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Alan

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Posts posted by Alan

  1. Quote

     

     

    I think what you are describing is the slack-line method that has become popular in some quarters over here in England.

    When the lead is fixed or semi-fixed to the swivel, carp have been observed to pick up the bait, get pricked by the hook, and react by twisting and turning against the lead to get rid of the hook. The angler receives little or no indication on the bank and the fish frequently sheds the hook.

    To counter this behavour, anglers are using a running lead and slackening the mainline right off after casting. Because the line is free to run through the lead the carp cannot use the lead as an anchor point to shake the hook out. There is absolutely no resistance. The fish panics and moves off at speed, giving the angler a proper run.

    This slack line method works best with a fluorocarbon mainline which is heavier than nylon and sinks completely. Everything lays very flat on the bottom, the fish is not suspicious and line bites are minimised.     

    I use packbait compressed around the hookbait  (or lead) not a feeder.

  2. Vinsanity,

    Thanks for the reply.

    I was (foolishly) put off using Anise by the following references:

    "Anise oil is favoured by rainbow trout but not by carp. " Studies on fishes’ favourite foods I: Feeding tests of carp, yellowtail and rainbow trout, M.Takei, 1967.

    "Compounds that have failed to induce food search include anethol (the active ingredient of oil of anise)." Fish Chemoreception, ed. by T.J. Hara, 1992.

    I suppose it just goes to show that you shouldn't take too much notice of what a scientist says!

  3. Although there is a lot of very useful information on bait and temperatures on the forum, I cannot find the answer to this specific question.

    When there is a sudden and unexpected change in temperature, should you change the bait? For example, it is July and the fish are on rice, as normal, and you know that rice still has some life left in it. But the temperature drops significantly for a few days, into the "oats range", before rising back to its normal level. Should you switch back to oats during the temporary temperature drop or continue with rice?

    Thanks

  4. Carp seem to enjoy fishmeal products (chow) down to about 55, then they struggle with the protein content which is too high. It is the same with fishmeal boilies in winter, a single angler might catch over a light baiting, but if everyone is using fishmeal in low temperatures, they will struggle. Koi breeders acknowledge this problem by switching from fishmeal feed to wheatgerm in winter.

    Paylakes are confined areas, so when ketchup rice is chucked from all sides the carp cannot escape it and probably soon become accustomed. In the wild, the fish have a choice and can feed somewhere else to avoid the vinegar. Leave the tomato in and the vinegar out to make the rice work.

  5. The carp were hitting grits until first spawning circa 64, when they switched to oats. The temperature then fell back to 60-62 and they ignored the oats, not even slight pulls, which would suggest to me that the pack was wrong. That is why I asked if I should have switched back to grits. If there had been a few pulls, it would have suggested to me that the pack was pulling them in but the pickup was wrong (plain puff).

    If it helps anyone, I cannot get rice to work in wildwater with ketchup as they appear to hate the vinegar. Tomato paste with soft drink does work for me.

  6. After posting, I found the following CCM response to this question on another forum:

    The Hi visual tigers should be treated as a fresh product once opened, I would suggest bagging them in small quantities and freezing them, save the cooking liquid as it is packed with soluble feed triggers, this can then be used to boost any baits, stick mixes etc.

    Once opened and left out of the freezer I expect them to ferment after about a week, some anglers prefer this for their particles as it adds even more natural attraction.

    Thanks again for the idea

  7. Landing nets are not designed to support the full weight of the fish on the arms and spreader block. They will bust if you do this.

    You should gather the folds of the net together just above water level and lift net and fish out onto the bank with one hand while the other hand supports the handle.

  8. ground bait....... Does the name mean that it is ground up bait or that it covers the ground ( bottom ) ?

    I am collector of old angling books (back to 1500-1600) and can tell you that in olden tymes the bottom of the pond/river was always referred to as the 'ground'. If an angler set his float overdepth, he was fishing 'on the ground'. So the origin of the word 'groundbait' is bait that is put on the bottom.

    Technically, 'groundbait' is different to 'chum' because you might design your chum to explode on impact and never settle on the bottom.

    Alan

    p.s. perhaps it would be interesting to start a thread on quotes from old books about carp.

  9. Phone, here's a few for you.

    ‘Gutted’ – disappointment.

    ‘Well gutted’ – extreme disappointment.

    ‘Mega’, ‘magic’, ‘over the moon’ and ‘what a result’ - jubilation.

    ‘Gobsmacked’ – astounded.

    ‘Take the water apart’, - haulin' (not being Moses!)

    ‘Bellyfull of grease’ – dietary abuse at the local cafe.

    ‘Mooning’ – showing the buttocks to anglers on the opposite bank after capturing a big fish.

    ‘Having it off’ or ‘having it away’ – consistent success (not copulation!).

    ‘Doing the business’ – success again.

    ‘Gear’ – shop bought bait, as in ‘went in with the Mainline gear’.

    ‘The Method’ – poor man’s packbait (that one's for Mr.Big but true nonetheless!).

    ‘Bivvy slippers’ – worn by tarts during long sessions.

    ‘Mucky mags’ – something to amuse during a long, lonely session.

    LOL

  10. wanna fill me in? i know i want to go to a spot where the sun hits the water, prefably a spot i know there at where an when the sun hits the water in that spot. but what locations do you like?

    an what kinda baits? i read alot that fishy baits work better in the cold water then sweet baits. what baits do you use/>?

    Although carp do not completely hibernate, they do become torpid and their metabolism slows right down. Any animal that is becoming docile will look for a place where it feels most comfortable and safe. The most comfortable place in winter will be where the temperature is highest. This may be an aerator, underwater spring or water inlet. On some waters it is difficult to find such a place, so I would look for where they will feel safest in their docile state. This could be snags, particularly trees that have fallen into the water, underwater structures of any kind such as old concrete workings, tree stumps from before the lake was formed, jetties, rotting lilly beds or weed beds, anything that provides shelter and a feeling of security. I would put baits as close as possible to these structures and position myself so I that have the best chance of pulling the fish away from these snags should they enter them. These locations are not necessarily the deepest places in the lake and the old claim by scientists that carp bury their heads in the deepest water is false.

    Bait - Fishmeal is okay providing it is used in moderate amounts and no further oil is added. I try not to exceed a total protein content of 30%. I use hookbaits only only and try different flavors on each rod until I catch carp, then use that flavor on all rods. I would slightly over-flavor the bait from the summer-time dose to draw attention. I do have favorites for winter but it is pointless stating them because a tutti-frutti flavour, for example, in Britain might be made from different components and produce a different reaction from carp to one that is made in the States. In Britain, Richworth Tutti-Frutti is exceptional in winter.

    If you guys say you experience carp feeding well in very low temperatures, then I believe you, but I suspect that it is only your bait that has encouraged this. They would not normally feed much on natural feed. All food, particularly high protein, is very slowly digested in extreme temperatures, so using large amounts of bait is reducing your chances of catching IMO.

  11. I have winter fished for carp for over 40 years and the lowest temperature that I have ever caught one was 37.6F. That temperature reading was taken at the edge, not out where the bait landed! All the other fish that I have caught in temperatures lower than 40F can be counted on two hands! In my opinion, it is not worth the effort fishing below 40 and I am more happier at 42 or above.

    In temperatures below about 50F, the carp are not feeding at all in the normal sense of the word, they are merely picking up anglers’ bait out of curiosity or anger. It is therefore defeating the object to prebait or to use too many scatters during fishing. I would never use more than 6 free offerings around each hookbait and most of the time I fish with just a hookbait only.

    Location and bait selection are critical.

  12. What was the hook shape?

    Wide gape hooks with short shanks are useless for bolt rigs because the point is a long way off being in line with the lead, so they do not stick in properly when the hook tightens against the lead and are prone to springing out. Medium gape hooks with inturned medium length shanks are best (sometimes called 'shrimpback'). Failing that, use longer shank hooks and bend the eye towards the point.

  13. Do bigger Carp prefer a bigger bait ?

    Carp will not waste energy unnecessarily and will feed on the food source that is most easiest to obtain, provided it is nutritionally sound and is enjoyable to eat. If that food is small in size but is available in great quantity, it will be preferered to a food that is larger in size but scarce, requiring greater energy to forage.

    Scientists reckon that carp can handle food particles up to about 3% of their standard body length. So, a hard bait 3/4" diameter could just about be handled by a 24" long carp. If you want to deter carp of this size or smaller, use baits exceeding 3/4" diameter. (source: Food Handling and Mastication in the Carp, F.A. Sibbing, 1984)

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