One of my lakes is suffering from an algae bloom, water is a lovely green colour.
Fish are still being caught and none seem to be in any distress at the moment.
Question is would you still fish it? If so anything you'd do different tactics/bait wise?
Fish are still being caught and none seem to be in any distress at the moment.
Question is would you still fish it? If so anything you'd do different tactics/bait wise?
In reply to Post #1
Think I know the water your talking about , As long as it's still fishing ok and no fish in distress, I'd just keep fishing it the same , just take a small sponge to clean your lines on retrieving your rig !
Think I know the water your talking about , As long as it's still fishing ok and no fish in distress, I'd just keep fishing it the same , just take a small sponge to clean your lines on retrieving your rig !
In reply to Post #2
thanks, was my thoughts also but was curious. Not seen a lake so bad before.
But decent size and fair amount of wind on it so you'd have thought manageable.
thanks, was my thoughts also but was curious. Not seen a lake so bad before.
But decent size and fair amount of wind on it so you'd have thought manageable.
Anyone taking any water readings?
In reply to Post #4
it's a well run lake so assume so, not something I'm involved in though. Pumps on currently.
it's a well run lake so assume so, not something I'm involved in though. Pumps on currently.
Wouldn't be fishing, personally.
In reply to Post #6
Me neither.
Id leave the carp to it and the management team to sort it out or wait for wind and rain
Me neither.
Id leave the carp to it and the management team to sort it out or wait for wind and rain
The vast amount of algae blooms do not turn into something worse as in oxygen crashes apart from not being able to see into the depths. On all the lakes ive fished its made no difference what so ever. Always worth the club/owner checking levels arnt dangerously low just in case.
In reply to Post #8
Agree.
Algae blooms are a completely natural phenomenon and par for the course on several waters I've fished. Yes there is risk but the signs are normally pretty obvious if something really bad is happening.
Proper blooms tend to make the fishing tricky in my experience. The water goes green, the weed dies, the bloodworm beds are revealed, the fish get on them and it becomes tricky to compete with boiled baits. The fish pig out on the bloodworm and when they do get caught they're normally at massive weights but looking a little pale. I normally switch to naturals when this happens (to compete with the bloodworm) and it normally works.
Agree.
Algae blooms are a completely natural phenomenon and par for the course on several waters I've fished. Yes there is risk but the signs are normally pretty obvious if something really bad is happening.
Proper blooms tend to make the fishing tricky in my experience. The water goes green, the weed dies, the bloodworm beds are revealed, the fish get on them and it becomes tricky to compete with boiled baits. The fish pig out on the bloodworm and when they do get caught they're normally at massive weights but looking a little pale. I normally switch to naturals when this happens (to compete with the bloodworm) and it normally works.
In reply to Post #9
Yeah, I've noticed the same thing fishing through algae blooms, the water turns green and it definitely changes how the fish behave. When they start feeding heavily on bloodworms, it gets tough to compete with that, so I usually switch to natural baits that mimic what they're eating. It doesn't always make it easy, but it helps keep the bites coming, and the fish you do catch often look a bit pale but are still solid-sized. It's definitely a different challenge, but once you get used to it, it's manageable.
Yeah, I've noticed the same thing fishing through algae blooms, the water turns green and it definitely changes how the fish behave. When they start feeding heavily on bloodworms, it gets tough to compete with that, so I usually switch to natural baits that mimic what they're eating. It doesn't always make it easy, but it helps keep the bites coming, and the fish you do catch often look a bit pale but are still solid-sized. It's definitely a different challenge, but once you get used to it, it's manageable.
In reply to Post #10
Thanks all, alas no naturals allowed so going to be challenging for a while!
Went last night and does seem to be improving. Interestingly Simon Scott talked about it also on the latest Baitworks podcast, his view that algae cycle will increase/decrease oxygen so will see feeding increase/decrease as a result. Obviously hard to know where in the cycle the algae is without an oxygen meter.
Thanks all, alas no naturals allowed so going to be challenging for a while!
Went last night and does seem to be improving. Interestingly Simon Scott talked about it also on the latest Baitworks podcast, his view that algae cycle will increase/decrease oxygen so will see feeding increase/decrease as a result. Obviously hard to know where in the cycle the algae is without an oxygen meter.
In reply to Post #11
The algae photosynthesise, producing oxygen in daylight. You would expect more daytime bites as there is more oxygen available, but very much lake/conditions dependent.
The algae photosynthesise, producing oxygen in daylight. You would expect more daytime bites as there is more oxygen available, but very much lake/conditions dependent.
In reply to Post #9
I'd never linked bloodworm beds with alage blooms before, but this was the case in France last week. They're having an algae bloom, nothing horrendous but notable. Fishing was very tough, and I found a few bloodworm beds that the lake owner didn't know were there as a few of my baits were coming in covered in them. Needless to say, I couldn't get a bite from those areas and had to focus elsewhere to establish some bait and catch.
I'd never linked bloodworm beds with alage blooms before, but this was the case in France last week. They're having an algae bloom, nothing horrendous but notable. Fishing was very tough, and I found a few bloodworm beds that the lake owner didn't know were there as a few of my baits were coming in covered in them. Needless to say, I couldn't get a bite from those areas and had to focus elsewhere to establish some bait and catch.
In reply to Post #11
A local water to me has bloodworm beds and the Carp are seriously tuned to them and as it happens the lads who do best on there use bloodworm boilies or match hookers.
If your water doesn't allow naturals then might be worth trying some match bloodworm hookers/boilies soaked in the corresponding glug
A local water to me has bloodworm beds and the Carp are seriously tuned to them and as it happens the lads who do best on there use bloodworm boilies or match hookers.
If your water doesn't allow naturals then might be worth trying some match bloodworm hookers/boilies soaked in the corresponding glug
In reply to Post #12
Not necessarily. When there's an algae bloom the water can become super saturated with d.o.. This will make the fish lethargic. If this occurs then the fish will feed hardest at the point in the diurnal rhythm that the d.o. level is at the most comfortable for them, often the middle of the night through to early morning.
There are lots of variables that will affect the above though, water depth can be very relevant where d.o. levels are concerned.
Not necessarily. When there's an algae bloom the water can become super saturated with d.o.. This will make the fish lethargic. If this occurs then the fish will feed hardest at the point in the diurnal rhythm that the d.o. level is at the most comfortable for them, often the middle of the night through to early morning.
There are lots of variables that will affect the above though, water depth can be very relevant where d.o. levels are concerned.
In reply to Post #15
Yesterday at my day ticket the I had 2 very quickly & was getting constant liners (had been the day before and baited up) - around 10am the owner went round putting lime in. Near enough straight over my baited spot on the far margin & that was it for the rest of the day. The regular shows in the morning were no longer & the next one came at 5pm just as I was packing up. I'm guessing the lime can have an effect? Does anyone have any experience if this and how long it lasts?
He limed the margins all the way around the lake (2 acres or so)
Yesterday at my day ticket the I had 2 very quickly & was getting constant liners (had been the day before and baited up) - around 10am the owner went round putting lime in. Near enough straight over my baited spot on the far margin & that was it for the rest of the day. The regular shows in the morning were no longer & the next one came at 5pm just as I was packing up. I'm guessing the lime can have an effect? Does anyone have any experience if this and how long it lasts?
He limed the margins all the way around the lake (2 acres or so)
In reply to Post #16
I am shocked to hear the owner was putting lime into the lake in summer.
Does he generally know what he's doing?
I am shocked to hear the owner was putting lime into the lake in summer.
Does he generally know what he's doing?
In reply to Post #16
I've never heard of anyone applying lime or chalk in the summer months.
If it is actual lime that will usually make an area unattractive to carp for about three weeks. If it was chalk, Siltex or similar, it doesn't usually negatively affect the fishing for any length of time, if at all.
I've never heard of anyone applying lime or chalk in the summer months.
If it is actual lime that will usually make an area unattractive to carp for about three weeks. If it was chalk, Siltex or similar, it doesn't usually negatively affect the fishing for any length of time, if at all.
In reply to Post #17
It was a white powdered substance which I assumed was lime. He was shovelling it in. Language barrier with talking to him as I'm in Czech Republic. He also used the same stuff in the drop toilets he has on site. I'll try to get a look at the bags it's in next week. Fish care / fishery management here is vastly different to U.K. he would be praised here for actually doing something (even if it's wrong)
It was a white powdered substance which I assumed was lime. He was shovelling it in. Language barrier with talking to him as I'm in Czech Republic. He also used the same stuff in the drop toilets he has on site. I'll try to get a look at the bags it's in next week. Fish care / fishery management here is vastly different to U.K. he would be praised here for actually doing something (even if it's wrong)
In reply to Post #19
Just reading now, if it was siltex that could be the reason for the algae bloom? Not particularly sure it's necessary mind as it's not silty at all!
Just reading now, if it was siltex that could be the reason for the algae bloom? Not particularly sure it's necessary mind as it's not silty at all!
In reply to Post #20
Both lime and Siltex could potentially cause an algae bloom by releasing nutrients locked up in the silt.
Both lime and Siltex could potentially cause an algae bloom by releasing nutrients locked up in the silt.
In reply to Post #15
Algae blooms are a natural part of the nutrient cycle, but they can make fishing tricky. During a bloom the dissolved oxygen level can swing wildly: by day the algae photosynthesise and add oxygen, but at night they respire and remove it. Fish will usually feed harder when the oxygen level is comfortable for them, often at dusk or through the night. When oxygen dips too low, it's kinder to leave them alone and alert the fishery so they can monitor DO levels. If you do fish, consider matching the hatch: switch to naturals like bloodworm or maggot hookers, or use small wafters/flavoured boilies to compete with the natural food. Setting up rigs that let you fish slightly off the bottom, like zigs or balanced pop-ups, can help when bloodworm beds are revealed. Above all, keep an eye on the fish – if you see them gasping or looking stressed, it's best to pack up and wait until conditions improve.
Algae blooms are a natural part of the nutrient cycle, but they can make fishing tricky. During a bloom the dissolved oxygen level can swing wildly: by day the algae photosynthesise and add oxygen, but at night they respire and remove it. Fish will usually feed harder when the oxygen level is comfortable for them, often at dusk or through the night. When oxygen dips too low, it's kinder to leave them alone and alert the fishery so they can monitor DO levels. If you do fish, consider matching the hatch: switch to naturals like bloodworm or maggot hookers, or use small wafters/flavoured boilies to compete with the natural food. Setting up rigs that let you fish slightly off the bottom, like zigs or balanced pop-ups, can help when bloodworm beds are revealed. Above all, keep an eye on the fish – if you see them gasping or looking stressed, it's best to pack up and wait until conditions improve.
Got a bloom on our Sydi at the moment, margins are covered in a thick film. Fishing has been horrendous for the last 10 days with barely anything out at all.
There's a good article on algae below. I found it when searching a youtube channel I've watched from the beginning called Bamabass. The channel goes right the way from digging a 5 acre pond to where it is now. The reason I searched it was because I know they've treated the pond algae in summer but I can't remember with what but I'm sure it was a white powder though not sure if Lime. They actively encourage algae growth to a point where they get to a certain opacity on a stick gauge and then treat accordingly. It's a interesting watch regardless and there's quite a bit of pond expertise being drawn on a certain points.
Links below
Bamabass
LINKY POO™ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsA-WmwZlOPPa_27D8eMMWhG9BjvyH84b
Algae control
LINKY POO™ https://stephenville.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/12/EWF-015-managing-and-controlling-algae-in-ponds.pdf
Links below
Bamabass
LINKY POO™ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsA-WmwZlOPPa_27D8eMMWhG9BjvyH84b
Algae control
LINKY POO™ https://stephenville.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/12/EWF-015-managing-and-controlling-algae-in-ponds.pdf
In reply to Post #23
You tend to get an algae slick on the surface when the algae has died, this is by far the most dangerous point in the cycle and as the bacteria consume the dead algae and multiply, it is they that cause the oxygen crashes. I'm currently dealing with just this situation I'm currently dealing with at my place.
You tend to get an algae slick on the surface when the algae has died, this is by far the most dangerous point in the cycle and as the bacteria consume the dead algae and multiply, it is they that cause the oxygen crashes. I'm currently dealing with just this situation I'm currently dealing with at my place.
In reply to Post #25
I hope all goes well mate.
I hope all goes well mate.
In reply to Post #26
Cheers Dave. I've made some big decisions regarding the Pool recently which you'll definitely be hearing about.
Cheers Dave. I've made some big decisions regarding the Pool recently which you'll definitely be hearing about.
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