In reply to Post #1
Pop ups for 99% of my fishing. Cork ball food baits summer and autumn. Bright buoyant proper jobs for winter and spring.
Pop ups for 99% of my fishing. Cork ball food baits summer and autumn. Bright buoyant proper jobs for winter and spring.
In reply to Post #1
All-sorts. Popups are my cork balls, specialised crunched forms or cork balls or shillhams bright ones, bottom baits are hardened versions of my own baits, always either dumbbells or double round ones (round single bottom baits are too easy for fish to deal with imo) ,never fake baits (should be banned imo)
All-sorts. Popups are my cork balls, specialised crunched forms or cork balls or shillhams bright ones, bottom baits are hardened versions of my own baits, always either dumbbells or double round ones (round single bottom baits are too easy for fish to deal with imo) ,never fake baits (should be banned imo)
In reply to Post #5
totally agree mate, re bottom baits the same as free offerings.
most of the time, i fish very silty water and the pop up hookbait is more of a presentation confidence for me.
The times i do fish rock hard bottoms i prefer straight out the bag mate
totally agree mate, re bottom baits the same as free offerings.
most of the time, i fish very silty water and the pop up hookbait is more of a presentation confidence for me.
The times i do fish rock hard bottoms i prefer straight out the bag mate
In reply to Post #11
The lake recently is 4 foot deep, crystal clear and has perfect viewpoints in most swims. The fish are easily spooked due to this. Very exciting to watch
The lake recently is 4 foot deep, crystal clear and has perfect viewpoints in most swims. The fish are easily spooked due to this. Very exciting to watch
In reply to Post #19
I remember when you needed a pop up you would make it as near identical as your freebies, using a polyball inside was the favourite. Then people started dipping their hookbaits and then came the trend of fishing your hookbait completely different to your freebies.
Wherever possible I still prefer straight out of the packet though.
I remember when you needed a pop up you would make it as near identical as your freebies, using a polyball inside was the favourite. Then people started dipping their hookbaits and then came the trend of fishing your hookbait completely different to your freebies.
Wherever possible I still prefer straight out of the packet though.
In reply to Post #21
yeah, i used to be so paranoid about the hook bait being exactly the same as poss when using it popped up, so drilling the centres out etc was my preferred method...
These days, i've soon realised i was over complicating it and it was pointless
yeah, i used to be so paranoid about the hook bait being exactly the same as poss when using it popped up, so drilling the centres out etc was my preferred method...
These days, i've soon realised i was over complicating it and it was pointless
In reply to Post #7
I honestly had this written at 6am this morning but didnt press submit, when I just read this thread I could hardly believe my eyes.........
Lockdown question........It seems nowadays that a smaller hookbait size is prefered, or is it, whats your prefered/goto hookbait size, and do you use the same size loose feedbait?
I always used to use 18mm up until 4 years ago, since then I've prefered a 14 & 16mm mix for feed, then alternate for the hair, 14mm bottom bait wrapped in matching paste or a 16mm matching homemade wafter/pop up.
Sometimes bait company's only do 15mm or 18mm in shelflife, Baitworks for example, in which case I'll use 15mm all round.
I honestly had this written at 6am this morning but didnt press submit, when I just read this thread I could hardly believe my eyes.........
Lockdown question........It seems nowadays that a smaller hookbait size is prefered, or is it, whats your prefered/goto hookbait size, and do you use the same size loose feedbait?
I always used to use 18mm up until 4 years ago, since then I've prefered a 14 & 16mm mix for feed, then alternate for the hair, 14mm bottom bait wrapped in matching paste or a 16mm matching homemade wafter/pop up.
Sometimes bait company's only do 15mm or 18mm in shelflife, Baitworks for example, in which case I'll use 15mm all round.
In reply to Post #22
Never got on with drilling, it was unreliable, the polyball method I used was when I was making my own.
Around that time I was into crucially balanced baits but I gave up, decided there was no point having baits wafting around dragging the hook and picking up crap.
Prefer on the bottom but if it needs to be popped up then it needs to be proper popped up.
Never got on with drilling, it was unreliable, the polyball method I used was when I was making my own.
Around that time I was into crucially balanced baits but I gave up, decided there was no point having baits wafting around dragging the hook and picking up crap.
Prefer on the bottom but if it needs to be popped up then it needs to be proper popped up.
In reply to Post #24
Someone told me pop ups had blown last year, they hadn't of course but this guy was adamant they wouldn't work! He netted a few of my fish and saw the little 12mm round brown pop up and the next time I saw him he had pop ups on all 3 rods (and caught). Paste wrapped bottom baits was a favourite of mine on certain venues and like the added attraction of a non boiled paste
Someone told me pop ups had blown last year, they hadn't of course but this guy was adamant they wouldn't work! He netted a few of my fish and saw the little 12mm round brown pop up and the next time I saw him he had pop ups on all 3 rods (and caught). Paste wrapped bottom baits was a favourite of mine on certain venues and like the added attraction of a non boiled paste
In reply to Post #22
I'd been out of it for a whilst - when did “match the hatch” become a thing? It used to be alternative hookbait, rather than a “matching” one being something different.
I only use pop ups when I really have to, prefer paste wrapped std bottom baits/snowmen most of the time. Top bait of the snowman might be something bright/different as we cant use plastic baits any more. But only have 2 “alternative” pop ups otherwise you can end up chasing your tail with all the different makes/flavours out there. Find something that works for you, and use it lots!
Speaking of match the hatch, anyone know where I can find a hatch of Hi-Nu-Val with the addits, would make me a fortune!
I'd been out of it for a whilst - when did “match the hatch” become a thing? It used to be alternative hookbait, rather than a “matching” one being something different.
I only use pop ups when I really have to, prefer paste wrapped std bottom baits/snowmen most of the time. Top bait of the snowman might be something bright/different as we cant use plastic baits any more. But only have 2 “alternative” pop ups otherwise you can end up chasing your tail with all the different makes/flavours out there. Find something that works for you, and use it lots!
Speaking of match the hatch, anyone know where I can find a hatch of Hi-Nu-Val with the addits, would make me a fortune!
In reply to Post #1
Bottom bait - 24mm or 2 x 24mm donkey chokers ( round,barrel or sausage snapped)
- Snowman either 2 bottom baits drilled with cork or a pop up.
- Single or double tiger drilled with cork (favourite presentation)
- wild waters I use stringers with plastic corn in between the tigers
- Kryston bogey hemp ball roughly 20mm big
Pop up - Hinged rig with a 12,15 or bigger if the **** boxes are active. (Color is lake dependant) don't like
bright colors don't get alot of takes on them.
Hookbaits for me is of natural or dull colors.
Don't get me wrong I do use brighter colors from time to time. It all depends on what the fish want on that session. Found that the brighter ones works best for me before and after the spawn. Summer time it's dull colors as fish lake/angling pressure are at it's highest.
Glad to see you notice the change 👍 well done bud. Some would never notice and blame it on something
Cheers pal have a blessed weekend 🎣🎣🎣
Bottom bait - 24mm or 2 x 24mm donkey chokers ( round,barrel or sausage snapped)
- Snowman either 2 bottom baits drilled with cork or a pop up.
- Single or double tiger drilled with cork (favourite presentation)
- wild waters I use stringers with plastic corn in between the tigers
- Kryston bogey hemp ball roughly 20mm big
Pop up - Hinged rig with a 12,15 or bigger if the **** boxes are active. (Color is lake dependant) don't like
bright colors don't get alot of takes on them.
Hookbaits for me is of natural or dull colors.
Don't get me wrong I do use brighter colors from time to time. It all depends on what the fish want on that session. Found that the brighter ones works best for me before and after the spawn. Summer time it's dull colors as fish lake/angling pressure are at it's highest.
Glad to see you notice the change 👍 well done bud. Some would never notice and blame it on something
Cheers pal have a blessed weekend 🎣🎣🎣
In reply to Post #25
18mm pop ups.......rare as unicorn poo
18mm pop ups.......rare as unicorn poo
In reply to Post #28
Don't you know you can only catch on small baits now?
Don't you know you can only catch on small baits now?
On my current syndicate I have noticed a lot use small baits, often very bright. I have only fished a couple of times but 18 or 20mm bottom baits have caught me fish when others have failed. I try to be different 
In reply to Post #29
😂😂
😂😂