''Sit and wait, or seek them out''.

Derek Gibson · Apr 25, 2016

What is your approach given the opportunity. For my part most of my angling life has been spent on the move, searching out whatever species has been my target at the time. Those have included Pike, Chub, Barbel, Zander, Perch and Carp.

Thinking about this aspect over the weekend I came to the conclusion that had I the opportunity to do it all over again would I change my approach or follow the same path. There was no hesitation, it would be the same path. But in saying this I realised that my way may only represent the minority.

Am I right, or are there more of you out there?

no-one in particular · Apr 25, 2016

I wouldn't change much either, I have always sought whatever opportunity is available. Where I have lived as much as anything has determined that, I moved to the coast and took up sea fishing for example, if Cod were on the menu then I fished for them. Same pretty much with coarse angling, whatever has been near by, a good tench lake, then tench, a good chub river etc and so on. I think I would have liked to do more game fishing and maybe more access to some better venues but all in all I am not complaining the way it has gone.
I have had plenty of variety, from beaches, boats, remote marsh waters, park lakes, plenty of rivers, some good trips to to some great places--approach would be what ever suited, species, type of water etc--and all the nature has been wonderful as well, a big bonus, that variety has led me to observe a variety of birds etc.--all good fun and enjoyable for different reasons. I would not do much different, making the most of any situation or species whatever it is-has probably been my theme without getting stuck in one groove..

thecrow · Apr 25, 2016

Depended on what size river and clarity of that river, another factor being numbers of the species that I hoped to catch.

Small and clear with low stock would see me constantly on the move looking/fishing and in some places putting a bit of bait in ready for the return journey.

Small and not clear river carrying water I would still fish more than 1 spot but they would be spots that I knew were likely to hold fish.

Big rivers like the Trent or Severn I would sit and wait for the fish to come to me although it often entered my head to move if I wasn't catching but the other thought that comes with waiting (they may be here and about to start feeding) usually stopped me from moving.

Nowadays its sit and wait no matter what kind of river I am on, moving just isn't an option I am afraid

sam vimes · Apr 25, 2016

My approach very much depends on the venue, conditions, time of year, time constraints and the intended target species. Nothing is set in stone for me, even within a single outing.

S-Kippy · Apr 25, 2016

Derek

When you say "seek them out" do you mean in terms of venue ie travelling around different waters or finding the fish when on the venue of choice....or both ?

Skippy

steve2 · Apr 25, 2016

I tend to be more seek them out. I work on the principle that if I haven't had a bite after say an hour, move. I can't remember the last time I fished the same swim all day. Fishing this way as caught me many good fish.
This is one reason I like lure fishing.
Sitting around and wait is not for me. I think a lot of this sitting and waiting is down to the amount of tackle we carry.

Derek Gibson · Apr 25, 2016

S-Kippy said:
Derek

When you say "seek them out" do you mean in terms of venue ie travelling around different waters or finding the fish when on the venue of choice....or both ?

Skippy

I suppose that venue of ''choice'' would be my answer Skipp. But on reflection that may only be a consequence of having traveled around a ''lot'' back in the early days, enabling me to narrow the choices down and concentrate on a shorter list of waters, and developing a feel for them in terms of best conditions to fish 'em. It works for me.

robtherake · Apr 25, 2016

Most of the venues I fish don't take much sussing out. I'll go and stand for a while, just watching; then have a slow walk and do some more watching - maybe ask the odd question if it's a new place. On familiar waters, where I know what to expect in any given set of conditions, I may well just drop in a peg that has form and go from there, but be prepared to shift if an opportunity presents itself. Most of my sessions are fairly short, but it's often worth "wasting" a bit of time at the start: you just never know what you'll see.

S-Kippy · Apr 25, 2016

I suppose I would class myself as someone who ought to travel further than I do and who ought to move more often than I do too. Some of that is laziness but I prefer to get to know a water rather than charge about all over the place fish chasing.

Bankside my default position is to get a bait in a good spot and let the fish find it. I think I'm a fairly reasonable judge of a "good spot" so having found one I am not inclined to move unless its patently obvious that I'm wasting my time. I am not a patient man by nature but when I have my "spot" and the baits are in position A I am content to let the fish find them. I will move but I am not hopping about up and down & fretting for a move every 30 minutes.

At Bury Hill eg most of my zander come between 40-60 minutes of casting. If I recast every 15 [like some do down there] I'd hardly get a fish. Maybe not conclusive but consistent enough for even me to have noticed.

Ray Daywalker Clarke · Apr 25, 2016

I don't think i would change.

I enjoy moving around, trying new waters, short or long trips.

If there was anything i would change, its the amount of time I fish, i would fish far more

tigger · Apr 25, 2016

The biggest part my angling is roving with one rod so I suppose i'm mainly a seeker outer.
I keep saying i'm gonn'a try a bit more static fishing, especially when the conditions arn't right for trotting but i'm obsessed with trotting and it seems i'd rather blank that use another method....strange but true.

john step · Apr 25, 2016

I often move if I "feel" I have cocked up swim choice. Its that instinct thing again. Mostly though if the right choice is made I tend to build up a swim depending on the species of course.

On reflection its when piking that I am continually moving around.

Bob Hornegold · Apr 25, 2016

Derek

It depends, you can only catch what is in front of you, so I travelled to places that held the fish I wanted to catch.

Venues, I might rove or set a trap, both require skills, sometimes it can be pot luck moving around, where setting a trap and waiting can reap benefits.

If you can find that bit of neglected water, then sussing out the venue with a few roving sessions I treat as recognisance, before setting out a on pre fishing campaign .

This might mean feature finding or baiting up, but it requires time and patience, on a river it can be the difference between catching in the winter and not having a bite.

Summer pre can play huge dividends once the bad weather comes along.

Bob

terry m · Apr 25, 2016

As others have said, it is not a one size fits all approach.

Some days I will rove a river with a single rod, other days I am more than happy to sit behind 3 carp/pike rods reading a book and waiting.

Variety is the spice of life.

Keith M · Apr 25, 2016

I agree it's not a one size fits all:

One day I'd be roving along a clear stream looking for Barbel and/or Chub, or looking for Tench bubbles on a Stillwater, or chasing Rudd shoals on the surface on an estate lake, and another time I might be laying a bait trap for roving Carp or trying to amass a shoal of big Roach by regular feeding.

It all depends on the fish I'm trying to catch and the water I am fishing and the water clarity.

However whenever I have the choice I would always prefer to actively search for my fish rather than just sit and wait for them to arrive.

Keith

''Sit and wait, or seek them out''.

Derek Gibson

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no-one in particular

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thecrow

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sam vimes

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S-Kippy

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steve2

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Derek Gibson

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tigger

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