Getting your kit ready
- Thread starter nottskev
- Start date
They'll be subbing it out to scaffolding erectors next. The amount of kit required to compete these days is one of the things that marred my enjoyment of match fishing. I've nothing against owning lots of gear, I've got plenty myself, I just find having to have so much of it assembled all in one go an absolute chore.
mikench
Well-known member
I couldn't cope with that degree of preparation but if was competitive enough to be picked for the WC( if pigs could fly) I might . I struggle with the gear I already take. It's another world.
True. But isn't that true of pretty well any elite "sport"? A lot of us can get pretty good at something, but top-level competition winners are almost inevitably driven, obsessive and single-minded and catering for every eventuality goes with that.
We live in an age with an abundance of stuff and a faith in technology. It's not that long ago that top match anglers could carry their gear on their shoulders and a float rod, tip rod and pole counted as enough to cover everything. The angler supplied the ingenuity, flexibility etc. Nowadays even club level anglers seem to have more gear around them than former world champions. But in Tommy Pickering's case - and others' like him - you have to grant that he has been a top angler across all stages of match fishing.
Golden Eagle
Well-known member
I fish a match every Sunday (different venues) and do a couple of hours prep in the preceding week.
Don’t particularly enjoy the prep, but would be lost without it.
All my topkits and rods are taken pre-prepared with rigs set up.
We have 1.5hours to set up and I need all 90 minutes of it!
Don’t particularly enjoy the prep, but would be lost without it.
All my topkits and rods are taken pre-prepared with rigs set up.
We have 1.5hours to set up and I need all 90 minutes of it!
chrisjpainter
Well-known member
My trouble is I'm not aspirational enough in my fishing! I'm happy just watching a float or a tip missing some bites and catching a few fish in between. I'm sure if I really committed, I could catch a heck of a lot more fish when on the feeder or float; I'm an average angler on both, for sure! There are people whom I see fish with all the gear and more idea than I have and the majority of times they do better than me (surface fishing for carp excepted, as I do well with that) but on the days we both blank, I'm much quicker to get to the pub for a consoling drink!
sam vimes
Well-known member
Excessive amounts of gear and preparation have put paid to me fishing in at least a couple of styles (overnight stay and match). Unless I'm going blind to a new venue (or I'm unusually unsure of the method I might use on a more familiar venue), I never take more than a seat, two rods (in a double rod hard sleeve), a bag with minimal tackle and a bait bucket. If I'm fishing a river, I usually dispense with the seat. I enjoyed both match and long stay fishing when actually doing them. I simply detested preparing, loading and lugging loads of kit and the same operation in reverse on the way back. The way I fish now means I can decide to go and be loaded up and on my way in about fifteen minutes.
Keith M
Well-known member
Same for me; I used to fish team and open matches and fish lots of overnight sessions and I used to often take everything but the kitchen sink with me; plus I spent many hours each week preparing my baits and tackle; but over recent years I have only taken a couple of rods and rarely used them both at the same time. I also keep my fishing to very early mornings and to late evenings and my catches have actually improved ten fold.
Keith
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barbelboi
Well-known member
Me fishing 'cluttered to the excess' on the river, I've got an X-lite with me..........................
markcw
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I am in a disabled festival in a few weeks , two lakes are in use,
One is suited to method feeder and pellet waggler, the other more suited to commercial style, pole ,feeder and pellet waggler .
I am going to go and have a session on both pools , to see if I can sort a method out for both .
Come the day of the match I will be taking more or less the kitchen sink ,not knowing which pool I draw , If I draw the larger of the two which is feeder and Waggler, I can leave my pole and rollers and all the other items associated with it in the car .
Draw the commercial style water ,everything out of the car ,
Preparation size, I have enough hooklengths made up, some banded and some bayonet/quick stop, plenty of pole rigs, wagglers, and catapults,
Basically all I have to do is have a go on both pools, then turn up and fish the match on the day and hope for a good draw.
Downside it's just over an hour's drive and roadworks on the way ,
Breakfast laid on at 7am ,draw 8am so leave here daft o clock .
One is suited to method feeder and pellet waggler, the other more suited to commercial style, pole ,feeder and pellet waggler .
I am going to go and have a session on both pools , to see if I can sort a method out for both .
Come the day of the match I will be taking more or less the kitchen sink ,not knowing which pool I draw , If I draw the larger of the two which is feeder and Waggler, I can leave my pole and rollers and all the other items associated with it in the car .
Draw the commercial style water ,everything out of the car ,
Preparation size, I have enough hooklengths made up, some banded and some bayonet/quick stop, plenty of pole rigs, wagglers, and catapults,
Basically all I have to do is have a go on both pools, then turn up and fish the match on the day and hope for a good draw.
Downside it's just over an hour's drive and roadworks on the way ,
Breakfast laid on at 7am ,draw 8am so leave here daft o clock .
Golden Eagle
Well-known member
Sounds like you’ve got a good strategic plan laid out.
Are you going all out pellets or taking some maggots or casters?
markcw
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Pellet Waggler will be 8mm on "specimen" type water , 6mm on commercial type due to smaller fish , I want to hook anything that swims on that one .
Feeder will be 10mm on specimen and 8mm on commercial.
Soaked/slop 2mm micro down the edge on both and again same 8mm/6mm pellets over the top, A 4 metre Beastmaster margin extreme will be used on specimen style water, On commercial will be topkits off main pole ,
Fish maggot and feed caster on commercial when fish the pole . There are only around 4 or 5 pegs that will reach the island at 14.5 or 16 metres , so if I don't draw one of those it will be find the ledge in front , and fish the channel at 10 or 11 metres , If I draw an island peg it will be fish for bites at first with maggot at say 10 o clock and pellet at 2 o clock .
I reckon the specimen lake will win the match , but it could be a waiting game if the fish aren't having it ,
Corn and bread will be back up baits for both waters .
If the pellet Waggler is not working on specimen ,it will be a change to the baggin waggler , Same rod and reel , just swap floats and hooklength over .
Golden Eagle
Well-known member
Pretty much all good in my opinion.
If I was new to the waters I’d be concerned that maggots might pick up micro Rudd/roach/perch so I’d fish 4mm pellet instead.
If the snake lake has F1s I’d have 4 pints of casters / maggot for tiding shallow down the track.
However I think you will smash it!
markcw
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Not sure if commercial type water has F1 in it , It's to wide for a snake lake , more of large elongated oval with a few islands along it , plenty of silvers and some tench , Chopped worm is another option on there .
There is a god tackle shop next to the pools ,so if need anything I will be in there , And you can use your own pellets , for both feed and hook .
The entry fee was £7 and this includes a breakfast ,packed lunch and BBQ after the match . Will cost me more for day tickets for the couple of days practice I will have on there . 3 of us are going for a practise, the other two are from South Wales,
There is a god tackle shop next to the pools ,so if need anything I will be in there , And you can use your own pellets , for both feed and hook .
The entry fee was £7 and this includes a breakfast ,packed lunch and BBQ after the match . Will cost me more for day tickets for the couple of days practice I will have on there . 3 of us are going for a practise, the other two are from South Wales,
Golden Eagle
Well-known member
Good value that!
I've never had a problem in forgetting anything when off for a day fishing.
Over the years I developed a spread sheet that I use to tick off items as I load the car that then spends the night in the garage, locked and alarmed.
In the morning baits come out of the 'fridge and into bait bag and then into the car . . . . no problem.
Over the years I developed a spread sheet that I use to tick off items as I load the car that then spends the night in the garage, locked and alarmed.
In the morning baits come out of the 'fridge and into bait bag and then into the car . . . . no problem.
Jurassic Angler
Member
I'm glad to hear that, as I use exactly the same system. The top half of the List is for the night before, and the bottom half is for before I leave the house. The last entry being the very important "put Sunscreen on Hooter!"
seth49
Well-known member
I just get everything ready the night before, barrow, chair, nets etc plus bait is locked in the shed ready to load, bags and rod hold-all in the hallway, I can be up loaded and away in less than 45 minutes.