Just wondering how many people still use a marker rod ? On the lakes I fish I see or hear people say that just cast a lead out and find there spot. I still like to use a marker rod to find spots and how deep places are. are marker rods become a bit of a past thing ?

In reply to Post #1
The d1ck opposite me, seems to to be chucking it out every 2 hours..

In reply to Post #2

In reply to Post #1
Only if I'm fishing a long session in a new area and am planning on putting in a fair bit of bait and unlikely to move. No good on a shorter session. I certainly would only use it at the start of my session. They don't call them fish scarers for nothing.

In reply to Post #1
I say keep on using it, leading is ok but a marker will tell you more especially on an unknown water, just like every aspect of angling just be respectful to others

Edit
Post #4 is a for me

When I start on a new lake and know next to nothing then yeah I do but as most of my sessions are short I will sometimes just use three or four as almost throw away sessions and make sure I fish diff swims in diff areas of the lake to give myself options and spots to minimise mucking about

In reply to Post #1
I still use a marker rod on occasion, especially on new waters.

Yes definitely. First time in a swim then always. I fish gravel pits with bottoms like an egg box. There's absolutely no point in just leading about. You could find a spot that feels great, bait it and then get smashed up by swans for 24 hours, yet a few feet to one side you'll find exactly the same bottom conditions but out of swan depth. Very difficult to tell the difference between the time it takes a lead only to hit the bottom in 3ft compared to 4ft at any sort of range.

So yes I still carry a marker on every session.

In reply to Post #1
I find a deeper works lol
Then I might lead about and finally get a marker out if I find something

In reply to Post #2
The depth might change if it's raining 🤣🤣🤣🤣

In reply to Post #10
If it's raining that hard the dip@@ot would be cowering in his bivvy.😄

In reply to Post #11
I still use one on a new water, eventually I might get a deeper.

Use it as a sighter and range marker when using a throwing stick and for adjusting the wraps needed to allow for wind bows when spodding. Don't know anything else that will work for this.

In reply to Post #1
It depends for me on the water.
On Brackens every day I put the marker out and baited up to it with PVA stringers. Spots on the gravel bar could get covered in weed, and it changed from day to day. I regularly had takes within a few minutes of baiting up to it, then reeling it in. I have even had takes before being able to reel it in.

Another lake, just leading was no good, the weed was so bad, unless you were lucky enough to cast directly into the clear spot you would not get a drop. The marker float at least indicated where they were.

On the reservoir I will usually find the old stream bed in the North End as that is a definite fishy feature. While leading around will give you a rough depth if you count it down, there can be other spots you could not be able to get a distance on without the float, unless you leaded, found the feature, clipped up, did your wraps. With the float you can check depths from the point of impact to the point you lift it out at the rod tip, and then you can cast to it.
It also gives you an aiming point for spodding, or sticking bait out, and then putting your fishing rods on it.

I also like to use a marker rod to get more acerate baiting up. More so fishing in open water. That's if I'm fishing a bigish lake. I'll use a marker to bait up and find a spot.when I 1st get there. Then when I recast for the night and so on

In reply to Post #1
Use a marker rod religiously on most waters. By the time you've leased about for a drop it's no different, I generally find the spot without the float then just clip it on and pop it up. More for baiting accurately than anything, particularly when using a catapult, you can quiet often spread bait long and short without ever knowing I'd rather make the disturbance and get it bang on than sit behind rods wondering. Works well enough for me fishing very low stock pressured waters.

In reply to Post #16
Absolutely every time and always will as you need to know how deep it is and what the bottom is like.

Nope, one application, (Spod) rod for everything....lead about, find a spot, clip up, change to Spomb. Also use the same for the Deeper if necessary, (usually winter).

In reply to Post #1
I just use one rod for both.

Start with just a bare lead find a spot (and if new lake/swim explore size of spot etc), then use marker to under stand depths. They will use as a marker to bait up with stick or to go out in boat and bait to it.

Once fishing I will change it over to a spomb for baiting.

I still use a marker if I'm at a new water or a new swim. I usually just lead around at first then attach the marker float once I've found something. People say if can spook the fish but of course only if they are there at the time.

In reply to Post #14
Absolutely agree with everything said in this post. I too fish a very weedy lake and find it invaluable, as clear spots change from day to day.

In reply to Post #1
On a new lake or in a new swim yes, but I have to say it's rare as I tend to spend a reasonable time on the waters I fish, usually years. They're not big fish waters but where I enjoy to be.

In reply to Post #1
I still use a marker rod on new waters to help get an idea of what's out there, find it such a massively useful tool sadly had someone shouting at me across the water for using it yesterday, only the 6th cast as well 😂 guess they aren't everyone's cup of tea......

In reply to Post #23
I've been known to use 2. One to find an interesting spot and then another to check around it for depth changes etc.

In reply to Post #1
I'd not venture anywhere unfamiliar without a marker personally as I feel it's a great way of finding the all important features which will give you an idea of what you are dealing with and how then to approach presenting a bait.