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 Kingfisher II |
Best Tench bait |
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Posts: 4902 19/03/2008 09:04:33 Board Owner |
I'm hoping to fish a lake for Tench next week and was wondering whats a good early
season bait? or is it still a bit early for them? I also need to know the best mainline and what breaking strain is needed.these days.(I'm a bit out of touch). Micky
Last Edited By: Kingfisher II 19/03/2008 09:12:11.
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EXTEST |
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Posts: 1173 20/03/2008 21:42:48 Moderator |
Nobody seems to be answering this Micky but, I will, even though there must be some on here that know more than I,
Traditionally of course we all think of Tench fishing as early morning float fishing, watching the pin prick bubbles coming ever nearer to our float, float lifting up, then sinking,---Great. Because I find it hard to watch a float I fish with a quiver tip. John Wilson Avon with the quiver tip top, small baitrunner,(epix pro 30), 6/8lb bs X line, (fine diameter),fished straight through to a size 10/ 12 Kamasan Animal barbless hook. Open ended feeder stopped with a ledger stop, you can vary the hook length easily on this set up. First thing I do when arriving at the swim is to mix up some ground bait., then find the 'drop-off ', usually not far out. My ground bait consists of Stench mixed with Dynamite frenzied hemp with a bit of liquid molasses. Add some red maggots to this,--not too many. I then bombard just beyond the drop-off with about six tangerine size balls of ground bait.----Ka-ploosh!!!!!! Time to set up the rod and rod rests and get yourself comfy and even have a cup of tea,---this is pleasure, not pressure. 
Cast out to the ground baited area and be as accurate as you can, keep laying the table with your feeder. My favourite bait is dendrobena worm tipped with a red rubber maggot to stop it wriggling off the hook. Nip the tail of the worm off to make the juices flow. Some may think that my set up is a bit heavy but, you never know when you may pick up a nuisance double figure Carp with this set up.
I have done very well with these tactics.----Don't take any notice of ' Longfellow' and his bight alarms, buzz bars, monkey climbers etc., I will catch far more with my methods  Oh dear I've just thrown out a challenge  ,----See you up there,---best wishes,---John.
PS, add some sweetcorn into the groundbait and use it as a change hook bait with maggots from time to time.
Last Edited By: EXTEST 20/03/2008 21:58:10.
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RePete06 |
#2 | |||
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Posts: 178 21/03/2008 10:26:27 moderator |
Nice one john, better than any magazine article.
Tight lines Pete W |
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Kingfisher II |
#3 | |||
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Posts: 4903 21/03/2008 10:58:13 Board Owner |
Ditto
Micky |
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EXTEST |
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Posts: 1174 21/03/2008 11:39:36 Moderator |
Kingfisher II wrote: Modern lines are of a finer diameter than your old 'cat-gut' days Micky. Seriously you never know when you are going to pick up a carp and I certainly was glad of stronger line when I had a 22lber.---John.
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Kingfisher II |
#5 | |||
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Posts: 4909 26/03/2008 13:42:48 Board Owner |
Iv'e got my maggots and 6 lb line for tomorrow.
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RePete06 |
#6 | |||
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Posts: 182 28/03/2008 11:28:48 moderator |
On Thatcham lakes yesterday, no fish.
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Kingfisher II |
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Posts: 4913 28/03/2008 12:14:03 Board Owner |
I managed to take this photo while Pete was awake yesterday.
What a glorious day it was,( back to normal today). 
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Kingfisher II |
#8 | |||
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Posts: 4916 28/03/2008 14:55:43 Board Owner |
My friend Stewart also enjoyed the biteless day.
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EXTEST |
#9 | |||
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Posts: 1178 29/03/2008 22:46:43 Moderator |
Nice photo's Micky, ---looks like 'The last of the summer wine'
What is that awful contraption on your rod rest Pete,---not a bite alarm surely. I reckon it's still too cold for me and I will try to get up there from the end of next week on. Will arrange to meet up.----Best wishes,---John. PS. I have never blanked on that lake.  
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RePete06 |
#10 | |||
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Posts: 185 30/03/2008 13:24:27 moderator |
Good photos Micky.
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barbelwalker |
Tench fishing | #11 | ||
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Posts: 88 30/03/2008 19:23:59 |
Just saw this post. Have to recommend casters and chopped worm as early season tench bait. You'll need two pints of casters and a quarter of a kilo of
dendrabeona. Not cheap!! I mix two kilo's of a fishmeal groundbait and put four big balls in at the start. Then I fish chopped worm / caster / double
caster or even corn / red maggot over the top. Keep a large ball of groundbait going in every half an hour even if not catching. They will come eventually.
I'd fish a pole with 0:15 (5lbs 14ozs) reflo powerline straight through dropping to 0:13 (4lbs 12ozs ish) hooklink if it was hard. Hook size would be 16 to
start but would change based on action. You could fish a float or the feeder. Beauty with the pole though is pinpoint accuracy in feeding and depth plumbing,
lack of disturbance putting feed in and generally finer presentation. Great fun playing fish with the elastic too. Try it you might like it!
Last Edited By: barbelwalker 30/03/2008 19:26:18.
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Ian Crook |
#12 | |||
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Posts: 14 01/04/2008 20:22:11 |
Cockles are an absolutely cracking Tench bait, they love them, must be fresh ones though, from the fishmongers, pickled ones are no use at all. Also peeled
prawns, don't cast well so wrap them with pva tape first to keep on the hook.
Red maggots take some beating on the right day and I have had loads on sweetcorn, bream also love red maggots and sweetcorn though!!! Ian C.
Ian Crook (Crooky)
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Barbel Searcher |
#13 | |||
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Posts: 2 06/04/2008 08:09:13 |
Funnily enough, I just had my first tench session of the year on this Friday just gone. It was a beautiful warm early spring evening (and I woke up this
morning, Sunday to find a light covering of snow on the ground!) and it was great to be out fishing. Fish were topping, and the odd tench was rolling too. I
had two tench, nothing massive, but very good scraps from both fish.
Both were taken on feederfished maggots, with a 4 inch short hooklink, with three maggots on a size 14 hook. I'd forgotten how much tench fight, and I'm looking forward to doing a fair bit of tenching this spring.
Last Edited By: Barbel Searcher 06/04/2008 08:17:33.
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EXTEST |
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Posts: 1181 06/04/2008 08:37:16 Moderator |
A big welcome from me Barbel Searcher.
What a superb photo, certainly hits the spot for all that's great about Tench fishing. I'm going to start, hopefully, towards the end of the week. Lets hope this spell of cold weather clears away soon. Keep us posted on any further sessions. Best wishes,----John. |
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Barbel Searcher |
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Posts: 3 06/04/2008 09:18:23 |
Thanks for that John. It was such a lovely sunset on Friday, I just had to record it. Looks like milder weather coming in mid-week, so maybe the tench could
be a viable target by next weekend again. Let's hope so.
Tight lines, Kev. |
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Kingfisher II |
#16 | |||
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Posts: 4932 06/04/2008 18:13:22 Board Owner |
Thanks for posting the photo Kev , that lake looks fantastic.
We had about 2 inches of snow early this morning but it had melted by 2 p.m. . I expect you had a bit more in your area? A warm welcome to B.A on a cold day . mate. Micky. |
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Roy Young |
#17 | |||
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Posts: 1335 07/04/2008 19:56:56 Moderator |
Hello Chaps,
I've been looking in at this thread but haven't replied yet. Some good comments. I've never ever fished in the old closed season in lakes and pits around Newbury and Thatcham because Newbury closed all of their waters during that time. Now I've rejoined Thatcham AA I will venture out to the lakes next month. Still got some work to do in the house following what happened last July. But I will be there! Meanwhile on the question about baits, I'm going to try that good old traditional bait - bread flake, float fished with a number 8 hook. My biggest bag ever was just over a 100lb from Knots (Newbury AA). Taken on bread flake - a cheap sliced white loaf (35p,) from the Co-op. Nothing else, no groundbait except the crusts soaked and chucked in around the float. I see the Co-op call themselves the Co-operative now. Sort of up-market. You can see the label on the loaf can't you - "The Co-operative Special Tench White Bread" Roy |
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Kingfisher II |
#18 | |||
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Posts: 4939 07/04/2008 20:19:41 Board Owner |
I caught my first Tench of the season today ,not a monster but perfectly formed.
Last Edited By: Kingfisher II 07/04/2008 20:22:09.
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RePete06 |
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Posts: 190 07/04/2008 20:23:05 moderator |
On the lake today with Micky. In between the hail and snow showers we both managed to catch a tench each, my one was on fishmeal boilie.
Pete W
Last Edited By: Kingfisher II 07/04/2008 20:28:43.
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EXTEST |
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Posts: 1182 07/04/2008 20:42:33 Moderator |
Well done both of you. Micky you look frozen , are you sure you should be out there in this weather at your age.
I am a wimp so I'm waiting for the weather to get slightly warmer then I'll have a crack at it. I'll fish in any weather for Barbel but, not for Tench. ---See you soon,----John. |
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