Does an inch or 25mm really matter that much?

Peter Bishop · Feb 11, 2007

Now I know what you are thinking, and maybe an inch does matter in some circumstances, but what about fishing?
Have just returned from a short session on a lake where a guy who had done well recently on the same swim told me about a deeper hole about four sections out where he caught.
Well, I spent 20 minutes carefully plumbing up and while the swim deepened from 3.5 ft in the margin to about 4.25ft at five metres out I could find no appreciable difference in the bottom, just one spot the area of tea plate ( a depression rather that a hole) that might have been maybe 25mm deeper.
Do you think that is enough to make a difference, doesn't seem significant enough to be a spot that food collects.
I think think this guy was just lucky to drop onto feeding fish on the day and now puts that down to the inch difference in the bottom at that spot. What do you think?

Cakey · Feb 11, 2007

that inch could make a big difference if thats where the natural food is

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA) · Feb 11, 2007

As silly as it sounds Peter, it just might make a difference.

I have spent many hours watching tench feed on crystal clear gravel pits, and they seemed, on one occasion, to patrol regularly over a deep spot beween two gravel bars.

Perhaps that's where food will tend to collect.

matt · Feb 11, 2007

As well as collection of food. The fish feel secure in a deeper spot. Even if the variation is slight, if its the deepest spot the fish will like it.

Peter Bishop · Feb 11, 2007

But fish dont carry plummets.How would they know the bottom was one inch deeper at that point than anywhere around them? When that area is only the size of a small tea plate, I don't buy the feel secure theory.
We are not talking about a defined shelf here where food would naturally collect, more a slight depression on an otherwise consistently level bottom at that distance out.
My idea of 'hole' is something maybe a metre in diameter with 50-100mm difference in depth form the surrounding bottom.

captain carrott · Feb 11, 2007

maybe the reason it's deeper there is because the fish have found some natural food and have made it deeper.

Graham Whatmore · Feb 11, 2007

I'm inclined to think it may be a natural feeding area and the one inch depression has nothing to do with it at all.

Frothey · Feb 12, 2007

like jason and cakey says, its probably deeper because the fish have made it deeper through feeding on it.

Beecy · Feb 12, 2007

I cant see it making much difference in that situation Peter.

Your question ?does an inch matter? is something that I have spent a lot of time thinking about myself but in regards to at what depth you fish rather than in what depth of water.

In many technique articles much is made of accurate plumbing and you are told to fish dead depth, an inch off bottom, two inches over etc etc?.

Now although I agree plumbing is important I?m not sure wether or not these subtle changes in the depth you fish make as much difference as is often made out. We are not fishing on snooker tables and you can never accurately calculate the effects of tow and currents on a rig, what you think may be dead depth with a plummet on may actually be a few inches off bottom when you fish.

There?s no disputing the fact that slight changes to depth or shotting can sometimes make a difference but the science behind it is a mystery to me !

Peter Bishop · Feb 12, 2007

Many thanks chaps for your thoughts. I had hoped it might prompt more discussion than it has, but it seems some are more interested in piss taking each other in Bait box. Maybe one day I'll invite the Korda cameras down to our club waters so we can see whats happening!

Jeff ( Lucky ) Spiller · Feb 12, 2007

I have been reading about natural food holding area's and fish may naturally dig or scratch around in this area.
( this month's course fisherman )
I think the camera is the only sure way of knowing.

Peter Bishop · Feb 12, 2007

Great shout Jeff. Maybe its the fish themselves that have formed the depression in the bottom at that location with their feeding. Fascinating theory though.
Would love to know what its attracts them to certain spots in the first place.

EC · Feb 12, 2007

Flatties do that Pete, make their own depressions, you can see the marks in the gullies down our shore.

Danny Lancaster · Feb 13, 2007

It could be that the make-up of the bottom is ever so slightly different in that one spot Peter, in the sense that the silt in that spot is was originally a little deeper and contained a greater supply of natural food for the fish. Over time the fish could have dug away at this area and created the "dish" effect.

Whether that inch or so makes a difference to your fishing, I think it would. You have found an area where there is potentially evidence of regular feeding activity and can use this to your advantage when fishing/feeding the swim.

Beecy · Feb 13, 2007

could also be that the silt is softer in that spot - may not be actualy deeper but the plummet sinks in ?

might be worth using a wider base plummet to check ( a 50p with a bit of cork glued on )

Peter Bishop · Feb 13, 2007

Thanks again Danny and Beecy for your thoughts. You both make very valid points and next time I fish there will make a point of checking for deposits on the base of the plummet. The guy who told me about it swears that if you move the float/rig a metre either way the bites dried up!

Frothey · Feb 13, 2007

if you think its full of naturals, put a treble hook on, set it up over depth and drag the hook through the spot, you should pick up the odd bloodworm, etc

Peter Bishop · Feb 13, 2007

Frothey, the bloodworm theory is very interesting. I recall Bob James once talking about looking for signs of bloodworm and you will find a carp patrol route. He reckoned they emit tiny, tiny, bubbles. What do you think?
Is there a optimum depth for bloodworm, or water temperature? Anything you can tell me about them would add to the picture.

captain carrott · Feb 14, 2007

you find them in silt, which tends to collect in depressions in the lake bed.
the fish then find a bit of silt with a high concentration of bloodworm in it, blow the silt all over the place and there you have your small hole which the fish visit regularly looking for a bit of grub.

Frothey · Feb 14, 2007

no optimum depth, no optimum temp to look for - they can be anywhere

Does an inch or 25mm really matter that much?

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