In reply to Post #29
Lines reeled in, no more casting.
Bit like the reeling in to give the swim a break, only permanently by that angler
What about really slack lines, being quiet on the bank, don't recast. Do the fish know someone's still there?
Lines reeled in, no more casting.
Bit like the reeling in to give the swim a break, only permanently by that angler
What about really slack lines, being quiet on the bank, don't recast. Do the fish know someone's still there?
In reply to Post #31
Going back to what Frank Warwick on about with line in the water, it could well be that fish might pick up on the vibrations traveling down the line?
Going all the way back to the 80's, this was something we all discussed at some length, over and over again. One of my mates used to go on about lead in alkaline waters could create a localised positive change/battery type state.
Going back to what Frank Warwick on about with line in the water, it could well be that fish might pick up on the vibrations traveling down the line?
Going all the way back to the 80's, this was something we all discussed at some length, over and over again. One of my mates used to go on about lead in alkaline waters could create a localised positive change/battery type state.
In reply to Post #32
Most carp are I just think that they are masters of their enviroment, and nature, they are built to simply survive, eat and breed.
One day... Leads crashing in, Line in the water, baits dropping in, fluttering down, disturbance on the bankside, air pressure changes, they just know.
On another day, they can do/act like nothing bothers them, and we get away with things!
My outlook now is enjoy my fishing, They are catchable. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy, or a marketing dream.
Keep it simple, find them, cast out/feed a proven bait, stay on them long enough for them to feed. Catch 'em.
Most carp are I just think that they are masters of their enviroment, and nature, they are built to simply survive, eat and breed.
One day... Leads crashing in, Line in the water, baits dropping in, fluttering down, disturbance on the bankside, air pressure changes, they just know.
On another day, they can do/act like nothing bothers them, and we get away with things!
My outlook now is enjoy my fishing, They are catchable. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy, or a marketing dream.
Keep it simple, find them, cast out/feed a proven bait, stay on them long enough for them to feed. Catch 'em.
I can tell you first hand how otters on a water can completely change the way it fishes. I have a ticket for a small brick pit. It was a relatively easy water, even in winter good for a bite. Deep margins were the place to catch. Then about three years ago the otters moved on and it quickly became impossible to catch a carp in the edge.
The club fenced the water that year and restocked pretty accurately to get the numbers back up to pre otter. Now considering that about a third of the fish in the late were stocked after the fence was installed. It's taken nearly three years for us to be able to start to catch the odd ones from the margins again.
The fish in my tank at home are totally conditioned to being fed from one corner of the tank. They will be distributed all over it until you go anywhere near it. When they will suddenly all swim up to the top left of the tank. Also If I forget to feed them, one fish in particular will hang out at the feeding point in anticipation.
On a separate note. If carp are intelligent then that doesn't say much for me as they seem to outwit me most weeks.
The club fenced the water that year and restocked pretty accurately to get the numbers back up to pre otter. Now considering that about a third of the fish in the late were stocked after the fence was installed. It's taken nearly three years for us to be able to start to catch the odd ones from the margins again.
The fish in my tank at home are totally conditioned to being fed from one corner of the tank. They will be distributed all over it until you go anywhere near it. When they will suddenly all swim up to the top left of the tank. Also If I forget to feed them, one fish in particular will hang out at the feeding point in anticipation.
On a separate note. If carp are intelligent then that doesn't say much for me as they seem to outwit me most weeks.
In reply to Post #32
Didn't mike Wilmot use glass weights instead of leads and came to the conclusion it made no difference. Iirc. Long time ago I may be wrong.
Didn't mike Wilmot use glass weights instead of leads and came to the conclusion it made no difference. Iirc. Long time ago I may be wrong.
In reply to Post #35
Non lead weight, glass weights. Yes, it was Mike Wilson of Savay fame, I believe.
He wrote about it in Carp fisher or carpworld.
Non lead weight, glass weights. Yes, it was Mike Wilson of Savay fame, I believe.
He wrote about it in Carp fisher or carpworld.
In reply to Post #33
Very true....one day they can seem so clever yet another day be so stupid.
Very true....one day they can seem so clever yet another day be so stupid.
They are also very inquisitive – I remember when I was fitting a large stainless Steel Over-flow Shute to feed the water into a bio-Filter to meet EA Regs at one of the lakes. It was a nice summers day and was stood in the water swinging a 24lb Sledge Hammer piling the two 4ft 2” Steel Pins in the mount it onto, obviously made one hell of a noise and caused shock waves to up the lake.
I had my back to the lake so when my mate said “You better take a look behind you”, to my amazement there was Carp in a arc just under the surface not 10ft behind me, too many to count – and they just stayed there and watched what I was doing.
That's not the first time either, had same thing happen numerous times since when fitting new swim fronts, installing Pumps, Bridges etc...... Does not seem to happen in the colder months thou.
I had my back to the lake so when my mate said “You better take a look behind you”, to my amazement there was Carp in a arc just under the surface not 10ft behind me, too many to count – and they just stayed there and watched what I was doing.
That's not the first time either, had same thing happen numerous times since when fitting new swim fronts, installing Pumps, Bridges etc...... Does not seem to happen in the colder months thou.
In reply to Post #38
I've seen a similar thing when we were removing a large snag tree from the water a few years back. We had a diver who was roping branches, we then lifted them clear with a tractor and cut the up with a chainsaw to make them small enough to drag in. It was pretty noisy! At one point there were fish coming in to see what all the commotion was. Yet you get to June 16th and throw a lead anywhere near them and they disappear for two days.
I've seen a similar thing when we were removing a large snag tree from the water a few years back. We had a diver who was roping branches, we then lifted them clear with a tractor and cut the up with a chainsaw to make them small enough to drag in. It was pretty noisy! At one point there were fish coming in to see what all the commotion was. Yet you get to June 16th and throw a lead anywhere near them and they disappear for two days.
In reply to Post #39
when i siltex the lake i run, with 2 tonnes of siltex at one end of the lake (silt is worst there) within mins the carp come to see what all the commotion is!
they follow the boat as i shovel the clay in.
they arent fussed whatsoever
when i siltex the lake i run, with 2 tonnes of siltex at one end of the lake (silt is worst there) within mins the carp come to see what all the commotion is!
they follow the boat as i shovel the clay in.
they arent fussed whatsoever
In reply to Post #40
A lake of mine is having that done for the first time in about twenty years this year. Have you found it makes much difference to how it fishes?
A lake of mine is having that done for the first time in about twenty years this year. Have you found it makes much difference to how it fishes?
In reply to Post #1
I would suggest that much of the time, in fact the reverse is true... They've evolved over aeons to be masters of their environment, and we've only to look at rod hours to bites ratio on some venues to see just how ineffective our efforts can be... Giving them credit in not wanting to be caught can only lead to being a better angler...
I would suggest that much of the time, in fact the reverse is true... They've evolved over aeons to be masters of their environment, and we've only to look at rod hours to bites ratio on some venues to see just how ineffective our efforts can be... Giving them credit in not wanting to be caught can only lead to being a better angler...
In reply to Post #41
its made a fair bit of difference if im honest, its a slower process than hydrated lime, and alot kinder to the fish and water.
The fish tend to avoid feeding for a week or so in the treated areas, but they seem to spend alot of time rubbing in the siltex.
its made a fair bit of difference if im honest, its a slower process than hydrated lime, and alot kinder to the fish and water.
The fish tend to avoid feeding for a week or so in the treated areas, but they seem to spend alot of time rubbing in the siltex.
In reply to Post #18
No, we get and partly understand the annual migration, which can be, on some of these big waters, miles to reach spawning areas.
I was referring to changes from one year to following years, seasonal variations taken into account.
No, we get and partly understand the annual migration, which can be, on some of these big waters, miles to reach spawning areas.
I was referring to changes from one year to following years, seasonal variations taken into account.
In reply to Post #1
I dont think we do.
Some years ago I used to match fish Castle Ashby in Northants.
Summer time we fished floaters carp 8/15lbs. One year marshmallow was king chuck one anywhere and you would catch. Also some days it was pink and others only white ones.
So 12 months later and after a 6 month break from floaters we where back on them first two weeks as was the previous year. Then they would not touch a full one and it was half or less to catch.
On to the next year the would not touch a full one only a half one for a few weeks then bingo they would not touch marshmallow.
Had we used the same bait all year the fine. But with a 6 month minimum break between use the soon remembered. So even on a high stocked water and a break those fish still associated that bait taste and size with danger.
I dont think we do.
Some years ago I used to match fish Castle Ashby in Northants.
Summer time we fished floaters carp 8/15lbs. One year marshmallow was king chuck one anywhere and you would catch. Also some days it was pink and others only white ones.
So 12 months later and after a 6 month break from floaters we where back on them first two weeks as was the previous year. Then they would not touch a full one and it was half or less to catch.
On to the next year the would not touch a full one only a half one for a few weeks then bingo they would not touch marshmallow.
Had we used the same bait all year the fine. But with a 6 month minimum break between use the soon remembered. So even on a high stocked water and a break those fish still associated that bait taste and size with danger.