Tight /Slack lines

[chris k]

Can someone explain why/when to fish tight or slack lines. I'm new to Carp fishing and I hear people talk about this alot.
Regards Chris

 

[barbelboi]

Much can depend on conditions and/or the venue topography, also how pressurized the water is. Wherever possible I would generally fish a slack line and pin everything to the bottom if the contours allow.

 

[chris k]

Thanks for your reply, So literally once cast out, don't bother tightening the line between the lead and rod tip.

 

[bennygesserit]

Chris this ( award winning ) thread might help , though I really only fish commercials only the odd specimen type pool

http://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/general-fishing/337037-tight-slack.html

 

[barbelboi]

The use of back leads, flying back leads, rig putty, etc., as appropriate to the contours of the bottom will all help to keep everything 'pinned' down. Also THIS might be of some help...

---------- Post added at 14:37 ---------- Previous post was at 14:33 ----------

Chris this ( award winning ) thread might help , though I really only fish commercials only the odd specimen type pool

http://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/general-fishing/337037-tight-slack.html

That appears to be for using the ' method' Benny...................

 

[alsoran]

Thanks for your reply, So literally once cast out, don't bother tightening the line between the lead and rod tip.

NO!!!

You still need to set it up and be in control of your line. Just left to chance is asking for trouble. Gently tighten up to your lead, then with the rod in the rests release some line until everything goes slack. tbh at over 50/60 yrds the last couple of feet will be on the bottom anyway. Fishing too slack can really ruin any bite indication though, the longer the distance the worse the indication. Also undertow can cause problems.

 

[arthur2sheds]

This is always a bit of a thorny subject.... it all depends on your outlook, experience and more often than not personal preference....

For my self I fish slack lines in the margins only.... by margins I mean up to 3 rod lengths out.... up to about 50 yards I'll fish semi-slack and anything over that I'll be on a tight line... I find that fishing slack lines at distance screws up any bite indication, I daresay there'll be some who'll contest it, but I speak from my own experiences not theirs... a few times when using "slack-uns" at distance I've had a single bleep on the indicators, wound in and found I'd been "Done" (fishing with the silicone on the shank of the hook as a telltale)

You'll find that your slack lines rarely follow contours, just picking up the odd high points on the bottom and will often pick up tow from subsurface currents caused by surface drift/wind... Another reason I won't use them at distance, is the fact that in the event that you do get a take, you'll have to take up any slack through the resistance of the water.... (try picking up a fluorocarbon line from slack at distance and you'll know what I mean)


I'd say if you are fishing a short chuck on a shallow venue, then a slack line will be okay.... if you are fishing a deep venue or a long chuck, I'd be on a tight one, you'll have your own preferences I know, but I'm just speaking from my own experiences.

Hope this helps:wh

 

[thecrow]

Also undertow can cause problems.

Absolutely correct, on medium and large still waters although the angler may think they are fishing with a slack line in reality the line will be picked up by a reasonable amount of undertow.

 

[bennygesserit]

The use of back leads, flying back leads, rig putty, etc., as appropriate to the contours of the bottom will all help to keep everything 'pinned' down. Also THIS might be of some help...

---------- Post added at 14:37 ---------- Previous post was at 14:33 ----------



That appears to be for using the ' method' Benny...................

Yes sorry mg:

 

[barbelboi]

Absolutely correct, on medium and large still waters although the angler may think they are fishing with a slack line in reality the line will be picked up by a reasonable amount of undertow.

IMO if tow is affecting the slack line, its not slack enough to be on the bottom, or you have weed on it, which is lifting the line, and the weed will also be pulled by the tow.

 

[sam vimes]

Slack lining, whilst necessary and effective at times, is often a complete PITA unless the range is relatively short. For me, on the venues I'm fishing, it usually creates more problems than it solves. Many may consider fishing tight lines to be distinctly old hat, but I'm quite content to keep on doing it.

 

[arthur2sheds]

The thing is, the line will sit on high points along the bottom... you can only slacken the lines so much, but it still looks like tight-ropes between the points and the tow WILL pick up line and bow it if the water is prone to undertow... there's bu&&er all you can do about it.... the clue will be the bobbin slowly pulling up to the blank as long as the line is in the water.... try it and after a few hours pick up the rod and watch where the line enters the water and track it left or right.... it happens

Using a fluoro main-line does help, as most fluoro's take on some water and sink, but they are still susceptible to tow and they will still sit on high points on the bottom.... braided mainlines are worse as the fibres hold air in the weave and float up.... Even sinking braids do this to a greater or lesser degree...

Some folk still use slack lines and I still do at short range, but it's up to you, I'd rather see a take than worry about spooking a fish that's up in the water.....

What you could do, is use a weighted leader (not ideal as they still don't follow bottom contours perfectly) or use a flying back lead and slacken off a tiny bit to ensure that the last 3 feet of your endgame is pinned to the deck, but even that isn't a done deal, as the line will still follow a straight line between two points, but at least it'll be pinned down... ish

 

[laguna]

Spot on arthur2sheds! :w

I would also add that its sometimes beneficial to slack line a deep pit - just to avoid some of the inevitable liners.

(fishing with the silicone on the shank of the hook as a telltale)

How important is a tell tale sign that you've been 'done'?

 

[arthur2sheds]

If you use the rig ring that resets itself you'll never know if you've had an inquiry, the argument against the silicone is, that the rig may not reset and you could be fishing with a masked point.... for my own preferences, as I fish tight-ish or semi slack lines most of the time I usually get some kind of indication...

On deep pools (I'm fishing my syndi at about 25'- 40' deep at the mo... depends on how much the farmer pumps out)
I tend to set the line tight but then back off the tension a few turns of the spool so fish won't spook too much if they bump the line...

bear in mind on really deep pools that the line will follow a downward path and will be running almost parallel to the bottom so you shouldn't get too many liners anyway

 

[alsoran]

To the OP, it seems like the consensus of opinion says, never rule it out but be aware it has it's own set of problems that you need to know about. Like most things in fishing it comes down to experience, sadly that is something you can't get from the Internet only hours on the bank will give it to you. Good luck in your fishing

 

[arthur2sheds]

@ Alsoran... Yup...... Been carping since the 70's, tried all the latest fads, found what works for me, and stuck to it.... but the overriding message I can offer is, don't get stuck in a rut and don't over-complicate things... :wh

 

[law]

Slack lines ONLY work with running leads and a heavy fluro/braid.

It's a waste of time if you ask me. Why on earth anyone wants to reduce bite sensitivity is beyond me, when you can have brilliant detection, using different techniques. Weighted leaders, putty, sinkers, back leads (flying, normal) etc.

When the fish picks up the bait, I want to know about it on the alarm.

 

[arthur2sheds]

I would recommend using a heavy lead using a running rig, too light a lead and the fish could pick up your rig and move toward you and you'd never know.... or could pick up a light lead if lightly nicked and shake itself free.... and still you'd never know....

 

[benny samways]

Surely with a true running lead any movement of the bait will produce a signal on the alarm as no matter how far or in what direction the fish moves said movement will move the line?

I am a novice to this carping malarky and how to set your lines and what bobbins to use is the hardest thing to get my head round.

I use tubing behind my rigs and think I have settled on semi-tight as how I like them. Sink the line from rig to tip and then pull off a bit of a time untill I think the tubing is defo on the bottom, line comes away frm the tip with a gradient curve as opposed to straight down or directly out.

Coming from a barbelling back ground and tight lines are a no no so it is a bit of a head-fook! Are carp spooked by tight lines? I bet they are...

 

[Nobby C (ACA)]

I've mostly used 1oz leads on 15lb slack line at distances up to 40-50 feet. I've no idea how many pick ups I've missed but every take trundled off very nicely thank you. I don't buy this whole big 30z lead only for running rigs though I can see the principle, just that my method worked just as well as any other I should imagine. Don't forget, if your slack line is draped over a weed bed it will impede indication regardless of distance, so, a clean smooth lake bottom rolleyes helps no end.
In general as others have said: close range-slack, long range-bow string tight with the rod tip bent round for any drop backs. It's a kind of quiver tip thang, heavy indicators are a must, or a quiverock type tension arm indication.