A Question of Baits

[GrahamM]

Two waters in particular where whiting scored heavily were stillwaters, one an Irish lough of 3000 acres (Lough Gara) and the other a Cheshire mere of 11 acres.

I caught pike to almost 30lb from the Irish lough and to 17lb from the Cheshire mere.

The only thing the two waters have in common is that they're both quite heavily pike fished.

Maybe that's the answer, although what throws a spanner in those works is that I've done bugger-all on whiting on other pressured waters.

 

[Paul Williams]

Well thats my theory up in smoke!! i was hoping you were going to say a river and that the river had a "run" of shad and that whiting reminded them of shad, oh well!!

 

[BUDGIE BURGESS]

I have also tried to compare what waters are best on Herring to waters that are best on Mackeral.No pattern there either.

 

[Paul Williams]

Hey Fella's is this a sign we are running through a slow patch and are trying to think too much!!!

 

[GrahamM]

I think what happens is that we run into slow patches (any species) and try to find a reason for it, and often we'll put it down to anything rather than the simple fact that the fish were not feeding that day.

Now and again though we'll come up with an off-beat reason, and some kind of solution that turns out right, and that's when we slot another piece into the jigsaw.

Trouble is, the jigsaw has millions of metamorphosing pieces that won't keep still!

 

[steve reeves]

like I said earlier if the fish are in your chosen peg and they're hungry they will eat any of the baits mentioned.

 

[Chris Bishop]

I have tried so hard to get my head round this over the years and have never succeeded.

I find some waters definitely respond better to one bait than others. On one pit, you get twice as many runs on whole mackerel than anything else - inc mackerel tails. I wondered for a while whether this was because joeys visibly resemble small pike and the half dozen or so bigger fish in this lake are cannibals. On a broad we sometimes fish, I probably wouldn't bother if I didn't have sardines, because these seem to outfish everything - even lives. I'm sure we could all cite examples like this.

The thing which gets me is there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this.

 

[Gareth Lewis]

I have been using a home made shivry,by putting all oflast years left over deads through a blender.Sprat,herring,smelt,sardine etcblending to a smooth paste, adding 1 part breadcrumb to 4 or5 parts blended fish and then adding 10ml of fish oil. push into a grip mesh type feeder and then freezing. On the bank i am subsituting a ledger withe the feeder full ofthe shi

 

[Gareth Lewis]

(apologies to all the mouse slipped before i could finsh typing the above reply)
On the bank I am substituting the ledger with the feeder full of shrivy and I am having some good results up on the Ten Mile bank with it. It is working with all the normal dead baits, except for Lamperay and Trout.(which i have never caught with.) It has helped me take quite a few pike to 17lbs and my largest Zander to date of 8&1/2lbs .Alright they are not large fish by most peoples standards, but this is my first season predator fishing,and at least I am cathing regularly and consistantly.
Has anybody been successful with dyed baits?
Is there any significance with dye colour and depth,or conditions?
e.g. Red to signify blood and body damage,
Blue at depth, because of ultraviolet penetration.
Green because a dyed dead bait may resemble a jack pike.
Yellow because it may resemble a rudd etc.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Wee brown trout, alive of dead!!

 

[James stewart]

I would have to go for Smelt , Perch , and Eel sections in that order.Average length of bait 6 inches.fished slightly boyant i find these three haard to beat.My only crisis is when I go to catch a few fish for use as dead bait I take one look at a perch and have to put it back , they are just so beautiful , likewise with eels , there life cycle is so wondeful I find it hard to take them.
Mac.Tail is also up there - fav. has to be smelt.

 

[Alan Pearce]

Without doubt live baits with a good size roach, dace or chub being my favourite. As for dead baits I rate lamprey very highly up until end of November, when in my experience it becomes a lot less effective. Then its time for the good old (but very fresh) big mac. Still find herrings very effective especially when float fished off bottom, and of course fresh naturals.