Hi all,
Been fishing a 7 Acre Lake that goes as deep as 45 ft in the middle. Its a old quarry, pretty circular with margins of about 5ft. for a while, had some success fishing the margins.
During lockdown its become busier and the fish seem to have wised up.
Its traditionally been a water where people fish the margins, zigs and off the top.
Im thinking of targeting the deeper areas, especially over the coming colder months, hoping that because no one does this it may give me a edge.
Does anyone else do anything similar? Worthwhile fishing in 30 - 40 ft depths?
Baiting wise Im thinking of going quite heavy. Mainly with vitalin as a binder for boilies and tigers
Looking for any tips / advice.
Cheers
Fanny
Been fishing a 7 Acre Lake that goes as deep as 45 ft in the middle. Its a old quarry, pretty circular with margins of about 5ft. for a while, had some success fishing the margins.
During lockdown its become busier and the fish seem to have wised up.
Its traditionally been a water where people fish the margins, zigs and off the top.
Im thinking of targeting the deeper areas, especially over the coming colder months, hoping that because no one does this it may give me a edge.
Does anyone else do anything similar? Worthwhile fishing in 30 - 40 ft depths?
Baiting wise Im thinking of going quite heavy. Mainly with vitalin as a binder for boilies and tigers
Looking for any tips / advice.
Cheers
Fanny
In reply to Post #1
No problem fishing at those kind of depths. I regularly catch at 12 - 16m on a deep gravel pit I fish. Takes a bit of getting used to, and playing fish is weird, but they feed normally at those sort of depths. Baiting is a bit hit and miss, double or treble pva bags might work, but I'm not convinced they stay in one piece by the time they hit the bottom. Decent sized balls of groundbait sound worth a go.
Good luck
No problem fishing at those kind of depths. I regularly catch at 12 - 16m on a deep gravel pit I fish. Takes a bit of getting used to, and playing fish is weird, but they feed normally at those sort of depths. Baiting is a bit hit and miss, double or treble pva bags might work, but I'm not convinced they stay in one piece by the time they hit the bottom. Decent sized balls of groundbait sound worth a go.
Good luck
In reply to Post #1
Baitdropper is a worthwhile tool to consistently bait a spot at those depths. Bear in mind water is at its max density at 4°c and this will be pritty constant at those depths throughout the year.
Baitdropper is a worthwhile tool to consistently bait a spot at those depths. Bear in mind water is at its max density at 4°c and this will be pritty constant at those depths throughout the year.
In reply to Post #3
Regarding temperature, I don't think that is the case.
My baits fished at depth come back much softer than they do in winter, much the same as those that have spent 12 hours in the edge in a couple of metres.
Regarding temperature, I don't think that is the case.
My baits fished at depth come back much softer than they do in winter, much the same as those that have spent 12 hours in the edge in a couple of metres.
In reply to Post #4
Perhaps the increased pressure at depth could be responsible for forcing water to replace any air in your bait?
FD My lakes aren't quite so deep but I've always done best in winter fishing the warmer shallow areas, especially with the help of a bit of winter sunshine. I don't really see the logic of targeting the deepest
(normally coldest) part of the lake in winter unless the water is on the point of freezing, in which case the depths will be the warmest at 4 deg.
Going by what went on here, lockdown equalled massive angling pressure spooking a lot of carp to seek their preferred safe areas. Additionally overfeeding gave the remaining carp a huge choice of food rather than take single hook bait so it virtually destroyed the fishing for a while. Possibly something similar happened where you are?
Perhaps the increased pressure at depth could be responsible for forcing water to replace any air in your bait?
FD My lakes aren't quite so deep but I've always done best in winter fishing the warmer shallow areas, especially with the help of a bit of winter sunshine. I don't really see the logic of targeting the deepest
(normally coldest) part of the lake in winter unless the water is on the point of freezing, in which case the depths will be the warmest at 4 deg.
Going by what went on here, lockdown equalled massive angling pressure spooking a lot of carp to seek their preferred safe areas. Additionally overfeeding gave the remaining carp a huge choice of food rather than take single hook bait so it virtually destroyed the fishing for a while. Possibly something similar happened where you are?
In reply to Post #5
Yes possibly, but it's not the main reason for targeting the depths. Looking at doing it more to be the only person who does. Maybe that's a sign in itself not to! The fact no one else does! I don't get to fish often so have always depended on prebaiting to help me gain a advantage over some of the time barons.
Spots that start producing are jumped upon by others in the margins.
At least if I pick a decent size spot that I can access from most read of the lake it may be worth a shot
Yes possibly, but it's not the main reason for targeting the depths. Looking at doing it more to be the only person who does. Maybe that's a sign in itself not to! The fact no one else does! I don't get to fish often so have always depended on prebaiting to help me gain a advantage over some of the time barons.
Spots that start producing are jumped upon by others in the margins.
At least if I pick a decent size spot that I can access from most read of the lake it may be worth a shot
In reply to Post #1
Hi David
If it's an old quarry you need to figure out where the exit road is that they used to extract what they were mining. There will be a short flat part of that road where natural food will gather and carp will feed there, they will also patrol the road as it ascends as part of their feeding routes.
40 ft no problem, but you need to concentrate on features rather than depth. Quite often the mining guys have to provide maps to local councils which are publically available
Best
Jon
Hi David
If it's an old quarry you need to figure out where the exit road is that they used to extract what they were mining. There will be a short flat part of that road where natural food will gather and carp will feed there, they will also patrol the road as it ascends as part of their feeding routes.
40 ft no problem, but you need to concentrate on features rather than depth. Quite often the mining guys have to provide maps to local councils which are publically available
Best
Jon
In reply to Post #1
Zigs work REALLY WELL in the winter in deep lakes
far better than in summer IMHO
Zigs work REALLY WELL in the winter in deep lakes
far better than in summer IMHO
In reply to Post #1
The carp don't know its deep, to them its just the bottom where all the food accumulates. Theres ALOT of natural food down there, especially right now and for the next 4-8 weeks. They will have harvested most of the natural in the shallower water.
Get ya bait in there, to any feature, bait as you would do normally. If your super paranoid. put a marker out, cast out a rig with a load of dissolvable foam in a PVA mesh and see where it pops up in relation to your marker. I wouldn't worry to much about it, just bait as you would naturally.
Pop ups, only airballs are effected by depth, not corkballs. And temp wise, it will be warm down there for a considerable time yet. I wouldn't let it even bother me at all.
Deep water, right now will be be very attractive to them now and for the coming weeks.
Id even cast at showing fish in 40ft and still expect a bite. don't let the depth get into your mind, its just the bottom.
The carp don't know its deep, to them its just the bottom where all the food accumulates. Theres ALOT of natural food down there, especially right now and for the next 4-8 weeks. They will have harvested most of the natural in the shallower water.
Get ya bait in there, to any feature, bait as you would do normally. If your super paranoid. put a marker out, cast out a rig with a load of dissolvable foam in a PVA mesh and see where it pops up in relation to your marker. I wouldn't worry to much about it, just bait as you would naturally.
Pop ups, only airballs are effected by depth, not corkballs. And temp wise, it will be warm down there for a considerable time yet. I wouldn't let it even bother me at all.
Deep water, right now will be be very attractive to them now and for the coming weeks.
Id even cast at showing fish in 40ft and still expect a bite. don't let the depth get into your mind, its just the bottom.
Personally I'd try and find a resonable slope to the deeper water (old track way to the pit) and then try different depths down the slope until you find where the fish are most comfortable, which will differ dependent on time of year and where the thermocline is they prefer. Zigs would be a way to find this depth but then you'd have to try and present on the bottom at that depth. Just fishing the margins is missing a trick if you ask me.
I will just post this out of interest
a GOOD few years ago Fanny Dairbrass bought a deep lake in France called Gigantica 35 acres with an average depth of 22ft
well we had a very harsh winter and if froze over dont quote me but I think it was FROZEN for 6 weeks ??
until it warmed and thawed out well as you can imagine there was all these folk itching to fish so every peg/swim was fully booked
interestingly the bailiff told me that week every one of the first 6 fish to be caught were ALL ON ZIGS despite most anglers were fishing bottom baits at that time
a GOOD few years ago Fanny Dairbrass bought a deep lake in France called Gigantica 35 acres with an average depth of 22ft
well we had a very harsh winter and if froze over dont quote me but I think it was FROZEN for 6 weeks ??
until it warmed and thawed out well as you can imagine there was all these folk itching to fish so every peg/swim was fully booked
interestingly the bailiff told me that week every one of the first 6 fish to be caught were ALL ON ZIGS despite most anglers were fishing bottom baits at that time