By Paul Cooper 
There are many options for accurate baiting and bait presentation. Probably one of the most neglected is wading out your baits to give you that perfect presentation.
On 90% of waters this will not be possible, due to depth, silt or wading restrictions, but if it is possible then why not give it a try.
On a local lake that I fish the depths of the waters quantify the use of chest waders. With depths of around 3 to 3 ½ feet, getting in the water in chesties is not a problem.
Prior to this I would have already have done my plumbing work with a marker float to ensure that wading is possible. Care still has to be taken as there a some large areas of deep silt and weed. I initially take out my landing net handle to use as a prod to ensure that I am not walking into a silt hole or walking off or onto a ledge.
Now there may be some of you that are horrified that that I am disturbing the carp from the margins and scattering them to the far end of the lake. Most estate lakes, as with the one that I am talking about, are used to graze cattle etc.
Cattle love to wade in the margins. You often see the carp cruising around them as if they are not there. The carp will feed, cruise and even bask in the sun, not disturbed by all the commotion, being kicked up by these giant beasts.
So why should a lonely angler wading out into the lake disturb the fish?
As long as you take your time there should be no problems. Even if you spook a few carp, they should return to see what pond life has been disturbed. In my earlier days I used to spend a lot of time tench fishing, I would rake and disturb the lake bottom as much as possible prior to and even during a session to disturb the invertebrates and bloodworm that were hidden in the silt. This created a feeding frenzy, resulting in some multiple catches.
Why not for Carp?
On some waters, wading is forbidden, but if it is allowed you may like to take advantage of the situation. You will find small clear patches in the silt, of around 1 to 3 feet wide that have been burrowed out by carp feeding on bloodworm. I don’t care how good an angler you are, you will not find these features with a marker rod.
What about that hole in the weed. Ok marker work will find a clear patch, but after how many casts?
Now wading around in your chosen area for ½ an hour or so can get you an accurate picture of the lake bottom and its features, not only for that session, but for many future sessions.
When you have located what is believed to be a feeding area the bait placement couldn’t be easier. Just lower the bait onto the lake bottom and scatter either loose feed, say hemp or pellet, a scattering of boilies and then it’s a walk in a direct line back to the fishing location on the bank.
It is now time to mark the line on the rod so that the bait can be returned to the same location on a recast.
Note the direction of the line to the baited area, take a sky line reading and either memorise the location of the sky line or make a written note of it. If you feel that you want to put 2 rods on the same area. Pace out the marked up rod on the bank side, then walk out the second rod to the mark on the line and mark the second rod.
You’ve now got 2 accurately marked rods to cast to that baited area.
What could be simpler?
Paul Cooper.
Comments
Leave a comment Trackback