Quest Baits Blog

Greg asks;

Is it possible to plumb the depth of a lake with a ledger rig? I’d like to find where the gullies and gravel bars are.

Hi Greg the short answer is yes you can.  You can gather an incredible amount of information about your swim by simply tying a lead on your line and casting it out.

If you cast out a lead and let if descend on a tight line you can count down the number of seconds until the lead hits the bottom.  A 3oz lead falls at approximately 3ft per second.  It’s not an exact science but it will give you an indication of the depth. It is difficult with depths under 4 or 5ft because the lead is on the bottom before you can start your count.

The accuracy of this process can be increased by adding a marker float to a lead on a running link.  Stopping the retrieve every few feet and measuring the line taken from the reel as the float rises to the surface will give you an accurate indication of the profile of the bottom.  It also gives you the depth of features such as bars, humps and plateaux as you locate them.  The lead can stick or hold on the side of a bar, and the slope of the bottom or bar can increase the resistance of the retrieve confirming what the float tells you. continue reading…

Ever wondered just how far you need to cast past your marker float to ensure your lead lands on the marked spot?

Maybe you haven’t considered it before, but if you let your lead go down through the water on a tight line it actually swings in an arc… so potentially ends up closer in than you think.

So how much allowance do you need to make?

We asked Jim Kelly & he came up with the excellent spreadsheet tool below. Here’s Jim’s comments;

For most situations swing is negligible, it is only a factor in very deep water close in. The assumption is that the lead falls on a tight line. In real life there is also a catapult effect backwards due to line stretch. Energy is stored in the line and when released the line shoots backwards. This can be easily observed if boating baits out, put the line under tension and release. I have no way of calculating this as it depends on:

• Type of line
• Velocity of lead on impact
• Mass of lead

Feathering the line or dropping the rod tip on impact with the water will reduce catapult effect. Catapult effect can be an advantage on very silty/weedy waters as it slows the lead down and hence it doesn’t go as deep into the silt/weed.

Interested to find out?

Click here to open the casting swing calculator as a XL Spreadsheet file.

Every once in a while you stumble across something and think ‘Why didn’t i think of that’!

Well, I have done just that. Reading through the excellent Sixth British Carp Study Group book I stumbled across a article by Lancashire member Les Watts where he descibed his marker float set up.

Now this is simplicity itself and I have now adopted the same technique and really can’t see how I ever managed before. continue reading…

By Elie Godsi

Here is a scenario I see time and time again wherever I fish. Carp anglers find a spot they like the feel of with their marker floats, like a gravel patch or a gap in weed. Then they check out the actual condition of the bottom of the lake around their marker float by casting their actual fishing rods, rigs and all, to the spot they have identified. Then they pull back – with the rigs they are about to bait up with, all along the bottom. Why would anyone do that? continue reading…

by Paul Cooper; 

One of the most productive methods for multiple captures of any species of fish, is by accurate presentation of both loose feed, boilies and the hookbait to a small area in open water.

The first task is to locate a possible feeding area that is within casting distance, to present a carpet of feed and your hookbait. The requirements for this are:

1) A marker rod

2) A spod rod

3) 2, 3 or 4 Fishing rods.

 The first rod that you should use is the marker rod which can find the depth of water, the contours of the lake bed and the texture of the make up of the lake bed.

Once a fishing spot is located, allow the float to rise to the surface and pick a point on the skyline that the float is lined up with. Either record this or memorise the location.

Wind the line back until you feel the marker hit the lead on the line, so that the marker is now on the lake bottom. Mark up the main line of the marker rod, at the butt ring of the rod with electrical tape or pole elastic.

Once you are happy that it is properly marked, reel in the line.

Our next step is to mark up the spod rod and the fishing rods for that that baited area.

continue reading…

Question from Roger Mills;

Hi, I propose to put some order into my carp fishing and use a marker system to identify underwater features.  I see there are various rods on the market. What test curve would give the best response when trying to find lake features?
Regards, Roger 

Hi Roger,

For all my marker float work I use a stiff (tippy action) 3lb test curve road.  

A through action rod is not much use as all the knocks and bumps from bottom features are absorbed by the through action of the rod. 

The action of the rod is much more important than the test curve.  Using braided line also helps to “feel” the contours of the bottom, but in my experience you will need a mono leader with it as the increased friction of the braid will stop the marker float popping up. 

Hope this helps and good luck.Jim Kelly