Post by tompo on Oct 8, 2009 6:45:37 GMT -5
Still fishing the canal but its getting to the time of year when I am going to have to have a re-think of my approach and start getting in to winter fishing mode.
Weights have been gradually dropping off and last couple of trips have been average to say the least. Still catching double figures of skimmers but not as many fish and average size is smaller.
I won a small knock up last week with 12lb 7ozs of mainly skimmers. Also included a few roach and a couple of gudgeon. Everything was caught on pellet. Second was 4lbs 6ozs which was a mixed bag caught on worm.
I’m still using a predominantly fishmeal based groundbait mix (Green Sensas IM5 mixed 50/50 with Lake, Magic or Bream 3000) but will now be using something with slightly less feed content and sweeter. Something like Match Blend and Noire is usually pretty reliable. I
I do add Molasses sometimes but am going to experiment with Fennel as a groundbait additive this winter.
I will also be feeding at least one line with liquidised bread for use with bread punch which is my usual winter starting point.
I usually fish the bread at angle (about 10 o’clock) and at 4 or 5m, depending on the near shelf. I am looking for just where the canal starts to slope and fish just up the slope.
I feed ground bait straight in front of me. One line at the bottom of the near shelf and another just where it starts to go up at about 10 or 11m. Whether I feed a line further over depends on the peg.
With both the liquidised bread and groundbait I will be feeding a few micros. This worked well for me last year.
When starting on bread, I plumb up and mark dead depth on the pole but shallow up slightly to fish the bread just off bottom. If I start catching a few skimmers then I will put a 4mm pellet on the hook and fish it at dead depth.
I use the same rig for both bread and pellet (0.8 mainline, 0.6 hook length and 22 hook). I tend to use hooks with a wide gape and so size of hook isn’t too much of a problem. A 4mm pellet sits on a 22's wide gape hook quite well.
Floats are anything from 0.2g to a 0.6gm. These days I prefer to use a pencil shaped float. Tubertini Stix or similar for pinkie and B&J and Sensas Auchy or Duoy for bread and pellet.
I doctor some of the bread floats by replacing the original bristles with slightly thicker hollow ones. Just adds a bit of buoyancy for when fishing off bottom or at dead depth.
Pellet wise, I do pump a few expanders but mainly use Mainline Response Pineapple feed pellets on the hook. They only cost about £3 for a bag and provided you keep the bag somewhere airtight, they will last a long time. I reckon one bag will more than last me for the winter.
Although called feed pellets they are ideal for the hook and are very soft and juicy. They don’t require any preparation but I will be spraying them with “B” from an atomiser. I’ll also be giving my liquidised bread a “B” spray as well. I never used to add anything to my liquidised but have started to add a bit of water after seeing Will Raison do it.
On the groundbait lines I will either fish fluoro pinkie or, if I have any, bloodworm and joker. I do like fishing B&J but to be honest, unless we have a really prolonged spell of cold weather, I don’t think it is really necessary on the K&A.
Same principle applies on the groundbait lines – if I catch a skimmer then I will give the pellet a go. Although I know that I can get a bite a chuck on bread, pinkie or B&J the pellet is a bit more selective and you do get bigger fish (skimmers, good roach and chublets).
That’s basically my plan for the canal in winter. I will be fishing a couple of Winter League rounds on the canal and the K&A is a semi final venue again so there will be a few opens to go at as well after Xmas.
I will be using the same approach in matches as I would pleasure fishing.
In winter the canal is primarily a bread venue but I have been fishing against a couple of “bread heads” during the summer and been beating them comfortably and am confident of doing so in winter. Method certainly worked well for me last year.
Weights have been gradually dropping off and last couple of trips have been average to say the least. Still catching double figures of skimmers but not as many fish and average size is smaller.
I won a small knock up last week with 12lb 7ozs of mainly skimmers. Also included a few roach and a couple of gudgeon. Everything was caught on pellet. Second was 4lbs 6ozs which was a mixed bag caught on worm.
I’m still using a predominantly fishmeal based groundbait mix (Green Sensas IM5 mixed 50/50 with Lake, Magic or Bream 3000) but will now be using something with slightly less feed content and sweeter. Something like Match Blend and Noire is usually pretty reliable. I
I do add Molasses sometimes but am going to experiment with Fennel as a groundbait additive this winter.
I will also be feeding at least one line with liquidised bread for use with bread punch which is my usual winter starting point.
I usually fish the bread at angle (about 10 o’clock) and at 4 or 5m, depending on the near shelf. I am looking for just where the canal starts to slope and fish just up the slope.
I feed ground bait straight in front of me. One line at the bottom of the near shelf and another just where it starts to go up at about 10 or 11m. Whether I feed a line further over depends on the peg.
With both the liquidised bread and groundbait I will be feeding a few micros. This worked well for me last year.
When starting on bread, I plumb up and mark dead depth on the pole but shallow up slightly to fish the bread just off bottom. If I start catching a few skimmers then I will put a 4mm pellet on the hook and fish it at dead depth.
I use the same rig for both bread and pellet (0.8 mainline, 0.6 hook length and 22 hook). I tend to use hooks with a wide gape and so size of hook isn’t too much of a problem. A 4mm pellet sits on a 22's wide gape hook quite well.
Floats are anything from 0.2g to a 0.6gm. These days I prefer to use a pencil shaped float. Tubertini Stix or similar for pinkie and B&J and Sensas Auchy or Duoy for bread and pellet.
I doctor some of the bread floats by replacing the original bristles with slightly thicker hollow ones. Just adds a bit of buoyancy for when fishing off bottom or at dead depth.
Pellet wise, I do pump a few expanders but mainly use Mainline Response Pineapple feed pellets on the hook. They only cost about £3 for a bag and provided you keep the bag somewhere airtight, they will last a long time. I reckon one bag will more than last me for the winter.
Although called feed pellets they are ideal for the hook and are very soft and juicy. They don’t require any preparation but I will be spraying them with “B” from an atomiser. I’ll also be giving my liquidised bread a “B” spray as well. I never used to add anything to my liquidised but have started to add a bit of water after seeing Will Raison do it.
On the groundbait lines I will either fish fluoro pinkie or, if I have any, bloodworm and joker. I do like fishing B&J but to be honest, unless we have a really prolonged spell of cold weather, I don’t think it is really necessary on the K&A.
Same principle applies on the groundbait lines – if I catch a skimmer then I will give the pellet a go. Although I know that I can get a bite a chuck on bread, pinkie or B&J the pellet is a bit more selective and you do get bigger fish (skimmers, good roach and chublets).
That’s basically my plan for the canal in winter. I will be fishing a couple of Winter League rounds on the canal and the K&A is a semi final venue again so there will be a few opens to go at as well after Xmas.
I will be using the same approach in matches as I would pleasure fishing.
In winter the canal is primarily a bread venue but I have been fishing against a couple of “bread heads” during the summer and been beating them comfortably and am confident of doing so in winter. Method certainly worked well for me last year.
. The good news about winter fishing is that 'B' really starts to shine - fish that are turned off by the cold are simply forced to feed. Basically, if they are there you will catch in numbers so long as the correct flux of 'B' is maintained. This is really noticeable on modern commercials, where there always seem to be fish in every peg. When the water gets to ~55F it's time to switch to the double strength / winter dose and feed at about half the summer rate (less feed with more 'B' works out the same flux).