singling out tench from carp

[cheef87]

have found a great tench water problem is there sloads of carp and i want to try and single out the big tench if i could any help would be grateful

 

[terry m]

That is not an easy challenge. Sorting them out the other way is not too difficult, but is not much help for your dilemma.

How about a breadflake approach?

 

[barbelboi]

I would say that a reasonably shallow swim (4’ or less) would be best at this time of year, especially if it has a soft bottom, a bit of oxygenating weed growth and is missed by the early morning sun. As regarding bait, I’ve usually found that lob worms and prawns work well early season (especially if the prawns are used with hemp are left in the hemp tub prior to hooking).
Jerry

 

[nicky]

id use red maggots tench seem to prefer them to carp

 

[cg74]

Cheef, some will say this is counterproductive. If fishing a water with a big head of carp but it's not a commercial styled match type fishery and going on your signature; "hates commercial fisheries;" it won't be?!!

On waters like Linear I've found by fishing with your lines taut and up in the water spooks the carp out of your swim but has no ill-effect on tench present. Basically fish a lead/feeder tight lined to your reel.

Another alternative is to find an area where you know tench feed, bait it up with hemp, maggots and/or casters, wait until you see positive signs of tench in the swim; rolling and/or bubbles, and then fish it.

Dawn and dusk fish to showing fish, again rolling and fizzing. Either with a feeder or better still a small spod and a lead. If you're not talking of large shoals of tench, more pods of 2-5 fish, fish a float or lead baited with a bunch of red worms.
If the fish are close enough feed loose offerings via a catapult.

Or stalk the margins.

The list of possibilities is endless, really for a more thorough answer, more details on the fishery are needed; size, depth, type of lake, fish stocks (both size and numbers).

 

[chub_on_the_block]

Maybe try luring the carp away from the chosen tench fishing area by feeding floating baits nearby that can then drift off..chum mixer etc. Best to do this when the ducks arent watching.

 

[S-Kippy]

When is that then ? The ducks on my local lake can spot a 4mm pellet hitting the water from half a mile away in the dark !

 

[barbelboi]

When is that then ? The ducks on my local lake can spot a 4mm pellet hitting the water from half a mile away in the dark !

Try fishing in daylight then
Jerry

 

[red creel]

Ok this might sound a bit simplistic but what about good old fashioned raking the swim?

An angling buddy uses this tactic on his favourite tench lake which also happens to contain a shed load of neurotic stressed out carp.The carp just dont tolerate it but the tench just cannot help themselves and will be the first to investigate the raked swim, not 100% foolproof but he cuts the odds dramatically in his favour.The other thing is you have to be pretty sure about your fellow anglers attitude as well as some anglers wont tolerate it either!

 

[barbelboi]

have found a great tench water problem is there sloads of carp and i want to try and single out the big tench if i could any help would be grateful

Getting back to basics if this is such a great tench water you or others must be catching to know this.................
Jerry

 

[S-Kippy]

Try fishing in daylight then
Jerry

They have them before they hit the water in daylight...as you well know !

 

[barbelboi]

They have them before they hit the water in daylight...as you well know !

.............

 

[chub_on_the_block]

Best to feed the ducks in your mates swim then, when he's not looking.

 

[cheef87]

thanks for the replys tihnki im gonna bait half a dozen or so likely looking swims with just a handful of hemp maggots corn , and rove with lobworms loking for signs of feeding etc,think i might have baited to haevily to be honest making the carp bully them out

 

[peterjg]

Raking a swim has already been mentioned - good idea. Another thing that's worth trying is to use home made boilies flavoured with peppermint. Use the small bottles of peppermint from supermarkets. Make some unflavoured plain boilies around 12 - 14mm, pour on some of the peppermint flavour then freeze. Then when you open the bag of boilies they will smell just like After Eight Mints - carp are not too keen but big tench love 'em!

 

[mol]

I use to fish a commerical carp lake for the tench, never once hooked a carp. Can't say I do anything to avoid the carp but using traditional tench tactics ensured I caught only tench.

I used to bait the night before with a bought tench groundbait, dead red maggots and maybe a little corn. At first light I would feed more groundbait and fish maggot on the hook using float or feeder tackle.

 

[Eric Edwards]

This is an easy one.
Each time you catch a carp, smash it over the head with a brick and toss it into the bushes. In time, you will catch only tench. :wh

 

[Philip]

I follow the same tactics with Pike when after the far more worthy Zander or Catfish, only difference is i bung em in the frying pan as they taste rather good.

 

[billy whizz]

Singling out big tench on a carp water is a tall order and each water is different.
Where I've had success in doing this on big waters the individual big tench turned out to be very territorial and not very nomadic, and where ever they were they also fed in quite a limited depth range. Knowing these factors helped massively in the targetting of the big tench.
If such factors don't apply you could go one of two ways, either fish on the most successful carp baits and wade through the carp hoping to pick up a big tench or do the opposite and fish a bait the carp don't seem to like on your water leaving more time for the big tench to find it, but the big tench might not like it either mg:
As always with big fish, location and luck will be the key factors.

 

[sam vimes]

No drama at all, just fish for the carp. You're bound to catch tench and bream.