Conventional: Starting a session

[Naruto]

Just some thing I was thinking of this past weekend after being asked this question a few time before.

I normally start a session with mixing ground bait. This allows the feed to absorb the water properly and by the time you are set-up to start fishing, the feed is ready for use.

Most conventional anglers use two rods and a Rietvlei trace with two hooks. This means you have four hooks in the water most of the time. Now the best way to determine what bait will work is to mix it up a bit. I normally start off with mielies on one hook and worms on the other. This I will cast out about 80m and let it ly for at least an hour up to two hours(longer during winter).

The other rod I would put floaties on one hook and dough on the other. Cast this rod out to 80m. This second rod I would leave for 30mins during summer and 60mins during winter. If I get a fish I would bait up the same way and cast out the same distance. If the tempo drops on this rod below 20mins per fish I would change both rods(but only after I haven't caught anything on the first rod within the allotted time or the size of the fish is the same as the second rod) to the same bait and distance.

If however the second rod does not get a fish within its allotted time I would change distance to 60m, then 40m or 100m, then 120m until I found where the fish are roaming. If the tempo drops on this rod below 20mins per fish I would change both rods(but only after I haven't caught anything on the first rod within the allotted time or the size of the fish is the same as the second rod) to the same bait and distance.

I didn't mention dips as these differ from venue to venue, but first find the fish rather than change dips. Its better to fish plain and be into the fish than chase the fish away with too many dips/flavours in the water.

This process can be fine tuned if more than one person fishes together. By working together these anglers can quickly and easily determine the distance and bait for that session.

Hope this helps someone...

[WalkersKiller]

Superb advice and post Clint thanks for sharing your knowledge   

[PH]

This second rod I would leave for 30mins during winter (summer?) and 60mins during winter.

Great post!! Thanks!! Wih the present persistant swell on the sea I thinking of going to Inanda this week-end.

[Lichia amia]

 :shre: 

[Naruto]

The thing is WK, this is only a drop in the bucket.

Things don't always work like this, but this is standard for Vaaldam and probably most other places.

Some sessions are just weird. You can try anything and any distance and eventually you find the fish only bite on RED floaties with with Entressdrops on the bomb.

Or on other days ONLY muddies are biting that day at 30m distance.

BTW: By starting of with different baits you are also targeting more than one species depending on the venue. Most fish will take worms. Muddies love dough as do carp. And mielies and floaties are eaten by carp, muddies, Yellows etc.

[WalkersKiller]

Definitely right there, I have had many days of tough fishing trying to figure out what is going on! The most frustrating was a session at loskop dam where eventually I got the combo right, plain mallow and plain floatie with a drop of fx on the bomb, it took me about 10 hours to get onto my first fish and then it was non stop from there until I left!

If anyone is looking to start conventional carp fishing this is a great guideline.

We got a lot of Yellows on dough last session at the Vaaldam, as well as Muddies, Common, Grass, Mirror and Ghost Carp. I have heard that Squeker also take dough quite freely when they are around

[Naruto]

What can be very frustrating are days like we had with our league at Steyns in 2010 where the fish were biting constantly on fruity flavours, but the flavours rotated all the time. Banana for an hour, peach for an hour, passionfruit for an hour, banana for an hour, peach for an hour, passionfruit for an hour...

[WalkersKiller]

That can get very tricky and frustrating 

[Hippo]

Hi N & WK,
 
1.On a new water/venue, always have a look at the structure and gradient of the bank, as this more than often gives you a good understanding of what you can expect in front of you (depth of water, obstacles, bottom conditions, etc).
 
2.A simple thing I do, is to go to the pegs on either side of me, greet the anglers and confirm where (what mark on the opposite bank), they will casting at.  Nothing is more frustrating than having a comp and guys are casting all over the show! - Sort it out before your start!
 
3.It is always advisable to plan your outing and introduce 10-15 balls of groundbait in an area you intend targeting later the day (whether for muddies at 30m or carp at 120m).  Once you've made your first cast, take your second rod, clip the line at the desired distance and throw those balls of groundbait (obviously more important in the summer) -it is always a good "investment".
 
4.The time you leave lines in the water is all about tempo - whether  its 5min or 125min, the sooner you can establish this, the better (this is sometimes more important than your choice of bait!!)

  Enjoy
 

[Naruto]

Thanks for the info Hippo! What you say about getting a feeding spot going is very true, especially during comps as there is already a lot of feed going into the water and drawing the fish in is the first priority... When I started the thread I was mostly thinking of regular non-comp anglers. Some guys spend a whole day at the Vaal without catching anything or just a few fish, when their mates catch bags of fish next to them.

[WalkersKiller]

Great stuff Hippo  :shre:

[Naruto]

During a Gauteng D league last year at Rooibult there were some guys from one club in the one zone making a feeding spot at 50m. About 5 hours in someone from another club next to them hook a large fish at about 120m+ and had to walk into deeper water to land the fish. Eventually they reach the same distance as these guy's feeding spot and they were still only in ankle deep water. That's when they realized why they were not getting any fish. Some places can be very deceptive.

Another tale I got told was of these guys fishing at bosbou and they were casting in around 100m. When someone with a canoe came past they asked the guys to check the water depth for them. The tip of the oar barely got wet as the water was about 20cm deep.

[WalkersKiller]

Very interesting, also have had a few bad experiences with reading depths, but have gotten better... Our first session at koppies look like a nice drop off, a gradual one... We were throwing 50 meters the whole weekend and we got 2 fish out... Before we went home we decided to go for a swim... We were in ankle deep water up until the 50 meters we were casting and after that it only got slightly depper, about waist deep up to 100 meters...

[Manuel Junior]

 :shre: Naruto

[Hippo]

Hi Guys,
 
re shallow water, you must always take note of the angle at which your line (from the rod) enters the water, whether you're casting 30m or 120m - obviously, the smaller the angle, the shallower the water will be.  You can also judge the dept by "feathering" the line on your first cast, and keeping it tight as it hits the water - you'll feel the trace settling on the bottom as the line goes slack.  If the trace hits the deck immediately - go further (or home).
 
Hope this helps with those shallow water issues.

[WalkersKiller]

That will help Hippo thanks!

[Naruto]

Thanks again Hippo! Very good info there! +cred.