In reply to Post #15
No worries.
I used to floater fish almost exclusively during the warmer months for years. I had no real interest in anything else. The buzz of surface fishing for me was addictive, & probably a little obsessive if I'm honest..
Unfortunately my current club water has too much bird life, it's a bit of a pain at the best of times.
No worries.
I used to floater fish almost exclusively during the warmer months for years. I had no real interest in anything else. The buzz of surface fishing for me was addictive, & probably a little obsessive if I'm honest..
Unfortunately my current club water has too much bird life, it's a bit of a pain at the best of times.
I've always used bait bands, the John Roberts brown ones, those with a lug on the bottom. I superglue the band at the eye of the hook, and I like the way the band gives a small amount of separation from the mixer, and the hook point adapts a downward aggressive aspect.
Bait, for me the best option was the critically weighted Enterprise tackle fake mixers, they kick the point even further...but..they have a habit of coming off and for that reason I stopped using them as it's not safe for other wildlife, irrespective of rules.
When I fist started using mixers it was Pedigree Chum but they're not what they were. For the last decade plus I've been using Tesco own brand dry dog food. It's a mixof sizes and shapes but there is a white mixer of normal size and s red meaty chunk which is huge. Due to the mixed shapes they're only really good for 30 odd yards but I tend to use the larger ones individually to coax fish towards me or use further away.
I've also used chopped down pop ups but my firm belief is that a overly buoyant bait is far more likely to be rejected than one just about to sink. If I'm using ones that sit low in the water I'll use a vibrantly coloured sliver of a DNA Stick to aid visability.
In all honesty, if you get them competing they'll take anything. Fake fly fishing dog biscuits are a good option. One I've wanted to try is the dedicated Sonubaits Oily Hookers but always out of stock when I'm looking.
Bait, for me the best option was the critically weighted Enterprise tackle fake mixers, they kick the point even further...but..they have a habit of coming off and for that reason I stopped using them as it's not safe for other wildlife, irrespective of rules.
When I fist started using mixers it was Pedigree Chum but they're not what they were. For the last decade plus I've been using Tesco own brand dry dog food. It's a mixof sizes and shapes but there is a white mixer of normal size and s red meaty chunk which is huge. Due to the mixed shapes they're only really good for 30 odd yards but I tend to use the larger ones individually to coax fish towards me or use further away.
I've also used chopped down pop ups but my firm belief is that a overly buoyant bait is far more likely to be rejected than one just about to sink. If I'm using ones that sit low in the water I'll use a vibrantly coloured sliver of a DNA Stick to aid visability.
In all honesty, if you get them competing they'll take anything. Fake fly fishing dog biscuits are a good option. One I've wanted to try is the dedicated Sonubaits Oily Hookers but always out of stock when I'm looking.
In reply to Post #1
Get some shrink tube that fits a mixer (electrical shop) cut a band size piece and shrink it down on the hook, works well.
Get some shrink tube that fits a mixer (electrical shop) cut a band size piece and shrink it down on the hook, works well.
In reply to Post #1
Have you heard of the deadly beachcaster rig ,so efficient that it became almost unfair to use
If you don't know about it you should do,I believe Des Taylor did a video on it years ago ,possibly on Cuttle Mill ,but was really pioneered on a big Devon ressi ..
Have you heard of the deadly beachcaster rig ,so efficient that it became almost unfair to use
If you don't know about it you should do,I believe Des Taylor did a video on it years ago ,possibly on Cuttle Mill ,but was really pioneered on a big Devon ressi ..
Best surface hookbait I've ever used is the Bakers soft dog biscuit - it must be the 'Tender Chunks' version.
Side hooked they sit low in the surface film, and give off huge meaty/oily attraction.
The downsides are they are not hugely bouyant, two cast maximum, and the biggest hook I've found I can use is a size 8. Some times I split these in halve
I get them going with two different sized sticky krill floater pellets soaked in salmon oil, then put one of the Bakers in the area/near by and let it float over - it can often get taken when it is away from the main feed, just like on the bottom.
Bit out there but when getting things going slowly on top, I'll use a waggler with bread fished a foot deep.
Also, using mesh sticks yields superb results with both of the above methods - some bits of squeezed bread added and other bits to float down through the water column.
Side hooked they sit low in the surface film, and give off huge meaty/oily attraction.
The downsides are they are not hugely bouyant, two cast maximum, and the biggest hook I've found I can use is a size 8. Some times I split these in halve
I get them going with two different sized sticky krill floater pellets soaked in salmon oil, then put one of the Bakers in the area/near by and let it float over - it can often get taken when it is away from the main feed, just like on the bottom.
Bit out there but when getting things going slowly on top, I'll use a waggler with bread fished a foot deep.
Also, using mesh sticks yields superb results with both of the above methods - some bits of squeezed bread added and other bits to float down through the water column.
In reply to Post #17
Hey mate,
If you mean the Sonubaits floater pack (I can't see the single oily tubs?) then they are available on Total Fishing Tackle.
Hey mate,
If you mean the Sonubaits floater pack (I can't see the single oily tubs?) then they are available on Total Fishing Tackle.
In reply to Post #1
Bands are fine and a lot less faff than creating grooves / gluing mixers etc - I usually thread one (at the appropriate hookbait size) on to the hooklink material, create a very small loop and then trap the loop (with band attached) with a knotless knot, wrapping up the shank so the mini loop (and band) are tight to / opposite the barb. This way the band never comes off but still has a little movement in the loop . . .you can also hair rig if preferred by pulling the band through the hookbait and retaining with a stop etc
If using really small hooks / baits you can also do the above with braid and in advance - then simply attach hook to mono hooklink with preferred knot (eg grinner / palomar etc)
As per Wandles comments I usually use the beachcaster wherever possible - still use the above method but create an overhand loop (with band in the loop) to create a small hair prior to knotless knot etc - also use a larger hook and a lot stiffer material (15lb fluro) to stop the suspended hooklink flaying about in the wind. You can literally 'dapple' the hookbait in the water keeping the hook itself millimetres above the water line . . . . .cheating really but massively effective
Bands are fine and a lot less faff than creating grooves / gluing mixers etc - I usually thread one (at the appropriate hookbait size) on to the hooklink material, create a very small loop and then trap the loop (with band attached) with a knotless knot, wrapping up the shank so the mini loop (and band) are tight to / opposite the barb. This way the band never comes off but still has a little movement in the loop . . .you can also hair rig if preferred by pulling the band through the hookbait and retaining with a stop etc
If using really small hooks / baits you can also do the above with braid and in advance - then simply attach hook to mono hooklink with preferred knot (eg grinner / palomar etc)
As per Wandles comments I usually use the beachcaster wherever possible - still use the above method but create an overhand loop (with band in the loop) to create a small hair prior to knotless knot etc - also use a larger hook and a lot stiffer material (15lb fluro) to stop the suspended hooklink flaying about in the wind. You can literally 'dapple' the hookbait in the water keeping the hook itself millimetres above the water line . . . . .cheating really but massively effective
Cover a few dog biscuits in boiling water for a few seconds, then drain, shake and leave to sit overnight... They'll go soft and rubbery - then can be side hooked, hair rigged, mounted however you like...
In reply to Post #1
Bakers small dog, soft enough to hook or hair rig. 2 of them on a size six can go 15-20 yards freelining. Best I've found so far
Bakers small dog, soft enough to hook or hair rig. 2 of them on a size six can go 15-20 yards freelining. Best I've found so far
Hi all
Just bouncing this old thread been fassing aroung with doggies an having fun.
Fortunatly i have a local club lake just packed with small fish.
Once they get going the surface just boils with a pouch of freebies.
Been dicking around with The Gardener Suspender setup.
Out of the pack its Dog Sh!te but fith a little fiddling its fooking deadly takes time to get it ballanced just so but when you do a hookbait sits just on the surface.
Mr carp will still take the freebies first but all in all it certainly results in more hookups than traditional floater and trailng line never used The Beachcaster but i suppose the Suspender is very similar in approach.
P
Just bouncing this old thread been fassing aroung with doggies an having fun.
Fortunatly i have a local club lake just packed with small fish.
Once they get going the surface just boils with a pouch of freebies.
Been dicking around with The Gardener Suspender setup.
Out of the pack its Dog Sh!te but fith a little fiddling its fooking deadly takes time to get it ballanced just so but when you do a hookbait sits just on the surface.
Mr carp will still take the freebies first but all in all it certainly results in more hookups than traditional floater and trailng line never used The Beachcaster but i suppose the Suspender is very similar in approach.
P