Hi All,
I'm having a shocking spring so far... not had a fish since last October and on a run of 8 blank sessions over the last few months.
My syndicate lake is fishing hard and has lost a lot of water so it's probably 2 or 3 feet lower than this time last year so is shallow anyway 6ft max down to 4ft/ 2ft in places. So I switched over and have just done 3 sessions on a club water I go to occasionally. I had never blanked on there previously however, I've just come back from another trip this morning doing the walk of shame... Made even worse by the fact the other 3 people caught, one even had 4 fish in under 24 hours.
I've lost confidence in everything I'm doing if I'm honest. I even had a few times where I had 3 or 4 bleeps and the bobbin went up slowly then started to drop back, I hit both of those to thin air certain they were pick ups and another occasion where it seemed like a full bloodied run only for nothing to be at the other end. So i am even questioning my rigs too.
It doesn't help that I started using a new bait last September and haven't had anything on it, then got given some other bait a few months ago so have been using both. The bait I want to use is no longer able to post and is about 3 hours away so that also hasn't helped my confidence either.
Any advice?
I'm having a shocking spring so far... not had a fish since last October and on a run of 8 blank sessions over the last few months.
My syndicate lake is fishing hard and has lost a lot of water so it's probably 2 or 3 feet lower than this time last year so is shallow anyway 6ft max down to 4ft/ 2ft in places. So I switched over and have just done 3 sessions on a club water I go to occasionally. I had never blanked on there previously however, I've just come back from another trip this morning doing the walk of shame... Made even worse by the fact the other 3 people caught, one even had 4 fish in under 24 hours.
I've lost confidence in everything I'm doing if I'm honest. I even had a few times where I had 3 or 4 bleeps and the bobbin went up slowly then started to drop back, I hit both of those to thin air certain they were pick ups and another occasion where it seemed like a full bloodied run only for nothing to be at the other end. So i am even questioning my rigs too.
It doesn't help that I started using a new bait last September and haven't had anything on it, then got given some other bait a few months ago so have been using both. The bait I want to use is no longer able to post and is about 3 hours away so that also hasn't helped my confidence either.
Any advice?
I bet you are not the only one struggling.
know on my syndicate lake the fish have not really started feeding or moving far. Only a few spots are producing the occasional fish, and none of the original stock.
The cold north quarter winds in East Anglia have kept water temperatures down and fishing is hard, although strangely weed growth is up, due to clear skies and plenty of sun.
Just keep on looking, watching and try to set up on any signs of carp.
know on my syndicate lake the fish have not really started feeding or moving far. Only a few spots are producing the occasional fish, and none of the original stock.
The cold north quarter winds in East Anglia have kept water temperatures down and fishing is hard, although strangely weed growth is up, due to clear skies and plenty of sun.
Just keep on looking, watching and try to set up on any signs of carp.
In reply to Post #1
Weathers all over the shop, east winds etc, look look and look again is all I can say, we have all been there and go get that bait and bin the rest imo
Weathers all over the shop, east winds etc, look look and look again is all I can say, we have all been there and go get that bait and bin the rest imo
In reply to Post #1
It's been a fairly cold dry spring and it has been hard. Normally I'd be reaching for the spod rod and filling it in by now but I've settled on PVA bags and fishing for a bite at a time which has brought me a few fish in my last few trips.
Not having confidence in your bait probably defeats you before you start but I doubt if that's the problem. You must have started to use it as you heard good reviews about it. Crumb it and put in your bag mix and it should come good.
Location is obviously the most important piece of the puzzle and dragging yourself out of the bag at first light is hard but can pay dividends. A sharp hook and slack lines also helps.
Go to a runs water and get the bobbins dancing and your confidence will return.
It's been a fairly cold dry spring and it has been hard. Normally I'd be reaching for the spod rod and filling it in by now but I've settled on PVA bags and fishing for a bite at a time which has brought me a few fish in my last few trips.
Not having confidence in your bait probably defeats you before you start but I doubt if that's the problem. You must have started to use it as you heard good reviews about it. Crumb it and put in your bag mix and it should come good.
Location is obviously the most important piece of the puzzle and dragging yourself out of the bag at first light is hard but can pay dividends. A sharp hook and slack lines also helps.
Go to a runs water and get the bobbins dancing and your confidence will return.
Never had a blank on the previous bait, change bait in September, blanked ever since. Could try going back to a bait you know works. How confident are you in the quality of the new one.
Cheers for your replies. As mentioned I can't get the bait anymore. He had problems with postage and couriers and is only a one man band so he has knocked it on the head. So a 6 hour round trip for 10kg isn't an option.
I did set up on fish and in fact they were showing well when I arrived then seemed to disappear. I was up at 4am this morning walking, looking etc it's not through a lack of effort really. I'm knackered now lol
I did set up on fish and in fact they were showing well when I arrived then seemed to disappear. I was up at 4am this morning walking, looking etc it's not through a lack of effort really. I'm knackered now lol
In reply to Post #1
If you were certain you had pick ups I'm thinking it could be your rigs , are you using old rigs/blunt hooks ?
I know it may be obvious but thought I'd mention it
If you were certain you had pick ups I'm thinking it could be your rigs , are you using old rigs/blunt hooks ?
I know it may be obvious but thought I'd mention it
In reply to Post #1
Don't overthink it everyone blanks. The weather is up and down and the fish haven't responded with any consistency near me yet. If the fish are not showing a good start might be the sunniest spot on the lake or areas where the water might be warming up more. Be open to a move and fish for a bite. Bait and rigs are probably fine but I'm defo favouring the pop ups this spring for a bite.
Don't overthink it everyone blanks. The weather is up and down and the fish haven't responded with any consistency near me yet. If the fish are not showing a good start might be the sunniest spot on the lake or areas where the water might be warming up more. Be open to a move and fish for a bite. Bait and rigs are probably fine but I'm defo favouring the pop ups this spring for a bite.
In reply to Post #1
Conditions have been horrible so far this spring. Cold nights, High pressure and northerly winds have made most places fish hard.
Don't think too much into it is my advice, if you do change things do it slowly, one variable at a time, or you'll never know what it was that worked.
My advice this time of year is try to get on them and fish simple tactics and go easy on the bait.
The takes you mention sound like liners or a trailer, pulling up slowly then dropping back. If you get them again then consider fishing closer in.
Conditions have been horrible so far this spring. Cold nights, High pressure and northerly winds have made most places fish hard.
Don't think too much into it is my advice, if you do change things do it slowly, one variable at a time, or you'll never know what it was that worked.
My advice this time of year is try to get on them and fish simple tactics and go easy on the bait.
The takes you mention sound like liners or a trailer, pulling up slowly then dropping back. If you get them again then consider fishing closer in.
In reply to Post #6
One bite and everything can change, keep doing it and your have them
One bite and everything can change, keep doing it and your have them
I'm with what has been said, really cold April and into May, feel the leads when you bring them in, very cold 
Fished a new venue 4 times from early morning until dinner time and not seen a fish or caught one. Put around 20kg in over the last month during the week, birds are loving it
Went elsewhere for 48 hours to clear my head, swims tied up, ended up in very deep cold water and blanked ffs
It's gonna warm up and then, they will be spawning
Fished a new venue 4 times from early morning until dinner time and not seen a fish or caught one. Put around 20kg in over the last month during the week, birds are loving it
Went elsewhere for 48 hours to clear my head, swims tied up, ended up in very deep cold water and blanked ffs
It's gonna warm up and then, they will be spawning
In reply to Post #10
Exactly
Exactly
In reply to Post #1
This has been my worst year by far, it's strange because i usually excell in the winter and spring, but struggle more as we go in to the summer.
I'm starting to put it down to the fact that the weather has been all over the place so far.
Don't worry mate it's not just you
This has been my worst year by far, it's strange because i usually excell in the winter and spring, but struggle more as we go in to the summer.
I'm starting to put it down to the fact that the weather has been all over the place so far.
Don't worry mate it's not just you
In reply to Post #10
Went 2 a muppet lake 4 a tug , got 12, 6 doubles great fun because ive been blanking
Went 2 a muppet lake 4 a tug , got 12, 6 doubles great fun because ive been blanking
In reply to Post #1
Might be worth assessing what your doing and going back to basics, obviously i dont know what rigs and the like your using but ive gone back to bottom baits, lighter leads and small scatterings of bait this year and done very well so far. I think that everyones getting a bit carried away with the amounts of bait and overcomplicated rigs. Definitly worth some thought. Also might help if your on fish to use the lightest leads you can and overcast the fish if possible and wind back along the surface to them.
Might be worth assessing what your doing and going back to basics, obviously i dont know what rigs and the like your using but ive gone back to bottom baits, lighter leads and small scatterings of bait this year and done very well so far. I think that everyones getting a bit carried away with the amounts of bait and overcomplicated rigs. Definitly worth some thought. Also might help if your on fish to use the lightest leads you can and overcast the fish if possible and wind back along the surface to them.