Tench fishing in April

[Anderoo]

i was happy with it , apparently that tench wouldn't even raise eyeberows amongst the regulars

i tried all week with a set up that i used last year but the fish weren't having any of it , i know it is effective if you get it right after having over 50 (5lb+) tench in 48 hrs!but the weather was a lot warmer then.

liquidised vitalin,parti-blend and maggot feeders with small helicopter hooklinks and rubber grubs on the hook.

 

but in the end desperation for a bite forced me into a lead core chod rig with a 10mm pineapple pop up blasted out to a long range spot that the feeders couldn't reach

 

Interesting. I'm guessing the lake is popular with carpers? If so, I fish a similar kind of place. The tench have ceased to act 'tenchy' and the most effective way to catch them is to use scaled down carp tactics, particularly little fruity boilies, and fish further out than I'd like. Same as you, if I told the carpers there I'd had a near-8lb tench they'd probably grumble about being pestered by them

 

I had a walk round the lake a few days ago and was chatting to one of the other few people who actually target the tench, and he said last year he fluked a mint 25lb mirror, much to the annoyance of the carpers There are some beautiful old carp in there, I wouldn't mind fluking one myself. I've fished there a lot, and I've never seen one caught!

 

Those who target the tench can't seem to get anything above 8lb while the carpers hoik out several doubles each season (between them, not each!). It's all very frustrating!

[BigKev]

just leaving for another 48hr assault . gonna hit them with a 3 pronged attack . will report back sunday

[BigKev]

did a 48 hrs session (fri-sun) . this time saw some much better results than a fortnight ago.

had 8 tench - 5lb 13oz, 6lb 5oz, 6lb 9oz, 6lb 12oz, 7lb 5oz, 7lb 9oz, 7lb 10oz and a new p.b of 8lb 8oz

 

7-10

 

8-08

 

also got wiped out by something a lot,lot bigger. it snagged me up and had my poor avon rod bent through to the cork , and then nothing []

 

also managed to bag a cracking (nuisance ) 24 lb common

[Anderoo]

Some very nice fish there Kev Even the nuisance one. Well done on the new PB!

 

My first April tench session went well. The first swim was an 'ambush' swim, picking off fish as they moved through, and second an 'enclosed' swim where there is (possibly) a semi-resident shoal. In the first there are many fewer fish but the average size is much higher; in the second there are a lot more fish but a fair bit smaller. I ended up with 14 and lost one. What was encouraging is that the bigger females were totally empty. In a few weeks prior to spawning they will be much heavier. I fed very lightly.

 

It was great fun, I can't wait to have another go when the weights are up...

[Martin Salisbury]

Hi Kev,

 

I was fishign a crystal clear water at the weekend and after several frustrating but fun hours fishing at very short range couldn't induce a bite.

 

What sort of length hooklength do you find most successful with the helicopter rig?

 

I am thinking of toying with some different hooklengths from 3lb powerline through to 20lb(ish not sure what i have in my tackle bag) kryston snakebite on a little hinge rig.

 

I was wondering what others are using for their tench hooklengths?

[BigKev]

Hi Kev,

 

I was fishign a crystal clear water at the weekend and after several frustrating but fun hours fishing at very short range couldn't induce a bite.

 

What sort of length hooklength do you find most successful with the helicopter rig?

 

I am thinking of toying with some different hooklengths from 3lb powerline through to 20lb(ish not sure what i have in my tackle bag) kryston snakebite on a little hinge rig.

 

I was wondering what others are using for their tench hooklengths?

 

 

hi martin ,

 

usually i would use 4 -6lb flourocarbon but i had found that with very short hooklinks it tends to break. plus this lake i'm fishing now has some very unfriendly snags and some very big tench so ive stepped up to 10lb mainline and either 10lb coated braid hooklinks about 2-3 inches with a pop-up or for longer ones i'm using 10lb flouro

[Anderoo]

I was wondering what others are using for their tench hooklengths?

 

At the moment I'm using either 10lb or 12lb Drennan sink braid (for self-hooking rigs with a hair) or 10lb double strength (running rigs with bait straight on the hook).

[Kappa]

At the moment I'm using either 10lb or 12lb Drennan sink braid (for self-hooking rigs with a hair)

 

Me too! I used it all last year I like it!

 

Rich

[Martin Salisbury]

I can see these fish at close quarters and can see them cruise in, tilt and then right themselves to digest a small mouthful of bait.

 

I intend using small baits as I can see them picking up the smaller of teh morsels I am feeding and I think a 3 inch pop up might be too obvious.

 

I was using a stonze weight but because of the fine hooklength I used a longer length than wanted and watching them feed I think a short hooklength might nail them. I obviously didn't want to use a short powerline hooklength but I am also reluctant to go to carp style heavier hooklengths.

 

Thanks for the replies as it has sort or confirmed what I was thinking.

 

I am using a 6lb mainline and softish rods (again reluctant to go higher at close range) and need a sort of 'mid range' hooklength. I will have a look at the 10lb braided hooklengths.

 

The water is very very clear so I want my hooklength to be invisble and I have two variables that I can't seem to match - invisible but short hooklength!

Edited April 30, 2008 by Martin Salisbury

[Anderoo]

I can see these fish at close quarters and can see them cruise in, tilt and then right themselves to digest a small mouthful of bait.

 

I intend using small baits as I can see them picking up the smaller of teh morsels I am feeding and I think a 3 inch pop up might be too obvious.

 

I was using a stonze weight but because of the fine hooklength I used a longer length than wanted and watching them feed I think a short hooklength might nail them. I obviously didn't want to use a short powerline hooklength but I am also reluctant to go to carp style heavier hooklengths.

 

Thanks for the replies as it has sort or confirmed what I was thinking.

 

I am using a 6lb mainline and softish rods (again reluctant to go higher at close range) and need a sort of 'mid range' hooklength. I will have a look at the 10lb braided hooklengths.

 

The water is very very clear so I want my hooklength to be invisble and I have two variables that I can't seem to match - invisible but short hooklength!

 

Hi Martin

 

It depends on what the bottom is like - over gravel, you won't see the 10lb sink braid. It's thin anyway, but with it's mottled black/sand colour it just disappears. Try a short hooklength with an inline lead, and on the hair one sinking and one bouyant bait (maybe a piece of real corn and one artificial, or a real maggot/caster and a fake one) so it just sinks. With the softness and flexibility of the braid and the neutral bouyancy of the bait, it works really well.

 

PS forgot to say, this stuff is prone to tangle, so I always nick a small PVA bag of freebies (couple of bits of corn, hemp dusted in groundbait, a few small pellets, etc.) on the hook before casting. This helps anyway, as a fish sucking at any of this pile will suck the bait up, as it's a bit bouyant.

Edited April 30, 2008 by Anderoo