Which is more important?

[Gary Dolman]

There are many aspects which have to come into play to ensure a succesfull days fishing, including in no particular order, Venue & swim selection, tackle selection, mastery of technique, feeding.

I have taught my son & daughter to fish, along with several of their friends, and with some success can teach all of the above, fairly successfully with the exception of feeding.

If you watch very successful anglers of most disciplines, I am sure you have said to yourself well I'm as good an angler as he is, so something must be the differential.

Coming from a match/pleasure fishing background I am convinced it is how you feed & the way in which you adapt to the fishes response on a particular day that makes the difference between an OK day and a great day.

How you react is based partly on hardwon experience, and sometimes on a hunch.

What does the team think?

 

[Stick_Float]

Hi there, thought I'd use my first post on this interesting post!

I'd go along with you in saying that feeding is up there, if not, the most important tool in the anglers armoury alongside watercraft/fish location. The art of finding the fish and getting them feeding can not be underestimated and the best anglers out there will know when to feed, what to feed, how much to feed and where to put it. This comes from years of experience and getting to know certain waters habits and trends and building up a database of knowledge.

I think it goes down to the fact that a fisherman with all the gear and new fads etc but who doesn't use the right bait and feeding patterns will be outfished by an angler who uses simple rigs and tactics which may be considered to be outdated but who knows how to feed properly and select bait properly.

Obviously there are mitigating factors and the beauty of fishing is in its unpredictability but the long and short of it is that using the correct bait and feeding patterns are the fundamental to giving yourself a chance of catching a fish. Just my two cents worth!

 

[slime monster]

All the factors mentioned are of course the building blocks of success in a days fishing ,another important one particularly in match fishing is making the right decision early on something that can not be taught or readily explained it is the X factor that separates average anglers from the more successful on a regular basis.

 

[Gary Dolman]

Dave I don't think that fishing has much chance of getting on the X factor, despite the rubbish that turns up for auditions.

In match fishing it was always important to have a plan before starting, and building the swim was vital, I was always worried when I caught from the off, that the peg would blow before the end.

Some waters are renowned for being one bait waters, but it is amazing how having a different approach & the confidence to fish it pays off.

I remember watching the World championships at Evesham, won by Dave Thomas, apologies to younger viewers & being amazed at the continental "bombardment" pre match.

Mind you I also remember watching the same angler fishing the 1st Division national on the upper trent, when his bronze maggot approah swept all before him. He drew a flyer and despite much advice that his was a renowned caster peg, he persisted with the maggot and caught 4 or 5 lbs of bits from a great peg.

 

[Laurie Harper]

To answer the "which is most important" question, it has to be swim selection. The others play a part, but as Walker said, "You can't catch a fish that isn't there..."

 

[Dave Slater]

1) Being in the right place at the right time

2) Swim selection

3) Bait

4) Tackle

I would say this would be the correct order and I could simplify it by just saying instincts and watercraft. These two cover everything apart from luck, which is THE most important factor of all.

 

[Greg Whitehead]

Location.

 

[Muffin]

<blockquote class=quoteheader>Dave Slater wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>

I would say this would be the correct order and I could simplify it by just saying instincts and watercraft. These two cover everything apart from luck, which is THE most important factor of all.</blockquote>


You are a modist man Dave! In your case if you were just lucky to catch all those big chub, then it would also follow that you would have won the lottery by now. Have you? /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

I have to agree that location is a critical factor, as no matter how good your feeding is, if the fish aren't there you wont catch!

I would say confidence in your own ability and tactics is key, as bening positive in your fishing does with me anyway, produce much better results as I'm constantly trying harder to do better.

Simon

 

[no-one in particular]

I can add to that; knowing which species to target by evalulating time of year, weather, temperatures, water colour, etc can help you catch more fish.

 

[Dave Slater]

I did win two lots of £10 last week (2 different lines) on the lottery last week Muffin.

/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

It doesn't matter what you do in fishing, luck is a very important element. Martin Hooper once said to me that the more you do the luckier you get. I fully agree with him. I think you get more in tune with the environment and your watercraft improves.

 

[Keith M]

Walker was right when he indicated that the three most importantfactors when catching good fish are "Location, location and location"followed by the ability to presentyour baitto the fish withoutit knowing you are there or something is wrong.

A mundane bait in the right place is farsuperior than a brilliant bait in the wrong place no matter howmuch or littleyou have fed the swim.

If I am after Bream (which is not very often these days) I usually only topup my groundbaitonce I have had bites.

Likewise if I am Carping I will usually only top up the swim with a few freebies after catching; because rightly or wrongly I always assume that my hookbait was the last bait to be taken.

Imay bewrong but it works for me.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Location of fish doesn't always mean you will catch, we have all had fish in our swims rolling and not a single bite. It goe's without saying that if fish are not in your swim, you will not catch, ( so why did I just say it. doh).

Each day is different, therefore i think you have to allow many of the factors to take part.

How many times have anglers had a good days fishing, gone back, same swim, same weather, same bait and method, fish in the swim, yet you catch nothing, a lessonI learnt at an early age.

Watercraft, rig, feeding it all counts in some way, one doesn't work without the other.

 

[Cakey]

I just hate it when a 40lb carp sticks his head out and says "dont like your rod and reel,not touching your bait"

 

[Laurie Harper]

At least it's a biggun. Even small fish say that to me...

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Cakey,

I know what your saying, those talking fish just do your head in........../forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

 

[Cliff Hatton 2]

I wish Martin Gay was still here to answer the question. Martin was someone very special in the world of angling though this has never been fully recognised - probably because he was so secretive. I fished for the Johnsons tench with Martin throughout the late 70s, all of the 80s and into the early 90s and what I regularly and frustratingly witnessed was the work of an angling genius. Even on those sunny, windy afternoons in high summer when an air of despair and despondency permeated the Johnsons angling fraternity...when even the keenest and 'most-expert' were killing time on their bed-chairs waiting for evening...Martin was rarely able to sit down for more than a few minutes for fear of missing another rod-banger! I constantly found myself thinking - and saying - "well...what am I doing wrong?"

Martin WAS Mr. Logical. He projected his thoughts down and through the water...trying to think like the fish he'd spent so many hundreds of dawns locating and observing. He understood their behaviour, but he'd also weaned the tincas onto a bait which they came to find irresistible; to this day I've no idea what it was for he never gave me the slightest clue! But then, I'd only known him since 1967 so fair's fair...

As for the controversial carp captures of '89, I can assure FM that they were caught - as reported - in the UK, AND that the true weight of the biggest common was probably around 52lbs. Martin's brand new scales bottomed-out at '50' and he was reluctant to report a fish weighing a seemingly too-convenient fifty pounds, so he called it '48' for the sake of credibility. Again, I have absolutely no idea where those incredible fish came from; only that they were totally 'untouched', wild, and living undisturbed lives. Martin acknowledged that HIS activities changed this idyll somewhat, which is why he avoided hammering the water and never, ever told a soul about its whereabouts.

 

[Kevin Perkins]

Hi Cliff

If possible, could you PM me at some stage

Many thanks

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Cliff,

That is my point, Martin worked at it, using all the situations to the point that he caught fish. As good as Martin was, he could never have caught the fish he did, by sitting back letting time pass by.

Martin used all his water craft, feeding methods etc to work as one.

 

[Cliff Hatton 2]

Kev: What the f**k's PM?

 

[JIMMY---PAAS]

Kev: It's a Private Message, just like an Email mate.