Shy Tench

[Steve Dixon]

Can anybody give me some ideas on how to catch big Tench in a lightley fished gravel pit.
These fish mainly feed at nite and just seem to cruise round during the day.
I've caught 2 this weekend both on bolt rigged corn.
As it got to dusk I was watching 10-12 big fish feeding on the corn and hemp, but only had 1 take on each nite.
On both mornings all the loose feed had been eaten. Leaving the hook baits alone.
At the moment I'm fishing single corn hair-rigged on a size 10 hook, 8lb hook link with 2oz inline leads.
I'm fishing the margins and i'm placing the baits with care as the water is gin clear. I'm also using small back leads.
How can I get more takes??
The 2 I caught were both 6lb but the fish go a lot bigger than this.

HELP!!

 

[Paul Williams]

Steve,
It has to be presentation...but i have to say it doesn't sound to far away, perhaps a bit of fine tuning? if the water is snag free how about stepping down to 5lb fluro hook links, and how about a negative buoyancy bait, eg either some of that fake corn or foam used on the hair along with the real stuff?....i wouldn't be in to much hurry to get a hook bait in either, especially if the water is local....a prebaiting period can pay big dividends.....these are some of the things i would try anyway.

 

[Timothy Riches]

As Steve says try using scaled down tackle,smaller hooks,or it might just be a case of the Tench getting ready to spawn,my local lake the water temperature has soared to 16 degrees and the Tench are starting to show signs of spawning,hope this reply might help.

 

[gary magee]

Try using a running lead set up with a back stop set at about 8" with slack lines and light indicators.

 

[Steve Dixon]

Been pre-baiting for about 2 weeks with hemp and corn.
The water is quite weedy and also I'm fishing along side reed beds, well about 4ft away on gravel patches. I've tried using popped up corn but this wasn't balanced.
I daren't use less than 10lb line as the fish run quite big, taking the weed into consideration.
Gary, how could I make a safe set up with a running rig (with a back stop)?

 

[Paul Williams]

Steve,
It is a tricky one!! but personally i still think it is presentation....you have tried nailing you line to the bottom already and whilst i agree slack lining can be better than back leads close in i would still be looking at presentation of the hookbait.......float fishing?

 

[Steve Dixon]

Sorry the first post should say 10lb hook link(fluoro).

Steve

 

[Steve Dixon]

No way to float fishing.
I'm doing nites in the week between work!!

 

[Paul Williams]

OK,
Then step down!! 10lb hooklink is pretty heavy!!....or use bigger baits that don't need such a delicate presentation.

 

[gary magee]

nash does a release bead for a running set up.And For a back stop try using a large bore rubber bead fitted over a short piece of rig tubing.

 

[Steve Dixon]

Step down it is then.

Thanks, Steve.

 

[Steve Dixon]

I'll look at the rig bits Gary.
Thanks all again.

 

[Paul Williams]

Steve,
For what it's worth mate i have caught some decent "weedy" pit tench (8lb+) on 8lb mainline to 6lb hooklinks....it is still pretty powerful gear, especially when we consider modern gear.
But i don't usually find tench to tackle shy in weedy pits, especially underfished ones so i hope you crack it.

 

[Steve Dixon]

Cheers Paul.
I'm going to scale down and see what happens.
I'll let you know.
Steve

 

[Andy Thatcher]

Steve your lake isn't on the Herts/Beds border is it ?

Reason I ask is that it sounds very similar to where I'm fishing.

I have done OK in the margins on both float and lead. I have been using maggots on the float. 5lb straight though to a 12. I have been using both inline's and normal feeders. Inlines with boilies/corn, 12lb to 8lb flouro but using 1 1/4 oz leads. The 12lb is the result of having lost my Baitrunners 10lb spools. Feeder has been fixed paternoster 7lb to 5lb.

Fairly stout equipment but I have all the playing finesse of an elephant ! Someone once wrote if I want to gamble I go to the bookies. In other words I always ensure that the tackle I'm using will land the fish I am after. Not should or maybe but will.

 

[Andy Thatcher]

Steve your lake isn't on the Herts/Beds border is it ?

Reason I ask is that it sounds very similar to where I'm fishing.

I have done OK in the margins on both float and lead. I have been using maggots on the float. 5lb straight though to a 12. I have been using both inline's and normal feeders. Inlines with boilies/corn, 12lb to 8lb flouro but using 1 1/4 oz leads. The 12lb is the result of having lost my Baitrunners 10lb spools. Feeder has been fixed paternoster 7lb to 5lb.

Fairly stout equipment but I have all the playing finesse of an elephant ! Someone once wrote if I want to gamble I go to the bookies. In other words I always ensure that the tackle I'm using will land the fish I am after. Not should or maybe but will.

 

[GrahamM]

Scaling down is good advice, as is the back-stop. Too many anglers go straight onto bolt-rigs these days without first trying sensitive running set-ups.

Most of the big tench I've caught have come from very clear, weedy waters (Cheshire meres, not gravel pits). I fish float tackle when I can, given daylight and not a great distance to cast, and light leger tackle otherwise. The main line is normally 7lb, with a 6lb hooklength. I rarely use a swimfeeder but rather a 1/2oz bomb and the rig a simple running link, with a back-stop some 6ins from the leger stop. The back-stop is anti-tether in that it is just two silicon float stops. They are tight enough on the line to create a semi bolt effect but slack enough to come off to prevent tethering.

When you cast tighten up just enough to feel the lead (don't drag it because of the weed) and then put the indicator on, a light hanger or swinger, giving the fish at least 6ins (that same distance from leger stop to back-stop).

Don't use a hair but hook the bait direct to a very sharp hook. Corn is soft enough to allow this.

Being as you've seen the free offerings disappear I reckon you'll catch them on sensitive gear.

If not, after a few sessions, then I would be looking to some kind of self-hooking rig using a hair.

 

[GrahamM]

Incidentally, I do use a swimfeeder in more distant swims where I can't loose feed with a catapult.

 

[David Will]

Try maggots , short hooklinks (12lb Supa Nova 3inches)semi fixed heavy maggot feeder.Size 12 hook 3 maggots.Fish this over groundbait laced with casters,hemp, wheat.Start with ten balls of groundbait re cast every half hour and follow the feeder with one ball of ground bait. Fish to a feature such as a bar or the margins.
Never fails.

 

[Steve Dixon]

Thanks for the advice lads.
Change of tactics for me.
Float while dark then out with the lead.
The pit is in Yorkshire Andy.