Its been a while....

I am going to start coarse fishing again as soon as possible, maybe even this week, the last time i went was about 10 years ago when i was a kid, and alwalys with someone else to shot the line up etc. basically i have the same sort of gear i had before, bog standard rod/reel, various weight lines, shots of various sizes (BB, AAA, no.6 etc), various floats. just really need to know how to set the line up for the water depth etc. It will just be general coarse fishing to start with, maybe some smaller carp catches, all on still lakes for now, just while im still wet behind the ears (not literally!). if anyone can help that would be ideal, or maybe point me in the direction of an informative website???
Cheers guys

You've found the right website already for a start!

"just really need to know how to set the line up for the water depth etc"

Am assuming by this you mean plumbing the depth Dave!

Attach your float and hook, then attach the plummet!

For plummets, I prefer the type with cork underneath, stick the hook in here after passing it through the eye on the plummet first.

Set your depth to however deep you think it is (ie that is the distance between the top of your float and the hook) then cast out to where you intend to fish.

If your float sinks out of sight, then you need to put more depth on by moving your float up the line, if the float lies flat then make the depth shallower (move the float nearer to the hook).

Keep adjusting until just the top 1/8 of an inch is showing (depending on how good your eyesight is) this is then the depth of that particular area.

Then make a point of having a mental mark on your rod as to how deep it is, eg if the hook is in your hand next to the reel, make a note which rod eye does the float line up next to! This will help if you want to adjust the depth or if you snap off or such like and save you time plumbing again.

After that, shot your float up, so that 1/8 of an inch is showing and away you go!

Hope this helps!

You might find this little lot useful...

http://www.fishingmagic.com/news/article/mps/UAN/3953/v/4/sp/ - go to end of introduction to see entire series.

Also look in technique/beginners for Dave Cooper's articles

Have too say, this is the bestsite ive found for information and help.

Bob

thanks everyone, most helpful already. Eddie, the way u describe it is very familiar, but after this i remeber seeing several smaller shot at incriments between the float and the hook, what effect does this have, and surely adding these will put my pre-plumbed line length out ie make the top of the float sink??? but thanks, it really made me smile that u explain it and i can picture what you are saying- also must buy a plumb weight!!!

thanks mark, just been scanning through your "episode 10", it really is bringing it all back! cheers

Dave, if I was fishing a stillwater, I would probably put most of the shot immediately either side of the float, thus locking the float in place.

So after plumbing the depth, if the float was a 2BB waggler, I would put 1BB either side of the float then just a few smaller shots say size 8 or 10 down the line to dot the float down!