Friday, 15 October 2010

Greys fishing tackle

Enjoy Fishing with Greys Fishing Equipment




Greys fly fishing equipment first came out of the market in 1968 and it was immediately well received by fly fishers in Europe. Although it was only in recent years that the product became officially available in North America, it has been considered by many fly fishing enthusiasts worldwide for decades. The company went through rapid transformation after it was acquired by Hardy in 1999 which led to its worldwide expansion.



Greys Fly Rods



Greys manufacture four types of fly rods: single-handed, double-handed, spinning and bait rods. The single-handed and double-handed types of rods are almost the same except that the double-handed types are longer and sturdier which is perfect for heavier loads. The beauty of the single-handed and double handed fly rods from Greys is that they came with the same number of sections. Even though double-handed fly rods are longer it still has the same section compared to its single-handed fly rod counterparty. The spinning rod from Greys is known for their durability and flexibility. A good example is the Mission 6 Spinning Fly Reel which is made up of six sections. This is perfect for traveling but even though it comes with six different parts, it's still durable and effective for long range casting. Greys bait rods are unique spinning rods as it uses hybrid cork and features low diameter blacks which improves handling.



Greys Fly Reels



Greys have created a character in their fly reels. From the beginner's G-Series Fly Reel to powerful G-Tec Reel, fly fishers will immediately notice Greys dedication to quality without getting your rod heavier than it should. The fly reels were made with different alloys - each optimized to work in a specific environment without pushing the weight limit. When it comes to durability, Greys ensured sturdiness in any setting through strategic placing of vents to prevent tangling and line breakage.



Greys Carp Rods



Greys have also developed a special line of carp rods and they are some of the best in the industry because of its quality and performance. First is the marker rod which comes with specific purpose of introducing the carp fisher to the area. This is complemented by the spod rod which offers additional coverage. There entry level version is highly recommended but spod rods with additional capabilities are also offered. Finally, the carp rods that comes in four versions: Torsion, X-Flite Plus, Prodigy Plus and Prodigy Six. Torsion is the lightest of the rods, X-Flite is for long distance casting while the Prodigy series is an entry level and lightweight carp rods.



For a great variety of Greys fishing tackle visit http://www.fishing-rods-and-reels.co.uk/greys.html Or for more fishing tackle visit http://www.fishing-rods-and-reels.co.uk



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lucien_Soffer

Tuesday, 7 September 2010

A Cold Morning, A First Trout

The night had been long, dark and cold. Morning broke a cold winter grey with a heavy overnight frost lighting up the dark depths of the trees. The wind blew cold against my face as I got out of the car and tackled up.




As I was putting my rods together I examined the lake I had come to fish. No ice thankfully, a slight riffle on the water but no sign of any trout, although I knew they were there, just deep down in the water.



Fly fishing was still new to me then, having come from course fishing, I had only taken it up some two months previously.



In my ignorance I had never looked into fly fishing as I assumed it was a sport of the rich, with no place for the likes of me.



It was 2 months previously that I had first paid a visit to a nearby trout fishery. I had heard about it as I used to fish for carp on a nearby lake. The trout fishery is made up of two small 2 acre lakes surrounded by woodland interspersed by views across open country.



I met the fishery manager and asked if it was ok to take a walk around. It was there that I met an elderly gentleman, George, whose enthusiasm for fly fishing was infectious.



George has fished for many years and was enjoying his fishing even more since he had retired



He blew away all my misconceptions about fly fishing, and introduced me to a number of the regular fishing "crowd".



It was then that I decided to take the sport up, and had a long talk with the fishery manager about tactics and the waters he presided over. You can never have too much local knowledge.



It always surprises me the number of people who turn up to a new water to fish, but never take the time to actually find out about the water they are about to fish.



Going back to the morning I arrived to fish I still had yet to catch my first fish. This was probably due to the fact that my casting was still improving, as was my understanding of the whole fly fishing sport.



I decided to fish the further of the 2 lakes that morning. This lake is known to be the more difficult of the 2, probably because it is very deep and quite exposed.



Despite the fact that I knew the fish were probably holding down deep in the water, I decided to use a floating line with a long leader and a dark fly, a Bloody Butcher.



My favourite fly fishing method is dry fly fishing, but in winter and with nothing hatching, this was not an option on this occasion.



To this day I still find an intermediate or sinking line more difficult to cast, so I use a floating line with a very long leader attached.



There were three of us fishing the lake that morning. After about an hour and a half I started to find casting difficult. The line just did not seem to want to shoot.



I then attracted a number of jovial comments from the other fishers, one of which was something like "it's harder to cast when it's frozen!" Sure enough, my rod rings had completely iced up!



The others were packing up, considering it too cold to continue. I decided to give it one last try. I went against the rule of "dark flies for dark days" and put on an Orange Fritz.



First cast - my first fish!



I was so excited about catching my first ever trout on the fly that I determined to come back the next day, and I did, full of confidence. I must have fished that Orange Fritz for over 3 hours, but didn't even get a "knock".



These days I wouldn't consider fishing the same fly with no result for that long and it just goes to show how fickle trout can be, interested in a certain fly one day, completely uninterested in the same fly the next!



Zac is also a keen fly fisherman. For some great tips and deals, visit his latest website about fly fishing combos where you can get information on buying balanced fly fishing combos which is generally cheaper than buying the individual components you need.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Zac_Kurtsmier

Tuesday, 15 June 2010

What to Know Before You Go - Essentials to Research Before Your Perfect Carp Fishing Trip

Fishermen, and women, around the world have had many experiences with baiting and reeling in their favorite type of fish, whether it is for their dinner or for sport. Ask anyone who has been out on the water before about their best catch and they will promptly tell you a story that includes what they used for bait, how they snagged that fish and every detail of their famed fish. The sport of fishing is one that takes skill, patience and sometimes even just a little luck to land that next big fish. Often it takes months and even years to perfect the best way to lure and reel in your favorite type of fish, and the carp fish is no exception.

Carp are freshwater fish found in many places around the world.

From lakes and ponds to slow moving rivers, you are sure to find them around the United States, Europe and Asia. Depending on where you are located or wish to travel for your next big carp excursion, you will have to do some research as to what types of carp are available for catch in your local area. Many carp will live and thrive in numerous areas on their own, while other lakes and ponds have been deliberately stocked with carp for the purpose of this sport. The exact type of bait you want to use on your fishing trip will depend entirely on the type of carp you will be fishing for. Each species of carp has their own favorite foods so be sure to know what types of carp are in the waters where you will be fishing.

Carp that live and thrive in lakes or ponds tend to be significantly larger than those in rivers or slow moving waters. This can mainly be attributed to the fact that lakes and ponds will be stocked by man in order for those who are in the hunt for carp will come for recreation or sport fishing. The threat of predators is quite low in these man-made carp locations so the population will grow and mature faster and easier than those fish you may find in natural carp populations. Rivers and slow moving waters will tend to bring fishermen a wide variety of carp species since you cannot guarantee which types will be inhabiting the waters at any given time. Often it is a challenge to see what you can catch in these unknown waters.

While there are so many different types of fish to choose from, more and more fishermen are finding themselves leaning towards at least one carp excursion during the fishing season. Catching carp gives a new meaning to the sport for many who are in the market for a relaxing fishing weekend or wish to bring on a new challenge while out on the waters. If you have never fished for carp before, try asking around or doing some research about the many locations to find carp or the different types of bait used for this well-sought after fish.

About The Author
Don Eigermeyer is a relatively recent newcomer to the carp fishing world, but that hasn't stopped him from becoming quickly obsessed with it. Interested readers can find out more about carp fish, learn some great recipes and approaches to baiting, and get a lot of really good technical information on carp fishing tackle at his website Carp Fishing Tackle And Enthusiast at http://www.carp-fishing-tackle-and-enthusiast.com. Tight lines, everybody!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Eigermeyer

Friday, 21 May 2010

Carp Fishing From Shore


Carp fishing from shore of a river can be a lot of fun for the entire family and not break the bank. There are so many rivers and lakes in the world that have carp and catfish that you are almost assured of catching something each time you go fishing.

Fishing for carp from the shoreline is an easy and relaxing way to fish. All you need is a fishing rod and reel that can handle fish anywhere from 2 pounds to 25 pounds. Carp do get pretty big, especially the buffalo carp species.

Carp are usually easy to catch. They are the type of fish that scours the bottom of the river for food. They have a mouth like a vacuum cleaner sucking up anything that it can eat. Live bait such as worms do not usually work, however they will suck it up occasionally if its lying on the bottom of the river.

Bait for carp can be as simple as corn on a hook. Bread balls or dough balls works pretty well if you can keep it on the hook. If you have some bread, take a piece out of the center and roll it up in a small ball and attach it to the hook. I have caught many carp this way when I was younger and had no money for bait. Make sure it lies on the bottom of the river or lake so the carp can find it and suck it up as its sweeping the bottom. Keep in mind that if there is top water scum or algae, they will also suck that up. So fishing with a top water item like a fly has also been known to work. Some people fish for carp with a fly rod and reel outfit.

Carp fishing from shore can get pretty exciting when a carp takes your line out for a run after it gets hooked. No need for a bobber fishing for carp. Just cast your line out and let it sit on the bottom of the river of lake you are fishing. I have had some very big carp that would fight for a long time before I could get it in to shore. This is one fish that can be easy to catch and can get really big. Some of the biggest fish I have caught over the years on freshwater rivers and lakes have been carp.

Fishing for carp can sometimes yield many other fish, such as catfish, bullhead, walleye and panfish of all kinds. They all live in the rivers and lakes of this country. So enjoy carp fishing from shore at your nearest river or lake.

Please check out more carp fishing tips and secrets on my website
http://myfishinggoods.com/carp_fishing_secrets.html

Jeff Bausch has been fishing for over 40 years. He started a lake map business with the best fishing spots marked plus a fishing newspaper many years ago. Fishing has always been a passion, now he is sharing his fishing knowledge about how to fish any lake with great success

Fishing Tackle Supply store

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Bausch

Monday, 10 May 2010

This Carp Fishing Season What Can You Do to Make it Your Best Ever?



Do you feel you are taking too long in achieving your carp fishing goals? If so, how can you ensure you achieve all the success you dream of for less effort and time and what do very many big name anglers do that makes it look so easy? Shave years off and speed things up by reading on!

There is a vital pivotal point that is central to maximising your results in carp fishing that most anglers over-look in their rush for the most fashionable new rod or reel or latest bait. I will reveal this secret in a moment because it seems that far too many anglers on the bank misunderstand this! But possibly the first point to state is that everyone can catch the kind fish they dream of catching. It may well be that not really believing this is the first barrier. When you truly believe you can - you will because you will find yourself doing the right things at the right time in the right places! The subconscious mind works wonders when correctly programmed and Kevin Maddocks was spot-on when he said a positive mental attitude is of paramount importance (in this case when referring winter carp fishing in particular, but the principle applies all year!)

Very many carp anglers see the high profile anglers catching big fish and feel intimidated, feeling that these anglers are a cut above the rest and somehow have a bubble of huge advantages at their disposal that an average carp angler cannot match. It is certainly true that such guys have competitive advantages but it is also true that many of them have paid the price for these in advance by putting in far more effort and applied dedication to becoming much better in their sport than the average occasional or week-end carp angler!

The anglers you meet who seem to catch all the fish will generally have one thing in common and it is very simple. They are confident and they think confidently! This is their greatest competitive edge in many ways because unconsciously their minds are therefore fully open to receiving all input of every kind from every source that will lead inevitably towards further success. The fact that they might have more time, or money or bait or tackle or connections to get onto waters etc are meaningless if they do not think like a winner to begin with!

It is no secret that thousands of anglers every week fish with lots of bait, the newest tackle and on renowned big fish waters and yet really fail to succeed in comparison to other anglers around them. The fact is that carp fishing is about thinking. Only those anglers with the most open minds are flexible enough to be able to constantly change not only ho the think but the actions their thoughts produce so in turn keeping them ahead of the game in terms of the carp and their competitors.

There are creative innovations that we take for granted completely now but which have seriously boosted catches all around the world to the degree that carp fishing may well not have become the cult sport it is today without such ingenuity!

These creations include the following: the hair rig, hard over-flavoured instant boilies used with bolt rigs, long-term high nutrition boilies, polyvinyl acetate water soluble bait products, electric bite indicators and adjustable swinger indicators, use of high line capacity big sea fishing reels teamed with long-range customised rods for large water fishing, the application of sweetcorn, Robin Red, L030 fish protein and Minamino to carp fishing baits and so on. How many more can you think of?

Just think about it. Like-minded groups of disparate individuals as well as actual individuals and friends have evolved these or brought them into the carp fishing world. Each of these innovation applications were the result of belief in conquering a problem and were applied to over-coming them. But without the correct positive mind-set then many of these would simply be missed and never have been spotted or tried in carp fishing.

Many of these have made house-hold names of the originators or claimed originators of these things and applications. Sometimes there are periods when some of these kinds of special advantages you might say, are evolved or developed by numerous people at the same time without them knowing anything about the other. This can be seen in various areas such as the development of the hair rig, or the true inventors of our worlds electricity systems, the telephone, radio, TV and so on.

I was using a hook with line attached with a bait on in the Seventies originally for bass fishing and other anglers applied exactly the same thinking of improving hooking and bait presentation at the same time and long before this time to develop hair rigs for carp and other fish independently of any individual claimants of any particular rig origination. But carp fishing used to be a serious world of secrets. Just a few decades ago carp fishing secrets that are very well known now were simply not discussed unless you happened to be in the right clique or circle or group because everyone knew just how much effort goes into these things and wished to exploit them to maximum effect before the herd gets wind of them.

Now the point here is that you too can create your own innovative competitive edges and the problems that face in your fishing provide the very solutions you may be seeking. The trick is not even to event something new but to use something that already exists in new ways. You can do things just 10 percent differently and get a huge multiplication your success. For instance, being able to cast 5 yards further, being able to identify feeding spots just 10 percent better than most anglers, being able to choose and apply baits 10 percent better than other anglers.

You might think about the different characteristics of individual high profile anglers that make them that bit more successful. It might be excellent watercraft skill. It might be incredible casting acuity and acumen. It might be the ability to adapt rigs and tactics in response to changing carp behaviours and habits. It might be the willingness to move focus upon identifying finding fish and being totally willing to move swims at 3 or 4 in the morning. Some anglers may have a bottomless bait supply and through long practice know exactly how and when to apply various baits to maximum effect.

Some of these things may not seem like a big deal. But this is probably because some of these at least are easily within everyones reach. The difference between many of the higher profile carp anglers and the casual carper is that many casual carp anglers just do not seem to realise this sport and passion begins with the fish themselves and not with all the paraphernalia associated with it. In fact pretty much all the commercial oriented products do is exploit everything about the fish without actually making it very obvious that this is the key!

Success is a formula, a recipe of combining the right refinements together at the right times, consistently. Because fishing for big carp is a skill and an art that can be learned and developed this means all carp anglers with strong intention can become the kind of angler who is consistently successful and this really means always having an open mind! Remember when you were a beginner, when everything seemed magical and exciting and mysterious?

All the possibilities in terms of where to fish, what tackle to use, what bait to use; all these things with a positive mind set equal the fastest learning of all. Now I focus on the learning bit here because just a small bit of information can transform your catches completely and this goes on over and over again all the time for anglers with an open mind! But all too often the average carp angler gets caught up in a rut of thinking in ways that are out of date!

This is the biggest danger of getting too attached to what is new, what your mates are buying, what their opinions on what the best reel, or rod or bivvy or bite alarm or bait are. Do you see where this is leading? The starting point must always be the fish. They provide all the solutions you need because you and your fellow carp anglers are training them and conditioning them dynamically be everything you do and use while fishing and even your very presence on the bank trains them.

If you want most success and wish to achieve all your carp fishing dreams faster than your ever imagined, it all begins with studying your fish. As the saying goes, know your enemy better than yourself! The top anglers are doing things all the time that exploit weaknesses in carp defenses that they have evolved and are constantly adapting in order to avoid getting hooked. This is the right mind set in action and is best described as thinking like a carp!

Many aspects of fishing for carp fishing are easily available to everyone including all the big fish carp waters and all the tackle and baits now available plus loads of magazines and websites on fishing. What really matters is how your mind sees all this stuff - because everyone is in a world of their own as each and every individuals perspective of reality and the big picture of things is unique to himself alone! Next time you go on a new lake and some of the locals or regular anglers say it is hard it is very often in their own minds. Beginners get much more luck because they are often employing different tactics, use of different swims, different baiting methods and tackle and rigs and a different mindset in general to those of anglers already entrenched on a water.

It is like Jim Shelley who went and fished Conningbrook for the British Record carp. The regulars had told him that using lots of bait is a bad idea. Lots of anglers these days just use PVA netting and pellets for instance. Maybe they know Jim Shelley often uses loads of bait, far more than average anglers might imagine. Either way, he fished for just a few days, baited up heavily in right in the weed I believe, and he caught the British record fish! You have to consider that here is a guy who is a pretty much full-time angler who is so in-tune and refined in his fishing he can unravel very many variables in terms of fishing pressure, fishing tactics to use and baiting levels etc based on what he has heard and seen on such a water that has seen many very good anglers over the decades.

Basically he knows how fish behave in response to anglers baits, lines, and tactics and he knows that being different even in what seems like minor ways makes all the difference; the fish themselves provide the clues. Many anglers hate fishing directly into weed, but carp can clear weed fast when feeding hard by regular baiting. Jim has been a regular at so many heavily weeds big fish water because in so many ways big fish and rich waters go inevitably together!

Some of the biggest breakthroughs in carp baits came anglers with open minds. And it is noticeable that Einstein had a way of questioning that helped constantly question conventional thinking so enabling further progress and advancements to be made.

How you noticed how you can go for long periods of time thinking something was absolutely right but finding this a limiting factor in your success? Then you might have thought to yourself, what if I consider that thing to be wrong - would this remove the limit to my thinking so I can see the light and find answers and solutions I never saw before? Imagine if you will if the boilie or hair-rig or pop-up bait had not been invented and you still had to think for yourself. (How would your mind reach the end result of the HNV or balanced profile protein bait, or pop-up baits, flavour over-dosed instant baits and so on?)

So picture this: when you have located your fish feeding in front of you, and you have a sharp hook on, what is it that will catch those carp that prevents a blank? The answer ultimately is it is the thing that delivers your hook into the mouth of the carp. It does not matter if this happens even for a fraction of a second - just long enough to enable the hook to penetrate and result in a carp self-hooking itself so deeply it cannot get off the hook before all the added pressure of lines, leads, back leads, indicators, clips, reel clutches etc kick in.

I have over the last year been testing really heavy rigs with eighteen pound monofilament line hook links and big size 4 hooks to remove any refinements. The tests were with paste on the hooks directly. In doing this I was replicating how most carp fishing was done prior to the hair rig in the immediately preceding years and this is a set-up that often produces fewer fish actually hooked even though baits may be held between the lips, pulled, and even mouthed. My tests were based around experiments with various fish feeding triggers and other things that enhance bait palatability and stimulate different aspects of the sensory systems of carp internally and externally.

Of course, when you have a really obviously heavy rig your bait has to work that much harder in convincing carp to keep trying to mouth the bait because they want it so much that they by repetition almost end up hooking themselves. The tests proved without a shadow of any doubt that the baits containing the most stimulating natural feeding triggers resulted in the hooking of the biggest fish most frequently after the fake baits and instant over-flavoured baits had been associated with danger and produced very few hooked fish by comparison.

Of course heavier leads were used with such pre-hair rig set-ups and often acted like bolt rigs, but problems still were apparent in terms of hooking and converting enough fish compared to the number of bites experienced. This was a problem the hair rig provided a solution to as the bait would enter the mouth will far less suspicion as the weight of the hook would not be noticed anywhere near so much as often the hair was 2 inches or more long.

Anglers came up with the length of hair on the original hair rig (off the hook bend) of 2 or 3 inches anglers. This distance is what they believed to be the correct length from the lips to the throat teeth that represented a safe distance of bait ingestion before a risk of bait and hook bite-offs. (But this distance can be much is longer than this.) Anyway, the long-hairs used that produced the effect of separating the bait from the hook (and so negating the weight and feel of the hook) was a huge step in getting more bites!

Equally important was density of baits, and floating baits applied on the bottom such as floating pastes became a huge advantage. Added to the development of great flavours designed purposely for carp the application of the pop-up bait made a huge difference to numbers of carp caught by individuals using them on so many waters for the very first time!

When you examine the details of why plastic sweetcorn or rubber hemp works as baits this reveals a lot of priceless secrets about carp senses and behaviours and how these work and can dynamically adapt and change over time. When you examine why balanced or high nutritional design boilies keep catching the same big fish over the years, carp senses and conditioned behaviours are implicit in this success. Far too many angler miss great competitive edges even if they are just using ready-made baits by not knowing about the carp themselves! All kinds of known and yet to be discovered details of carp themselves are certainly many of the greatest secrets to successful carp fishing today they always have been and always will be!

Carp themselves provide the greatest challenges in carp fishing and but in studying them they provide the solutions to better catches!

High nutrition boilies have caught more big carp than any other form of bait over the decades. But they can cost much more than many anglers can afford to pay today. Making your own economical and unique homemade baits (and applying them in your own personal unique ways) is a leveller par excellence against anglers with more skill, experience, time, money etc!

The best starting point is not these but in studying the carp first! The British Carp Study Group is a body that is a collection of highly experienced carp anglers who have proven in their own ways that they know something about carp and often then some, but most of all appreciate the fish themselves. Again, the fish provide the solution when you are designing baits because ultimately you are trying to maximise and use their own natural senses, instincts and behaviours against them in your own favour. Most carp anglers appear to make the biggest mistake of starting out with ingredients and flavours and not what will actually best exploit fish senses in ways that will give them more competitive edges over competing baits!

It took me a long time to realise that when you think of each and every carp as a unique personality and a unique genetic creation you will catch many more fish! Each fish has its own tiny or large differences in feeding behaviours, bait flavour and taste preferences or mineral needs or may have an enhanced ability to avoid certain rigs or areas of a lake or swim. Added to the fact that carp waters vary enormously you need to be able to more fully understand carp themselves in order to catch many more fish.

It is not an understatement to suggest that the majority of carp anglers on the banks today know more about the specifications of their rods, reels, bite alarms and bivvies than that of the fish sensory systems or baits meant to exploit them! So how can you get to know most about carp in the fastest way possible and exploit or even create weaknesses in carp defenses that this knowledge reveals to you that you can exploit to seriously multiply your success? Read on for the answer and my biography.

By Tim Richardson.

Now why not seize this moment to improve your catches for life with these unique fishing bibles: "BIG CARP FLAVOURS FEEDING TRIGGERS AND CARP SENSES EXPLOITATION SECRETS!" "BIG CARP AND CATFISH BAIT SECRETS!" And "BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS!" For these and much more now visit: http://www.baitbigfish.com the home of the unique world-wide proven homemade bait-making and readymade bait success secrets bibles!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_F._Richardson

Thursday, 6 May 2010

Carp Fishing Bait and Tackle Secrets of Success!

Many anglers mistakenly think that all they need to succeed is a bag of ready-made baits and a few thousand pounds worth of new gear. But did it ever strike them that actually the most well known anglers of the last 50 years certainly did not always use ready-made baits or the latest most fashionable carp gear - because such things are only relatively new innovations! Read on now for genuinely new edges and tips you will not find in magazines!

Carp fishing arguably got more popular in the early eighties when many more individuals and companies saw that carp fishing could become a big business. In the nineties when carp magazines became more of a force of influence than the voice of experienced anglers on the bank the commercialisation of carp fishing really got going but unfortunately many of the carp magazines appear to be more interested in making money and selling products than offering readers open-minded opinions free of commercial bias but it appears that running magazines requires guaranteed regular advertising revenues in order to survive! I must admit I preferred the days when guys wrote books and articles that were not basically promotional vehicles for their company's products!

All this has gradually happened in a steadily growing rate of change that has seen once peaceful lakes today resemble big cities. The enormous commercialisation of carp fishing has been going on for some years but I consider the real start of the cult of carp fishing explosion was around the early nineties when the magazines really made their mark and proliferated.

Cliff Fox founder of Fox International now one of the biggest tackle companies was running a different kind of engineering business before he really got a name for mainstream carp fishing tackle and if I remember correctly he was into providing things like custom-made shelving for businesses and so on. However it seems he always had an urge to design fishing-related items and I know he liked using gadgets such as 2 way radios such as when he fished certain lakes in Essex. Even in his much earlier days he was selling things like his old-fashioned style of metal bait dropper for instance.

I noticed a distinct change in his tackle preferences when he joined the Savay syndicate when long-range tactics were essential and his rods and reels suddenly resembled pretty much in the early nineties what have become the normal for most carp anglers today. In the eighties one of my fellow syndicate members designed a zero-friction style of bite indicator and this was field-tested on the water. I was one of the lucky few to use these brand new swinger indicators before they became a world-wide phenomenon and initially we really mainly used them to find fish by refining their setting to most easily indicate line bites which was something that monkey-climber-type bite indicators were less effective at doing.

I invented a rear rod butt clip by using the plasticised rubber of an old style heavy duty hose pipe and it is no coincidence that Fox brought out the foam rubber and metal adjustable rear rod rest ideal for clamping your rod solidly in position when fishing in snags and hit and holding and so on. In the early days on the syndicate I used to tie my rod butts to my rear rests using a simple thick string loop that when passed from one side of the rest to the other the rod formed an angle that meant the string stayed in place until manually lifted off by hand immediately when a run occurred. You might think that stretchy or elastic type rigs are new but we were using such rigs and indicators for that matter back in the early eighties or before that time

It amazes me how many anglers now use the plastic coated braids and other materials of hook links, where once very few anglers thought of including hinges and loops in their rigs. Of course stiffness in a rig is an advantage in hooking fish and loops can help prevent hooked fish slipping of hooks for instance. The old Amnesia type rigs are still in use and the memory of certain materials makes them ideal for producing curved springy type rigs perfectly angled for maximum penetration. I still really like using multi-stranded hook links and I remember having to buy my first batch by mail order in the very early days when Kryston was far from the multi-million pound turnover business it is today.

Believe it or not the original multi-strand product I used was 60 pound strength - and I initially trialled it as hook link material at that strength in the maximum thickness - and caught very good fish in the upper twenty pound bracket on this material right from the first cast! The fact is that multi-strand totally flattens and spreads out when compressed by carp lips when carp are testing for lines connected to baits and this is just on of the many unusual advantages of this material.

Inevitably I obviously split my 60-pound hook link material into 3 lengths to make the material go much further as it was quite expensive and using it at 20-pound strength and thickness was ideal. I found it best to make thumb knots in it about every 2 inches, leaving the last 3 inches able to spread out next to the hook. Use with PVA products this hook link material is I believe as good as invisible as is possible when presented correctly with practice - unlike so many hook links that will never disappear, flatten out or absorb light to a sufficient degree to be totally natural!

Many lines and plastic hook links even reflect light - like the vast majority of hooks; this is madness considering how acute the short-range eyesight of carp has been proven to be! Some of those so-called expert names in magazines have even written articles on rigs that included silver hooks - talk about misguiding the masses!

Of course in the eighties we used PVA tubes, PVA string and spodding and method type ground baits although the cult status of such products was yet to come about probably because those of us who used such edges then mainly kept quiet about them - but there are plenty of other secret edges yet to be exposed in the magazines or elsewhere!

I will finish with a tip about bait. Years ago we used to make liquid bait soaks by boiling down the whispered-about potent additive Belachan fermented shrimp block and adding all kinds of weird and wonderful substances, some of which are still under wraps today. One impact that Belachan in solid or in solution has is highly significant enhancement properties within baits of all kinds. Belachan has a significantly high mineral content that is highly attractive in its own right and this obviously enhances the amino acids, various acids and other compounds that Belachan offers that are so stimulatory to fish.

Today many bait companies offer Belachan in liquid form, often at inflated prices - so why not make your own homemade bait edges instead - in far more naturally concentrated forms? I do not recommend you use the enhancer MSG (monosodium glutamate) because it over-hydrates brain cells at the brain receptor site causing bleeding on the brain - please pass this on! Other very good enhancing liquids include L030 and liquid yeast - these examples and more are very rich in natural glutamate! These will certainly multiply your catch rate if you fully maximise them and impregnate your baits with them to a far greater degree than almost all ready-made baits available today!

In fact I have found it easily possible to make homemade baits packed with liquid nutritional attraction that have proven to last functionally intact in water for at least 21 and more hours, that contain no egg binder and have no need of cooking whatsoever! The competitive advantages of these homemade baits are huge (all it takes is to keep an ever open mind and a willingness to think for yourself instead being hypnotised into becoming a mindless consumer!)

Such unusual baits contain far higher levels of liquid foods and natural enhancers, and natural feeding stimulators and attractors and as such are far more potent to fish than any ready-made boiled, steamed or heated boilies or pellets. If you fish maggot-dominated lakes such as the Sandhurst Lake why follow the herd? Sure when so many maggots are entering the water carp receptors can get adapted to becoming very much more sensitised to their excretions but guess what - it does not mean you have to stop using boilies at all unlike anglers such as Ian Chillcott and Gareth Fareham might imply! No disrespect intended to them but to be frank I do not regard them as scientific experts on bait or fish - so why swallow every word they say? They are good anglers because they are willing to be adaptable - but you too can be equally if not even more adaptable and successful!

Think about it; exploiting liquidised maggots as the liquid protein and ammonia source in your boilies, pellets and ground baits is going to really make a difference if you use very soluble bait designs. With the right information these are totally unique baits you can easily make at home for yourself - to keep ahead of your fish and competing anglers! (For further information on making, adapting, designing and boosting your baits see my bait secrets ebooks website Baitbigfish right now - and improve your catches for life!)

By Tim Richardson.

Now why not seize this moment to improve your catches for life with these unique fishing bibles: "BIG CARP FLAVOURS FEEDING TRIGGERS AND CARP SENSES EXPLOITATION SECRETS!" "BIG CARP AND CATFISH BAIT SECRETS!" And "BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS!"

For these and much more unique revealing information now visit: http://www.baitbigfish.com the home of the world-wide proven homemade bait making and ready-made bait success secrets bibles and more free completely original articles on carp and catfish fishing and bait success - make this year your best ever!

(The innovative bait and fishing author and bait consultant Tim Richardson has been writing articles for 5 years and has helped anglers in over 50 countries catch new personal best fish.)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_F._Richardson

Tuesday, 20 April 2010

How to Cast Your Bait To The Exact Same Spot Every Time


As a Carp specimen hunter I have fished many well known venues and being able to cast to the exact same spot every time is essential if you are going to succeed in catching that big one. There is no point spoding out 10lb of bait all over the lake and then casting your hook baits yards from where you need to be, there is a sure fire way to get your spod bait and hook bait in exactly the same spot every single time, when a friend of mine showed me this technique my catch rate improved dramatically.

Let me give you a scenario that I am sure you have all come across. You arrive at the lake and you pick you peg, the lake is well known for weed and before you can start to fish you have to find a clear area which you can spod out to and cast your hook baits to. I keep this simple, I setup one rod and cast to an area that I like the look of, before you do this pick a specific feature on the far bank, could be a tree, building or set of lily pads, anything will do, this will be your casting line, you will always aim for this line. At this point I have no rig attached just my weight. I then retrieve the weight by very slowly pulling the rod towards me, you will easily feel the weight pulling through the weed, reel in the slack line and pull the rod backwards again, when you find a clear spot you will feel the difference as the weight moves freely across the bottom, this is the weed free area, stop pulling, this is the spot you want!.

Now, you need to be able to cast to this exact spot every time, accuracy is key to your success. This is what we do now, you have your weight in the clear, weed free area, don't move it, simply get some electrical tape and put a small piece at the end of your rod tip, just wrap the tape around the line and trim off, this gives you a marker on line, so when you recast using the feature on the far bank you picked earlier you simply reel the line in until you can see that tape at the end of the rod tip, now you have your bait in exactly the same spot and distance every time you cast out!

Now do the same for your second rod, use the same method and you have two rods that you can cast out to a clear area in exactly the same spot every time!.

As you probably already know Carp fishing requires lots of bait, especially if you are on a long session and fishing through the night. you have to be able to spod your free baits out to this exact spot where your hook baits are going to be, so how do we do this? this is how.

You already have your line of cast, remember we picked the features on the far bank?, so we use the same features, that way we know we have the correct line, but how are we going to get the distance right for the spod rod, we have no tape on the line, this is what we do. Get one of the bait rods with the tape on the line, put your reel on free spin or take the bail arm off and walk up the bank with the end of the line in your hand, when you get to the tape at the end of the rod tip stop, this is the correct distance, lay the line on the ground, it will stay there as you have your weight attached. Now simply get the spod rod and do the same, walk up the bank to where you left the other line, hen you get there, don't put tape on the spod rod line just go back to the reel and clip the line up on the reel, most reels have line clips!.

Now you can cast the spod rod out and it will hit the line clip and exactly the right distance, how easy is that!.

I hope you enjoyed this tip, it has worked wonders for me, you can always email me if you need any further help at the address below, tight lines and remember accuracy is critical to your fishing success. If you would like more great tips please feel free to visit my site, http://www.FishingGuide4u.com

Steve Kempson
http://www.FishingGuide4u.com
email - L.kempson@btinternet.com


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Kempson

Monday, 19 April 2010

Locating Carp Using Visual Features of the Lake

Many carp anglers have a habit of turning up at a place that they think looks the best or one where a few friends have caught carp before. However, carp will always feed in places where they feel safe, and if anglers are catching carp regularly from a certain place, then the carp will eventually associate the area with danger rendering that hotspot useless.

Many carp fishermen often believe that if they're not catching it's probably due to the wrong type of rig, but even if you're using the best rig in the world (which is impossible because there's no such thing!) you cannot possibly catch carp if there aren't any around the swim!

So, if you want to catch more carp on any water, then you must locate the carp before choosing a peg. This is not an easy task, especially if there is a cross wind blowing on the lake. But there are basic things to look out for before fishing for carp.

As you arrive at the lake, spend some time just watching the water looking for signs of carp movement or carp feeding. Try to look for fish rolling or crashing in the distance. You may need to bring some binoculars for this task. Look for feeding bubbles close in the margins as you walk round the lake, if the bubbles are not static and slowly travel across the water, then it's more than likely to be fish. Look for large swirls or movements on the surface of the lake. Okay it may not be carp, but surely it's better to catch a tench or bream than nothing!

Watch for carp jumping out of the surface of the water, especially around the middle of the lake or areas where nobody tends to fish.

If you can't see any of these signs within an hour or two, then you can try other ways of locating carp. A good tip is to choose an area where there are no fishermen at all. In other words, if three-quarters of the lake is taken then choose a peg somewhere in the other quarter. If you see one of the best pegs empty, but there are carp anglers all around it then stay away as the pressure of the surrounding anglers can drive carp out of the area. Even if some are catching carp it may be just the odd few fish swimming through their patrol routes. If you turn up on a lake at the weekend and most of the pegs are taken, then go where you have to, and if possible, cast into the middle as far from other lines as possible. The lines all around the lake may force carp into the middle area of the lake. Remember the carp can hear all those leads splashing in the water even from a distance, and if the lake is pressured the constant splashes may just push most carp into the furthest regions of the lake.

Think about the weather conditions, not just on that day, but also how has the weather been over the previous days. If it's been hot, the shallow waters will be warm, and carp will head toward those warmer regions, especially in the cold mornings when the sunshine hits the shallow water.

There are other ways of detecting possible hotspots. Just from looking at a lake's visible features you may be able to find possible holding areas or sections where carp patrol. The most common areas where carp like to patrol are:


Islands
Weed beds
Lilly pads
Reed rush beds
Overhanging trees
Snags
Wind direction
Shallow water

Let's discuss each of the above in more detail.

Islands
Islands are a common area where carp tend to patrol, because they offer some protection and cover - providing there are overhanging trees which protrude over the water. The carp may feed freely around an island providing carp anglers do not target these areas too often as the pressure can force carp to seek other quiet areas. Fishing an island on a new venue can be a safe bet, especially on a quiet day, plus an island can make a great marker for accurate casting without having to use a marker float which may spook the carp if used too much.

Weed beds
Casting towards weed beds can be a nightmare for many anglers. There can be many problems with hook bait presentation, and if a carp is eventually hooked, you'll need to stop it from diving into the thick parts of the weed. The good news is carp love weed beds. It makes them feel safe and tends to contain lots of natural food. So if you are struggling to locate carp using sight alone then fishing close to a weed bed can produce plenty of carp.

Lilly pads
These are similar to the weed beds in that they provide shelter and food for the carp, thus they are a great place to place a hook bait, especially for floating bait in-between individual pads. The only downside to fishing the lilies is they are often situated near the bank so you may need to be quiet when setting up.

Reed rush beds
Again these are a good place to see carp patrolling, however like lilly pads, they are often situated close to a bank so the carp may not feel as safe. This may effect how confidently they feed.

Overhanging trees
I believe overhanging trees are one of the best places to head for when fishing on a new, unknown venue. They provide carp with plenty of security and shelter, and I have personally witnessed carp feeding very confidently. I have also seen some of the biggest carp caught from under a tree. The reason I believe they are so good is because many anglers neglect them. I see many carp anglers cast far out towards the horizon without giving a thought to the trees or fishing the margins. Many trees also grow berries which are a natural food for the fish so they may associate overhanging trees as a natural area for feeding.

Snags
Snaggy areas can be some of the best places to find carp. Carp often associate these areas as safe because many anglers won't risk fishing in snags. However, if you're prepared to take some risks, you may be able to find a spot just away from the snags where (if you fish with tight lines and stand close to your rods) you may be able to drag the carp away before they have chance to head for the safety of a snag.

Wind direction
The direction of the wind is a common reason why many carp anglers end up in their chosen peg. The common belief is that carp follow the wind. I agree, although I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because it helps push food towards the windward bank, or maybe it helps stir up food at the far bank. I have also read that the wind can help push the thermocline down deeper. The carp tend to follow and swim in this comfortable, warmer water and thus end up closer to the bottom where rigs are placed. Whatever the reason, I do not believe it's always necessary to fish the far bank (windward bank) where the wind is heading. Sometimes it's best to fish on the back of a colder wind, especially at times of the year when the oxygen levels in the water are high.

Shallow waters
The shallow waters may not sound like a potential hotspot, but if you turn up to a new venue on a cold morning and the sun is beaming down into the shallow end of the lake, I guarantee there will be carp around the area. Shallow waters warm up much faster in the morning sun, and carp will always seek out warm spots.

Wayne Mcgregor has had years of experience fishing for carp in the UK. He has caught carp from many types of lakes and pools around England. His website reveals tons of ideas and tactics on how to catch more carp.

http://www.carp-fishing-tactics.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Mcgregor

Sunday, 18 April 2010

Carp fishing bait

So how do you begin to formulate a homemade bait that will compete with all those expensive ready made baits? This is a long piece on this subject that will give you a practical insight into the formulation and impacts of using highly successful economical homemade baits against more expensive ready made baits - so read on!

Many anglers seem to get the completely wrong idea and actually begin with thoughts about flavours and ingredients instead of the most powerful and obvious starting point, the one that will guarantee success! When your starting point is the fish themselves you are thinking much more closely like a fish than like an angler who has all kinds of personal preferences about baits which very frequently bear very little relationship with what carp senses most respond to in terms of feeding.

For instance, I went on a rare trip to a commercial water last week and using my own homemade baits, I out-fished the 15 guys fishing during the period fished who were literally all using popular ready made baits. So what does this say about the thinking and fishing approach of the average carp angler? Some of the guys either side of me were getting very frustrated with their ready made baits which had cost them in some cases over 10 pounds a kilogram. Also the baits they were using have been very successful in the past on a range of waters including this very one fished and some other ready made baits other guys were using were newer to the water than the longer-established ready made baits. My baits which had never been experienced by the fish before did so well for many powerful reasons.

I even showed my baits to some of the other anglers. I explained that my free baits and hook baits were quite savoury and sweet tasting at the same time and had a taste that lingered on the tongue with only had a very subtle smell. The guys did not seem impressed with these which is a shame because they certainly out-fished the fruit flavoured ready made bait someone had given me to field test which these guys seemed to like a lot more even though it did not perform as well!

Ideally you will begin with the fishes essential dietary requirements because by doing this you are guaranteed to give fish many reasons to eat your bait. But in a competitive fishing environment where many baits supply quality nutrition many other factors give you the edge. For example if your bait actually performs better in water at pulling fish into your swim for instance, or at improving the amount of bait fish are willing to repeatedly swallow even beyond the amounts they would usually feel full up. You might have palatability improving additives that increase the likelihood that your baits are actually consumed instead of merely being mouthed.

It is a fact that you can make your own homemade baits so potently stimulatory that carp will actually rub their bellies and fins on them to get even more of those goodies out of them. Such potent over-dosed baits are ideal for pulling maximum numbers of fish into your swim while you can use under-dosed hook baits that fish will devour instantly. (Note in this example I am not referring to over-dosing using flavours.)

There are so many incredible secrets about baits. The way baits interact with water is absolutely vital and the leverage of the substances of your baits is severely limited by your skills at feeding free baits in the right volumes, regularity and patterns and so on to suit every fishing situation.

Altogether too many ready made carp baits are simply too indigestible to offer very many competitive advantages over better designed baits and many ready made baits offer so many bog standard ingredients that carp have been force-fed on for decades that they simply do not need to eat them as the essential requirements they supply have pretty much been permanently satiated.

One of the biggest secrets is to offer your carp something different and preferably unique to you alone. This might be just one ingredient or additive or the actual omission of many of the more frequently used ingredients and additives. The fish really know the difference and I know that this is a very strong reason for some of the big bait companies to use a product called Cypry Spice from a bait company called Willis Worms in Wales to replace the old very familiar Robin Red.

Just one way you can achieve this is in the unique and purposely differentiated ratios, levels and combination's of ingredients and additives in both powdered and liquid forms that you apply in your baits (and ground baits) within digestible and practicable limitations. Personally I prefer to source unique additives and ingredients and natural flavour components that all enhance the impacts of each other as much as possible to induce repeated carp feeding for as long as possible. Experiencing this in action while actually fishing is such a great buzz of confidence and this is one of the most exciting things about preparing, making and using homemade baits

For example for my session last week I made up a large volume of extremely cheap bait based mainly around a combination of a liquid fish protein (not the all too familiar L030,) and fish oil, and a high PC lecithin used in very high levels. This was added to a very simple base mix which contained the basic dietary essential carp requirements and had a very good and practically proven digestibility. This means that this bait is eaten and digested comparatively quickly at relatively little energy cost to the fish compared to so many other baits. This also means that the fish get to instinctively feel all the components and benefits of eating this bait and very quickly are ready to consume more of it which as you can imagine is a huge advantage when session fishing!

While fishing my session last week I was baiting up extremely regularly to combat the impacts of bait-robbing roach and bream shoals and still getting big fish rolling over my baits and seeing fish feeding on the baits along with accompanying fish catches. It got to the stage that the ready made bait guys fishing either side of me were scratching their heads and simply hoping for a bite. I noticed these guys only had 2 or three kilograms of bait and were introducing that sparingly, not even realising that the bulk of it was being whittled away within the hour by marauding roach and other smaller species!

Sure you can catch fish fishing small amounts of bait or single hook baits but actually controlling fish behaviours by leveraging the impacts of free baiting is one of the most powerful edges in carp fishing and is the cornerstone of top level match-fishing success! I used to fish with a guy who match-fished for England youth as well as a friend from school called Dion who match fished for England for many years and ground bait figured in the strategic thinking in many ways and although I was able to use this to out-fish them while carp fishing and sea fishing, they both taught me loads along the way and of course we never stop learning!

A very big part of their problem just how expensive their ready made baits were, after all few anglers can keep spending 10 pound a kilogram on bait added to high ticket prices, food, traveling costs etc, and be able to use enough bait to compete by actually leveraging bait to maximum effect. By making your own bait of course this is not a problem and in fact is the only way I can afford to compete with bait-sponsored anglers myself. On such waters the use of boilies really is important because the smaller species are very definitely not so small and will destroy a carefully introduced bed of particles or ground bait or pellets within minutes. When the roach reach 3 pounds and average 1 pound alongside other specimen tench, crucian carp etc the application of the correct free bait is crucial for outstanding success.

The big point here is the actual leverage of bait and being able to maximize its impacts on carp. To do this you need to sustain enough dissolved substances in the water in and around your swim to pull those carp in and keep them interested long enough for the biggest fish to compete amongst themselves and give you a very good shot at a multiple big fish catch - by design!

You simply cannot do this consistently when fishing on a budget with a only a couple of kilograms of bait on waters teaming with specimen-sized smaller species, be it giant roach, bream, crucian carp, single figure carp, specimen tench, nuisance catfish and others. The attentions of all these fish can be harnessed to actually attract more carp into your swim buy only if you use enough bait in the right way in correct situations to do it, (many top anglers really are masters at doing this!)

In fact many very consistent big carp anglers are not particularly technically skilled but have an incredible if not instinctive talent for maximising the application and leverage of the impacts of bait. I feel this subject is much misunderstood and is a vital leveller of talent, time and money between anglers of lesser resources who deserve to catch and not blank or suffer comparatively poor catches when exceptional catches are actually within their reach with enough knowledge put into practice!

I saw all around me guys using pellets, standard 14 and 18 millimeter boilies for example, ready made ground bait balls and method mixes that the big roach shoals were tearing into. A lot of the guys were reeling in with their ready made baits completely whittled off their rigs so you can imagine the impact of the small fish on their free baits!

By contrast I was applying 2 distinct types of baits to my swim to counteract the problem of smaller fish and also to allow the carp to get a smell and taste of my baits and leading them to making mistakes with my hook baits! By strange coincidence, much of the bait I had prepared had been designed to deal with the crayfish in another water I was going to fish and did not. In this particular case my boilies were of 2 types; soft semi-boiled boilies for free baiting, and rock hard super-boosted hook bait boilies absolutely packed with naturally potent triggers and other vital substances to provide competitive edges.

Many of my free baits were well over 25 millimeters in size and none were made to be round but rather all were odd shaped and were in fact not prepared by rolling at all. Only a small proportion of the free baits were of around the standard 12 or 14 millimeter sizes. These free baits were designed to dissolve within about 4 hours of immersion thereby doing the maximum work in pulling and triggering fish while not giving them much time to actually eat them! The vast majority of ready made boilies will not break down for at least 8 to 36 hours or longer so you can see how much their effectiveness is limited by their actual form; the preference of average anglers for durable hard boilies as free baits and hook baits has many drawbacks!

I have seen with my own eyes very big carp actually fanning away standard round boilies in order to be able to pick up smaller odd shaped baits in safety. (On the lake bed odd shaped baits are very often standard round boilies which have been in the water a while, long enough for smaller fish to whittle them down in size and shape and which wary carp view with far less suspicion as these hook them far less than whole round baits!)

By contrast though, my hook baits and a proportion of matching free baits were of a totally different design and were super-boosted with natural triggers and were rock hard. These baits were of very small size and about as far from conventional machine-rolled shape, texture, density etc that you could imagine. These baits in large sizes where used in PVA bags and a very hard paste in large sized pieces were also used to very good effect.

This might all sound like common sense and to some of you like hard work, but I paid my money to fish the commercial fishery just the same as the other 15 anglers there but I spent less on my bait and still had better results despite them using the most popular brands of ready made baits. In part due to my 30 years in carp fishing, my own scientific research and long bait-making experience and my fellow BCSG friends my interest in bait and fish senses, metabolism, health, etc and my ability to improve my baits has come a very long way, and every week I get to learn new things to give me more competitive fishing edges and even more economical baits!

You may not be into master antioxidants, metabolic stimulants, bioactive flavour components or sorting the first to third limiting amino acids in your bait recipes. But I can assure you that just a few of the most powerful secrets will multiply your catches to the degree you will shudder at just how much time in hours and money in under-performing baits you will have wasted over the coming years in your possible ignorance. Having said that no-one knows everything about baits and most bait company bosses appear to have certain gaps in their knowledge.

There is are hard core of bait company bosses who by definition have been doing it for decades longer than anyone else and know far more in theoretical and practical terms as a result but even these top guys often have to compromise performance aspects of their bait due to the actual sensory and practical preferences of their human customers and their price sensitivity too! This gives the homemade bait maker enormous opportunities to out-fish very many popular ready made baits; certainly many of the most successful homemade baits I have made could not be offered commercially because buyers simply would not relate to them as conventional carp baits at all and would not buy them; unfortunately such is the mentality of the average angler and shows just how much they have been conditioned as much as carp! Having an open mind about bait is a definite advantage!

There are also very many bait company guys out there who are really just starting out with pretty limited actual working knowledge of even a handful of recipes of ready made baits they might be offering. Certain further gaps in knowledge might be in connection with various aspects of carp senses operations and in maximizing their exploitation potential, or in regards to how certain sweet substances impact physiologically to change DNA, carp preferences and taste cells cross adaptation impacts, or what to include to actually regulate carp blood sugar levels beneficially.

Significantly it might be some bait company bosses over-look completely the long-term (behaviour-forming) impacts of more obscure antioxidant additives on carp preferences, or the deeper aspects of enhancing impacts of certain non, semi-essential and essential amino acids for various effects using any of a whole range of substances, or even in regards to exactly how flavours work etc! (Many of the best flavours work well beyond simple potentiation of nerve cells. Never forget that as carp detect certain substances down to as little as 6 parts per million concentration, every single thing you put in a bait and in the swim can have impacts on results to some degree even if you cannot smell it!)

Every aspect of your bait can be used as a competitive advantage so attention to detail is of vital importance because it is this that can very seriously multiply your catches!

As a couple of quick tips, even if you have been making baits for a while, why not try out very high levels of Ccmoore Feedstim XP powder in your baits with their awesome Odyssey XXX liquid, or why not be very different and try this unique combination of premium grade salmon protein, high PC lecithin and pure Scottish salmon oil from my friend Phil at CW Baits and Carp fishing pellets. (This combination did fantastic last week and it also out-fished all the ready made baits it was fished against this past winter and was a combination I chose to exploit last week in my very cheap but successful homemade baits!) Phil started out as a premium koi food supplier and now offers some unique exceptional bait ingredients and very high quality very digestible baits (amino-sorted!) I know he is looking for some bait testers due to expanding his range of HNV baits so do contact him right away!)

I hope this makes you consider what savings you can make over the years and also the improved catches over your peers you are potentially missing out on right now! For much more information on making outstanding competitive homemade baits (and at a fraction of the cost of ready made baits) whether boilies, pellets, ground baits, boosted particles, meats, fish and natural baits etc, why not get my unique big carp bait secrets guides at my site called Baitbigfish and improve your catches and bank balance simultaneously!

By Tim Richardson.

Now why not seize this moment to improve your catches for life with these unique fishing bibles: "BIG CARP FLAVOURS FEEDING TRIGGERS AND CARP SENSES EXPLOITATION SECRETS!" "BIG CARP AND CATFISH BAIT SECRETS!" And "BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS!" For these and much more now visit: http://www.baitbigfish.com Home of world-wide proven ready made and homemade bait success secrets bibles!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_F._Richardson

Thursday, 8 April 2010

Homemade Fishing Boilies

Homemade Fishing Boilies and Recipes For Big Carp and Catfish!

If you are a beginner or experienced homemade bait making angler there are always new exciting things to discover to improve your results and keep ahead of the fish - and other competing baits! To make baits that work the very most consistently for big fish it takes a deep knowledge and long experience both in designing baits and in refining them to ensure they perform most consistently; and no-one knows it all! This article is about making a big fish bait - so let us look at a few background details first.

The concept of making little round balls of food for fish like carp and other species has a very long history and even back in the sixteenth century and beyond there are historical references to such activities utilising various protein-rich ingredients, binders, sweeteners and enhancers and so on. In the UK Fred Wilton pioneered the modern version of making baits that delved much deeper into essential fish dietary requirements in order to exploit them to make baits that fish would find many highly attractive and stimulating reasons to consume to the effect that the more they ate the more they would want them!

The HNV or high nutritive value bait approach is just one angle - these baits are rich but other baits can also hook fish although they may be far less nutritional as in the case of over-flavoured baits for instance; but readymade baits did not always exist and various other approaches to homemade baits work although usually you need to be a better angler to keep catching on instant baits compared to HNV baits!

Back in the days when fishing was extremely secretive the original HNV baits were built around caseins and other caseinates that provided extremely high levels of protein and stimulating and attractive amino acids that naturally turn fish onto feeding, although many other additives and ingredients were also used including liver, fish and yeast powders and meals etc.

In the earlier days of carp fishing it was the milk proteins that had a dramatic impact on big fish catches for those making such potent homemade baits as readymade baits did not exist at that time and it was in later decades that fish meals and bird food baits and other combinations that really took precedence and making unique homemade baits is still incredibly popular - with good reason!

As time went by milk protein baits became less popular as anglers came to use more economical nutritional ingredients and additives that also worked for big fish such as the fish meals and bird foods etc, and it was increasingly well-known that successful HNV baits did not require the extremely high protein levels that had been used in decades past. Catfish, carp and many species can be trained - just like dogs or humans to come back for more food once a regular supply is established that provides essential nutrition and this response in instinctive in all animals as they are hard-wired to be energy-efficient as possible in order to survive.

As highly nutritional value forms of homemade baits and readymade baits provide many reasons for fish to consume them they are success for small and large fish providing for many of their essential needs and because of how they work, unique homemade HNV baits can be great baits for catching big fish against anglers who have been hammering fish on popular ready made baits where the fish are obviously wary of familiar baits and this makes them even harder to catch - and where homemade baits really come into their own!

Knowing how to manipulate and exploit fish behaviours and instinctive needs internally by bait substance secrets is the most powerful starting point in beginning to design fishing baits - and not just knowing a bit about a few additives, ingredients or flavours! Finding out about fish internally is really exciting because the more you know how to manipulate your fish using the leverage of baits substance secrets the easier they can be to catch! Knowledge really is power that leads to far better than average catches of big fish!

Once you have discovered a great deal about fish and their inner needs and workings then selecting bait ingredients is much easier and you can choose how you design your baits will masses of confidence because your baits will be built on what fish response strongly to and not just your personal preferences and guesswork! I began making homemade baits in the early seventies when literally everybody else was too and it was very hard to get information about the internal workings and interactions of bait substances and fish but I enthusiastically pursued this passion for decades to the point where many bait company bosses ask me for ingredients and bait reviews, articles on their products and so on.

Things are much easier today in terms of finding uniquely stimulating ingredients and additives because the internet has provided endless suppliers of ingredients, additives etc; some can from bait companies but many substances come from other sources and using what bait companies do not sell is a very serious edge indeed in making homemade baits from particles, ground baits or pastes and boilies etc!

Years ago when so many anglers used milk protein baits these were mostly used in small amounts because they normally worked very fast and effectively compared to other baits of the time and it was just not necessary to pile in loads and loads of bait to catch loads of big fish! The original HNV baits were so high in protein they could fill fish up prematurely before being caught and also because the ingredients were costly it was far from the done thing to introduce 10 kilograms of free bait at the beginning of a fishing session unlike many anglers do as a habit today!

Introducing many kilograms of bait really was a product of the use of much cheaper bird foods and fish meals and other forms of nutritional baits; but always remember you only need one bait in the right place on a suitable rig to hook a fish and you certainly do not need to make many kilograms of the most potent homemade baits to equal the results of the vast majority of the most expensive ready made baits!

In making homemade baits and adapting established ready made baits to give them a new lease of live and improved performance takes a good degree of knowledge not just of the insider secrets of bait substances but of the fish - and the water also; such bait-making information leads to being able to artificially create unique fish feeding opportunities that lead to multiple captures of big fish - even against more experienced or more talented anglers!

My own homemade baits have now caught me 4 UK lake records including a leather carp over 46 pounds and a mirror carp of over 49 pounds plus over thirty catfish caught in the UK weighing between 68 pounds and 120 pounds; homemade baits really work and this is why I am so enthusiastic about getting the word out - plus they can save you a fortune and give you even more confidence and satisfaction than any readymade bait ever will!

Now for some homemade food bait recipe ideas to get you started on the road to bait-making success that has a few alternative features and performance benefits - for big fish!

The bait recipe ideas below are very simple and anyone can make versions of them with confidence when aiming for big carp or catfish for instance. This bait is based primarily on highly digestible fish meal and not caseins to keep costs low and there are additions in it that you may or may not utilise to boost effects and performance and make your baits especially unique so this is good sound starter baits for budding bait makers.

When making baits it is an art and not just science so bear in mind that levels and ingredients can be adjusted to however you like and this bait although digestible and highly nutritionally attractive is not as optimised for digestion and stiumulation as is possible looking at this recipe from a scientific standpoint - there is great room for improvement here - but your fish will not mind at all!

7 ounces of low temperature easy-digest fish meal.
2 ounces of calcium caseinate (soluble lactic casein.)
1 ounce of 90 mesh casein or mixed caseins.
2 ounces of CC Moore Meggablend Red.
1 ounce of blood plasma.
1 ounce of hydrolysed poultry protein.
1 ounce of abalone extract.
1 ounce of chopped fennel seeds.

You might make this homemade mix using eggs plus liquid kelp complex and shellfish extract for instance plus perhaps a small dose of triple-filtered pure salmon oil plus a little krill oil to boost internal impacts.

You might want to use flavours, palatants, and appetite stimulators etc; try CC Moore Ultrasweet with corn sweet syrup for instance plus maybe some geranium essential oil mixed with eucalyptus and you might use a range of suppliers from online bait companies to your local health store and supermarkets and so on. (For much more detailed helpful information on making, adapting, designing and boosting all your baits see my dedicated website Baitbigfish right now!)

By Tim Richardson.

Now why not seize this moment to improve your catches for life with these unique fishing bibles: "BIG CARP FLAVOURS FEEDING TRIGGERS AND CARP SENSES EXPLOITATION SECRETS!" "BIG CARP AND CATFISH BAIT SECRETS!" And "BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS!" For these and much more now visit: http://www.baitbigfish.com the home of the world-wide proven homemade bait making and readymade bait success secrets bibles!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_F._Richardson

Monday, 22 March 2010

Carp Fishing With Liquids!

In this article, I will try to give you a list of the best liquids to use when fishing for carp. Everyone has different ideas as to which is their favourite but I hope to give you some choices.

Ming Oil.

This liquid is a ruby, fishy blend and is considered to be one of the best warm water carp attractors when splashed over any sort of pellets to add real pulling power. Its also good in any boil mix, use 20-30 ml to per 1 kilo of dry mix.

Marmite.

Like the saying goes, you either love it or you hate it, well carp seem to love it. This is salty and very rich in vitamin B and they do seem to like it. Use between 15-30 ml with 6 eggs in a boil mix, sometimes warming the jar makes it easier to work with. Beware your bait may soften quicker in the pond, I also use dog biscuits soaked in marmite when fishing on the surface.

Corn Steep Liquor.

This is one of the biggest corn steep liquors or CSL is a brown thick liquid made during glucose extraction from maize. You can use this in a boil mix, pour it neat over ground bait or splash it over pellets. There are different qualities around and prices but try to buy one that's not been watered down to much as it looses its effectiveness.

Liquid Molasses.

Liquid molasses can come in many different strengths and sweetness's. It can range from top quality to a bitter black strap molasses. It's very thick, sticky and tastes a bit like sugar that's been burnt. This liquid is very cheap and does not sound exciting which is perhaps why more anglers don't use it, but I find it quite good. Use it in a boil mix at 15 ml with six eggs or try it direct on pellets or something else.

Squirrel Dip.

Squirrel dip is a blend of several concentrated extracts and liquid foods. It is very reliable of getting a bite off a carp, whether it is in the warmer or colder months.
This is good whether you use it in a mix or as a dip. You can only get it through
Yateley Angling Centre or Tackle Box.

By using these liquids for carp fishing it has been known to catch carp up to 40lbs in weight but you must be sure to have the right tackle to land these big fish.

Jeff Ryall runs a sports website that focuses on information about sport and sport related products. You can enjoy reading tips, tricks and techniques about golf at his site at http://fishermansfriend1.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffrey_Ryall

Friday, 19 March 2010

Making Cheap Carp Fishing Baits

Making Cheap Carp Fishing Baits - The Reality of Recipes That Work!

So how do you begin to formulate a homemade bait that will compete with all those expensive ready made baits? This is a long piece on this subject that will give you a practical insight into the formulation and impacts of using highly successful economical homemade baits against more expensive ready made baits - so read on!

Many anglers seem to get the completely wrong idea and actually begin with thoughts about flavours and ingredients instead of the most powerful and obvious starting point, the one that will guarantee success! When your starting point is the fish themselves you are thinking much more closely like a fish than like an angler who has all kinds of personal preferences about baits which very frequently bear very little relationship with what carp senses most respond to in terms of feeding.

For instance, I went on a rare trip to a commercial water last week and using my own homemade baits, I out-fished the 15 guys fishing during the period fished who were literally all using popular ready made baits. So what does this say about the thinking and fishing approach of the average carp angler? Some of the guys either side of me were getting very frustrated with their ready made baits which had cost them in some cases over 10 pounds a kilogram. Also the baits they were using have been very successful in the past on a range of waters including this very one fished and some other ready made baits other guys were using were newer to the water than the longer-established ready made baits. My baits which had never been experienced by the fish before did so well for many powerful reasons.

I even showed my baits to some of the other anglers. I explained that my free baits and hook baits were quite savoury and sweet tasting at the same time and had a taste that lingered on the tongue with only had a very subtle smell. The guys did not seem impressed with these which is a shame because they certainly out-fished the fruit flavoured ready made bait someone had given me to field test which these guys seemed to like a lot more even though it did not perform as well!

Ideally you will begin with the fishes essential dietary requirements because by doing this you are guaranteed to give fish many reasons to eat your bait. But in a competitive fishing environment where many baits supply quality nutrition many other factors give you the edge. For example if your bait actually performs better in water at pulling fish into your swim for instance, or at improving the amount of bait fish are willing to repeatedly swallow even beyond the amounts they would usually feel full up. You might have palatability improving additives that increase the likelihood that your baits are actually consumed instead of merely being mouthed.

It is a fact that you can make your own homemade baits so potently stimulatory that carp will actually rub their bellies and fins on them to get even more of those goodies out of them. Such potent over-dosed baits are ideal for pulling maximum numbers of fish into your swim while you can use under-dosed hook baits that fish will devour instantly. (Note in this example I am not referring to over-dosing using flavours.)

There are so many incredible secrets about baits. The way baits interact with water is absolutely vital and the leverage of the substances of your baits is severely limited by your skills at feeding free baits in the right volumes, regularity and patterns and so on to suit every fishing situation.

Altogether too many ready made carp baits are simply too indigestible to offer very many competitive advantages over better designed baits and many ready made baits offer so many bog standard ingredients that carp have been force-fed on for decades that they simply do not need to eat them as the essential requirements they supply have pretty much been permanently satiated.

One of the biggest secrets is to offer your carp something different and preferably unique to you alone. This might be just one ingredient or additive or the actual omission of many of the more frequently used ingredients and additives. The fish really know the difference and I know that this is a very strong reason for some of the big bait companies to use a product called Cypry Spice from a bait company called Willis Worms in Wales to replace the old very familiar Robin Red.

Just one way you can achieve this is in the unique and purposely differentiated ratios, levels and combination's of ingredients and additives in both powdered and liquid forms that you apply in your baits (and ground baits) within digestible and practicable limitations. Personally I prefer to source unique additives and ingredients and natural flavour components that all enhance the impacts of each other as much as possible to induce repeated carp feeding for as long as possible. Experiencing this in action while actually fishing is such a great buzz of confidence and this is one of the most exciting things about preparing, making and using homemade baits

For example for my session last week I made up a large volume of extremely cheap bait based mainly around a combination of a liquid fish protein (not the all too familiar L030,) and fish oil, and a high PC lecithin used in very high levels. This was added to a very simple base mix which contained the basic dietary essential carp requirements and had a very good and practically proven digestibility. This means that this bait is eaten and digested comparatively quickly at relatively little energy cost to the fish compared to so many other baits. This also means that the fish get to instinctively feel all the components and benefits of eating this bait and very quickly are ready to consume more of it which as you can imagine is a huge advantage when session fishing!

While fishing my session last week I was baiting up extremely regularly to combat the impacts of bait-robbing roach and bream shoals and still getting big fish rolling over my baits and seeing fish feeding on the baits along with accompanying fish catches. It got to the stage that the ready made bait guys fishing either side of me were scratching their heads and simply hoping for a bite. I noticed these guys only had 2 or three kilograms of bait and were introducing that sparingly, not even realising that the bulk of it was being whittled away within the hour by marauding roach and other smaller species!

Sure you can catch fish fishing small amounts of bait or single hook baits but actually controlling fish behaviours by leveraging the impacts of free baiting is one of the most powerful edges in carp fishing and is the cornerstone of top level match-fishing success! I used to fish with a guy who match-fished for England youth as well as a friend from school called Dion who match fished for England for many years and ground bait figured in the strategic thinking in many ways and although I was able to use this to out-fish them while carp fishing and sea fishing, they both taught me loads along the way and of course we never stop learning!

A very big part of their problem just how expensive their ready made baits were, after all few anglers can keep spending 10 pound a kilogram on bait added to high ticket prices, food, traveling costs etc, and be able to use enough bait to compete by actually leveraging bait to maximum effect. By making your own bait of course this is not a problem and in fact is the only way I can afford to compete with bait-sponsored anglers myself. On such waters the use of boilies really is important because the smaller species are very definitely not so small and will destroy a carefully introduced bed of particles or ground bait or pellets within minutes. When the roach reach 3 pounds and average 1 pound alongside other specimen tench, crucian carp etc the application of the correct free bait is crucial for outstanding success.

The big point here is the actual leverage of bait and being able to maximize its impacts on carp. To do this you need to sustain enough dissolved substances in the water in and around your swim to pull those carp in and keep them interested long enough for the biggest fish to compete amongst themselves and give you a very good shot at a multiple big fish catch - by design!

You simply cannot do this consistently when fishing on a budget with a only a couple of kilograms of bait on waters teaming with specimen-sized smaller species, be it giant roach, bream, crucian carp, single figure carp, specimen tench, nuisance catfish and others. The attentions of all these fish can be harnessed to actually attract more carp into your swim buy only if you use enough bait in the right way in correct situations to do it, (many top anglers really are masters at doing this!)

In fact many very consistent big carp anglers are not particularly technically skilled but have an incredible if not instinctive talent for maximising the application and leverage of the impacts of bait. I feel this subject is much misunderstood and is a vital leveller of talent, time and money between anglers of lesser resources who deserve to catch and not blank or suffer comparatively poor catches when exceptional catches are actually within their reach with enough knowledge put into practice!

I saw all around me guys using pellets, standard 14 and 18 millimeter boilies for example, ready made ground bait balls and method mixes that the big roach shoals were tearing into. A lot of the guys were reeling in with their ready made baits completely whittled off their rigs so you can imagine the impact of the small fish on their free baits!

By contrast I was applying 2 distinct types of baits to my swim to counteract the problem of smaller fish and also to allow the carp to get a smell and taste of my baits and leading them to making mistakes with my hook baits! By strange coincidence, much of the bait I had prepared had been designed to deal with the crayfish in another water I was going to fish and did not. In this particular case my boilies were of 2 types; soft semi-boiled boilies for free baiting, and rock hard super-boosted hook bait boilies absolutely packed with naturally potent triggers and other vital substances to provide competitive edges.

Many of my free baits were well over 25 millimeters in size and none were made to be round but rather all were odd shaped and were in fact not prepared by rolling at all. Only a small proportion of the free baits were of around the standard 12 or 14 millimeter sizes. These free baits were designed to dissolve within about 4 hours of immersion thereby doing the maximum work in pulling and triggering fish while not giving them much time to actually eat them! The vast majority of ready made boilies will not break down for at least 8 to 36 hours or longer so you can see how much their effectiveness is limited by their actual form; the preference of average anglers for durable hard boilies as free baits and hook baits has many drawbacks!

I have seen with my own eyes very big carp actually fanning away standard round boilies in order to be able to pick up smaller odd shaped baits in safety. (On the lake bed odd shaped baits are very often standard round boilies which have been in the water a while, long enough for smaller fish to whittle them down in size and shape and which wary carp view with far less suspicion as these hook them far less than whole round baits!)

By contrast though, my hook baits and a proportion of matching free baits were of a totally different design and were super-boosted with natural triggers and were rock hard. These baits were of very small size and about as far from conventional machine-rolled shape, texture, density etc that you could imagine. These baits in large sizes where used in PVA bags and a very hard paste in large sized pieces were also used to very good effect.

This might all sound like common sense and to some of you like hard work, but I paid my money to fish the commercial fishery just the same as the other 15 anglers there but I spent less on my bait and still had better results despite them using the most popular brands of ready made baits. In part due to my 30 years in carp fishing, my own scientific research and long bait-making experience and my fellow BCSG friends my interest in bait and fish senses, metabolism, health, etc and my ability to improve my baits has come a very long way, and every week I get to learn new things to give me more competitive fishing edges and even more economical baits!

You may not be into master antioxidants, metabolic stimulants, bioactive flavour components or sorting the first to third limiting amino acids in your bait recipes. But I can assure you that just a few of the most powerful secrets will multiply your catches to the degree you will shudder at just how much time in hours and money in under-performing baits you will have wasted over the coming years in your possible ignorance. Having said that no-one knows everything about baits and most bait company bosses appear to have certain gaps in their knowledge.

There is are hard core of bait company bosses who by definition have been doing it for decades longer than anyone else and know far more in theoretical and practical terms as a result but even these top guys often have to compromise performance aspects of their bait due to the actual sensory and practical preferences of their human customers and their price sensitivity too! This gives the homemade bait maker enormous opportunities to out-fish very many popular ready made baits; certainly many of the most successful homemade baits I have made could not be offered commercially because buyers simply would not relate to them as conventional carp baits at all and would not buy them; unfortunately such is the mentality of the average angler and shows just how much they have been conditioned as much as carp! Having an open mind about bait is a definite advantage!

There are also very many bait company guys out there who are really just starting out with pretty limited actual working knowledge of even a handful of recipes of ready made baits they might be offering. Certain further gaps in knowledge might be in connection with various aspects of carp senses operations and in maximizing their exploitation potential, or in regards to how certain sweet substances impact physiologically to change DNA, carp preferences and taste cells cross adaptation impacts, or what to include to actually regulate carp blood sugar levels beneficially.

Significantly it might be some bait company bosses over-look completely the long-term (behaviour-forming) impacts of more obscure antioxidant additives on carp preferences, or the deeper aspects of enhancing impacts of certain non, semi-essential and essential amino acids for various effects using any of a whole range of substances, or even in regards to exactly how flavours work etc! (Many of the best flavours work well beyond simple potentiation of nerve cells. Never forget that as carp detect certain substances down to as little as 6 parts per million concentration, every single thing you put in a bait and in the swim can have impacts on results to some degree even if you cannot smell it!)

Every aspect of your bait can be used as a competitive advantage so attention to detail is of vital importance because it is this that can very seriously multiply your catches!

As a couple of quick tips, even if you have been making baits for a while, why not try out very high levels of Ccmoore Feedstim XP powder in your baits with their awesome Odyssey XXX liquid, or why not be very different and try this unique combination of premium grade salmon protein, high PC lecithin and pure Scottish salmon oil from my friend Phil at CW Baits and Carp fishing pellets. (This combination did fantastic last week and it also out-fished all the ready made baits it was fished against this past winter and was a combination I chose to exploit last week in my very cheap but successful homemade baits!) Phil started out as a premium koi food supplier and now offers some unique exceptional bait ingredients and very high quality very digestible baits (amino-sorted!) I know he is looking for some bait testers due to expanding his range of HNV baits so do contact him right away!)

I hope this makes you consider what savings you can make over the years and also the improved catches over your peers you are potentially missing out on right now! For much more information on making outstanding competitive homemade baits (and at a fraction of the cost of ready made baits) whether boilies, pellets, ground baits, boosted particles, meats, fish and natural baits etc, why not get my unique big carp bait secrets guides at my site called Baitbigfish and improve your catches and bank balance simultaneously!

By Tim Richardson.

Now why not seize this moment to improve your catches for life with these unique fishing bibles: "BIG CARP FLAVOURS FEEDING TRIGGERS AND CARP SENSES EXPLOITATION SECRETS!" "BIG CARP AND CATFISH BAIT SECRETS!" And "BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS!" For these and much more now visit: http://www.baitbigfish.com Home of world-wide proven ready made and homemade bait success secrets bibles!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_F._Richardson