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Don't waste Floating Casters!!


Martin56

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I turn all my own Casters from Maggots & sort any Floaters into a separate container Just for the Hook. (Labelled "Hook Casters")

I use an old Pint beer glass filled with water so it's easier to tell & pick out the floaters, (not so easy in a shallow container) the sinkers, at the bottom of the Glass are then put in another bait box. 

Now't worse than feeding floaters for vacating Your fish into the next mans peg.

The slow sink with simply the weight of the hook can also give you another dimension through the water levels, or take it straight down depending on your shotting pattern.

Edited by Martin56

Fishin' - "Best Fun Ya' can 'ave wi' Ya' Clothes On"!!

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11 hours ago, Martin56 said:

Now't worse than feeding floaters for vacating Your fish into the next mans peg.

 

That used to be done deliberately in the Bridge Pool at Christchurch by those fishing from the punt for Sea trout or Salmon.?

The most spectacular example being a Tackle Dealer who brought multiple gallons of floating casters and regularly chucked in good quantities throughout his session. It took all the Dace and other "rubbish" fish way out into the harbour, allowing him to fish just for the Sea Trout.

 

From memory, he caught 38 in total, not one of which was above the size limit, but he did take just one for his tea and received a serious b0ll0cking for that, (which I thought was a bit excessive).

Edited by ayjay
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To stop my caster from turning into floating caster I keep my caster in water (in my bait box); but I also leave a few out of the water which will fairly quickly turn into floaters in the sun. 

I will often use a floating caster together with a sinking caster to produce a slow sinking bait but sometimes the weight of the hook is enough to make the floating caster slowly sink without the need of adding the sinking caster. 

If I am chasing a large shoal of Rudd which is feeding on or near the surface I keep catapulting out floating casters to them and fish very shallow on the surface using a floating caster on the hook with no shot down the line at all. I often find that I can bring the shoal closer by catapulting the floating casters gradually closer and closer to me. 

Keith

 

Edited by BoldBear
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Happiness is Fish shaped (it used to be woman shaped but the wife is getting on a bit now)

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On 7/4/2021 at 9:30 AM, ayjay said:

That used to be done deliberately in the Bridge Pool at Christchurch by those fishing from the punt for Sea trout or Salmon.?

The most spectacular example being a Tackle Dealer who brought multiple gallons of floating casters and regularly chucked in good quantities throughout his session. It took all the Dace and other "rubbish" fish way out into the harbour, allowing him to fish just for the Sea Trout.

 

From memory, he caught 38 in total, not one of which was above the size limit, but he did take just one for his tea and received a serious b0ll0cking for that, (which I thought was a bit excessive).

Ayjay, I'm going to Christchurch next week and I'd love to catch a sea trout. I've never caught one except for one that literally jumped into the boat when I was a teenager! Can you advise whether you think this is a realistic possiblity and the best approach and place?

Thanks

John

john clarke

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By the way, Martin, I am interested that you turn your own casters. Is there a special trick? I recently went to the tackle shop, and there weren't any casters, so I tipped a quarter of a pint of red maggots into a container and left them over night in the garage, not in the fridge. In the morning half were still maggots, and half were a dark red colour - which I agree are still useful. But I didn't get any of the white and brown ones that form the majority when you buy casters.  Part of it could have been the red dye, but from memory when I've bought maggots it's the same.

How do you do it?

john clarke

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Many years ago I used to turn my own casters when I couldn't get any decent casters from my tackle shop. 

I would get my older maggots and riddle any casters from them several times per day, and I'd place any caster that I had riddled into a bait box with a damp flannel on top of them and keep them cool in my fridge. 

NB: If I didn't do this they would nearly all float because too much air would be getting at them.

Keith

Edited by BoldBear
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Happiness is Fish shaped (it used to be woman shaped but the wife is getting on a bit now)

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5 hours ago, The Flying Tench said:

By the way, Martin, I am interested that you turn your own casters. Is there a special trick? I recently went to the tackle shop, and there weren't any casters, so I tipped a quarter of a pint of red maggots into a container and left them over night in the garage, not in the fridge. In the morning half were still maggots, and half were a dark red colour - which I agree are still useful. But I didn't get any of the white and brown ones that form the majority when you buy casters.  Part of it could have been the red dye, but from memory when I've bought maggots it's the same.

How do you do it?

I posted this a few years ago John, you might find it useful, I will stress that white maggots make the best casters,

John

Angling is more than just catching fish, if it wasn't it would just be called 'catching'......... John

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7 hours ago, The Flying Tench said:

By the way, Martin, I am interested that you turn your own casters. Is there a special trick? I recently went to the tackle shop, and there weren't any casters, so I tipped a quarter of a pint of red maggots into a container and left them over night in the garage, not in the fridge. In the morning half were still maggots, and half were a dark red colour - which I agree are still useful. But I didn't get any of the white and brown ones that form the majority when you buy casters.  Part of it could have been the red dye, but from memory when I've bought maggots it's the same.

How do you do it?

Hi Tench, You need to make or buy a Maggot riddle, which are in 2 parts so that the maggots drop though & leave the Caster in the top part for Harvesting. The one I made happened to be from 2 Oval Identical Ice Cream containers. I melted 2 six inch nails near either end the top part of the bottom container to stand the top one on/in. The top one has loads of holes in the base using something like a HOT 4 inch nail which is about the right diameter for the maggots to drop though & doesn't leave a burr/sharp edge like a drill would, & quicker to do the holes!!

When the Casters are the colour I want (a darkish red) I put them in an old pint glass of cold water (they'll be ok like that for a few hours till you've turned some more)

The casters which aren't quite the right colour - I still pick them out but put them in a DRY container to turn a bit more. (in the house on windowsill to keep an eye on them, Wife permitting lol) & Yes, I tend to agree with Gozzer, White maggots do make the Best casters but reds are still pretty good & Not to be wasted.

The Other Riddle I have is really a Groundbait Riddle but the Maggots can still get through the square holes (on the one I have anyway). It fits over a Maggot box or an old washing up bowl for the same results.

I'll try & put a pic' or 2 on tomorrow.

Edited by Martin56
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Fishin' - "Best Fun Ya' can 'ave wi' Ya' Clothes On"!!

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On 7/6/2021 at 12:58 PM, The Flying Tench said:

Ayjay, I'm going to Christchurch next week and I'd love to catch a sea trout. I've never caught one except for one that literally jumped into the boat when I was a teenager! Can you advise whether you think this is a realistic possiblity and the best approach and place?

Thanks

John

The Bridge Pool is usually booked months in advance, it's not cheap, (and you'll be paying for two rods).

I can't really help with catching a Sea Trout, if you fish the Avon regularly, they turn up now and again to Coarse tactics, but I've never fished for them deliberately and wouldn't know where or when to start.

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