Margins, float fishing boilies

[Paul Hawkins]

Ok. I have had enough. 3 trips to a new water, no session longer than three hours (all leading just into dark).
Float and centerpin, laying on about six inches (depth of water, 4ft).
I have hooked seven fish (carp average 13-15 pounds here) and lost all bar a 10Ib common.
There's a big head of small fish, so I'm using bolied baits, half inch hair, fairly standard.
Size 8 barbless raptors.
Why are they all dropping off twenty yards into the first run?
No snags incidentally.
I know, bolt rigs I would probably have had all seven...but I like catching 'em on the float and exactly the same method works elsewhere.
Any ideas what the reason could be?

 

[Carp Angler]

Soft mouths?
Maybe a longer hair to hook them further back in the mouth.

Are you in constant pressure with the pin? Too little and the hook falls out, too much and it pulls out!

Are they confident enough in the bait to take it back or are they picking it up in the lips?

On the one you landed, where was it hooked?

Have you tried a bait straight on the hook? e.g. worm, paste etc.

 

[Philip Inzani]

Just to add to CA's comments....

Are you striking hard enough ?

Second point, what sort of hook are you on ? Maybe a pattern with a curved in point (is it called beaked?)will help These tend to stay in a bit better than say a straight point.

Third point how are you tying it on ?
If the mainline exits off the back of the eye you will be asking for hook pulls.

 

[Philip Inzani]

Just re-read your note and saw you are on raptors which I think have a beaked point. Also if it works elsewhere you are probably attaching it ok as well.

As CA said it could just be soft mouths/ way they pick the bait up. I would also suggest trying the bait on the hook and striking a bit harder.

 

[Carp Angler]

Good points Phil, although he says that it's working elsewhere, hence my play towards wary fish.
I must admit to using this style of fishing a great deal, and it's not only for pasties, I've had some large carp on margin floatfished baits.
It's an ideal method for lakes that in every other swim, the local broom handle boys are casting to the horizon.
You can just slip in between them and enjoy a great evenings fishing.

They just stare at you as if you are a bit silly, then they glare at you when you hook one.

Great stuff.

 

[Paul Hawkins]

Good points there.
I must admit, in that post loss red haze(you know the one, when all the ducks are laughing) I thought that perhaps poor control of the pin during the initial run may be the prominent cause.
My braking control is a little heavy handed(thumbeded?)and I could see the rod tip jerking a little too much for a barbless hook.
Less pressure next time!
Not willing at this point to complicate things rig end. I'm sure my amateur prowess with the pin is to blame...and too think how clever I thought I was doing one of those Wallis casts!
All the same, think I might pack a second rod next time and fish it semi fixed down the other margin!
I'll let you know how I get on.
PS. CA's right though, after several years almost getting that twenty on, dare I say, conventional methods, the first one to break that barrier came on the float and pin in 2 feet of water just a few weeks ago. Now that was fun!