Where do I go wrong?

Clive Neatherway · Jul 7, 2007

Hi,
I am strictly amature, and am well aware of it. But I am also finding it difficult to find advice to improve. The last club match that I took part in was only a week ago. All around me the anglers were pulling out Carp, Tench, Bream and others averaging 4-5lbs with many much larger fish. I couldn't get past the shoals of small Perch that plagued my 'swims'. I tried various depths, distances, baits and sizes of bait / hook, but the Perch took me every time. People either side of me managed to pull good fish, but I couldn't get to them. I fish with Rod and float ( I do not posess a 'Pole') but other anglers were catching with both 'Pole' and 'Rod'.
Help.

Clive

BAZ (Angel of the North) · Jul 7, 2007

Clive,
In match fishing, maybe anglers are not as forthcoming with the information as some people would have us believe.

Keep your eye on the ball, as in the early days you are merely pools fodder. The regulars will not give their secrets up as easily as we are led to believe.

Beecy · Jul 7, 2007

you can only catch whats in front of you.

sounds like you just copped for a peg full of perch

go back to the same venue and plesure fish other areas to get a feel for whats to be cuaght where and on what methods

Terry D · Jul 8, 2007

Did you try pellets, paste, corn and luncheon meat. I doubt you'll be plagued by perch with these baits and they are quite cheap to use. Try and find out what others are catching on. You can't compete if you're only sticking to maggots for instance.

Clive Neatherway · Jul 8, 2007

Thanks for the help.

I did try various baits - but many of the alternatives were restricted / illegal at that water so we all had to stick with a limited variety.

I will persevere.

Tim Rogers 2 · Jul 9, 2007

Try bulking your shot close together to give your bait a faster fall rate through the water,roughly 10inches from your hook. If you still get the same result try feeding maggots to either side of your swim to try to attract the nuisance fish away from your main catching area.Then feed your bigger baits on your main line in between feeding your maggots.

steve m 54 · Jul 17, 2007

I had the same problems when I first started match fishing but fortunately, I am in a very friendly club and received a lot of help from other members. Try going to a match and not fishing-just sit behind anyone who regularly does well and watch what they do-how and what they feed-what lines do they fish ect.
The biggest weapon the most successful match angler has is confidence.
Good luck

glenn melsome · Sep 22, 2007

no honestly

ground bait is the major problem i would have thought

keep an eye on the way there ground baiting

if there ground baiting how much do they put in are they feeding so much it fills the small fish so you can get the bigger fish

or do they no that ground baiting scares the big fish but will bring the small fish into your swim

one of the waters i yous to fish ground bait would kill the swim

ross wightman · Oct 1, 2007

HI I HAVE JUST STARTED FISHING THE RIVER MERSEY AT WARRINGTON AND WANT TO START FISHING IN THE MATCHES BUT IAM STRUGGELING WITH MY CATCHES IAM ONLY CATCHING AROUND 3 POUND IN A 5 HOURE SESSION AS ANY ONE GOT ANY TIPS PLEASE

Gary Dolman · Oct 2, 2007

Hi Clive,

Match fishing is a very enjoyable branch of angling, however, unless you are a very experienced angler it is extremely difficult to compete with some of the older hands. If the matches are local to you spend some time getting to know the venues that you fish, i.e. which pegs are best, which baits are successful, which methods suit you best. You cannot expect to compete in a match unless you can catch regularly at the venue.

If the guys you fish with are not forthcoming, most aren't, then spending some time watching how the most successfull anglers in the club go about it always helps. Don't forget that the draw can humble even the best of anglers, and you can't catch what is not in front of you.

glenn melsome · Oct 10, 2007

the other thing you can do is to yo use a waggler float

on still water i use a still water bluei don't set mine to the tip but to have the water line partly up the stem

this will show a lot more clearer bites or fish knocking into line

you need to put bait into the water around your float if you see it move as to fish bumping into line

teecee · Oct 10, 2007

Clive you dont say if you belong to a club or not.Some a more match fishing orientated than others but it is a great way to learn from the people within the club to find new methods or ask questions about your problems with catching.

Probably ahundred differentanswers to this one but the info offered already looks good to me!!

Hope you progress but you will have to get out more than''once a quarter''as shown in your profile!!!!!(this is a joke-right??)

John Patterson · Dec 11, 2007

clive i used to struggle all the timeall the time trying to copy what the others were doing and telling me what to do then someone told me to leave the maggots alone unless i was after silvers and make the change to corn pellets paste and boilies and to have some practice sessions on my own to try and build my confidence and thats the keyword try to buy apole if you fancy pole fishing it doesnt have to be 16m 13m or 14.5m is enough try to get one with plenty of top kits success wont come straight away i have started to have to win and frame in a few matches good luck mate

Lord Paul · Dec 11, 2007

From myown experience - when you get ashoa; of small perch in front of you and your on caster,maggot or worm you're buggered. I fished one place catching nice Roachon the floatand then perch moved in - I tried as an experiment using a 1.75lb rod 4lb line straight thro' to size 14 hook - well small fish will be wary unles using fine tackle- not the perch.

It was a pleasure session so it was fun for an hour to see the float dip 2 or 3times a minute - sometimes the bait was took as soon as it hit the water - but after an hour I switched to corn and went for bigger fish - but every some often the maggot was used as bait and the perch were still there.

Tally Ho

Where do I go wrong?

Clive Neatherway

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BAZ (Angel of the North)

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Beecy

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Terry D

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Clive Neatherway

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Tim Rogers 2

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steve m 54

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glenn melsome

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ross wightman

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Gary Dolman

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glenn melsome

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teecee

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John Patterson

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Lord Paul

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