Feature Finding with a Marker Float

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Andy M

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Very nice article, clearly presented but as with all such explanations of marking and indeed many other comments/articles etc that are posted regarding location of features they always leave a gap with regard to measurement of distance. This article is a case in point: put are marker on your line fine but then what? What if you find two or three features in your search of the swim??

If I was going to map a swim I would surely need depths and distances (angles as well for that matter but that is perhaps getting too pernickity

Casting distance is a related issue, we hear much of 30yds out 50 over 80 etc. How do people know that what they think is 30yds is anything of the sort?

I have set up a marker rod and was intending to try and mark the line in 5yd intervals. Has anyone else done this and if so what method of marking did they use such that you can not only see the marks but have some idea of distance on each mark?
 
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Andy M

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Hi Cakey, Is this one of those gadgets that fits on your rod nr the butt and measures the line run through? Much resistance?
 
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Cakey

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yes and no resistance but I dont fit it on until I find a feature and I reel back in !
 
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Cakey

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I mark with pole float elastic with a loop and the loop goes behind the line clip
 
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Andy M

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That's fine if you are fishing the swim at the same time as I assume you use the marker float as a target. But what if you are just on a recce and looking for features in several swims, you would then need your counter, I assume.
 
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Cakey

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yes thats right but I d still only use it on the way back........
 
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Andy M

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I said 3 AAs not 4! And why has this thread become a dialog - I suspect all the lurkers havn't a clue how far they castwith different tacke but have been claiming 120yds to all in the pub!
 
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Rob Thomas

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Having met Ian this year hes a very accomplished tackle tart (sorry Ian I mean angler of course only joking hee...hee) /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif that writes well written articles & is very forthcoming with all his aquired knowledge. He taught me about back leads which i'd not thought about using till last year as always had problems with them falling off the line. As to regards distance I know this is a very crude way of doing the job but I have a metre length measurement on my rod marked with tippex (marked from my reel seat upwards toward the tip of the rod),that I can use to pay out line &measure the distance resonably accurately. Once the distance is obtained you simply tie aknot of power gum onto the line so you know exactly where you have to feather the line to as you cast out thus ensuring as long as you cast out the same direction you have a reasonable chance of getting your hookbait into a fairly tight area. This workswellfor me for short to medium distances but you'd probably struggle for long range i'd imagine but hope it helps some?

Rob. /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif
 
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Bully

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I may be missing something, but why do you need to know the actual distance? If you go on a feature find of a swim then I would presume you sketch a little map, and then when you go back you simply quickly re-cast your marker rod to establish the position and go from there?

Its not as if you stand there and say "right, I have to cast 75 yards due east"?

I think the actual measurement is irrelavent.
 
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Rob Thomas

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Quite important on some lakes if you want to find gravel bars you have to be fairly precise sometimes can think of a good few lakes where this holds true else you'll be lucky to pick up a fish or maybe theres weed around these bars & you aren't to know if you are fishing in this weed or the gravel bar unless you get the distance correct. Dont usually bother sketching maps these days use google earth as its a far more precise tool than a sketch & you can use it to measure distances.

Rob./forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif
 
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Andy M

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You have missed something Bully, unless you only fish one swim in one venue. If you want your little sketch to mean anything after visiting another swim with same marker rod you need some idea of distance, unless you just keep looking for the same feature each time.

However, that was only one point, the other was that I should like to know on what quantitative basis so many writers regularly refer to distances cast, how far you can catapult, before turning to a spod etc etc.
 
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Rob Thomas

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No worries Andy theres another one think its called windows live local or something you can use it to find a good few features in your local lakes that you'd otherwise overlook that I use as well. I think these days theres so many tools at our disposal its a shame not to use them especially as tackle & terminal rigs are getting so much more sophisticated these days then so should our fishing get more sophisticated I guess?

I certainly feel that it gives me a edge & has banked me a fair few more fish than I otherwise would of.

Rob. /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif
 
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Bully

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Nope - still dont get it Andy. To use your words "you need some idea of distance". Sure, but who actually measures the distance? You just just do as I do, guess. And whether its one swim or 20 when casting around you simply look at something that is relative and say its half way across, two thirds etc. and yes, sketch a map for future reference.

To put it another way, if you were presented with a map of a lake, with features marked, how would you say "right, I am going to cast 50 yards". You wouldn't. You would still get out your marker rod first.

I have been fortunate to fish with a number of very good (fat) carp anglers, and I never ever knew them to talk actuall distances. A good guess maybe, but I have never seen anyone actually measure the real distance.
 
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Cakey

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Andy like I said 120 yards easy............................. I pva 3oz leads
 
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Cakey

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Bully all it is that he likes a map so he needs to write down distance whereas most find the feature each time they go
 
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