Feature finding

Feature finding

How many times have you turned up at a water set up your rods and just lobed them out into the middle of the water without thinking about what the hell you’re casting into?

OK on a day session lobbing a marker rod round is certainly not the most productive thing to do so here a little bit of local knowledge can help.

But if you are going to do a long session or even as I did this winter walked round my local lake with my marker and had a plum round (leave it badger). Ok so things like weed beds and lilies will change thought the year but you can get an idea of depth and where the silt and gravel bars are.

I have even sketched the lake with it island at the end and then marked the depths up, I also found some large snags at one end later I was told a tree had fallen in there a few years ago. So all in all a useful tool in the carp fishing artillery.

If you want to do well on water, you must take the time to understand it and learn its features. Not just the ones you can see with the eye.

The Kit

Ok there are specialist rods available for this but if you have not got one available, I use my spare rod and reel. you need is a fairly strong main line ( I prefer braid for this) a marker float, a lead stop and a weight heavy enough to reach your target areas I prefer something with an uneven surface i/e a gripper lead.




or




gripper lead





Cast the rig out so that it lands just beyond you chosen area. You will feel it hit the bottom. Now you float will be above your weight. By allowing one foot of line off of the reel at a time until the float surfaces, (you can put 2 bits of tape on the rod at a foot so you know you have it spot on) you will be able to determine the depth of water in that spot, remembering of course to add the distance between float and lead. Now wind back down tight and move the rig along, repeating the process and thus building up a picture of the different points in your swim. As you drag the lead around on the bottom, stand with your rod at 90 degrees to the water and retrieve slowly. You will Notice how the rod tip pulls or bounces around as you retrieve it. This is telling you what sort of ground you are over.


If you feel a smooth and steady bouncing, you are probably on clay.

If the pull increases and tugs slightly as you retrieve, you are probably in silt.

If you feel a lot of tugging (badgers leave it again) and a sudden pulling free then the lead is probably travelling through a weed bead

If you feel a clonking bouncing of the lead on the bottom, then you have probably found gravel.
A clear gravel bar in amongst a weed bed or a silt bed could be a feeding area for the carp


This is from another site but you can end up with somthing like this.

Great Post Stotty !

I'm sure it will come of some use to some of our members !!!

Top one mate !

DanDanUK wrote:Great Post Stotty !

I'm sure it will come of some use to some of our members !!!

Top one mate !

Thanks Dan


Kevin and my self said we would do a good few posts like this so if you’re getting into the sport there is a step by step guide hopefully covering every thing

I've just bought a marker rod but had no idea how to use it. Very good tuition.

thats my next buy well a 3.25lb RangeMaster II to go with my other rods going to use it as a spod/marker rod gotta have all your rods matching

DanDanUK wrote:thats my next buy well a 3.25lb RangeMaster II to go with my other rods going to use it as a spod/marker rod gotta have all your rods matching

spod rods are of the norm 4.5 + test curve but that would be ok just dont over do it. If you use a small pocket rocket then a normal 2.5/2.75 tc carp rod will do the business but the big boys you need somthing in the large

Great thread Stotty

will tru on east ardsley

cracking info stotty

wish i,de read it before i got mine out yesterday


regards
kevin

I know this sounds like a daft question and it probly is but i've just inherited a beach caster you said you need a strong rod could this be used for the same job .Plus my local lake is 25 acers so it would help with distance casts just a thought what do you think.

ciderman wrote:I know this sounds like a daft question and it probly is but i've just inherited a beach caster you said you need a strong rod could this be used for the same job .Plus my local lake is 25 acers so it would help with distance casts just a thought what do you think.

I know people that have used tham as a spod rod

ciderman wrote:I know this sounds like a daft question and it probly is but i've just inherited a beach caster you said you need a strong rod could this be used for the same job .Plus my local lake is 25 acers so it would help with distance casts just a thought what do you think.

It would be fine as a spod rod but I think it would be over the top for catching Carp with!

top info stotty this will help me thx m8