In reply to Post #15
Maybe it's the difference between instinct and learnt behavior.
Pete that is a brilliant description of individual carp preferences.👍
Makes me look at things a bit more
Maybe it's the difference between instinct and learnt behavior.
Pete that is a brilliant description of individual carp preferences.👍
Makes me look at things a bit more
In reply to Post #16
Another one that makes my head hurt came from an old friend who has spent his life teaching fisheries managment. I am sure it's all linked. He said 'in any lake 1/3rd of the fish come out regularly, 1/3rd come out every year or two and a 1/3rd never get caught'. This is not true on commercial puddles but seems to apply to most waters
Another one that makes my head hurt came from an old friend who has spent his life teaching fisheries managment. I am sure it's all linked. He said 'in any lake 1/3rd of the fish come out regularly, 1/3rd come out every year or two and a 1/3rd never get caught'. This is not true on commercial puddles but seems to apply to most waters
In reply to Post #17
Those figures regards captures probably sound nuts to most, but having stocked my own place I have witnessed pretty close to it.
Original fish seen but never caught and fish from each of three stockings that just go missing.
One stocking of ten commons has only seen three or four of them ever banked over the five years they've been in there.
I'm sure that bait has to be the answer to banking these fish.
Those figures regards captures probably sound nuts to most, but having stocked my own place I have witnessed pretty close to it.
Original fish seen but never caught and fish from each of three stockings that just go missing.
One stocking of ten commons has only seen three or four of them ever banked over the five years they've been in there.
I'm sure that bait has to be the answer to banking these fish.
In reply to Post #18
Yes. A very realistic figure that. Even the same stocking year fish go like this. Over time they fall into that 1/3 regular captures, 1/3 odd captures and 1/3 seen but never caught. Nature woks in strange ways.
They all need to eat ‘something' to survive
Yes. A very realistic figure that. Even the same stocking year fish go like this. Over time they fall into that 1/3 regular captures, 1/3 odd captures and 1/3 seen but never caught. Nature woks in strange ways.
They all need to eat ‘something' to survive
In reply to Post #19
>They all need to eat ‘something' to survive
I am sure some fish just feed in a certain why i.e. sifting silt. The chance of getting them on a boilie is almost zero. We are way OT here but some fish do come out more on pop-ups and some more on bottom baits..again its not the bait as such its the way we present it that catches the fish that feed in different ways
>They all need to eat ‘something' to survive
I am sure some fish just feed in a certain why i.e. sifting silt. The chance of getting them on a boilie is almost zero. We are way OT here but some fish do come out more on pop-ups and some more on bottom baits..again its not the bait as such its the way we present it that catches the fish that feed in different ways
In reply to Post #20
I agree, it's the mechanics of their feeding that makes the tricky ones tricky imo.
I agree, it's the mechanics of their feeding that makes the tricky ones tricky imo.
In reply to Post #21
Definitely mate, although as we said the other week some are down to certain fish not being boilie eaters too
Definitely mate, although as we said the other week some are down to certain fish not being boilie eaters too
In reply to Post #20
Perhaps then if people are fishing for fish on the missing list, they should fish in unfancied swims , with unorthodox baits , and be prepared for extensive blanks. I'd also put money on the fact that some fish take advantage of seasonal naturals rather than eating boilies all year round. A fish that is a nomad as opposed to a fish with a known territory is. more likely to fall in to this category.
Perhaps then if people are fishing for fish on the missing list, they should fish in unfancied swims , with unorthodox baits , and be prepared for extensive blanks. I'd also put money on the fact that some fish take advantage of seasonal naturals rather than eating boilies all year round. A fish that is a nomad as opposed to a fish with a known territory is. more likely to fall in to this category.
In reply to Post #17
Those figures definitely ring true on the lesser stocked venues, there's no doubt about it.
Certainly in my experience different carp have different taste preferences even when we are just talking about boilie.
I remember Shaun Harrison (I think) talking about age being an important factor and I have experienced the same.
The rarest fish would have a combination of eating mainly naturals no matter the time of year including fry.
The ability to get away with it, and/or feed more cautiously than others.
But also the rare ones know exactly where they can and cannot be caught from.
The Burghfield common being a perfect example, 4 of the last 5 captures from areas that have either been out of bounds (previously) or relatively unfished,
Coincidence?
Those figures definitely ring true on the lesser stocked venues, there's no doubt about it.
Certainly in my experience different carp have different taste preferences even when we are just talking about boilie.
I remember Shaun Harrison (I think) talking about age being an important factor and I have experienced the same.
The rarest fish would have a combination of eating mainly naturals no matter the time of year including fry.
The ability to get away with it, and/or feed more cautiously than others.
But also the rare ones know exactly where they can and cannot be caught from.
The Burghfield common being a perfect example, 4 of the last 5 captures from areas that have either been out of bounds (previously) or relatively unfished,
Coincidence?
In reply to Post #24
I think this is my favourite subject in the whole of my fishing life. Absolutely fascinates me.
I'm probably going to be having my place electro fished this winter, it'll be interesting to see how some on the missing list are fairing.
If the cormorants keep going as they are maggots might be a viable bait before long which would be interesting.
I think this is my favourite subject in the whole of my fishing life. Absolutely fascinates me.
I'm probably going to be having my place electro fished this winter, it'll be interesting to see how some on the missing list are fairing.
If the cormorants keep going as they are maggots might be a viable bait before long which would be interesting.
In reply to Post #25
Agree Andy, it's interesting.
If there's one thing better than an abundance of food to get them growing big, it's a low or none existent rate of capture. It stands to reason that those fish that avoid capture are pretty much doing as well as they can possibly do in terms of growth/weight.
Be interesting to see how your rare'n's are doing
Agree Andy, it's interesting.
If there's one thing better than an abundance of food to get them growing big, it's a low or none existent rate of capture. It stands to reason that those fish that avoid capture are pretty much doing as well as they can possibly do in terms of growth/weight.
Be interesting to see how your rare'n's are doing
In reply to Post #26
I think that maybe they get hooked & lost in certain areas as well and we never know that they have slipped up but not brought to the bank.
I once watched a fish believed to be missing glide into an area with another regular visitor to the bank, it took two mouthfuls of silt from five feet out before laying up under a raft of weed.
I've thought about it many times over the years and without seeing it I would never have placed a bait there, it was a nothing piece of bottom and I never ever saw another fish feed on it.
Adam Penning's chapter in the Wraysbury Chronicles touches on this with regards the Pug.
Sorry to the OP it's gone way off thread!
I think that maybe they get hooked & lost in certain areas as well and we never know that they have slipped up but not brought to the bank.
I once watched a fish believed to be missing glide into an area with another regular visitor to the bank, it took two mouthfuls of silt from five feet out before laying up under a raft of weed.
I've thought about it many times over the years and without seeing it I would never have placed a bait there, it was a nothing piece of bottom and I never ever saw another fish feed on it.
Adam Penning's chapter in the Wraysbury Chronicles touches on this with regards the Pug.
Sorry to the OP it's gone way off thread!
In reply to Post #20
I have seen some big fish that only ever get caught over groundbait, and heavy beds of bait yet others in the same lake that avoid those same beds of bait, coming out only over boilies.
In my syndicate lake we have seen some original fish, yet no-one has banked them. Some originals are still uncaught, while others have been.
Bloodworm, mussels, snails all provide protein, good growing food, our boilies hopefully more so, but some carp no matter what, just won't eat them. Try to compete with natural food with particles, they don't necessarily provide great proteins that can be utilised, but are fish eating particles for energy (fats) rather than for growth?
Are There fish that avoid eating particles as well?
I have seen some big fish that only ever get caught over groundbait, and heavy beds of bait yet others in the same lake that avoid those same beds of bait, coming out only over boilies.
In my syndicate lake we have seen some original fish, yet no-one has banked them. Some originals are still uncaught, while others have been.
Bloodworm, mussels, snails all provide protein, good growing food, our boilies hopefully more so, but some carp no matter what, just won't eat them. Try to compete with natural food with particles, they don't necessarily provide great proteins that can be utilised, but are fish eating particles for energy (fats) rather than for growth?
Are There fish that avoid eating particles as well?
In reply to Post #28
I predict winkles could be the next must have super bait. I've patented it. So just send me the money. Lol.
I predict winkles could be the next must have super bait. I've patented it. So just send me the money. Lol.
In reply to Post #29
I tried Cockles once, caught a Pike
I tried Cockles once, caught a Pike