Hi All
Apologies in advance if this is a real noddy question
I'm trying to find out if there is rule of thumbs on different baits/rigs to use over certain surfaces.
I'm finding gravelly feeling spots in lakes and wondering if using boilies over this area is a waste of time? Or is a pop up better?
Similarly are boilies better fishing on silt? Or pop ups?
I would greatly appreciate it if someone could advise the best rig/bait combinations to use on different lake bed surfaces.
Even if anyone could direct me to some good YouTube videos that have info on this topic that would be great
Thanks
Apologies in advance if this is a real noddy question
I'm trying to find out if there is rule of thumbs on different baits/rigs to use over certain surfaces.
I'm finding gravelly feeling spots in lakes and wondering if using boilies over this area is a waste of time? Or is a pop up better?
Similarly are boilies better fishing on silt? Or pop ups?
I would greatly appreciate it if someone could advise the best rig/bait combinations to use on different lake bed surfaces.
Even if anyone could direct me to some good YouTube videos that have info on this topic that would be great
Thanks
In reply to Post #1
Apart from fishing a pop up in weed, everything else is down to personal preference
Apart from fishing a pop up in weed, everything else is down to personal preference
In reply to Post #1
Hi Dan.
The key questions on rig choice really comes down to a. Do you need a particular rig in order to present your hook effectively and b. How are you trying to hook the carp. C. How wary are the carp.
So A.
If you are fishing over weed, perhaps low lying silk weed for instance, or maybe silt. If your hook is on the bottom will it be impaired from entering the carps mouth as it sucks in. If you feel the answer is yes then a good tactic is to use a bait with some additional buoyancy. However on a hard clean gravel spot them it's likely the fish will be feeding tight to the deck. In which case a pop up floating above all the free offerings might not be taken. So perhaps a bottom bait or wafter would be a better choice.
B. Are you trying to get the carp to feed on a bed of boilies. Moving from one to another building up confidence. In which case maybe a bait which matches your free offerings is best. Maybe it's early in the season and you're not baiting heavily. In which can a single bright in your face pop up bait might be best.
C. My experience is on hungry waters carp are more likely to play the percentage game in order to get their share of the food. So they are less “riggy” and you can get away with bright crazy pop ups on hard spots etc. But on more pressured low stocked waters the fish has more time to inspect a bed of bait. In which case that bright bait or that pop up might get ignored.
Or a combination of any or all of the above.
Hi Dan.
The key questions on rig choice really comes down to a. Do you need a particular rig in order to present your hook effectively and b. How are you trying to hook the carp. C. How wary are the carp.
So A.
If you are fishing over weed, perhaps low lying silk weed for instance, or maybe silt. If your hook is on the bottom will it be impaired from entering the carps mouth as it sucks in. If you feel the answer is yes then a good tactic is to use a bait with some additional buoyancy. However on a hard clean gravel spot them it's likely the fish will be feeding tight to the deck. In which case a pop up floating above all the free offerings might not be taken. So perhaps a bottom bait or wafter would be a better choice.
B. Are you trying to get the carp to feed on a bed of boilies. Moving from one to another building up confidence. In which case maybe a bait which matches your free offerings is best. Maybe it's early in the season and you're not baiting heavily. In which can a single bright in your face pop up bait might be best.
C. My experience is on hungry waters carp are more likely to play the percentage game in order to get their share of the food. So they are less “riggy” and you can get away with bright crazy pop ups on hard spots etc. But on more pressured low stocked waters the fish has more time to inspect a bed of bait. In which case that bright bait or that pop up might get ignored.
Or a combination of any or all of the above.
With regards to whether you should fish hard spots with boilies. If the spot hasn't been cleaned off by bird life then there's a fair chance that fish have done it. So they have obviously felt safe at some point feeding in that location. So it's definitely worth fishing. Although that doesn't mean you have to have your hookbaits bang in the middle. Much better to position your hookbaits off to the side in the softer stuff on the edge of the cleaned off bit. This means your rig isn't so obvious and hopefully the fish might come across it first. It might be treated with less caution. If it's that obvious a spot. I bet you won't be the first guy to fish it. This can make them wary to feed hard there if they've been nailed there before. So off to the side might be best.
You won't go far wrong going back through a lot of the early Korda videos on their YouTube channel. There's a ton of basic helpful info in those.
In reply to Post #1
Personally think you should flip your title - when to fish pop ups instead of boilies . .?
Assuming by boilies you mean bottom baits? For me I'd always look to fish a bottom bait / wafter wherever possible . . . the only time where I'd 'maybe' use a pop-up is chods / cast to a showing fish / chuck it and chance it fishing where you cannot guarantee the state of the lake bed surface. That and using one for zigs / surface fishing . . .
Personally think you should flip your title - when to fish pop ups instead of boilies . .?
Assuming by boilies you mean bottom baits? For me I'd always look to fish a bottom bait / wafter wherever possible . . . the only time where I'd 'maybe' use a pop-up is chods / cast to a showing fish / chuck it and chance it fishing where you cannot guarantee the state of the lake bed surface. That and using one for zigs / surface fishing . . .
In reply to Post #1
Every man and his dog are chucking out ronnie rigs nowadays. Sling a bottom bait out. My local lake has an area that is covered in choddy black leaves and everyone either avoids it or fishes a pop up .....Ive fished a bottom bait over it and been mega successful, especially when i cant get a touch on a pop up, the bottom bait gets taken. When I tell people i fish bottom baits over it they dont believe me.
Every man and his dog are chucking out ronnie rigs nowadays. Sling a bottom bait out. My local lake has an area that is covered in choddy black leaves and everyone either avoids it or fishes a pop up .....Ive fished a bottom bait over it and been mega successful, especially when i cant get a touch on a pop up, the bottom bait gets taken. When I tell people i fish bottom baits over it they dont believe me.
In reply to Post #7
I don't believe you
I don't believe you
In reply to Post #8
haha might of known that was coming haha
haha might of known that was coming haha
In reply to Post #5
Really appreciate the replies
Really appreciate the replies
In reply to Post #7
Yes i found a good tactic to use in those situations is a pop up hook bait trimmed down to make it into a critically balanced wafter.
It will sink slowly to rest very gently on top of lake bed debris (dead leaves etc.) with the added benefit of negating the weight of the hook and flying up into the fish's mouth easier.
Yes i found a good tactic to use in those situations is a pop up hook bait trimmed down to make it into a critically balanced wafter.
It will sink slowly to rest very gently on top of lake bed debris (dead leaves etc.) with the added benefit of negating the weight of the hook and flying up into the fish's mouth easier.
In reply to Post #11
I just fish a standard bottom bait out the bag, I just thing the carp pick them up with so much more confidence s they see stray boilies scattered about all over they must just drop and pick them up without caution. Nails em.
I just fish a standard bottom bait out the bag, I just thing the carp pick them up with so much more confidence s they see stray boilies scattered about all over they must just drop and pick them up without caution. Nails em.
In reply to Post #12
Bottom bait straight out of the bag whenever possible. This way your hookbait matches exactly every other bait you have introduced to your swim. I went down the wafter route for a while but having seen fish feed in the edge don't buy in to the whole 'negating the weight of the hook' business....fish suck in so much other rubbish (silt, sticks, stones, weed etc) when they feed that I don't believe they know they're sucking in a hook. Too many people over complicate things these days IMO
Bottom bait straight out of the bag whenever possible. This way your hookbait matches exactly every other bait you have introduced to your swim. I went down the wafter route for a while but having seen fish feed in the edge don't buy in to the whole 'negating the weight of the hook' business....fish suck in so much other rubbish (silt, sticks, stones, weed etc) when they feed that I don't believe they know they're sucking in a hook. Too many people over complicate things these days IMO
In reply to Post #13
100% agree mate. Wafters are just another money spinner, £6 a pot. In my view you want the bait to act as naturally as possible, when carp come onto your spot and waft their pecks etc that "balanced bait" will be being slung all over the place, also a heavier bait will be more cumbersome and harder to eject. People get way too caught up in the latest trends and feel like they have to be doing it to catch fish. People overcomplicated stuff constantly, i understand how it can lead to innovative new ideas and products etc but i bet if you ask most anglers the reason they are using a certain rig in a certain way....they will have no idea and just say......i saw so and so using it on youtube or in a mag so just copied it.
100% agree mate. Wafters are just another money spinner, £6 a pot. In my view you want the bait to act as naturally as possible, when carp come onto your spot and waft their pecks etc that "balanced bait" will be being slung all over the place, also a heavier bait will be more cumbersome and harder to eject. People get way too caught up in the latest trends and feel like they have to be doing it to catch fish. People overcomplicated stuff constantly, i understand how it can lead to innovative new ideas and products etc but i bet if you ask most anglers the reason they are using a certain rig in a certain way....they will have no idea and just say......i saw so and so using it on youtube or in a mag so just copied it.
In reply to Post #14
. . .dunno about that - personally believe wafters have their place but then I always over-glug mine (and usually don't bother to check them in the margin) so they're probably acting like bottom baits anyway. Once feeding carp do suck anything and everything up - I always bait up with multiple size baits (12/15/18mm / chops) on the assumption that I'm keeping them 'guessing' and therefore the hookbait (whether it be out of the bag or wafter) is just another random food item to be tested / eaten . . .
Re the OP I used to use pop ups (trimmed) to create snowman rigs but am lazy and prefer the convenience and 'match the hatch' presentation a wafter of the same label can provide . . .
. . .dunno about that - personally believe wafters have their place but then I always over-glug mine (and usually don't bother to check them in the margin) so they're probably acting like bottom baits anyway. Once feeding carp do suck anything and everything up - I always bait up with multiple size baits (12/15/18mm / chops) on the assumption that I'm keeping them 'guessing' and therefore the hookbait (whether it be out of the bag or wafter) is just another random food item to be tested / eaten . . .
Re the OP I used to use pop ups (trimmed) to create snowman rigs but am lazy and prefer the convenience and 'match the hatch' presentation a wafter of the same label can provide . . .