I will be fishing a venue this upcoming season which is pretty shallow (1 -1.5m)
From my one visit last season I found the bottom to be extremely soft soft silt, and the silt to be up to a metre deep in many places
When casting around I found even very light leads easily sinking deep into into it, the consistency being equivalent to MacDonald chocolate milk shake,
Would appreciate any suggestions on best way to approach this from a bait presentation point of view
From my one visit last season I found the bottom to be extremely soft soft silt, and the silt to be up to a metre deep in many places
When casting around I found even very light leads easily sinking deep into into it, the consistency being equivalent to MacDonald chocolate milk shake,
Would appreciate any suggestions on best way to approach this from a bait presentation point of view
In reply to Post #1
Chod rig 😎
Chod rig 😎
In reply to Post #1
chod or any pop up rig of your choice on a heli rig with the bead set up how deep you think the silt is on your lake. But make sure your pop up doesn't sit too high of the bottom if your loose-feeding, because the fish will feed in silt with their heads sifting around in the bottom, because thats where the bait or natural food will be (eg: bloodworm) so maybe try to set it up an inch or so off the bottom, anything like a ronnie, short multi will have you presented and able to get it that low to the deck.
chod or any pop up rig of your choice on a heli rig with the bead set up how deep you think the silt is on your lake. But make sure your pop up doesn't sit too high of the bottom if your loose-feeding, because the fish will feed in silt with their heads sifting around in the bottom, because thats where the bait or natural food will be (eg: bloodworm) so maybe try to set it up an inch or so off the bottom, anything like a ronnie, short multi will have you presented and able to get it that low to the deck.
Id also like to add that fishing a bottom bait of wafter on a heli can present you closer to the bottom, which is where the fish will be feeding. Sometimes fish can ignore a pop up sitting up off the bottom unnaturally, so you may choose to fish any of the options. I know I've basically just contradicted myself but both will catch fish, it may just be a question of what works best on your water, as fish don't all behave the same in every lake. So a good opening gambit would be to try both tactics and see what works best. Hope this has helped mate 
In reply to Post #4
Cheers for the advice
Agreed will probably try both methods (like many situations it can be a case or trial and error until you find the best fit), just threw me off a bit as I never encountered a lake bed that soft before
Cheers for the advice
Agreed will probably try both methods (like many situations it can be a case or trial and error until you find the best fit), just threw me off a bit as I never encountered a lake bed that soft before
In reply to Post #1
I've been fishing a lake for the last couple of years that's 2ft deep and around 4-5ft of silt in most places, you literally have to pull for a break sometimes the silt is that deep, you don't get a drop either so it can be hard work, I've been using chods with 1.5oz leads on leadfree leaders or naked, I think that leadcore is too heavy and sinks right into the silt, but the best piece of advice would be to have a good lead about and find the harder silt areas, on the lake I fish there are a good few little harder spots abs they are the spots that have done me the bites, it's still silty but you get a good clean drag back, I started baiting a spot on there and over the course of the next few months the spot got over a ft deeper, so something else with doing.
I've been fishing a lake for the last couple of years that's 2ft deep and around 4-5ft of silt in most places, you literally have to pull for a break sometimes the silt is that deep, you don't get a drop either so it can be hard work, I've been using chods with 1.5oz leads on leadfree leaders or naked, I think that leadcore is too heavy and sinks right into the silt, but the best piece of advice would be to have a good lead about and find the harder silt areas, on the lake I fish there are a good few little harder spots abs they are the spots that have done me the bites, it's still silty but you get a good clean drag back, I started baiting a spot on there and over the course of the next few months the spot got over a ft deeper, so something else with doing.
In reply to Post #1
An old tactic on the Cheshire meres was to put the swivel of a lead through the top of a 35mm film canister. This acted like a top hat and stopped the lead from burying into the silt too far, and supple long hooklinks
An old tactic on the Cheshire meres was to put the swivel of a lead through the top of a 35mm film canister. This acted like a top hat and stopped the lead from burying into the silt too far, and supple long hooklinks
In reply to Post #7
Now that's a great tip! will be trying that myself!
Now that's a great tip!
will be trying that myself!
In reply to Post #6
Also agree. Harder areas are also great spots as they will be where fish have been feeding and cleared away the super soft silt. In the harder areas there will be natural food sources such as bloodworm, and the fish will frequent these areas, so these would be a great place to target if you can find them.
Also agree. Harder areas are also great spots as they will be where fish have been feeding and cleared away the super soft silt. In the harder areas there will be natural food sources such as bloodworm, and the fish will frequent these areas, so these would be a great place to target if you can find them.
💯 heli set up
Don't fear the silt...Depending on the kind of silt then fish in it. That's where the food is and that is where they will feed.
In reply to Post #1
PVA Solid Bag. Your bag will hit the surface and gently sink presenting well on the silt.
PVA Solid Bag. Your bag will hit the surface and gently sink presenting well on the silt.
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In reply to Post #12
I used to think that but it is not necessarily true,the bag can actually plug right into silt making it useless.I think it was one of the Fox articles with Pitchers on Baden Hall and Rob Hughes found his bag plugged under the silt.Baden is not a really soft silt either
I used to think that but it is not necessarily true,the bag can actually plug right into silt making it useless.I think it was one of the Fox articles with Pitchers on Baden Hall and Rob Hughes found his bag plugged under the silt.Baden is not a really soft silt either
I'm with Ken. Don't fear the silt. Fish where the fish feed. They will find and take the bait in the silt.
Personally for me, +1 for Heli set up, longish braided hooklink and a balanced bait. I'd agree with also fishing directly in the silt too, all waters are different, as are types of silt. On 1 water I did quite well on a heli stiff rig directly into the silt...go figure...I imagine the boilie was stuck up like a lollypop 
In reply to Post #1
The vast majority of my angling is over silt, some up to 5ft deep.
My advice is to decide what you're trying to achieve, if you're fishing for cruising fish that aren't really feeding or winter time, then yes a chod rig or other pop-up rig is probably the way to go.
When the fish are feeding in the silt they'll show you exactly what areas they're happy to feed on, and these aren't always the areas that the text books/experts tell you they'll be. This in my opinion is when you just want to throw a simple, tangle proof bottom bait rig out into the muck. I always have a stick or foam nugget on the hook just to make as sure as possible that the bait and hook are effective.
The vast majority of my angling is over silt, some up to 5ft deep.
My advice is to decide what you're trying to achieve, if you're fishing for cruising fish that aren't really feeding or winter time, then yes a chod rig or other pop-up rig is probably the way to go.
When the fish are feeding in the silt they'll show you exactly what areas they're happy to feed on, and these aren't always the areas that the text books/experts tell you they'll be. This in my opinion is when you just want to throw a simple, tangle proof bottom bait rig out into the muck. I always have a stick or foam nugget on the hook just to make as sure as possible that the bait and hook are effective.
I would try a running lead setup with a light lead one ounce is ok , no lead core and PVA nugget on the hook point.
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