Advice to Specimen Hunters

[steph mckenzie]

What advice would you give out to someone wanting to start out Specimen Hunting ?

Now, i'm not looking to start specimen hunting, but if i were to, what would you advise me to get before i even started to cast for a fish ?

 

[dannytaylor]

find the right waters! Its obvious i know but if the fish are not there you cant catch them.

Have belief in yourself, even when the blanks pile up. Its good to have a back up water where you can go and just watch a float go under keeps you sane and enjoying your fishing.

 

[chav professor]

Fish with like minded people. You can learn from each other...... Join a specimen group or start one up?

Ultimately make sure your goals are realistic. If you want to compete nationally, you have to fish the 'going' waters. However, if like me, you are not too bothered, set goals appropriate to the waters you have access too. Not all Southern waters hold specimen sized fish - in fact you are looking at a handfull of well known venues where most of the reported fish come from.

Keep enjoying what you do.

 

[Paul Morley]

Working with others helps, as it can be very tough going, they can support you and urge you on. I think I'm much more successful now I fish with and communicate regularly with other like minded anglers. Also, a copy of 'Stillwater Angling' wouldn't do any harm!!!

 

[Bob Hornegold]

steph,

First of all you have to make up your mind what is a Specimen Hunter ?

In my book a Specimen Hunter is anyone who sets out to target Big Fish of a paticular Species, thats not to say he does not enjoy catching Small fish or catching a different species while fishing for the target species.

And in my humble opinion the Single Species Groups are part of Specimen Fishing, they just broke away from the General Specimen Hunter Groups to spend more time tagetting one Species.

So to be a Specimen Hunter, firstly you need to have the desire to target a particular species ?

Lets say it's Crucian Carp, you would read up as much as you could about the species, most know about the pure strains and waters like Cemex Summer Pit and Godalmings Marsh farm.

Marsh Farm being a Day Ticket water would be where I headed to start with and my aim would be to catch a Specimen of that species- 3lb ?

From there I would join the Club and concentrate on the their waters for a season or two, until I had achived my own target ( 4lbs ?)

This of course is only an example, but it could apply to any species and it might be that you are so single minded that you never fish for anything else.

Then again, you might choose to fish for a number of species and have a figure in your mind that you want to achive.

The permitations are numerous !!

Bob

 

[noknot]

I would say don't try to run before you can walk, as you may stumble! I see angling as a ladder, so start on the first rung and slowly climb.......

 

[steph mckenzie]

Assuming that they can already fish then noknot, and they are just looking to branch out to Bigger and hopefully better things.

 

[noknot]

The rudiments do not change Steph, just the fish that are targeted.....

 

[dezza]

Advice to a budding specimen hunter?

For goodness sake keep a sense of proportion, and a sense of humour too.

Many specimen hunters spend a fortune in fuel, and a large amount of time chasing a non-existant fish. I have met some in the past that have gone as long as 6 months for one bite, and when it came they missed it! If you spend that sort of time blanking, quite honestly there is something wrong with your approach, or you are fishing the wrong water.

There are very few parts of this country where it is not possible to find decent sized fish of one species or another to persue. Find them and learn how to catch them.

 

[barbelboi]

[FONT=&quot]Also I believe that any angler, budding or otherwise, can learn an awful lot about their species target/s by reading some of the many good books available from top anglers/writers. They’re sharing many years of experience that could save many years of underachieving. [/FONT]

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

Be prepared to spend plenty of money and time on fishing

 

[noknot]

Would it also depend on the size of the water and how many of the target fish live there?

 

[Bob Hornegold]

I have fished some very hard waters in the past, 30 Carp, most without names in 110 Acres.

It had nothing to do with the size of the fish, it was about locating them and if you got a chance, catching maybe one of them.

Catching is only part of Fishing, being there and and trying to beat the water is equally as important to some Specimen Anglers.

The reason, anyone who really knew the water, knows how hard it is and accepts that any fish from this particular water was a result, far beyond the actual size of fish caught ?

Bob

 

[noknot]

I have fished some very hard waters in the past, 30 Carp, most without names in 110 Acres.

It had nothing to do with the size of the fish, it was about locating them and if you got a chance, catching maybe one of them.

Catching is only part of Fishing, being there and and trying to beat the water is equally as important to some Specimen Anglers.

The reason, anyone who really knew the water, knows how hard it is and accepts that any fish from this particular water was a result, far beyond the actual size of fish caught ?

Bob

Spot on Bob!

 

[BarryC]

My best advice would be to target the larger fish in local waters first. You will find them just as demanding as huge fish from known waters and the experience gained will serve you in good stead if you travel after monsters later on.

 

[Philip]

Try and target a local water.

Do a bit of homework and try and find a local water with a whopper. Nothing will demoralize a budding spezzie angler more than having to make a 4 hour round trip to blank.

Give it a go locally first to see whats its about and also it will mean you can make frequent trips maybe even midweek and really get to know the water and the fish. Plus + being able to miss the weekend crowds means you might even catch something…

 

[quickcedo]

I think the words "specimen hunter" are used by people who don't really understand there true meaning. I was in my local tackle shop a little while ago. There was a young lad in there chatting "I'm a specimen hunter" he proclaimed. "Oh really, how so"? I asked. "I fish a local water where I hope to catch a big Carp" was his reply. The desire to catch a big fish doesn't make a specimen hunter.

 

[Tee-Cee]

Never become so single minded that you forget to enjoy your fishing.Its so easy to become trapped by fishing for unrealistic targets.............and rather expensive as well!!

Good luck if you decide to take the plunge!

 

[Dave Slater]

Pick a couple of species, preferably one river and one still water, that grow to a reasonable size locally. Try and make them species that can be fished for for most of the year. Possibly avoid carp and barbel to avoid too much competition for swims. Concentrate on your chosen species but have the odd session after other species as sometimes you learn things that help with your chosen species.
Personally I would only join a specimen group to gain knowledge. Once you are reasonably competant at catching your chosen species there are probably more disadvantages than advantages in being in such a group.

 

[dannytaylor]

I think the words "specimen hunter" are used by people who don't really understand there true meaning. I was in my local tackle shop a little while ago. There was a young lad in there chatting "I'm a specimen hunter" he proclaimed. "Oh really, how so"? I asked. "I fish a local water where I hope to catch a big Carp" was his reply. The desire to catch a big fish doesn't make a specimen hunter.

To move the thread on, what in peoples opinion is a specimen hunter. I s there a difference bettween this and an all rounder?