What's wrong with my pole setup?

[Keith Hampson]

Hi, yesterday I fished a match on my local Kiveton waters, I used pole and worm hook bait, however I got snapped 8 times on the pole, I have a yellow elastic (not sure what number it is) and 5lb main line and a 4.5lb hook lenghth to a size 14 hook, when I hooked a fish it just kept going and going and then snapped me, am I doing something wrong? I am new to match fishing and I need to learn a lot, can anyone give me some advice please, as it happens I still caught 38lb of fish and finished 3rd.

Keith

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

well done on 3rd

did the fish you lost go in to reeds?

is the elastic too loose?

I don't pole fish much so other may have a better idea

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Not sure t.b.h.

However, a 'yellow' elastic in Preston is only about a size 6's so maybe you need to go up a good few sizes if its Carp of a decent size you are getting in the match.

Just thought, if its a Preston Extra Yellow elastic then its around a size 16's so probably no need to change that.

Look at the tension of the elastic too, as if its too taught then a good sized fish can bottom that out and result in a break.

Whereabouts are you breaking? Hook length, aboove the hooklength or higher up the rig?

 

[Keith Hampson]

I lost the fish in open water, I was snapped 4 times on the hooklength, once just above the hooklength and 3 times I lost the lot including floats,my elastic was hanging out of the tip so I tightened it up around the bung

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

I think you'd better spell out what brands of line and hooklink you are using and although it was 'yellow' elastic it tells us nothing, could be anything from a number 4 to a 16. I have 6 and 8 both yellow and Preston Slip Fluoro is 6 and 12 in yellow. Also what seemed to be the average weight of the fish you were losing?

 

[Keith Hampson]

I took the top 2 sections to my local tackle shop, told him what type of fishing I was doing and left it with him, I was using 5lb maxima line and a 4.5lb animal barbless hooklenght

 

[bennygesserit]

I took the top 2 sections to my local tackle shop, told him what type of fishing I was doing and left it with him, I was using 5lb maxima line and a 4.5lb animal barbless hooklenght

All the above advice is sound - more detail is needed , once thats sorted I would add that its worth watching an accomplished match angler catch carp on a pole , they have this knack of leading them in like a dog by dropping the pole , don;t forget the more you pull a carp the more it pulls back.

 

[Keith Hampson]

An angler told me to put the pole under the water when you hook a big en, so in your eyes I'm not fishing too light? I have another match on Saturday on lodge farm so I need to improve, sounds easy but when you don't know what you doing wrong then its hard to get your head around it and let's face it, there's a lot of anglers enjoy your failure and I'm not here to line there pockets or I will have expensive lessons,

 

[Danny Lancaster]

How are you attaching your hook-length? If you are breaking off in this area, I would first look at the connection itself. I use a conventional loop to loop connection and touch-wood it never lets me down. The only time I tend to break up around the hooklength is when I have a shot pinched a bit too tightly in that area, or if the rig has been used a few times and the shots have been moved around.

I also like to use hollow elastics, but these take a bit of getting used to for playing bigger fish as they have a lot more stretch in them. If you fish in open water though it may be a good thing to practise and master. White or Black Daiwa Hydro is good and the Preston Hollow elastics are excellent.

Dipping the pole in the water will always help to cushion a run from fish as the extra tension caused by the water itself will help slow the fish down and protect your gear. Take your time, get the fish down to your top two or three setions then gently lift the fish to your net. If you miss, make sure you have your other sections handy as the fish will go bonkers in your margin.

 

[Keith Hampson]

Thanks, very useful info, I always make fresh rigs each session, I also use loop to loop and I never put shot on the hooklength, I will practice as I have another match in Saturday so let's see if I can have a better session and improve on 3rd.

Keith

 

[chefster]

why dont you try using preston reflo line in 0.17 or0.19 mm main line to 0,15 or 0.13mm hook length ,16 or 18 pr36 hook or similar ,and white hydro or 11h hollow this with a puller bung should land pretty much anything in open water if you take your time and keep your pole low until the fish is in netting range, hope this helps chef

 

[sagalout]

Maver coloured latex elastics have 3 that look yellow, 6, 16 and 20. They are all slightly different but to my eyes and not side by side they look yellow.

I think you are probably getting a carp or a tench and it is bottoming the elastic and breaking the line. I had a period of this last year and resolved it by gradually upping the lines until I ended up at .19 mainline and .17 hook link.

 

[strutman]

When they shoot off like that I would say they are Foul hooked. Happens when you have a lot of fish in the swim

 

[bennygesserit]

Dont you need shot on the hooklength to help bite indication? Not related to the hook pull issue though.

 

[8721markc]

a number of things i would check or change to fix this.

for fishing on this venue i would use a 12 or 14 size elastic (solid)
or grey or black hydro
a good main line and hooklength or if there are no snags go straight through with preston 5 lb line
onece the fish is hooked try keeping the tip of the pole under water until the fish settles and start shipping back, one you have your top two in hand keep the tip all the way under water and drive the fish until it is ready for landing.

tight lines.

 

[bas16]

I agree with Strutman, The carp were probably foul hooked.

Did the elastic appear to vibrate when the fish bolted?