Deep water tench

[bencarvosso]

I was just looking to see if anyone has fished for tench in very deep water. 20ft plus.
A lake I'm thinking of tackling this year is very deep and my only attempt at fishing it a few years back came to a complete blank.
This is a wild irish lough and unfished.
But I know it holds tench. Stock levels I would hazard a guess at are not massive.
I suppose I'm not looking too much for tactics, more so how people have gotten on fishing for them in deep water, any thoughts ?
Thanks

 

[sam vimes]

I fish a gravel pit where the shallowest water (other than a few margin areas) is about 12'. The deepest spot is 32' and the average is around 18'. I'd suggest that you seek out whatever marginal shelf or shallower water that you can find. Once the weather starts to warm up, tench will be drawn to those areas like the proverbial flies around poop. Whilst areas between 5 and 10' deep and a rod length (or three) out are likely to be ideal to fish, don't discount closer in and even shallower areas. Tench will sneak in right under your feet when the light levels drop. Provided water levels don't drop significantly as summer approaches, any area of (Norfolk) reed is worth investigating. Whilst it doesn't tend to grow in deep water, it is likely to be a magnet for fish, even if the adjacent water is only a foot or two deep. I'm not suggesting that tench won't ever be caught in the murky depths. However, I find that once they start to come in with the warmer weather, they'll either be caught at the top of whatever marginal shelf might exist or at the bottom of it if conditions dictate.

 

[john step]

I used to fish a very deep pit at Wrasbury near Heathrow. 30 to 40 years ago which I have heard has been filled in. The water shelved off sharply with no discernible shallow margin. Tench were the most numerous species for some reason. I never saw a club sign and the bloke who told me about it assured me it was free fishing!

The weed which we called Canadian weed rose towards the surface in long fronds. I never caught a tench near the bottom.

The best method was a slider set at maybe 10 to 12 feet which was variable on the day.
A piece of breadflake was fished above bottom which when drifted a bit came to rest against a frond of the weed. A little bread slop was the attractant.
The tench seemed to cruise around amongst the weed and would take the bread resting against the weed frond well above the bottom.
Casters were a good alternative.

Delicacy was not an issue. I used Billy Lane sliders of two or three swan shot loading with plenty of tip showing for visibility.

 

[bencarvosso]

Both interesting pieces of info. The lake in question is like a bowl. From the bank it shelves down to maybe 16 to 18ft and then gradually the depth increases the further out.
I have fished with big depths here in ireland but usually there is a pronounced shelf / feature with some shallower areas suitable for fishing and the depths very greatly around the lake.
My plans was to rake and bait weekly through April and start when it warms in May. Was thinking initially to fish out then move in closer as the temps warm up through June
So many variables on a wild unfished lake.
Exciting prospect all the same.

 

[barbelboi]

There's another way - I've lost count of the number of tench (usually male) that I've caught up in the water (surface - 1m) during the warmer months.............

 

[nottskev]

I've caught a few fish from "wild Irish loughs", but mostly roach and bream; the tench, apart from a few from a fair depth on Baird's Shore on the Dromore in Cavan, have all been caught in shallow waters.

I'd second Sam Vimes on where best to try and catch them, ie on or down the shallow shelf, preferably on a reeded bank.

I was out last spring on a deep (15-20') gravel pit next to the Trent, trying to catch roach on a slider. I went to talk to a bloke fishing in a corner who'd just caught a tench. He explained where to find them - and cast his feeder a couple of feet from the reed beds along the bank. When it warms up a bit, the tench will come in close.

Just out of interest, where are you? I don't think you need worry we'll all rush over and take all the swims.

 

[bencarvosso]

I'm in the roscommon / leitrim area
Plenty of water around me.
I have plenty of amazing waters that rarely see another angler and lakes that can really produce massive catches of tench in the 3 to 5lb bracket. To be honest I'm trying to find lakes which hold larger fish. The record in ireland is only 8.2 ish lbs. Although a few larger fish have been caught and not ratified
6lb tench are regarded as specimen and 7lb tench fairly rare occurrences.
The lake in question apart from the depth has quite a few characteristics that in theory should produce good fish. When I raked it previously I'd never seen the likes of the abundance of natural invertibrates. It was staggering. Many years ago I did a fisheries management college diploma so have done many kick samples and surveys of lakes. I've never seen a lake so rich

 

[bencarvosso]

Fishing the rush line is not as easy as some lakes. I regularly fish into 3 or 4ft off reeds in summer and find tench in close. The rushes on this lake are at top of shelf in shallower water then there is a band of lilles. I do plan to fish on the shelf once it warms

 

[john step]

Just as a matter of interest, is the power station warm water outflow near Shannon Bridge still operating?
There used to be good tenching by the lillies in the cut there near the bridge.

 

[bencarvosso]

This will be the last year of hot water going into the Shannon at both shannonbridge and lanesborough.
Both power stations are closing at the end of 2020.
So most likely the last year any serious runs of fish come up from lough ree to spawn at lanesborough.

Not that I fished it much, bit too busy for me, but a very historic part of irish coarse angling gone. Once held the irish tench record caught by ray webb back in the 70s

 

[The bad one]

Another fan of fishing on the shelf or slope the maximum depth I fish either on the Northern deep reservoirs 30- 100ft. Deep 20 -50 ft 3 counties meres Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire for tench is 10 ft, preferably 7-8 ft if at all possible.

 

[108831]

From this time of year until temperatures rise push tench up the shelf they will run marginal drop offs as Sam(Chris)suggests,using heavy baiting with maggot and caster does get their interest,when they want to start feeding,its been an odd 'winter' this term,with mild weather up until now,exactly when you would expect temperatures to rise,along with daylight hours lengthening,please keep us updated,its always interesting to hear how others get on with their waters problems...

 

[bencarvosso]

I'll keep you up to speed with my progress. I suspect it'll be a slow burner. But I like a challenge.
Have a couple of shallower lakes to fish in spring before I tackle the deep one. But will defo have it prepped with bait and swims cut out

 

[108831]

Two deep lakes I fish would normally start producing tench in the next three weeks,they are waking up...

 

[bencarvosso]

The levels are in the fields at the moment here. Woulsnt get within 50 yards or the shore line. Flooding terrible in the area and set to get worse

 

[john step]

The levels are in the fields at the moment here. Woulsnt get within 50 yards or the shore line. Flooding terrible in the area and set to get worse

Same everywhere at the moment it seems.