Simple tips.

[John Keane]

Couple of little wrinkles using the ever adaptable zip ties.

Anyone who uses an old school rod with sliding reel rings and suffers with the reel dropping off... get the thinnest zip ties you can and put one permanently behind the bottom reel ring. When you’ve fitted your reel put one above the top reel ring but don’t pull it so tight that it indents the cork. Fish happily away with reel secured and, at the end of the session, cut the top one off.

Second tip for pole fishermen who like to fish paste but don’t like an unsightly paste pot stuck on their pole. Just add a small zip tie to the top kit at a place of your choosing and leave the whole tail on the zip tie sticking out. Loop your rig over said zip tie when shipping out and just turn the pole to lower the rig in over your desired fishing spot.

 

[nottskev]

When you plumb up to fish the spot you've picked, find a spot with the same depth a few yards away. You can do something different as regards what you feed or how much with the second spot, and you can swap between them without changing your rig or setting up a second set of gear.

 

[rayner]

I prefer to use the foam rig disks for storing hooks. To get hook lengths the same length use a small piece of wood with two nails at the length you need, hook to one nail wrap the line to the other nail then form a figure 8 knot to tie the loop using a bait threader.
Sounds very tricky but that's probably my explanation. Try it step by step couldn't be easier.

 

[markcw]

When using a cupping kit to put ground bait or large amount of feed in, allow for the droop in the kit,
You may have kit same length as topkit, but when you go to fish over fed area you will be fishing past it, I bought a PI adjustable cupping kit for my pole( other brands available), it hardly bends, whereas most kits
supplied with pole will bend when loaded up.

 

[John Keane]

When using a cupping kit to put ground bait or large amount of feed in, allow for the droop in the kit,
You may have kit same length as topkit, but when you go to fish over fed area you will be fishing past it, I bought a PI adjustable cupping kit for my pole( other brands available), it hardly bends, whereas most kits
supplied with pole will bend when loaded up.

If you’ve got a droopy cupping kit putting balls of ground bait in, when you’re shipping your baited rig out just hold your pole around 6” further up the butt and you’ll be spot on.

 

[markcw]

Couple of little wrinkles using the ever adaptable zip ties.

Anyone who uses an old school rod with sliding reel rings and suffers with the reel dropping off... get the thinnest zip ties you can and put one permanently behind the bottom reel ring. When you’ve fitted your reel put one above the top reel ring but don’t pull it so tight that it indents the cork. Fish happily away with reel secured and, at the end of the session, cut the top one off.

Second tip for pole fishermen who like to fish paste but don’t like an unsightly paste pot stuck on their pole. Just add a small zip tie to the top kit at a place of your choosing and leave the whole tail on the zip tie sticking out. Loop your rig over said zip tie when shipping out and just turn the pole to lower the rig in over your desired fishing spot.

I have always been dubious about using zip tie for paste, it's at the back of my mind that with the flex in the pole with fish on, the zip tie could create a " hard " spot and crack the section. I used to use a gadget that Octoplus made, soft rubber to put on section with a tag on it.. Seeing as I now fish paste in the margins or on a topkit plus 2, I have found I can just ship out as normal.

 

[markcw]

If you’ve got a droopy cupping kit putting balls of ground bait in, when you’re shipping your baited rig out just hold your pole around 6” further up the butt and you’ll be spot on.

John, I have seen some of these cupping kits that have a bigger bend in them than Robin Hoods bow when loaded up. I am sure the manufacturers use lower grades of carbon for them on cheaper poles,.
I got a tourney cupping kit with my G50 ,retails about £70 if I had to buy one, and they are supposed to be good kits.it's not a patch on The PI extendable one I bought, Garbolino do a similar one.

 

[rayner]

Doesn't the paste drop off anything used to hang it from? a cup is the only sure-fire way to get paste in the swim in my experience.

 

[John Keane]

Doesn't the paste drop off anything used to hang it from? a cup is the only sure-fire way to get paste in the swim in my experience.

If it’s that soft that it falls off when being shipped out using a zip tie, it’s almost certain to come off when falling through the water. Depends on your paste mix and consistency.

 

[markcw]

Doesn't the paste drop off anything used to hang it from? a cup is the only sure-fire way to get paste in the swim in my experience.

In the margins I am only fishing a topkit plus one, or in front of me on the shelf it's a topkit plus 2. , if I was fishing to far side or down the track then a put would be used. .I always use a self cocking float as well. I have found I get better bite indication,

 

[rayner]

On the whole, all my paste fishing is short. I like paste short because I think it works better in shallow water. Also, I've tried every mix from hard to soft, soft is by far better for me so soft that I wouldn't even look at it a few years ago.
With soft paste fish just suck it in, they can't resist. A more manageable mix I find fish especially carp mouth the bait giving what appear to be line bites that disappear with the softer paste.
For me the softer the better.

 

[Paste paul]

Doesn't the paste drop off anything used to hang it from? a cup is the only sure-fire way to get paste in the swim in my experience.

Hey ........
If you can get your hands on Andy Findlay paste fishing it’s worth it.......
As said a self cocking float needs to be used ideally.......
You put the cup/ pot right at the end of the pole...... I use Preston paste pots the come free with a bag of paste.... I use electrical tape to thicken the end of the pole.....
You half fill the pot with 4or6mm pellets .....
With the hook in the centre of the paste you put it on top of the pellets...... ship out and tip it in ....
My paste floats are adapted..... so I bought some cheap 99p paste floats from fishing republic..... I then wrapped solder round the stem at the base when the float was shorted perfectly I glue the solder to the stem and dip it in black paint....... I then use ordinary float rubbers at the base of the float......I also get an hot pin and burn an hole in the very tip of the float for the line to go through or you can use a float rubber......this is mainly to stop tangles it stops the tip catching the line....
Margin wise I do like to use blobs or very small floats ..... I don’t bother with self cocking these I just put a shot under the float.
Paste wise I agree softer the better...... it’s just a confidence thing....
I started of by fishing close and short and when I worked it out I started going longer and deeper.....
I won’t hesitate to fish the far bank of a snake lake with paste..... it’s surprising how it can pull bigger fish in or produce bites when you couldn’t get them.....

 

[rayner]

Getting away from the paste.
I prefer to use 4lb reel line for waggler fishing, using a heavier line with waggler to hold the locking shot protecting my 4lb, so I tie a 6ft length of 6lb line to my reel line using my obligatory figure 8 knot a loop in the end to attach my hook.
6ft because the water I fish is 5ft deep at most.

 

[Paste paul]

Getting away from the paste.
I prefer to use 4lb reel line for waggler fishing, using a heavier line with waggler to hold the locking shot protecting my 4lb, so I tie a 6ft length of 6lb line to my reel line using my obligatory figure 8 knot a loop in the end to attach my hook.
6ft because the water I fish is 5ft deep at most.

Is this a bit like a shock leader on the feeder ?.......
seems like a great idea

 

[John Keane]

Getting away from the paste.
I prefer to use 4lb reel line for waggler fishing, using a heavier line with waggler to hold the locking shot protecting my 4lb, so I tie a 6ft length of 6lb line to my reel line using my obligatory figure 8 knot a loop in the end to attach my hook.
6ft because the water I fish is 5ft deep at most.

I just use a home-made waggler adapter which is a very small snap-link swivel trapped between 2 float stops. No thicker line needed, no damage from locking shot.

 

[bracket]

I always tie a needle to the end of my reel line. It makes threading through the rod rings quick and simple, particularly on a cold morning, plus if you drop the line it doesn't slip back through the rings. I also thread the float rubbers on to the line using the needle. When packing up, I replace the needle onto the reel line for next time. It will also prevent the line "getting lost" under the bell of a close faced reel, with I tend to use for most of my trotting. Not really an innovative tip just good practice. Pete.

 

[rayner]

I just use a home-made waggler adapter which is a very small snap-link swivel trapped between 2 float stops. No thicker line needed, no damage from locking shot.

All good ideas, you don't say how you attach shots, do you only use loaded floats? I like to use split shot, I do use loaded floats but not all my floats are loaded by choice. Some times correctly placed shot can counteract drift, not something that can be achieved with loaded floats.
For me, a length of a heavier line is no trouble to tie, and far easier. It certainly does nothing to impede casting or prevent the float from settling correctly, in fact, the thicker line makes for a slower fall when fishing on the drop.
I've gone through sliding silicon on the line to fix shot to save the line from damage, I've tried swivels and float stops but I'm old school when it comes to most things in float fishing with running line. I prefer my way with as Paste Paul described it as a shock leader.
If I chose the wrong float which does happen on occasion it's no trouble for me to break down the set up to change.
I find tying knots easy they're even therapeutic in a fashion, they're certainly more tidy looking than silicon and swivels to my eye.
I'm not saying your tip is not good, I just prefer a more simple way of attaching floats with bulk shots.

 

[Keith M]

I can’t remember breaking my hooklengths over the last few years because of shot being put onto my lines, although it has happened to me in the past when I used to squeeze them a little too hard many years ago, and when the lead alternatives first came out.

I use line that has a shot resistant surface like ‘Floatfish’ or ‘Pro-Float’ or ‘Pro-Rig’ and I only pinch my shot on just firm enough to hold it still without it slipping, and I still have a large shot container full of size 8 lead shot (which is softer and still legal) for my dropshot.

If I’m using a method that doesn’t need a bulk shot at the base of the float I use rubber float stops, or I use some rubber tubing to hold my short section of peacock quill held onto my line if I’m fishing the lift method for Tench.

If I’m using a much larger and heavier float (which is very rare for me) I use fine rubber tubing with the larger shot pinched over that.

Shot weakening my line is not a problem that I have nowerdays (famous last words )

Keith

 

[John Keane]

I often use an in-line olivette instead of a bulk (principally when trotting but occasionally on the waggler) but obviously that’s only good when you don’t want a slow drop with shirt-button shot spacing. To be honest I’m not overly concerned with shot damaging the line. I only squeeze them on lightly and if one drops off during fishing or casting I’ll know immediately by the way the float sits. I’m not mad on weighted floats as I find them a ball-ache when plumbing up.

 

[laguna]

With anglers now starting to get out but with tackle shops mostly being closed, many are once again turning towards home made baits be it; ground bait, boilies or chops (pellets), home made pellets etc.
The alternative to maggots would be worms of course, and for those not too keen on digging there are many solutions one being gathering them from compost heaps. Look to areas where grass is regularly cut and piled you will find reds.

Here's a tip for making your own worms using jelly and a bunch of straws!



Those of you who are thinking of rolling your own baits at home, you can make around 80 x 12mm boilies using various kitchen ingredients and one medium sized egg. You will need just 100g of dry ingredients and a few drops of flavour and cooking oil or any fish oil you may have to hand.
You don't need any special equipment to make them as they can be rolled into sausage shapes by hand on a table, any size/shape can be rolled into balls or cut straight with a knife for chops (pellet shaped).
Method: Add dry ingredients gradually to one beaten MEDIUM sized egg and form into a soft dough, leave to rest for a while, roll and boil.
For a couple of quid you can buy a One-Egg-Mix instead to start you off Make your own Carp boilies with ONE-EGG-MIX™ (requires one medium egg) | eBay
Use your hands for making small quantities or if you already have a boilie gun you will need to cut the nozzle smaller than the intended sausage size example; cut it at about 13mm for 15mm boilies to allow for the paste expanding as it leaves the gun.
If you want to make a gun you can use an empty silicone tube with a bit of string attached to the plunger for easy removal/refilling.