Policemen, what are they for?

[fishingjack]

Hi guys, I have seen the product above. I'm in the UK. How do you guys use these? I take it they are like strike indicators. Are they fixed to a swivel? Do you fish them with a float or bottom baits?

Any videos of them in use even?

Thanks!

-Jack

 

[Donaven]

Hi Fishingjack

After you cast your bait into the water and you set your rod down onto the rod stand. You will then take the policeman and attach it to your line (the line must have a little slack).

When a fish comes around and interferes with your bait, the line pulls which will cause the policeman to bounce.

i attempted to illustrate it so you will have a better understanding. the yellow circle will be the policeman

 

[steelpulse007]

Yeah they're bite indicators, you just clip them onto the line, usually made out of cork or plastic - it has to be a light material....sometimes when the bite tempo is high we would just use a piece of bread molded together.

 

[fishingjack]

Right thanks. So bite indicators a bit like below:

When fishing in Thailand it's common to drop a bit of tissue in the water and to then pick it up with the line just after the rod tip. Then place the rod in the stick acting as a bank stick. That too acts like a police man.

 

[Enigma]

No, not like that specimen bite indicator.

It is a small, light brightly coloured cork that is free sliding on the line and which would work closest to a feeder tip for bite indication.

This style of angling is just about only practised in Southern Africa and neighbouring countries although I have seen a similar system used in Germany

 

[necrovis]

Agree to all statements above.

I think the diffence here is that we often use this with conventional angling and not specimen angling. Its basically to indicate sy bites. As we tend to fish with floaties, we catch lots of smaller fish, which do not necessarily take off. As shownon videos carp take bait in and spit it back out. This light weight cork indicator, at the tip of the rod on line, will show you exactly when a fish is busy sucking on your bait.

Also fishing for some other species such as mudfish, which are very shy on the bite sometimes and you need to set the hook at the right time, these "policeman" are killers to use......

I hope this shed some light on the topic or I could just have it completely wrong...hahahah:lol:1

 

[Enigma]

spot on

 

[fishingjack]

yes, I want to be clear that I mean the mechanism of bite indication is similar though not quite the same. I will try to show the tissue method at some point which I believe is the same.

 

[Enigma]

yes the tissue will be the same but not as easily adjusted, reused or retrieved as a purpose built policeman

 

[Fishpaste]

I did the below paint pic to try and demonstrate.

When you cast in and your rod is on your pod you would attach a "policeman" a section down between your rod tip and the lake water. The line must be somewhat slack so that the policemen sits at an angle between the tip and the water.
- Should you get a positive bite (fish picks up bait and moves away in opposite direction as angler) the policeman will become taught indicating a take and you may strike.
- Should you get a back bite (fish picks up bait and moves towards the angler) the policeman will drop towards the floor and your line will become slack. Here you could reel the slack and potentially set the hook if the fish did not discard the bait already.

 

[QAZA]

Truely a South African invention.

Can I maybe suggest we rename the product?
The term "Policeman" refers to the instant and effective reaction, visibly seen, when skelm fish is trying to steal the bait, which you paid for, and therefore, belongs to you!

Alternatively insure your boilies?

 

[Enigma]

QAZA wrote:

Truely a South African invention.

Can I maybe suggest we rename the product?
The term "Policeman" refers to the instant and effective reaction, visibly seen, when skelm fish is trying to steal the bait, which you paid for, and therefore, belongs to you!

Alternatively insure your boilies?

Not actually the Germans and the Dutch have been using them for ages instead of the traditional swingtip and the refer to it as Politzi

 

[DocPhil]

I have found the traditional "policeman" way more sensitive than indicators used in specimen angling, and they have no doubt increased my catch rate if I use both in specimen fishing, because you will often become aware of interest at your bait before you have  run. Superfluous perhaps and controversial but I wonder if you can use both?

 

[Enigma]

In competitive carp angling we often use it on pressured fish as you'll see the movement so small that wouldn't even make a beep on the most sensitive of alarm settings and has helped us hook into many fish that would otherwise have been missed and it also helps more when fishing a slack line on a running rig as the fish feels nothing till you set the hook home.

The Purist Specimen anglers however would not be caught dead using such inferior Papgooi methods

 

[fishingjack]

DocPhil wrote:

I have found the traditional "policeman" way more sensitive than indicators used in specimen angling, and they have no doubt increased my catch rate if I use both in specimen fishing, because you will often become aware of interest at your bait before you have  run. Superfluous perhaps and controversial but I wonder if you can use both?

ok cool, so it sound like I use similar techniques myself. I often fish with my rod tips high and watch an indicator after the rod tip. That's not very common here in the UK and I've written about it a few times in UK forums. I too find the indication much more effective. Especially drop backs.

 

[DocPhil]

Yes agreed definitely very effective for dropbacks, it also adds an element of excitement to fishing

 

[fishy_fishy]

F1%hpa%te wrote:

I did the below paint pic to try and demonstrate.

When you cast in and your rod is on your pod you would attach a "policeman" a section down between your rod tip and the lake water. The line must be somewhat slack so that the policemen sits at an angle between the tip and the water.
- Should you get a positive bite (fish picks up bait and moves away in opposite direction as angler) the policeman will become taught indicating a take and you may strike.
- Should you get a back bite (fish picks up bait and moves towards the angler) the policeman will drop towards the floor and your line will become slack. Here you could reel the slack and potentially set the hook if the fish did not discard the bait already.

Excellent post! Great Explanation guys. I use my sons play dough as a "policeman". You get them in various bold colours. They work great.

:f1shy

 

[fishingjack]

fishy_fishy wrote:

F1%hpa%te wrote:

I did the below paint pic to try and demonstrate.

When you cast in and your rod is on your pod you would attach a "policeman" a section down between your rod tip and the lake water. The line must be somewhat slack so that the policemen sits at an angle between the tip and the water.
- Should you get a positive bite (fish picks up bait and moves away in opposite direction as angler) the policeman will become taught indicating a take and you may strike.
- Should you get a back bite (fish picks up bait and moves towards the angler) the policeman will drop towards the floor and your line will become slack. Here you could reel the slack and potentially set the hook if the fish did not discard the bait already.

Excellent post! Great Explanation guys. I use my sons play dough as a "policeman". You get them in various bold colours. They work great.

:f1shy

Great idea! You should patent it.

 

[fishingjack]

When fishing Florida for sharks I attached a foam float with a light in it, using some elastic that can slide and be pulled off quickly. Only really to see the line tearing off. Not for drop backs. Same with catfish on the Ebro river.

 

[Rooibok]

And at night you can attache a small glow stick to the cork policeman. It helps to show if lines stay nice and strait during windy conditions and obviously adds to the excitement with a bite