Sleeper Rod Tips

[Philip]

I dont really know the term sleeper rod but very often in the past I will fish 4 rods …3 are what i would call the « main » rods but I’ll put a 4th rod out usually to one side fishing simething slightly different.

Classic combination would be something like 3 fishing bolt rigs and the « sleeper » rod fishing a heavy running lead. Often my sleeper rod will also be a margin rod tucked away. For example maybe walk down the bank with it and lower it close to some bankside reeds or lob it along a line of trees or bushes..basically somewere away from easy bankside access so that people are not able to walk right over it. I’ll then put a handful of bait over it and then open the bail arm and walk it back to my fishing position. Often, I’ll tighten up to the lead and then slacken off the line a bit …I dont want it bow tight and I want the line to settle on the bottom. Then I’ll leave it unless something makes me have to move it. Doubtless it will be on a buzzer so I dont need to keep watching it. Its surprising how often that rod is the one the fish come to.

If on the other hand a sleeper rod is considered as a rod fishing to one side as you say float fish with a second rod then it probably depends on what your target species are with that rod but in general my view is the sleeper is probably best fished on a bolt rig with a buzzer. The setup itself I dont think makes that much difference…it could be a method setup or a bolie with a stringer or a PVA bag or whatever. The point is I would fish it self hooking as then you dont have to worry about getting up to strike. The buzzer is just to make it easier for you to know you have a take.
You dont have to have a baitrunner, you can just slacken off your drag…lift into the fish holding the spool with your finger and then tighten up the drag as you pull into the fish.
I’d be tempted to fish quite a lump of bait round my hookbait as I wont be moving it very often so either a metod ball or a PVA bag and maybe a stringer too…lob it out and leave it then get on with the important stuff of catching a few roach on the float. ;-)

 

[peterjg]

Skippy, my silly post was meant to be tongue in cheek, only kidding.

 

[terry m]

I should clarify that when fishing three rods whilst sleeping, ALL rods and prone angler will ALWAYS be located in the same postcode. No exceptions. Failure to do that would be totally irresponsible.

 

[S-Kippy]

Skippy, my silly post was meant to be tongue in cheek, only kidding.

Peter.....I thought so. No harm done.

 

[thecrow]

Sleeper rod while float fishing 2/3 rods on buzzers Pike fishing with one on a float one on a lead, 2 rods on a big river all seem to be the same thing to me, there is a very slight chance of a double hook up on all of them although the chances may be increased when fishing with one on the float but so long as the water is snag/weed free I don't see that as a problem, I can only recall 3 such happenings over many years of using multiple rods, is there anyone that can honestly say they give 100% concentration to there rods for hours on end?

 

[Ray Roberts]

I have no qualms about fishing two rods or two different methods. If I float fish I will often also fish a leger rod on a buzzer and bait-runner. If the fish are really having it I will revert to one rod.

I would usually fish the sleeper rod as the leger and usually heavier and often in the margins. I would usually target larger fish with larger baits, large lobs, popped up crust, small dead baits etc, where bites would be expected to be less frequent anyway. I find this to be far more efficient than fishing two floats, we have two eyes but most of us have them pointing in the same direction. Surely it makes sense to have one visual indicator and the other audible.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[seth49]

What happened.
Posted on this thread this morning, got a like of nottskev, and now it's disappeared.?

 

[markcw]

Seth, I had to keep logging on late last night, anyway I have just ticked like for your lost like post

 

[seth49]

Thanks mark. Still can't see my original post though, gremlins in the system perhaps.

 

[markcw]

There could be Seth, I quoted a post, that went through no problems, I logged on again and it had gone,
I think there is a gremlin in the weather here, I looked out of my bedroom window last night and could see
snow on Winter Hill, I have a good view across to there even though I am in warrington, woke up this morning
and no snow here only a strong breeze. So Fir Tree fisheries or Wrightington Fishery may get a visit from me today.

 

[seth49]

No snow here either, good luck if you go fishing, to cold for me.

 

[markcw]

It could be a change of plan, the wind has got a little bit stronger, and Wrightington is open to the elements,
the same as the "Catteries" up there, so my rods may be staying "sleeping" in my tackle shed, and I will bailiff a couple of club waters instead.

 

[nottskev]

Thanks mark. Still can't see my original post though, gremlins in the system perhaps.

You could be right - I wrote a long PM to someone yesterday and when nothing came came back, I checked and found mine had disappeared from the "Sent" box. Anyway, I liked your two-rod set up; sounded very well thought-out.

 

[seth49]

There’s something wrong, I can’t log out, it just says bad gateway, tried to post on baitbox, and it wouldn’t let me post, clicked on reply to post and nothing happened, seems to be working here.

 

[wetthrough]

Logged out last night. Still logged in this morning..

 

[mikench]

Very windy and cold here with regular snow flurries! There is a yellow warning for very windy weather( 40 mph ) this afternoon . Float fishing is out as are other varieties!

 

[108831]

A lot of my old angling mates went into carping and their version of a sleeper rod was a short 6-8ft carp rod slung down the margins on a bait runner hidden in the reeds whilst already fishing three rods on their buzzers,which imo is extremely 'bad angling' i'm afraid.