Blank Streak!!

[HendrikFishing]

Hi guys,

I hope you are doing well?

So lately I have been having a blank streak when it comes to fishing. I tried everything I could in the last couple of months and nothing seems to work. Starting to think fish don't eat anymore.

Different baits ranging from floats to corn and feed from hemp seed, boilies and normal SuperCast.

I tried different rigs and made a lot of custom ones ranging in length.

Not even the barbel want my fish heads, day old chicks, chicken hearts and more.

I don't even get a bite for the whole day of fishing.

Is it simply bad luck or are you guys facing the same issues?

Am I doing something wrong or is something drastically wrong with our dams?

 

[Dr halibut hoffman]

Winter fishing? It is because you never visited the transkei..everyone catches a fish there in the winter!

Maybe time to throw a lure for some bass, they are post spawn now and honger! I hear the bass have been off the hook?!

Very little dam fishing these days so maybe someone will help you.

 

[Mic.E]

HendrikFishing wrote:

Hi guys,

I hope you are doing well?

So lately I have been having a blank streak when it comes to fishing. I tried everything I could in the last couple of months and nothing seems to work. Starting to think fish don't eat anymore.

Different baits ranging from floats to corn and feed from hemp seed, boilies and normal SuperCast.

I tried different rigs and made a lot of custom ones ranging in length.

Not even the barbel want my fish heads, day old chicks, chicken hearts and more.

I don't even get a bite for the whole day of fishing.

Is it simply bad luck or are you guys facing the same issues?

Am I doing something wrong or is something drastically wrong with our dams?

That's the beauty of fishing. Some days it feels like your doing everything right, but then you get no bites. Maybe check weather, water temperature, barometric pressure. I heard a pro bass angler sum it as follow: "Fishing is a very scientific thing, but not an exact science". I even quite like the ring of that saying

 

[TimJan]

Firstly where were you fishing?

And what were you trying to catch? Meaning you say hemp and boilies were you specimen or conventional or just throwing anything and everything in the water hoping for a bite?

For conventional mostly in winter the fish like to stay in deeper water than summer. So casting deep 100m+ really helps most places.

Secondly and this is very important all year long but in winter even more is your "kol" the more accurately you can cast the same spot every cast the better your chances are of eventually catching a fish.

Winter I will also say go lighter/smaller most of the time so a small .8 hook with a small floatie/deegie or a mielie with the tip cut off works better.

Flavors a bit stronger works better but use just a little so garlic/tcp/gumtree.

Then patience also helps in summer you can get a bite tempo of less than 30 mins on a rod in winter that might go up to 1 to 2 hours.

For a social angler there is only one rig you need and that is a gly rietvlei. use 7 to even 12lb for hook links and make them +- 10cm long. I think its safe to say that all SA anglers use the rig in normal conditions only when extreme distances are required will they use another rig.

Your mieliebom is maybe the most important part of your bait so use the best /freshest you can get.

Then the good news most fish are spawning or are starting to spawn and that means they are again hard to catch but when this is over they are hungry and the water is heating up so your luck will change even if you do everything wrong you should start catching again.

And everybody goes through a dry patch. I am currently in a 2 year blank with my specimen fishing and I am starting to question everything I am doing my bait my rigs where I am fishing everything. But I know I will catch again and I know I am not doing anything wrong just sometimes you just don't catch a fish? But it sucks I know.

 

[HendrikFishing]

Thanks for your reply TimJan.

Whenever I go to the dam I always try for both carp and barbel. Sometimes I fish for bass also while I wait for the bigger guys to take the line.

I have been trying to mix up the whole specimen and conventional angling with different methods like adding mieliebom toe a hair rig and also adding feed to my kol (hemp seed, boilies and so on). I don't know if this method is advised?

I also always go 100m or deeper when casting out my rigs. So I don't know what the issue is with the fish not wanting to bite haha.

It sucks having a blank streak and starting to question your whole method. I just keep saying to myself "if it worked before, it will still work". I guess I should just keep on trying?

 

[LeonK]

Hi Hendrik

First of all, decide what you want to do. Do you want to spesie or do you want to papgooi.

It will also better your focus.

When you go papgooi, stick to the basics and dont put any shit in your feed. Keep your feed clean - you can always add some flavours onto the ball.
Insure that you use the correct trace - rietvlei, vaaldam, etc. NOT the helicopter, hair or any other rig.
Do your homework on the dam and apply your findings.

spesie - ask the lads on the other side

 

[HendrikFishing]

Hi Leon,

Thanks for the tip. I will rather focus on one at a time. The thing is, I like the whole feeding method of specimen and I always fished using the papgooi method.

My question though. Why not use a hair rig when fishing papgooi? So lets say you use a hair rig but you still add feed to the bomb? won't that be a bit better than simply adding your bait directly on the hook?

Thanks!

 

[LeonK]

Hi Hendrik

Yes you can and it very close to the carp anglingfacet.

They basically use that method.

The thing is, you are maybe fishing a dam that is not used to a boilie, peanut, nut, etc

You can feed until you are blue in the face but if your presentation is foreign or not up to standard, you will struggle.

Where do you fish?

 

[HendrikFishing]

LeonK wrote:

Hi Hendrik

Yes you can and it very close to the carp anglingfacet.

They basically use that method.

The thing is, you are maybe fishing a dam that is not used to a boilie, peanut, nut, etc

You can feed until you are blue in the face but if your presentation is foreign or not up to standard, you will struggle.

Where do you fish?

I was thinking of adding a popup mielie on the hair rig and cast it out with mieliebom on the lead. Once done, I spod some extra feed into my swim. What do you think about that?

I get what you say about the foreign presentation and that, that might throw the fish off. Back to the basics I guess haha

General places I like to go is Harties, Rust De Winter, Rodekoppies, Vaal Dam, Rodeplaat and so on. Mostly places around Gauteng.

styw::

 

[LeonK]

All those are very difficult dams to fish should you choose that facet.

Future finding is then the most important part of your angling....NB placement and presentation.

Try a kaboem or mielie/s on a rig instead of all the other funnies

Enjoy

 

[Dr halibut hoffman]

A few handfuls of koo and fill up that hook with as many koo pitte as you can so yours is the biggest mielie around and gooi it into the middle of the pile of lokaas..I disagree with the guys who don't say mix it up..I think specimen guys after spending so much money have to create a difference to feel good..in my mind it's all fishing. I spin, flyfish, baitfish, multiplier, grinder..chokker..bass..tuna..whatever It all good. Mix it up..who cares. Have fun and catch fish.

 

[Fanie Crause]

Earthworm mieliepit combo

 

[HendrikFishing]

Dr halibut hoffman wrote:

A few handfuls of koo and fill up that hook with as many koo pitte as you can so yours is the biggest mielie around and gooi it into the middle of the pile of lokaas..I disagree with the guys who don't say mix it up..I think specimen guys after spending so much money have to create a difference to feel good..in my mind it's all fishing. I spin, flyfish, baitfish, multiplier, grinder..chokker..bass..tuna..whatever It all good. Mix it up..who cares. Have fun and catch fish.

I agree. The next thing I am trying is plain mielies (a lot for feeding purposes) and mielies on the hook. I am going back to the basics until I catch a fish and then I will play around with the other stuff by slowly adding more and more baits and attractants to my mix. I also caught like that and don't see why it would stop working all of a sudden. Getting into a lot more bass fishing nowadays though.