Comments on: What can be done about birds diving on baits? http://www.questbaits.com/blog/readers-query-what-can-be-done-about-birds-diving-on-baits/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:35:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Spencer Humble http://www.questbaits.com/blog/readers-query-what-can-be-done-about-birds-diving-on-baits/comment-page-1/#comment-1664 Spencer Humble Sun, 11 Apr 2010 16:37:44 +0000 http://www.questbaits.com/blog/readers-query-what-can-be-done-about-birds-diving-on-baits/#comment-1664 This has caused me problems this year too, with upto 40 tufties on 4 acres! As suggested a small air gun, with one pellet shot in the vacinity scares them senseless. Also although you will loook silly, try waving your landing net gently, it certainly moves them off, but they will be back....... This has caused me problems this year too, with upto 40 tufties on 4 acres! As suggested a small air gun, with one pellet shot in the vacinity scares them senseless. Also although you will loook silly, try waving your landing net gently, it certainly moves them off, but they will be back…….

]]> By: Elie G http://www.questbaits.com/blog/readers-query-what-can-be-done-about-birds-diving-on-baits/comment-page-1/#comment-41 Elie G Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:18:23 +0000 http://www.questbaits.com/blog/readers-query-what-can-be-done-about-birds-diving-on-baits/#comment-41 Cliff I feel for you! An age old problem and some good suggestions already. At this time of year definitely fishing with very little loose feed will make it harder for coots and tufties to find your bait. In the summer when you want to fish bigger beds of bait then here are some tricks that might help. 1. I carry a BB pellet air pistol that fires ball bearings out of it. Shooting at the ducks scares them away and can never do any harm to them and doesn't seem to bother the fish. I am a paid up member of the RSPB so would never knowingly harm a bird and this does the trick. 2. Use really large hard hook baits - I'm talking 25mm plus. They find it harder to pick up very large baits. But my best advice is this: 3. Use an anti-tangle rig and DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. If you are sure your rig cannot tangle then let them try to pick it up and as long as they don't get hooked they will drop it. You mention your water has a silty bottom - the Chod rig here would work fine. This is one of the best anti-tangle rigs around, using a short stiff section of hooklink directly off a leadcore type set up. (But learn to set it up properly and make it fish safe). I have lost count of the number of times a coot or tufty has tried to pick this up and then dropped it. Only for Mr Big Fat Carp to pick it up a short while later. Hope that helps. Best Fishes Elie G Cliff

I feel for you! An age old problem and some good suggestions already. At this time of year definitely fishing with very little loose feed will make it harder for coots and tufties to find your bait.

In the summer when you want to fish bigger beds of bait then here are some tricks that might help.
1. I carry a BB pellet air pistol that fires ball bearings out of it. Shooting at the ducks scares them away and can never do any harm to them and doesn’t seem to bother the fish. I am a paid up member of the RSPB so would never knowingly harm a bird and this does the trick.

2. Use really large hard hook baits – I’m talking 25mm plus. They find it harder to pick up very large baits.

But my best advice is this:
3. Use an anti-tangle rig and DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. If you are sure your rig cannot tangle then let them try to pick it up and as long as they don’t get hooked they will drop it. You mention your water has a silty bottom – the Chod rig here would work fine. This is one of the best anti-tangle rigs around, using a short stiff section of hooklink directly off a leadcore type set up. (But learn to set it up properly and make it fish safe). I have lost count of the number of times a coot or tufty has tried to pick this up and then dropped it. Only for Mr Big Fat Carp to pick it up a short while later.

Hope that helps.

Best Fishes

Elie G

]]> By: chris http://www.questbaits.com/blog/readers-query-what-can-be-done-about-birds-diving-on-baits/comment-page-1/#comment-31 chris Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:48:58 +0000 http://www.questbaits.com/blog/readers-query-what-can-be-done-about-birds-diving-on-baits/#comment-31 Hi Guys. I have a method that turns the ducks into fish locators!!!On a lake i used to fish in winter (days only), i would bait up saturday morning with about 0.5kg of bait, spread over a wide area - roughly 60 metre by 20 metre rectangle where i knew the carp would regulaly hold up. I would then fish over the top of it getting the odd carp and pick up from the ducks. Just before leaving i would put out another 0.5 kg of bait, again spread over the wide area (regardless of where i had caught fish from that day). On arriving on the Sunday morning it would be obvious where the carp were NOT feeding - because the ducks would be diving there. But the ducks would never dive next to the feeding carp!! I believe this works well in winter because the carp maybe in a general area but only willing to feed in localised spots. Casting to the undisturbed spots led to upto ten carp a day been banked on a water where three fish in a summertime session was a good result!! One thing to note is that i had established this bait through the summer and autum periods! Hope this might help. I also believe this method will work better on smaller waters. Another thing to look out for is a duck that dives on your baits several times then comes up already flying - this probably means it has being spooked by a feeding carp that has moved onto your baits! Regards Chris Hi Guys.
I have a method that turns the ducks into fish locators!!!On a lake i used to fish in winter (days only), i would bait up saturday morning with about 0.5kg of bait, spread over a wide area – roughly 60 metre by 20 metre rectangle where i knew the carp would regulaly hold up. I would then fish over the top of it getting the odd carp and pick up from the ducks. Just before leaving i would put out another 0.5 kg of bait, again spread over the wide area (regardless of where i had caught fish from that day). On arriving on the Sunday morning it would be obvious where the carp were NOT feeding – because the ducks would be diving there. But the ducks would never dive next to the feeding carp!! I believe this works well in winter because the carp maybe in a general area but only willing to feed in localised spots. Casting to the undisturbed spots led to upto ten carp a day been banked on a water where three fish in a summertime session was a good result!! One thing to note is that i had established this bait through the summer and autum periods!
Hope this might help. I also believe this method will work better on smaller waters. Another thing to look out for is a duck that dives on your baits several times then comes up already flying – this probably means it has being spooked by a feeding carp that has moved onto your baits!
Regards Chris

]]> By: Gareth http://www.questbaits.com/blog/readers-query-what-can-be-done-about-birds-diving-on-baits/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Gareth Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:59:15 +0000 http://www.questbaits.com/blog/readers-query-what-can-be-done-about-birds-diving-on-baits/#comment-30 Hi Cliff, Good advice from Pat.. Not an easy one this...other than shooting them LOL! (hope no RSPB people are reading). Seriously, I had a summer on my lakes where the mallards were a nightmare, going down six feet easily. I found as Pat says PVA was a life saver... but I also found by spodding out my boilies and using a dark bait I could avoid attracting them to my area. If you (accidentally) hit one or two with the spod this scared them off. Regards Gareth Hi Cliff,
Good advice from Pat.. Not an easy one this…other than shooting them LOL! (hope no RSPB people are reading). Seriously, I had a summer on my lakes where the mallards were a nightmare, going down six feet easily. I found as Pat says PVA was a life saver… but I also found by spodding out my boilies and using a dark bait I could avoid attracting them to my area. If you (accidentally) hit one or two with the spod this scared them off.

Regards
Gareth

]]> By: Jamie Simpson http://www.questbaits.com/blog/readers-query-what-can-be-done-about-birds-diving-on-baits/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Jamie Simpson Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:56:12 +0000 http://www.questbaits.com/blog/readers-query-what-can-be-done-about-birds-diving-on-baits/#comment-29 Hi Cliff I have had this problem myself on a couple of waters I fish and it really can be a nightmare. Without actually being at the water it is often difficult to pinpoint a solution but I will give it a shot. You could try feeding them away with a loaf of bread or floating pellets, Shaun does some tiny floating pellets that are ideal for this and will keep them occupied for ages. One tip with this is to apply them away from the area you are fishing, preferably upwind and as they drift by the birdlife will follow them into the corner. You may also find the carp show an interest with the water being so shallow so it is worth watching. Obviously I wouldnt advise this if the water is busy. Another option is to give them some free bait that is highly visible away from your baited area. Sweetcorn or any bright yellow baits are ideal for this. Then use a dull boilie where you intend to fish, like the new Liver B8 which will be on the shelves very shortly. I hope either of these tips help and if they do please let me know. Cheers Jamie Hi Cliff

I have had this problem myself on a couple of waters I fish and it really can be a nightmare.

Without actually being at the water it is often difficult to pinpoint a solution but I will give it a shot.

You could try feeding them away with a loaf of bread or floating pellets, Shaun does some tiny floating pellets that are ideal for this and will keep them occupied for ages. One tip with this is to apply them away from the area you are fishing, preferably upwind and as they drift by the birdlife will follow them into the corner. You may also find the carp show an interest with the water being so shallow so it is worth watching. Obviously I wouldnt advise this if the water is busy.

Another option is to give them some free bait that is highly visible away from your baited area. Sweetcorn or any bright yellow baits are ideal for this. Then use a dull boilie where you intend to fish, like the new Liver B8 which will be on the shelves very shortly.

I hope either of these tips help and if they do please let me know.

Cheers

Jamie

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