Line strenghths /diameters in winter

I

Ian Grant

Guest
I'm thinking of a winter Carp fishing campaign this year, something i've only dabbled at in previous years,and had a few captures towards the back end of winter, the question i would like to put to those who have experience in winter fishing for carp is, do you think dropping line strength/diameter puts more fish on the bank, my thoughts based on logic not experience, are that
a carp brushing against thinner line would detect it just as much as a thicker line, therefore assuming my thinking is correct, the benifit if there is one must come from the line being harder to see, i always in any case try to pin my line down as much as possible using backleads - leadcore is not an option on Boyer venues,though on Rodney Meadow if fishing at any great distance it's almost impossible for your line not to be crossing at least one gravel bar so largley becomes pointless, i've been experimenting with
flying backleads which pin down the last few feet of line, they seem ok i've still been catching in summer, what do you all think is it worth decreasing line strength, or is the risk not worth taking especially considering Rodney Meadow and all those bars, i've lost one fish on them using 15lb pro gold, which is not bad going as
some have lost more, but forgetting the bars and other hazards, i'm interested in what you all think, as to whether thinner line is less likley to spook a carp.
 
T

The Monk

Guest
Thinner weaker lines would in some instances be better in winter, the underwater vegitation would generally be less and suggest that you could catch carp using lighter lines. The spooking factor however is something else, a few years ago a theory was going around about lines spooking carp (which I have no doubt they do)and I know a few anglers who went the other way and started fishing using bright yellow and green lines, if carp see the line clearly they will avoid it, or at least that was the theory (we tested with both and did'nt find any significant difference in results), the waters that this method was used on though didn't contain gravel bars or uneven bottoms and the methods were not long range. Long lead core and normal lines I suppose, providing it can be fished safely?
 
D

Dave Rothery

Guest
If you cant use leadcore try the esp type of heavy tubing of the same length - not much difference in diameter to leadcore. I dont think line diameter really matters - but if pushed its better to get fewer bites than to lose them and leave them trailing line.
 
I

Ian Grant

Guest
I've used anchor tubing Dave but never really got on with it, unless i cut it into shorter lengths , i found it very difficult
to feed the line through a long length of it
itried wetting the line with saliva that helped a bit, then tried putting cod liver oil on the end and blowing it down the tube
that helped as well, but still it was taking me ages to feed the line through, and never did suceed in threading the whole length that came in the packet, so i kind of fizzled out with that idea, but i'm with you on line strengths, i don't see the point of reducing to a strength where you are likley to lose fish, the pre stretched lines available offer strength in a straight pull, but i doubt their abrasion qualities, i'm still leaning towards keeping the 15lb pro gold i've landed fish on it where the line has been quite badly damaged, but still held, partly because i think of the reasonable stretch in it, i might give 12lb a go if i fish in one of the few areas without bars, in that case 10lb with a softer action rod might be viable, but with a good fish on , i'd probably be sh***ing myself.
 
D

Dave Rothery

Guest
try a pole threader, or pinning down the lengths of tubing to a piece of wood straight, running steam over it (briefly) and letting it cool.
 
I

Ian Grant

Guest
Pinning the tube to a length of wood seems a good idea dave, that was mostly the problem - keeping the the tubing straight enough, - what's a pole threader, obviously i presume an instrument to thread pole elastic, but i've never seen one, i assume it must be a very long needle with a hook on the end.
 
C

Carp Angler

Guest
The three different brands of pole threaders I've got certainly don't help much, as the diamond eye is a little too big.

It certainly pulls the line through, but you have to be very slow and careful and keep a good grip on the tubing or else it stretches it.

The internal diameters on both the 1.25 and 1.75mm are identical.
Sorry thats not too helpful, but it'll save you some time and money.

I'm still looking for a solution myself.
As for getting braid throught it.......
That's why I resorted to the pole threader, the older style tubing threaders have an even larger eye than the pole threaders.
 
T

The Monk

Guest
For threading tight tube I used to use grease lightening injected down the tube!
 
C

Carp Angler

Guest
I tried that one already.

I will say that I'm only threading braid through, so I haven't tried getting mono through it yet.

But surely the hydroscopic composition of mono means that weighted tubing is superfluous.
 
I

Ian Grant

Guest
I've just been thinking about flying backleads, the one's i've tried so far are the little conical things concaved at the thick end ,which i presume is meant to offer
more resistance to the air, watching these as they fly they never seem to be more than a couple of feet behind the lead, what i've just thought of is to put basically a 3 or four swan shot link on the line behind the lead, if the shot are pinched to the finest line - a pound or less, should the dangling shot become snagged the shot will either pull off or the line break, i'll bet that having no streamlining properties at all it will give a lot more distance between it, and the main lead, think i'll give it a try!
 
R

Rob Stubbs

Guest
Ian,
I don't think line diameter makes any difference, especially if using rig tubing. Also consider trying some of the 'bar free' swims at Rodney. It's a few years since a mate and I fished there but we never ventured up that end of the lake in winter. His biggest winter fish came from Suicide, and not at range. Also slack lines/running leads is worth considering to keep the line on the bottom.

Rob.
 
C

Cakey

Guest
I use two foot of esp heavy tubing and the I super glue a fly back lead to the end so I know all two foot is on the deck.
This still only works with fairly slack line ,a tight line would just lift the whole lot up again.
as for threading I use really thin mono doubled over, thread it through, put my main line through the eye the pull it through.
it works for me.
 
R

Rodney Wrestt

Guest
Try an electric guitar string fom a music shop, they come in various diametres and are longer than the pole elastic threaders.
 
I

Ian Grant

Guest
I'm of the same opinion as you Ron , i think if the fish touches the line, the diameter will be irrelevant, they will feel it, - slack lines, i know a lot of people use this metheod, but i've never understood how a drop back can be registered, or do you mean by that, that the line is not dead tight, thats the way i fish anyway i take up
slack until i just make contact with the lead, then have a straight a line between the tip and the lead as possible, the hangers i use are as light as i can possibly
make them so no added tension is place on the line, in the hope that if the fish hit my line it won't spook them to the degree of
a dead tight line, thats the best compramise
that i could come up with, i still get a drop back registering, which i'm happy with
IS there a way of registering drop backs with slack lines that i'm not aware of?
 
C

Chrisx Ess

Guest
If you are using a free-running lead set up, then ANY sort of bite is registered very quickly. The lead stays on the bottom, the line is pulled through the clip.... hey presto, neep neep neep goes your alarm - if you've got one. I hate the damn things myself. The classic 'drop-back' bite ONLY occurs with tight lines.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top