Big roach snapping up micro lures!!!

[theoriginalpikeflyco]

Haven't been on the forum for a while as been busy with work, new baby daughter etc etc. But as I was back online discussing some rods I was looking at, I just thought I'd share this...

I've been dabbling with some dropshotting from the float tube just as a change of scene from the fly rod now and again. Obviously I've been targeting Perch but quite literally all I keep getting are BIG roach!

Little 5gm 3.5cm soft lures twitched along the bottom.

It was a helluva shock the first time I hooked up.

And they are all BIG roach.

I literally cannot get a chance to target Perch as every time the lure hits the water I'm into a Roach.

It's happening consistently on over a dozen waters to date. And I am not talking about a handful of Roach, I'm talking equivalent to keepnet at bursting capacity worth of big stamp Roach with some VERY big specimens during relatively shortish sessions.

If I switch to the fly then all's back to normal as has always been the case.

Now, I know theres a bit of literature on the subject of Roach sometimes being partial to tiny lures, but it really doesn't prepare you for the sight of a big lure caught roach on your float tube!

I would be incredibly interested to hear who else has experienced this phenomenon (as I'm calling it).

My angling pal described a similar experience dropshotting from the bank (located at a lake in another county) not that long ago, but although it sounding fairly surprising, nothing prepared me for this!

 

[peterjg]

What is a "float tube" lure? Thanks in advance.

 

[Tee-Cee]

Good, interesting thread...........

Ebay should be active today for ' float tube ' lures !!

I did read about similar some years ago that Scandinavian countries ( I think that's correct ) experience roach on lures ?

Also interested in the lure type ....................(!)

 

[seth49]

A float tube is a type of small boat.
Bit like a floating armchair your legs are in the water and you move about using flippers.

 

[flightliner]

Haven't been on the forum for a while as been busy with work, new baby daughter etc etc. But as I was back online discussing some rods I was looking at, I just thought I'd share this...

I've been dabbling with some dropshotting from the float tube just as a change of scene from the fly rod now and again. Obviously I've been targeting Perch but quite literally all I keep getting are BIG roach!

Little 5gm 3.5cm soft lures twitched along the bottom.

It was a helluva shock the first time I hooked up.

And they are all BIG roach.

I literally cannot get a chance to target Perch as every time the lure hits the water I'm into a Roach.

It's happening consistently on over a dozen waters to date. And I am not talking about a handful of Roach, I'm talking equivalent to keepnet at bursting capacity worth of big stamp Roach with some VERY big specimens during relatively shortish sessions.

If I switch to the fly then all's back to normal as has always been the case.

Now, I know theres a bit of literature on the subject of Roach sometimes being partial to tiny lures, but it really doesn't prepare you for the sight of a big lure caught roach on your float tube!

I would be incredibly interested to hear who else has experienced this phenomenon (as I'm calling it).

My angling pal described a similar experience dropshotting from the bank (located at a lake in another county) not that long ago, but although it sounding fairly surprising, nothing prepared me for this!

What would you say in your estimate are the weights of the biggest roach?.

 

[theoriginalpikeflyco]

What would you say in your estimate are the weights of the biggest roach?.

I don't weigh my fish anymore as I just enjoy catching fish these days.

But I can say that the vast majority of Roach snapping the lures are ranging from just shy of 1lb to not far of the 2lb mark. With a number of Roach comfortably exceeding specimen weight.

I have previously been blessed with almost exclusive access to some lakes and ponds where the coarse fishing has been incredible over a period of approx. 10 years (until stumbled upon and destroyed within 2 seasons!!!) During my time fishing these waters (and weighing the big fish) I was lucky enough to catch a number of fish I have since regarded a fish of a lifetime for myself.

But a surprising number of these Roach this year have been comfortably larger than anything I have caught in the past!

I have noted with interest that the very big Roach appear separately and in numbers...its not a case of the odd very large fish. If I hook a very large Roach I can expect an immediate run of very large fish one after the other (up to 5 one after another to date). Its like clockwork and this pattern hasn't altered.

Also quite interesting is that I am hitting these Roach throughout the lakes, yes in pockets, but plentiful and well spread out. I have found no area within the lakes were I've felt 'they ain't here...must be shoaled up elsewhere.'

Yet when coarse fishing these lakes (feeder and float), yes you do get the odd day where all the Roach are a good solid sized fish, but for the most part you get a mixed bag...the little fellas normally onto your baits first then the bigger fish start to make an appearance.

At first, although I could see immediately that these are in fact true Roach (as close as the naked eye can determine in Ireland), I was still trying to convince myself to begin with, that they just 'had to be' crazy Hybrids of sorts. But they meet every requirement possible to check in the field without harming the fish, to suggest they are true Roach.

Maybe its a new one for the matchmans armoury to help avoid those tiddlers:thumbs:

Seriously though, its been a bizzare yet incredible discovery for me. Although for me personally, it still seems just 'wrong?'

Oh and yes, just to clarify to the other posters...I am in fact drop shotting from my float tube which is essentially a daft looking blow up floating contraption yet ridiculous fun.

I'm using little mini soft lures...3cm grubs and 3.5 cm fish. They weigh between 5-7 gms and I'm letting them hit the bottom before twitching them in short sharp bursts. It doesn't seem to matter which I use.

The Perch don't stand a chance of getting near my lure whilst this continues!

 

[iannate]

I've always thought that fish will have a go at anything they can get in their mouth, they eat fry after all.

I've caught roach on tadpoles before, I wasn't fishing for them though, but only small roach (4 - 8 oz) - hemp / tares always sorted out the bigger ones.

 

[theoriginalpikeflyco]

Oh and just to clarify...I fish these same lakes with the fly for Perch and Pike. Never has anything other than a Perch or the odd bonus Pike touched my little Perch flies, even when fishing just off bottom.

I've targeting Hybrids on the fly during summer months by feeding them up in the water then attacking with the fly off the float tube (been experimenting with this for quite a few years and its outstanding fun) but never had any interest from Roach.

---------- Post added at 05:41 ---------- Previous post was at 05:37 ----------

I've always thought that fish will have a go at anything they can get in their mouth, they eat fry after all.

I've caught roach on tadpoles before, I wasn't fishing for them though, but only small roach (4 - 8 oz) - hemp / tares always sorted out the bigger ones.

Well, yes I suppose you do have a very valid point there!

Its the size of the fish and the consistency that's is incredible. Although I do still very much feel bewildered by the sight of the big Roach when they break surface with my rubber lure sticking out side of their gob!

 

[soft plastic]

"They weigh between 5 and 7 gms" I presume that is the dropshot weight you are talking about, yes? Or are you actually talking about the lure itself? Just a little confused by your post.

 

[theoriginalpikeflyco]

Ah yes...Sorry suppose that is a bit vague.

Without digging them all out....

I disregarded mini jig heads and dropshot weights. Im fishing quite simple actually... grubs and fish straight on hook with a small split shot immediately front on trace.

Waiting for them to sink is akin to letting a weighted fly sink ie...wait a bit...but I'm hooking up on the drop on many occasions.

I started off using dropshot weights and playing with jig heads and decided to experiment with the above which I found I can fish very effectively (I hope!).

Although I did wonder if it was this set up that was attracting the Roach. I spent a few hours on one lake fishing with weighted up lures and it didnt make a bit of difference. The Roach were back!



Im using a micro connector anyway. Like a micro Berkley clip of sorts. Very secure, adds minimal weight and seems to aid in imparting some movement due to the 'hinging'.

Simply using 6lb mono and its working perfectly as snags etc are minimal and not big deal when on the tube as you can 99.9% work you way over a snagged end tackle and release very easily.

Been playing with hook sizes. Had started smallish yet hav been upping it considerably to deter the Roach but their still managing to hook themselves. Any bigger and we are entering small Pike fly hook size territory!!!

I haven't struck once, they are hooking themselves immediately. All cleanly in side of gob!

I had originally planned to start the New Year with a big Roach hunt. And I know for a fact that if I was using a coarse fishing approach it would be a 'hunt.' I would have been happy with a few nice Roach as a reward, but this has been phenomenal.

As I mentioned...My pal experienced a similar thing not so long ago in a water far away from where I am concentrating on. Although from what he described it wasn't selective as such...toddlers and good un's on the bank.

I seem to be consistently hooking decent - huge Roach.

I had only ever intended to have a play with micro lures over the winter, in the hope of a few decent Perch. Things have taken on a life of their own! But I've been enjoying it immensely.

I hope this sort of gives a mental pic of how I'm fishing?

 

[peterjg]

All very interesting. I have done a bit of lure fishing (mainly half hearted) over the years and caught pike, perch and chub but never a roach. I've heard of roach being caught on flies in Holland.

This has all got me thinking of the times when just as I've started to reel in a float fished or legered lobworm a roach has grabbed the worm - when the worm has remained untouched when stationary on the bottom (also bream and perch do this).

I do not have the confidence to specifically go lure fishing for roach but it might be an option to have a go during the middle of the day? Are us keen roachers missing another method here?

 

[Mark Wintle]

I'd be interested in seeing a decent picture of one of these fish.

 

[soft plastic]

Hmm, this thread has certainly got me intrigued. Still not entirely sure on the weights of the "lures" you are using. A 3.5 cm soft plastic lure weighing 5gm, what lure(s) exactly are you using? I have occasionally targeted roach myself, on conventional dropshot rigs and also on set ups similar to those described by yourself. However, my soft plastic lures were those that would fall into the categories of either worm or creature patterns. The weight of those are negligible, it is the weight of the split shot that gets them down and aids bite indication etc. Very similar to touch ledgering, if you get my drift. Bites are very hard to hit and the results are not as successful as when using conventional baits. I have caught the odd bream on lures. Even on plugs. I can see why coarse fish take grub/worm/creature soft plastics but these roach you describe that target fish imitations certainly seem unusual. I have also caught tench on worms/grubs but nothing remarkable about that. Present a grub on the bottom and fish it slowly and you would expect a fish or two. Your experiences though are like nothing I have heard of before. Can you give us a picture or two of your lures and set up?

Top fish caught on a plug and the bottom on a grub. Both lures can be plainly seen.

 

[myfish]

To be fair, it's not unusual to catch roach, bream, barbel, chub, infact... any coarse fish on lures or flies.

If only people gave it chance and tried new stuff. I'm not suggesting you'll always catch but, in all the years we have fished micro style lures in both salt and freshwater, you must learn to expect, the unexpected first before actually, it becomes commonplace.

Back in 2008, a small group of us took Japanese saltwater (light game),or what is known as LRF to our local seas. It wasn't easy as I had to learn some Japanese to figure out what each technique did and, to 'try' to ensure that whatever we did try, had a half chance of working in our waters.

I wrote some magazines on the LRF, HRF (wrasse style) and bass stuff if anyone would like to read them as they show the diversity of what is possible.

There aren't many sea fish now that we haven't caught on even the tiniest lures, even in 10 meters of water, at night, perhaps around no lights at all. It was all a big learning curve and to this day, we've learned that the only boundaries really are the ones you enforce yourselves.

I've had roach over 2lb and bream nearly 10lb on lures (on purpose) and it makes a real diverse change for many coarse anglers to get this (Pike/Perch/Zander/Chub) thing out of their freshwater lure fishing thought process.

We once had a session fishing lures for gudgeon, yes, gudgeon and though we didn't have loads, we did catch them and if I remember it correctly, I think we had some stone loach and a few small perch working the inside shelf of the canal too.

It's all up for grabs, just give it a go.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Two of my 6 biggest roach ever took a small black buzzer fished quite deep on a still water for Trout.

Undoubtedly all large-ish coarse fish will take a fly or a lure at various times o
if the year.

 

[soft plastic]

Keith, have you terminated your HRF/LRF/SKISHING site? Not been able to connect to it for ages. Shame if it has gone.

---------- Post added at 06:27 ---------- Previous post was at 06:22 ----------

I can perfectly understand catching coarse fish on small grubs/creatures etc. To all intents and purposes they represent a lot of natural food that inhabit the waters the fish live in. Done it myself. However, the post was about large lures, imitating fish, and on large hooks. Much like what would be used for pike, perch, zander etc. That IS unusual.

 

[myfish]

Keith, have you terminated your HRF/LRF/SKISHING site? Not been able to connect to it for ages. Shame if it has gone.

Actually yes, though not through choice. The people looking after the server, screwed up the databases and it's meant an unrecoverable loss.

The fishing of course continues and I have rescued images etc.

It will all be re-booted during 2016 but NOT with the people who didn't keep backups of the DB despite me paying for the service.

Many years of work lost.

 

[soft plastic]

Good to hear that. Looking forward to getting back there.

 

[myfish]

Just for completeness here are a few links to some stuff we did in the 2008/2011 period.

Much has been improved upon since then but at least it's something to read on these long winter days and nights.

It should show the 'cross over' for those who aren't 'polarised' in their fishing too.

Issue 1 (Wrasse on soft lures mostly) This is where we started and many didn't think it possible at all.

British HRF (hard rock fishing) for wrasse with soft lures. by jerseybassguides - issuu

Issue 2 (LRF or light game) This is most likely the closest cross over from fresh to salt and since then, we mastered black and white sea bream, gurnard, conger, and all manner of sea fish on a multitude of lure styles.

The Rockfish Files (LRF & Soft Lure Special Edition). by jerseybassguides - issuu

Issue 3 (Bass). Not many years before we published this, many had ridiculed the idea of night lure fishing for bass and the use of 'sticks' as a go-to lure. Alongside this, there is a very basic intro to 'skishing' in here and how we often travel upwards of 5 miles in fast moving tides, at night and upto 3 miles offshore. It takes planning and a certain type but, who dares wins as they say so don't be scared of applying ANY style you can find, to British coarse fish as likely, all of it will work given some thought and modification. One area that is devastating on UK rivers is 'float jigging' and yet, unlike in the steelhead zones of North America, you simply don't see the style employed which is great shame.

The Rockfish Files #3 by jerseybassguides - issuu

Please accept my apology for going off on a tangent to this thread but some of it has relevance.

 

[Neil Maidment]

Two of my 6 biggest roach ever took a small black buzzer fished quite deep on a still water for Trout.

Undoubtedly all large-ish coarse fish will take a fly or a lure at various times o
if the year.

Although a long time ago (mid 1960's to early 1970's) I saw and caught some of the biggest roach I have ever seen from Chew Valley reservoir whilst slaughtering the early season rainbows stocked in massive numbers by Bristol Water Works.

I tagged along with a large group who visited often at that time (April/May) and "fly fished" with big #9wt/#10wt outfits usually big shooting heads and lures. Those lures were often two big single hooks tied in tandem dressed in black hackles and wings. Limit bags of trout adding up to hundreds were taken for several years and quite a number of truly huge roach were fairly hooked on those creations.

Later on (in May/June) we used to switch to Baby Dolls and similar fry imitations with great effect as the remaining trout hit the big shoals of fry in the relatively shallows bays of Chew. Those shoals of fry were in the main roach.