Anyone got any tips for days only fishing (other than getting there early).
Fishing is from 7am to 5pm at the moment but that is subject to change with the winter etc, - I have to say having done a few days already I really enjoy them being home for dinner is a bonus when the weather has been rubbish and knowing I'm not missing out on anything as everyone else has to leave by 5 too...
Fishing is from 7am to 5pm at the moment but that is subject to change with the winter etc, - I have to say having done a few days already I really enjoy them being home for dinner is a bonus when the weather has been rubbish and knowing I'm not missing out on anything as everyone else has to leave by 5 too...
Minimise the gear you bring. I myself am guilty of bringing too much needless tackle with me. The difference it made to my shorter sessions when I scaled it back was amazing. Also if possible maybe prebait the area if you can. Study the swims. Learn where the features are. Means you can get your baits on the spots quicker. It's all about making the most of the time you have on the bank.
I spent years fishing walthamstow which is days only. This is back years ago before it became as popular. Best advice for days only is keep mobile and keep your eyes open. Try not to even set up if you arent seeing any signs of fish, and if you do, be ready to move. Fish of the barrow and be tidy. If you see something, rods in sticks and net on the barrow and youre off. Lost count of the amount of times I used to spend hours walking around, and only fish for the last few hours of the day. A short time on fish is far better than days when youre not on them
In reply to Post #1
I too fish days only and there a few things that are key.
Venue choice, try finding a water of waters that giveS you a fair crack at fish good stock levels.
Do just turn up and fish the first peg, remember a hour in the right swim is worth more than a day in the wrong.
Study watercraft, there's loads on stuff on your tube tha teaches the basics, such as wind direction, showing fish, finding a clear spot or gravel bar and then use these to increase your chances.
Cut your gear down, I still like my comforts, nice big chair, brew kit, but there is no need for a thousand leads, massive of terminal tackle, 50 banksticks. So have a proper look at your tackle and cut it down to just a days worth.
I use a barrow and basically fish from it, these enables me to move when needed, a mobile approach keeping a eye on the lake and moving to clear signs of fish can be very effective
I too fish days only and there a few things that are key.
Venue choice, try finding a water of waters that giveS you a fair crack at fish good stock levels.
Do just turn up and fish the first peg, remember a hour in the right swim is worth more than a day in the wrong.
Study watercraft, there's loads on stuff on your tube tha teaches the basics, such as wind direction, showing fish, finding a clear spot or gravel bar and then use these to increase your chances.
Cut your gear down, I still like my comforts, nice big chair, brew kit, but there is no need for a thousand leads, massive of terminal tackle, 50 banksticks. So have a proper look at your tackle and cut it down to just a days worth.
I use a barrow and basically fish from it, these enables me to move when needed, a mobile approach keeping a eye on the lake and moving to clear signs of fish can be very effective
In reply to Post #1
find your 'bite time' mate, all waters have them, that time of day when they just seem to switch on and get caught
find your 'bite time' mate, all waters have them, that time of day when they just seem to switch on and get caught
In reply to Post #1
been doing this alot this learn and have struggled a little but you have to keep trying.
perhaps shows up my weaknesses as an angler :/
been doing this alot this learn and have struggled a little but you have to keep trying.
perhaps shows up my weaknesses as an angler :/
In reply to Post #1
I've fished days only this last 2 autumns.
Just minimise the kit and be prepared to be much more mobile.
If you can pre-bait it can help (last year I did very well over pre-bait).
But you need to learn to react to what you see immediately (this year the pre-baiting crashed and almost all my captures came to moving onto showing fish).
Just the same as "normal" fishing but with less kit really. Keep your eyes peeled and fish for what you see.
I've fished days only this last 2 autumns.
Just minimise the kit and be prepared to be much more mobile.
If you can pre-bait it can help (last year I did very well over pre-bait).
But you need to learn to react to what you see immediately (this year the pre-baiting crashed and almost all my captures came to moving onto showing fish).
Just the same as "normal" fishing but with less kit really. Keep your eyes peeled and fish for what you see.
In reply to Post #1
Don't rule out catching on the surface especially if there is a bit of sun. I've caught off the top pretty much every month I've been fishing.
Sink some bread in likely looking spots, flick out a little more bread, dog or cat biscuit above it and just keep an eye or ear on it. Don't bother putting your bait there until they start to take off the surface, just treat it as a possibility of a bonus fish as it's something you can do while you are fishing other spots.
Also the margins can be productive late afternoon if the water has warmed in the sun and the carp are patrolling.
Don't rule out catching on the surface especially if there is a bit of sun. I've caught off the top pretty much every month I've been fishing.
Sink some bread in likely looking spots, flick out a little more bread, dog or cat biscuit above it and just keep an eye or ear on it. Don't bother putting your bait there until they start to take off the surface, just treat it as a possibility of a bonus fish as it's something you can do while you are fishing other spots.
Also the margins can be productive late afternoon if the water has warmed in the sun and the carp are patrolling.
In reply to Post #1
Do you find fishing said hors you don't use as much bait or do you still pile it in ????
Do you find fishing said hors you don't use as much bait or do you still pile it in ????
In reply to Post #1
Travel as light as possible and have everything ready to go, baited rigs already on the rods and a few small PVA bags ready so you can just hook one on and cast out. That way you can just cast out as soon as you arrive (if you have a pre determined idea of where the fish will be, in which case you can even already be clipped up) or as soon as you find the fish, no farting around tying up rigs, tying on bait, critically balancing etc etc.
Don't set a bivvy up, a brolly is more than enough on a day session, on shorter sessions I don't even take that, decent waterproofs and a tarp to cover the gear.
Obviously don't use as much bait as some people do when they turn up and intend to fish for a few days, on a day session you are generally fishing for one fish at a time, bait accordingly.
What little fishing I do is almost exclusively days only, in fact I have a 'night ticket' on a water but that is mainly to allow me to fish from as early as I want during days rather than the normal 'day angler' opening time.
Travel as light as possible and have everything ready to go, baited rigs already on the rods and a few small PVA bags ready so you can just hook one on and cast out. That way you can just cast out as soon as you arrive (if you have a pre determined idea of where the fish will be, in which case you can even already be clipped up) or as soon as you find the fish, no farting around tying up rigs, tying on bait, critically balancing etc etc.
Don't set a bivvy up, a brolly is more than enough on a day session, on shorter sessions I don't even take that, decent waterproofs and a tarp to cover the gear.
Obviously don't use as much bait as some people do when they turn up and intend to fish for a few days, on a day session you are generally fishing for one fish at a time, bait accordingly.
What little fishing I do is almost exclusively days only, in fact I have a 'night ticket' on a water but that is mainly to allow me to fish from as early as I want during days rather than the normal 'day angler' opening time.
30 years + carp fishing and only ever did 10 nights tops, so days only is my thing:P
Adding to the advice, know your waters, which in my case means many hours with a depth finder and a lead. And pre baiting, sometimes a lot, sometimes small ammounts, depending on quite a lot variables. Also, bait ealy, at sunrise, do other stuff, and return later in the day. Favorite way, feed the fish before dinner, enjoy dinner at home, and 2 hours later have the rods in for a couple of hours of evening fishing. And contrary to what seems to be popular in the UK, leave that spod thing at home, by hand, by stick, for me at least, works much better.
Adding to the advice, know your waters, which in my case means many hours with a depth finder and a lead. And pre baiting, sometimes a lot, sometimes small ammounts, depending on quite a lot variables. Also, bait ealy, at sunrise, do other stuff, and return later in the day. Favorite way, feed the fish before dinner, enjoy dinner at home, and 2 hours later have the rods in for a couple of hours of evening fishing. And contrary to what seems to be popular in the UK, leave that spod thing at home, by hand, by stick, for me at least, works much better.
Little pva sticks made up and stored in an empty pva tube with either crumb ground bait pellet etc
you can get quite a few in the 25 or 32mm versions
Saves you taking buckets of bait with you
If I'm Fishing really light I use the old fashioned bells as alarms and leave the rods on the floor
you can get quite a few in the 25 or 32mm versions
Saves you taking buckets of bait with you
If I'm Fishing really light I use the old fashioned bells as alarms and leave the rods on the floor
Plenty of good advice there.
Cheers all.
Cheers all.
In reply to Post #1
In the last 10 years or so, I've more or less stopped session fishing and don't even do many overnighters, it's all day only for me. I find it way more productive and rewarding than sitting there for days on end trying to bore them out of submission. You work a lot harder when your time is limited and I find that I am out-fishing the bivvy boys hand over fist.
I tend to fish off the barrow; I don't see the need to travel light, a barrow can carry a lot of gear. Why people have to bang on about that for day sessions I don't know. If I need a spod rod, marker rod, 3 rods to fish with and 10kg of tigers, then it's all going on the barrow. I very rarely take any form of shelter with me - only if a lot of rain is forecast will I take a brolly and that's a light weight Korum jobbie. These chaps who set up shelters or even bivvies for a day session? WTF? Makes me laugh how they then sit in them all day like hermit crabs...
Have rods made up before you go and organise your gear for quick deployment. I have everything set-up within minutes of arriving. You see some chaps taking hours to even get a bait in the water! I set my net up and then out the rods - I just lay them on the bank with the drag loosened off - then get the sticks out... the times I have had one of those rods clack off... yeah, I'm into a fish within minutes of getting into a swim. Bits and bobs you need are all prepared before hand - so if I need any PVA bags, all done at home. Bottom line is, you want to be spending your time fishing, not setting up gear, tying rigs or as I see a lot, getting distance sticks out and fecking around marking up all your rods - you can do that at home in the garden!
Learn your waters, observe where fish are being caught and how; be prepared to move - I might fish 3 or more swims in a day if bites aren't forthcoming. Don't be fooled into thinking 'hard' syndicate waters need long sessions either - fishing just days, I've done more than OK on such places with a day only approach.
Be first fly on turd. I always have to be there before anyone else. Get on the water before first light and don't just set up in a favourite swim, take your time looking, reflect on previous sessions and play it by ear every time you fish.
Choose your waters carefully. It doesn't make sense to fish somewhere that only does fish at night! Day only waters are preferred if you can find them - I find them so much better than places where you can ruck up at first light and find the car park full and bivvies everywhere. Also, no night fishing means no idiots. A lot of the noddies can't catch on day only waters and don't like getting up early, so tend to avoid such places. I had a club water that was day only and it was excellent, then they allowed night fishing - it's now a **** hole fished by time bandit scum, smoking weed and making a din all day long. Anyway, I digress... day only doesn't suit everyone, but for me it is proper carp fishing and massively engaging. The best bit is, I get to sleep in my own bed, get a decent meal every night and shower - and I'll be catching carp. What's not to like about that?!
In the last 10 years or so, I've more or less stopped session fishing and don't even do many overnighters, it's all day only for me. I find it way more productive and rewarding than sitting there for days on end trying to bore them out of submission. You work a lot harder when your time is limited and I find that I am out-fishing the bivvy boys hand over fist.
I tend to fish off the barrow; I don't see the need to travel light, a barrow can carry a lot of gear. Why people have to bang on about that for day sessions I don't know. If I need a spod rod, marker rod, 3 rods to fish with and 10kg of tigers, then it's all going on the barrow. I very rarely take any form of shelter with me - only if a lot of rain is forecast will I take a brolly and that's a light weight Korum jobbie. These chaps who set up shelters or even bivvies for a day session? WTF? Makes me laugh how they then sit in them all day like hermit crabs...
Have rods made up before you go and organise your gear for quick deployment. I have everything set-up within minutes of arriving. You see some chaps taking hours to even get a bait in the water! I set my net up and then out the rods - I just lay them on the bank with the drag loosened off - then get the sticks out... the times I have had one of those rods clack off... yeah, I'm into a fish within minutes of getting into a swim. Bits and bobs you need are all prepared before hand - so if I need any PVA bags, all done at home. Bottom line is, you want to be spending your time fishing, not setting up gear, tying rigs or as I see a lot, getting distance sticks out and fecking around marking up all your rods - you can do that at home in the garden!
Learn your waters, observe where fish are being caught and how; be prepared to move - I might fish 3 or more swims in a day if bites aren't forthcoming. Don't be fooled into thinking 'hard' syndicate waters need long sessions either - fishing just days, I've done more than OK on such places with a day only approach.
Be first fly on turd. I always have to be there before anyone else. Get on the water before first light and don't just set up in a favourite swim, take your time looking, reflect on previous sessions and play it by ear every time you fish.
Choose your waters carefully. It doesn't make sense to fish somewhere that only does fish at night! Day only waters are preferred if you can find them - I find them so much better than places where you can ruck up at first light and find the car park full and bivvies everywhere. Also, no night fishing means no idiots. A lot of the noddies can't catch on day only waters and don't like getting up early, so tend to avoid such places. I had a club water that was day only and it was excellent, then they allowed night fishing - it's now a **** hole fished by time bandit scum, smoking weed and making a din all day long. Anyway, I digress... day only doesn't suit everyone, but for me it is proper carp fishing and massively engaging. The best bit is, I get to sleep in my own bed, get a decent meal every night and shower - and I'll be catching carp. What's not to like about that?!
In reply to Post #14
👍👍
👍👍