need some help

[theo01]

Hoping some1 can help I've been fishing a small local dam and been getting some carp about two a trip but whenever I go I get alot of bites with the polisieman bouncing up and down sometimes for long periods but when I strike nothing and when I leave to let the fish eventually take it, it very rarely does.

So I'm hoping some1 can help me to change the bites into fish as I see tons of fish jumping. I use conventional carp gear. Bait mostly dough as I've had no success on floaties in the Dam.

 

[Enigma]

From personal experience I would venture a guess that the bait or hook+bait are to big for the fish feeding on your rig.

When this happens it is normally an indication of very small fish feeding on the Bol and or eating the bait but not big enough to get the hook and bait into it's mouth.

So:

1. What size hook are you using

2. What size is your hook bait.

This is is a relatively large conventional bait on a 0.8 (#12) hook

 

[theo01]

Um I'm not sure the hook size because I bought already made traces but the bait size is a 3 cm rolled piece of dough maybe a tad bigger I would guess

Thanx for the help!

 

[Enigma]

Bought Traces would be #3 or #5 (#6 or #4 Euro sizes)

Baits that size lead to smaller fish tugging on it and not getting the hook in it's mouth.

Also be sure to for example cover only the bend or the shank of the hook with a fine bait so the hook can set.

Remember the fish is feeding on the feed ball which breaks up into tiny bits so he is eating small freebies and is also weary of huge hookbaits.

Tis a about a 1cm by 3mm bait which I would class as an average bank angling bait.

 

[theo01]

I'm going to go buy some small hooks this weekend and try smaller baits!

When's the best time to strike , I was told the line must be pulled tight or drop right down before I strike

Thanks again for all the help

 

[Enigma]

If pulled tight and you will then see that the fish is positively hooked because it is trying to keep pulling.

If it drops into the water and you reel in the line till the indicator rises and it then keeps dropping, that indicates that the fish is hooked and keeping on swimming in toward you.

 

[cptfly]

another question related to this is, how long do you leave your bait in the water before re-baiting?

 

[theo01]

Good question because sometimes you get some movement of the indicator and then it stops do you leave or do you reel in and rebait because this happens alot in this particular dam

 

[Enigma]

That's where use of a timer/stopwatch comes in handy.

If you determine the bite cycle takes 15-20 minutes and in that time there had been movement and you go o over the average cycle for the day ie in this case up to 30 min then repair.

If it is a very aggressive /positive bite and then for a minute or 2 then what I do is prepare a trace and bait it up. If nothing happens while I am preparing to recast then I reset the line and try again.

No hard and fast rule but generally an aggressive bite will indicate that the fish had a hold of the bait and has quite possibly got it off.

 

[Optimus]

I think your hooks are to big. will rather go for .08(nr 12 Ryochi) or if you want bigger a number 1(10 Ryochi) get it from Enigma at awa-shima.

Ready made traces have also a problem that the hook links are thick line.

I take it you fish with traces with the sputnik or wire type weights. it can be that you need a slight heavier weight such a as a Mushroom 1 or 1 ,5.

On this sputnik type weights your bom may also not break up so fast thats why the fish keep tapping it. ever tried to place your hook baits inside your bom or just hook it to the bom?

 

[theo01]

Um I normally hook them in the bomb, the traces I buy use braid and as for the weights they are shaped like a rugby ball with gaps in. I have notice when I reel out some bomb left inside the weight.

 

[cptfly]

Enigma wrote:

That's where use of a timer/stopwatch comes in handy.

If you determine the bite cycle takes 15-20 minutes and in that time there had been movement and you go o over the average cycle for the day ie in this case up to 30 min then repair.

If it is a very aggressive /positive bite and then for a minute or 2 then what I do is prepare a trace and bait it up. If nothing happens while I am preparing to recast then I reset the line and try again.

No hard and fast rule but generally an aggressive bite will indicate that the fish had a hold of the bait and has quite possibly got it off.

Thanks for the info and clearly I have a lot to learn with regards to this.

 

[RHK_888]

Howzit. I know exactly which traces you're talking about from your description. most tackle shops in kzn stock them. lovely convenient and strong ready mades those are. But with regards to missing small fish bites, I can relate. I used that trace at a small river loaded with little carp and my catch rate was about 20 bites, 11 fish. had the exact same problem that you described. turns out the hooks were too big. scaled down to a 0.8 and had no problem hooking fish thereafter.

 

[theo01]

I'm going to go get those 0.8 hooks this weekend very keen to try them if I can turn all those bites into catches then it's going to be good

Thanks for all the advice every1!!!!!

 

[atish.rowjee]

theo01 wrote:

I'm going to go get those 0.8 hooks this weekend very keen to try them if I can turn all those bites into catches then it's going to be good

Thanks for all the advice every1!!!!!

If you keen to build your own traces, check this tutorial by Naruto
http://www.sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=47343&forum_id=102

 

[Optimus]

I think your problem maybe solved know. Those feeders you are talking about is normally sold by Sensation. The hooklinks braid is a no no for me. Rather try use a 7lbs hooklink or 10lbs. Rember one thing that a certain size hook needs a special weight limit. I know enigma have the specs on it. I normally fish not with hooks larger than a nr 1 and a M0 to m1 is enough to set the hook better. The weight size will then set the hook for you and you actually only need to pick up the rod.

I like to fish woth a hook as small as a 0.05. Enigma knows that I like those ones. I have caught during competitions losts of fish with it specially Muddies and small carp when they are on the bite.

If I can call it a PB then my PB on that size a 0.05 is a carp of 4.860 kg on a 10ft rod busy catching Muddies during a provincial trail once..


Remember one thing you can catch a big fish on a small hook but not a small fish on a big hook.

Hope your in the clear now and plenty fish in the net from now on.