Making Noise Work For You

[Ron Clay]

Very interesting piece Graham. In Africa we used to get a heavy jig and dangle it over the edge of a weedbed using a powerful 7 foot baitcasting rod. As the jig was wiggling up and down we used to splash the water in order to attract the catfish. It worked very well.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

I lived in the far east for 7 years and certainly many predatory fish could be attracted to the bait with splashing and noise. Mekong cats being a prime example. You float down the river at night with a large livebaits suspended just under the surface and, with an oar or flat piece of wood, slap the surface with a loud *thwack* The cats thought it was fish leaping.

I can also recall fishing The Warren in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex (Famed for its 40lb pike, which is dead now). There are several wooden walkways between the islands and, on one particular day, I was present when a match was taking place. Around 40 pairs off feet had trampled over this particular walkway, trolleys in tow when i saw a carp roll, right next to one of the supports as the last of the matchmen crossed. I crept along the planking, and there, below me, were half a dozen large carp feeding.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

I lived in the far east for 7 years and certainly many predatory fish could be attracted to the bait with splashing and noise. Mekong cats being a prime example. You float down the river at night with a large livebaits suspended just under the surface and, with an oar or flat piece of wood, slap the surface with a loud *thwack* The cats thought it was fish leaping.

I can also recall fishing The Warren in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex (Famed for its 40lb pike, which is dead now). There are several wooden walkways between the islands and, on one particular day, I was present when a match was taking place. Around 40 pairs off feet had trampled over this particular walkway, trolleys in tow when i saw a carp roll, right next to one of the supports as the last of the matchmen crossed. I crept along the planking, and there, below me, were half a dozen large carp feeding.

However.....I have also fished Balmaha on Loch Lomond and seen fish bow wave awy from a boat that entered th large shallow expanse of water there. We never had another fish until that boat had left

I think a lot depends on the water involved, but certainly, as a rule, I think predatory fish are attracted to subtle splashing.

 

[Fergal Scully]

When was thirteen years old my friends and I were fishing in blessington reservoir just south of Dublin. It was mid march and we were ledgering for anything that came along. We didn't know anything about ground bait or loose feed so it was just straight bomb cast about 25 yards out into what I now know to be 15 feet of water. We caught a few roach and perch. A couple of the lads went of to the village to buy some food and we were really looking forward to their return. When we saw them on the horizon we all walked down to the bridge to greet them and eat the food. We decided to have a race back to the rods. When we got back within five minutes we all had bites. So we thought maybe we had moved the fish up to our swims with the running. So we tried it again and it worked. We caught loads of roach, rudd and perch including a roach of 2 pounds which i still have the picture of. This technique became known as a "bank run". We tried it again and it worked until the summer when the fish came in alot closer. This method was forgotten when we became serious "fishermen" later that year. I can't see it catching on somehow.

 

[Darren Wilson]

I know some very well known anglers that make a lot of noise on the bank, yet they have been very successful in their approachs. These anglers get classed as Yobs by the uninitiated, but I have been on sessions with them and it is amazing that going against the rule book will produce some of the countries biggest residents. I'm not the quietest of Anglers, and I still catch my fair share of fish still.