Quest Baits Blog

Hi Kriso,

I agree, use your echo sounder to locate features not fish. Years ago I spent days at Cassien fishing for a large group of fish that did not exist. When we packed up and went back to Gerrards Bar to load the car, I mentioned to him about the fish. I still don’t know what created the signal but he told me many anglers before me had fished for them and of course failed. Find the feature with the sounder and use the skills you would use over here to fine tune your strategy.

Following on from Shauns point on safety. If you need to take to a boat on a large water at night, make sure you have a marker light in your swim. Its so easy to become disorientated on a large water in the dark. A large fish can spin your boat while you are playing it and its easy to loose your bearings and your swim. I took to the boat on Salagou when a carp was snagged in a tree in 25ft of water. Once the fish was freed and netted probably over 500 yards from the bank, we realised we had not got a clue where our swim was. Luckily some friends had been disturbed by the commotion when we launched the boat, realised we were in trouble and started flashing lights for us to follow back.

Also keep an eye out for storms, you definitely do not want to be out on a large French water in a small boat when the mistral blows up

Keep safe and enjoy your fishing

Ron Key

Lorsque j’ai la possibilité de prendre mon bateau, j’amène toujours avec moi mon echodsondeur. Je doit bien avouer que lors de mes pêches en grands lacs comme le SALAGOU ou PANNECIERE en FRANCE ou sur les rivières il m’a bien été utile. Au vu des hectares d’eau, cela me permet de gagner du temps et de couvrir une plus grande surface pour sonder.Toutefois cela ne fait pas tout et bien des fois ce sont avec des petites astuces que je fini le travail. Une fois ma zone détecté, c’est avec une grande tige que je sonde le fond, les sensations de fond dur à fond mou sont bien perçu dans les faibles profondeurs. L’idée de Shaun avec le H block ou la petite ancre que propose Mark sont très utile lorque l’on ne possède pas d’echosondeur et que les fonds sont plus important. La canne à sonder du bateau pourrait être une autre idée mais cela prend beaucoup de temps. Ma dernière idée repose non pas sur le matériel mais sur l’observation et le maximum de renseignements à prendre sur le lac pour arrivé et mettre le plus de chance possible pour faire du poisson. Pour finir, la sécurité reste primordial en grand lacs car il ne faut pas oublier que ce sont parfois dans des conditions extrèmes qu’il faut affronter ces géants.

Babelfish Translation – When j’ have the possibility of taking my boat, j’ always bring with me my echodsondor. I must acknowledge well that at the time of my fishings in big lakes like the SALAGOU or PANNECIERE in FRANCE or on the rivers it m’ indeed was useful. Within sight of the hectares d’ water, that enables me to save time and to cover more a large surface to probe. However that does not do all and many time it with small easy ways only I is finished work. Once my zone detected, c’ is with a large stem which I probe the bottom, the basic feelings hard at soft bottom are well perceived in the low depths. L’ idea of Shaun with H block or the small anchor which Mark proposes are very useful lorque l’ d’ is not had; echosondor and that the funds are more important. The cane to probe boat could be another idea but that takes much time. My last idea rests not on the material but on l’ observation and the maximum of information to be taken on the lake for arrived and to put the most possible chance to make fish. To finish, safety remains paramount into large lakes because it should not be forgotten that it is sometimes under conditions extrèmes qu’ these giants should be faced.

Forgot to mention, if you use the auto-inflate type life jackets, make sure you check the gas cartridge regularly. Most have a red and green indicator system that tell you when the jacket is safe to use. Also check the cartridge for its ‘shelf life’ date and make sure it is changed before this date runs out.

Cheers,
Pat

Thanks for that Pat, I had no idea the cartridges had a shelf life

Cheers Ron

My cartridge is stamped 06/06 which I guess means that the shelf life had expired before I bought the life jacket. Time to do some shopping

Cheers Ron

Hi Gary,
Don’t know for sure, but i would presume the shelf life is based on the gas being able to exert the pressure required to auto-inflate the life jacket to the stated newton value (buoyancy).

I suppose over time any seals may perish slightly causing a decrease in the pressure that can be obtained.

Cheers,
Pat