What do you do?

I'm curious as to what steps you take, if any, if you're not catching anything or not as much as you think you should be.

We'll take it as if you're in session.
i.e. you'd expect at least 3 fish in a day from your lake and it's midday and you've not had a sniff yet.

Do you look to move, change bait, change rig, sit it out etc etc

What do you normally do and why?

If I know I'm on fish I'll stay put. If I've fed heavily and suspect that they're not getting on to it I'll try baits to the edges or a rodlength or two away from the feed, often with something completely different eg single flouro pop-up to halt them in their tracks or zig rig presentation or small pva bag with minimal freebies.

If I think there are fish on the feed and I'm not getting pick-ups or indeed, getting them but no indication, (eg liners, movement over etc) then I'll play around with rigs or the concealment of my lines (eg leadcore instead of tubing)or even the way the bait is fished (eg method instead of stringer).

The only times I tend to move is if a big weather change visibly moves the fish, bankside disturbance moves them or if I'm convinced I've chosen my swim wrongly.

My first move Rik, nearly always, is to go and talk to anyone else fishing and see if I'm missing anything obvious and check their success. At least there is a possibility to eliminate some options.

If I hadn't had a sniff I would come a sweeping conclusion that it wasn't my rig (unless perhaps I was fishing bottom and could put on a pop up, as an example). I just figure that if there are feeding fish, you normally get some indications, so if you haven't "had a sniff", then is it really the rig? As I say, a bit sweeping.

So I would either sit tight, especially if I thought I had a reasonable plan, or use one rod and explore around, either with a method or PVA. If I change bait it is normally to something "totally different". By that I mean if boilies, pellets or paste are my main baits, I always carry a tub of shrimps, cockles and worms for a real change. Its amazing how a complete change can spark something, especially using cockles.

If I can see fish movement elsewhere, but none in my swim I think I'd move !

Not very scientific. There are also times when too many Stellas mean I just say "ah sod it" and I enjoy the relaxation !

If I saw fish consistently showing in other areas of the lake, Id like to think Id get off my lazy @rse and move.
But you know how it is......."I'll give it 30 mins and if nothing, then i'll move".......30 mins later, "that went quick, I'll give it another 20".......before you know it, the day is closing in!

I don't normally fish waters where I can expect 3 fish a day!

If I did, hmm? Midday - not long enough into a session to make rash decisions! If I'm doing, for example, 3 days/nights, then 24hrs is about right to wait before thinking about moving.

I will of course already have, hopefully, made the right decision swim-wise, after carefully considering swim-availablitiy, visible features, etc, therefore I would show a little more patience, all the time looking for further signs of fish movement!

Obviously, prior to casting a baited hook out, I will have leaded aroubnd a bit and checked out the topography of the lake bed - looking for the usual underwater features, and of course whether there is silt present as this will determine the type of rig I choose.

If there are no further signs of carp topping, rolling, no swirls, leaping, dancing a pirouette (sp), or whatever, then I would normally try something different bait-wise. Such as pop-ups, perhaps off the lead, or perhaps a flouro of some kind! Just something different that might tempt a wary or otherwise disinterested carp!

If I'm fishing 3 rods, and the baited hook is sitting nicely amongst freebies etc then 2 rods would be left alone, and I would dould limit the experimentation to the 3rd rod!

If I've done the above correctly then I won't be changing rigs! Unless I get takes/bites that I have missed, then the rigs would need to be looked at after ascertaining the possible reasons for missing them?

Think thats about it - sorry, probably reads a bit disjointed. Just thinking of me feet, sorry arse!

Would try most of the above with the exception of moving, a bit lazy I know but I don't do more than 48 hours normally and enjoy the relaxation and camping.
I do take my time deciding where to fish but If I get it wrong then so be it, I enjoy just being at the lake.
I do enough moving about on the river and like my carping to be agro free, though I will do any thing else I can to catch.
My lake is only 6 acres and I usually winkle at least a couple out.

Mind you Rik, my bivvy is a Chub rapid xs, you can erect it in a about 2 minutes but it takes about 1/2 hour to peg the bloody thing out.

..........and its called rapid????????

Malcolm, when its up its great but I think they were taking the pee.
Seriously, it does take about 15 miniutes to peg out and thats without doing the guy ropes!!

If I was carping, i would try to choose a swim carefully, as I like to chill out now and then. It's wrong I know but carping isn't my thing so choose caefully and stay put.

Piking, I will move about every 90 minuets when dead baiting, working my way back to the car.

On the river if I haven't caught whithin the hour, I will often move but not all the time. Especially when you get that feeling that the fish will come on, but might have to wait.

When I used tp Carp I would move if I'd gone 90 minutes or so without even a liner. My decision would depend on any fish I'd seen, what other people were catching, time of year, how well I knew the water etc.

The difficulty of the water would be a consideration.

Usually I'd start casting more often. I sometime think the bait could just tucked under a leaf, out of view and a re-cast would get the fishes attention.

I'd wait until the silly sod in the blue boiler suit has gone then cast into his swim where my mate saw some fish jumping.

if there were fish in the swim but they didnt seem to want to feed, reel in for an hour or so....its amazing what affect not having any lines in the water can have on the fish. sometimes.

nice one Jeff.

Good point Frothy! When Iv'e been in France for a week, I have allowed the swim to rest for up to 24 hrs.
















.......Oh ok then, I was pissed and could'nt fish for 24 hrs!