Chasing The Bubblers

wanderer · Jan 3, 2016

Picture a summer morning, the mist rolling over an Estate lake or a gravel pit, 4 o clock and a mass of bubbles greets you, no weed to speak of but deep silt, 12 foot of water and the bubbles are usually in the same area on a daily basis.
You are sure that it is fish, no gasses from the bottom as they move around with trails and with the distinctive traces of different species, you have prebaited the area and yet, you cannot buy a bite, has this happened to you, if so any theories, tackle varied right down to match levels, baits altered, puzzled, help me out guys.

Chefster · Jan 3, 2016

wanderer said:
Picture a summer morning, the mist rolling over an Estate lake or a gravel pit, 4 o clock and a mass of bubbles greets you, no weed to speak of but deep silt, 12 foot of water and the bubbles are usually in the same area on a daily basis.
You are sure that it is fish, no gasses from the bottom as they move around with trails and with the distinctive traces of different species, you have prebaited the area and yet, you cannot buy a bite, has this happened to you, if so any theories, tackle varied right down to match levels, baits altered, puzzled, help me out guys.

My theory is that if there are fish there ,you will be getting some sort of indication to work on,ie liners etc,very rare to have fish stirring up the bottom,and get no indications at all..Gazza

wanderer · Jan 3, 2016

You do get liners Gazza, but i have gone down very light but you cant buy a bite, the tackle i have explored, with you stand no chance of landing the fish, but curiosity provoked the experiment, this phenomenon has me really perplexed.

Chefster · Jan 3, 2016

wanderer said:
You do get liners Gazza, but i have gone down very light but you cant buy a bite, the tackle i have explored, with you stand no chance of landing the fish, but curiosity provoked the experiment, this phenomenon has me really perplexed.

A big standout bait,fished off the deck,a couple of big dendras,has worked for me,also starting a fresh line,a metre or so away from the bubbles,with just a little bit of bait...what are you pre-baiting with?If your feeding a lot of small particle baits,such as hemp or micro pellet,fish will become pre-occupied.Gazza

Jon Leckie · Jan 3, 2016

few questions/ ideas about the silt
I'm wondering about the depth of the silt, is the bait sinking into it and becoming lost?
would a balanced hookbait sitting on top of the silt help, alternatively does it need a bait sinking into the silt?
if there are lots of fish regularly in the same spot wouldnt they move the silt with their activity

tonybull · Jan 3, 2016

Maybe the fish have found pockets of bloodworm ?

When I used fish gravel pits and had similar bubbling the only bait I could catch on was caster.

On rod and line as well, always Tench I caught. Used to feed plenty of casters over the float area or if I was fishing a little further out would use a small cage feeder with red sensa lake ground bait with some brown crumb with caster and caster as hook bait.

wanderer · Jan 3, 2016

Chefster said:
A big standout bait,fished off the deck,a couple of big dendras,has worked for me,also starting a fresh line,a metre or so away from the bubbles,with just a little bit of bait...what are you pre-baiting with?If your feeding a lot of small particle baits,such as hemp or micro pellet,fish will become pre-occupied.Gazza

Very possible Gazza, but boilie blanket anglers get the same problem in this area.

---------- Post added at 04:45 ---------- Previous post was at 04:42 ----------

Jon Leckie said:
few questions/ ideas about the silt
I'm wondering about the depth of the silt, is the bait sinking into it and becoming lost?
would a balanced hookbait sitting on top of the silt help, alternatively does it need a bait sinking into the silt?
if there are lots of fish regularly in the same spot wouldnt they move the silt with their activity

Yes John, i had thought about that and extended the hooklink on inlines to 2 feet and as a result had to strike when bites were acheived where this would not usually be the norm.

---------- Post added at 04:48 ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 ----------

tonybull said:
Maybe the fish have found pockets of bloodworm ?

When I used fish gravel pits and had similar bubbling the only bait I could catch on was caster.

On rod and line as well, always Tench I caught. Used to feed plenty of casters over the float area or if I was fishing a little further out would use a small cage feeder with red sensa lake ground bait with some brown crumb with caster and caster as hook bait.

The bloodworm tend to reside in the shallower areas of this one, there is a run off from the top lake and about 4 foot of water, i have the mossy bites from night fishing to emphasise the point.

rayner · Jan 3, 2016

Perhaps fish gill feeding on maybe on your prebait, or anything that's resting in a bit of silt
I would fish a yard from the fizz and an inch off bottom.

Chefster · Jan 3, 2016

If you think the fish are allready residing there,i cant see the need to pre-bait,just fish hookbaits and minimal feed,basically all the pre-baiting is just encouraging the fish to dig into the silt...Gazza

wanderer · Jan 3, 2016

Prebaiting is more to do with bait familiarisation Gazza, the boilie boys when they have piled it in have scored, me its always a different type of bait, its five acres , not overstocked but a fair chance, nothing has to take your bait, so they must be convinced the bait is something natural, i study you guys match skills and apply them whenever possible, some of you blokes could catch when i never could and i balance my tackle to accomodate, but in this particular area, i have tried everything and i am appealling to your wisdom to nake me suceed where i have previuosly failed, this is where all knowledge enhances our sport, no one is better than any one else.

Chefster · Jan 3, 2016

wanderer said:
Prebaiting is more to do with bait familiarisation Gazza, the boilie boys when they have piled it in have scored, me its always a different type of bait, its five acres , not overstocked but a fair chance, nothing has to take your bait, so they must be convinced the bait is something natural, i study you guys match skills and apply them whenever possible, some of you blokes could catch when i never could and i balance my tackle to accomodate, but in this particular area, i have tried everything and i am appealling to your wisdom to nake me suceed where i have previuosly failed, this is where all knowledge enhances our sport, no one is better than any one else.

To be honest,when that happens we all sctratch our heads and pull our hair out,generally on a commercial ,its cos we,ve overfed,we just start a new swim,and try again to get it right,the sort of venue your fishing is a different kettle of fish,and i think you need more specialised help

Ray Daywalker Clarke · Jan 3, 2016

If making the hook length longer doesn't work, try going with a very short hook length, sometimes that can work just as well.

Try a nice big bit of bread flake, under used bait on many waters.

good luck.

laguna · Jan 3, 2016

I have come across a few swims where tiny bubbles appear in the margins, but invariably turns out to be gas if they persist.
If targeting tench, and you're sure they're there, I reckon a fermented strawberry prawn will be on the cards next summer lol

barbelboi · Jan 3, 2016

Here's one I 'borrowed' from Fred J. Apart from the usual suspects wheat can be very effective for tench in muddy/silty ponds (estate lakes, etc) when they are fizzing like mad and not at all interested in your bait. With this type of bottom tench will be searching for natural food in the mud and this will usually be 'small food' with the fish so pre-occupied with this that they become completely oblivious to the angler's larger unnatural bait.

So a small bait, heavy enough to sink just below the surface of the mud is required - stewed wheat, if not over cooked is just heavy enough to sink into the mud and, if scattered around the swim will often wean them off the natural bait and on to the wheat. Obviously a largish shot is needed close to the small hook so that the hooked wheat will also sink into the mud, after a while the bites can become 'lightning' quick.

john step · Jan 3, 2016

Yes it can drive you nuts. As previously stated, sometimes you can see it happening in shallow water where there are no fish.

Are there crucians or eels doing it and not tench??

snooozer · Jan 3, 2016

wanderer said:
Yes John, i had thought about that and extended the hooklink on inlines to 2 feet and as a result had to strike when bites were acheived where this would not usually be the norm.

Was that on a pop up Steve ?

Just thinking Zigs at varying depths but i suspect the Boilie boys already tried that ?

wanderer · Jan 3, 2016

Tried pop ups and critically balanced wafters, even freelining, its just a certain deep area, it is fish but, wharever you do, no result, weird.

Keith M · Jan 3, 2016

I've had days like this quite often on waters with a thick layer of silt; where the fish have got their heads down amongst the silt and were ignoring (or not even seeing) baits that are on or near the surface of the silt.
The bubbles will often move directly across where your bait is without as much as a tremble on your float; or with only the odd nudge; and just continue on; it can be very frustrating.

It's usually the Tench that I've experienced doing this but if the silt is deep enough I can't see why other similar sized fish can't be doing the same especially in very coloured water.

When I've had this happen I usually move some shot closer to the hookbait so that it sinks further into the silt so that the hook-bait is lying closer to the food that the fish is foraging for.

This may not always be the answer but it's often worked for me and is well worth a try.

Keith

Ray Daywalker Clarke · Jan 4, 2016

There is only one sure fire way of knowing if it's fish,
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Depth Charge

dorsetandchub · Jan 4, 2016

And so easily hidden in a ball of groundbait, Ray

You'd best prepare for when Skippy sees this, unless you're talking bream then he'll actually start building one......

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