Short Stays

  • Thread starter Buttocks Bullard
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Buttocks Bullard

Guest
Now that I am getting into the swing of overnighters, I have one conundrum. To date my trips have been relatively long (well, huge to me as in the past I had only really fished short early morning sessions). I now have a number of “splash and dash” trips organized, where instead of having plenty of time to prepare and bait up, I will arrive at 6pm and off by 8am.

My conundrum is with respect to baiting. The lake I am fishing has responded well to mass small particles a la Mr Denis’s approach. However, previously I have had the time to spod out and get settled. I am quite happy getting clipped up in the small amount of light available and then spodding out etc in the dark, but is this really the best approach for short trips, or am I better going with PVA bags and ambushing fish? I have never tried this at the lake in question so I have nothing really to go on.

It’s a mature 3 acre gravel pit, spring fed, quite weedy. Fish up to 30lb.

Thanks.
 
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Sascha Welsch

Guest
I'm in a similar position; late to the water due to work (& at this time of year in the dark!) and off early to....get to work. Sad life isn't it!!!
I spent a few hours identifying 3 or 4 potential fish feeding areas such as drop-offs, plateaus etc and measured out the clipped up distances to reach these on the bank so that when I turned up with my rods made up I could decide which of the swims to fish, measure out the distances on the bank, tie on my distance marker, clip up, line up with direction markers and cast out. I usually fish PVA bags with the odd spod over the top on short sessions but if going 2 or 3 times in the week would propably start putting in a little more bait.
Earlier in the season when the mornings still had enough light I would scan the water for activity and if anything was visible and I wasn't already catching, I would head off in pursuit.
The longer sessions would be used for new area exploration and mapping out new swims for my short sessions.
 
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Sascha Welsch

Guest
Sorry, missed a bit. After a few sessions patterns would tend to emerge as to fish movement in my short session swims that would help in making my choice easier on arrival. I try and pick a variety of swims that would cover all wind directions and a variety of depths.
 
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Buttocks Bullard

Guest
Thanks Sascha, that is useful. I guess my main concern was spodding and whether the area would settle down in time.

So would a few spods then PVA over the top bag be a reasonable approach, or should I just stick to the bag?
 
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Sascha Welsch

Guest
Difficult to say without trying I guess. I always felt that over spodding would spook the fish but in certain swims that I fished regularly I always got away with a little more. Wether or not the carp conditioned themselves to the noise and associated it with food, who knows?
Have you tried a method type feeder? I caught well on a couple of occasions even though I was regularly chucking a great big splooshy thing right on top of very shy, spooky carp without the slightest trouble. But then on other occasions it send them rocketing off to hide!!! I had one occasion when I had just cast out and a carp head n' shouldered over my feeder within a minute of starting. Perhaps he was waiting for supper?
I personally would stick to the PVA bags at first. If fish are going to enter your swim (hence the importance of swim selection)they'll have it and you've got far more chance with less bait out of one picking up your hookbait.
 
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Buttocks Bullard

Guest
Yeh, I have used the method a lot, but not on this water. I think I will experiment over the next few weeks and pick two areas a long way apart. Spod one with just a few chucks and fish a bag, and in the other just the bag.

And of course, as you say, look, look and look!

Thanks again.
 
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Carp Angler

Guest
A lot depends on whether you think the fish will spook when spodding.
If you can lay the spod on the water quietly and you don't go banging in too much, then it should be OK.
If you don't feel confident with it, then don't do it.
Here's one of my previous articles on Short session winter fishing.
 
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Dave Rothery

Guest
If the fish "patrol" it shouldn't matter if you spod - just choose a swim where you expect them after, say 9pm, and you can spod away. Almost all my fishing is after work/before work sessions, so I tend to fish "night" waters where i expect to get action 11pm-5am. Dont re-cast in the morning unless your sure the baits weeded/gone.
 
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The Monk

Guest
Why dont you just jump on the edge of someone else's baited area Butocks, that usually what happens to me?
 
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Buttocks Bullard

Guest
Rik, Dave - thanks. I guess the best thing to do is try a plan and test it! I'll let you know how I get on.

Monk - you are a card.
 
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The Monk

Guest
There's something going on here, between writing a posting and it arriving on the thread, letters keep going missing?
 
Garry Procter

Garry Procter

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Monk,

You clearly need to open another can of alphabetti spaghetti (or whatever it was). You will probably find the missing letters hiding in there

Garry
 
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steve flook

Guest
I always try to sneak around with as less splashing as possible on small waters whilst on short sessions, then someone always turns up, spods out half a dustbin full and then keeps you awake all night with his wailing (full volume) alarms. What do I know ????
youre better off without my advice sometimes !!
 
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The Monk

Guest
yea, dont encourage me Gary
It is soup by the way, I've been doing some indepth research and hope to publish a paper about my findings soon,
watch this space!

Buttocks, In answer to your original question, look for the most intelligent looking carp angler you can find on the pool, set up next to him, make a few really dodgy casts and act stupid, chances are he'll give you some free bait to get rid of you, you can then simply fish opposite him and cast directly into his swim, works for a few around here mate!
 
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steve flook

Guest
Monk, what an excellent idea. Dont know why I`ve never thought of it,
 
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The Monk

Guest
Obviously Garry I will be writing it on the side of my plate mate, I'm faster than the computer now?

Steve, you must be the only one then mate?
 
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