our climate, and photoperiod is one of the cues for the annual cycle of behaviour and metabolism. I don't know what the effect of summer daylight hours during winter water temperatures would be, maybe none, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is in some way adverse.

 

I'm sad to say that I suspect the real answer to whether this matters would come down to increased winter ticket revenue vs cost of replacing fish which die or lose condition with new stock.

[Newt]

Photoperiod does influence physiology in fish,

 

Absolutely it does but probably not at the intensities and the spectral range you would get from that sort of illumination unless you were dealing with a species that was super-sensitive.

 

I'm not aware of any coarse fish that fall into that category but if any of them are then there is a possibility they could have a problem.

[smudger]

smudger - I doubt the lighting will have any effect on fish health or fish mortality.

 

They eat when they are hungry and have senses designed to locate food at night unless they are a purely day-feeding species in which case I would not expect the lights to fool them into thinking it was day time unless it was really bright and some sort of full spectrum bulb which isn't the case.

 

Oh come on newt fish that are caught and handled 24/7will not survive for long.Surely it must be the case that these fish will suffer some sort of side affect from the stress of constant feed going in day and night,the competion from other fish will make it imposssible for them to ignore the food put in so surely a proprortion will end up being caught time and time again until they associate bait/food with being caught and then they will become reluctant to feed, the condition and well being of the fish will go down.

It's all down to money and the "must catch at any cost mentality"it really is not angling at all

it's like shooting fish in a barrel

If people have limited time to catch fish,then take up another pastime. The sooner these hole's in the ground are shut down the better.

Lets get the youngsters back to rivers and canals and teach proper watercraft and angling skills

that will teach them patience and idea's of how to overcome angling challenge's.after all thers so much to angling then catching fish.this is being knocked out of the heads of youngsters today

Many anglers feel they have had a bad day if they have not caught,catching the fish is just the bonus

not the be all and end all of a days fishing.

[Newt]

smudger (and others) - what you say is logical but probably not borne out by facts.

 

I really don't want to get into an argument on this so I suggest you go to the CAG forum (US Carp Anglers Group) and ask for first hand info from the folks on there who fish carp 'paylakes'. Those are carp only match puddles, small, pegged, fished 24 hours a day for most of each week, lighted as described here, and with enough money involved to make for some really serious carp fishing.

 

http://www.carpanglersgroup.com/forum/index.php

 

Describe your concern and see what experience the regular paylakers can offer from years of fishing real puddles since carp paylakes tend to be smallish (50yds x 100yds is usual), as featureless as the owner could manage when he had the puddle dug, heavily overstocked with carp, and subject to more angling pressure than any lake in the UK.

 

Note, I neither condone or condemn this sort of venue. I have fished them a few times - social occasions and not a style of fishing I enjoyed.

 

With that, I'm outa this topic unless it needs moding.

[gozzer]

Wow, I didn't realise that the disease had spread to the states Newt.

 

But they have to go one 'better, don't they?

 

Hourly prizes for the biggest fish?

 

How long before it catches on over here?

 

John.

[Houseplant]

Would love to know the mortality rate for these night light fisheries come 12 months time.The stress these fish will endure being caught day time and nightime.

 

who cares? they'll just stick some more in.