Successful Flounder Fishing

When all else fails to bite in early season you can rely on a feisty flounder to rattle your rod top.

FUN OF FLOUNDERING

A few sea anglers turn up their noses at the prospect of fishing for flounders, but this chunky flatfish fills the gaps in the shore angler’s year providing sport when either other fish are absent, small or won’t even bite.

Once you accept that the fighting prowess of the species is less of an angling challenge than getting it to take the bait, the flounder is a worthwhile target and a real bonus fish often caught from more sheltered venues.

A major match angling species in many river estuaries and beaches adjacent to major estuaries, the flounder is possibly targeted by more anglers nationally than all but bass and cod.

HOOKS THAT HOLD

These tend to be small with size 2 and 4 ideal, while a bigger 1/0 hook is preferred if using a large peeler crab bait, because it allows better presentation, or if a bigger bonus species is likely to be caught while flounder fishing.

Soft-wire blued patterns are used by many match anglers and those wishing to return their fish alive because they are easier to remove. You will find that the smaller size 6 hooks are easier to remove with a disgorger.

BAIT SELECTION

Bunches of tail-wriggling ragworms are favoured for catching flounders, despite the fact that many venues are so murky there is little chance the fish can see the bait.

It is the movement and vibration of those wriggling tails that are so deadly and they combine with the number one flounder attractor, scent.

Nothing beats fresh peeler crabs for flounders on many venues in spring. Other baits rarely survive the attention of bait-robbing crabs long enough for a flounder to find them. Top bait in many regions is a lugworm or ragworm tipped with a small sliver of fresh mackerel. On some beaches shellfish catch flounders when a storm dislodges the contents of a sandbar onto the inshore shallows with razorfish, clams and cockles top of the menu.

While various ragworms are major baits in an estuary, lug often produces better fish from storm and surf beaches.

SPOTTING BITES

A bonus of flounder fishing is that it often all happens in a sheltered estuary and the lack of breaking waves allows the rod tip to be placed low to help spot bites. These can be pronounced or very subtle movements of the rod tip.

Fishing a slack line is a favoured tactic so that the fish feel little resistance when they take the bait, although even with a slack line a positive bite can be detected with ease in calm conditions.

Tricks of flounder fishing include moving the bait regularly to explore the ridges and gutters. Releasing the line from the spool to allow the line to bow and the bait to flutter is a worthwhile ploy.

Flounders are a shoal species and catching more than one on a rig is common so when a bite is spotted you must sit on your hands, striking at flounders is not playing cricket.

A SPRING PRIZE

Accurate casting is a big advantage to the estuary angler because flounders have some predictable habits. They like hugging the gutter line between beach and sand and those that find it with an accurate cast will catch the most fish.

On surf beaches hot areas are just under the main breaker where the sand is gouging out shellfish or the third wave flat inside the big breaker where the disturbed food comes to rest.

A real flounder hot spot is the slack water side of the end of a groyne because
flounder will pass close to the end to get around the obstacle.

WHAT GEAR?

Bass or estuary rods are a favourite for flounder fishing because they allow the use of light lines down to 10lb and also show bites clearly.

The continental long rod / fixedspool outfit is growing in popularity for this type of close-range fishing, which is more about finesse than long-range sport.

Favoured rigs tend to be leggy monofilament paternosters to present baits over the widest area of sea bed, handy when fishing the surf to help increase the chance of putting a bait where the natural food is being gouged out or being pushed by the waves. Some anglers also favour booms because they allow the tangle-free use of lighter snoods.

Beads, sequins, small blades and spoons are all part of attracting flounder, along with floating popup beads used to raise the baits away from crabs or to increase bait movement by making them more buoyant and easily moved by the tide. Plastic beads can be used to anchor baits on the sea bed.

BEST VENUES

Shallow muddy estuaries are the standard habitat for flounders, although they are also caught from beaches outside the estuaries in the open sea.

Long expanses of sand or mud usually fish best during the flooding tide and groundbaiting with used bait can help to lay a trail towards your baited hooks as you retreat the flooding tide.

Flounders can be caught at extremely short range, even as close as ten yards on some venues. Look for the joint between beach and sand or the ledge where the water deepens because flounders use them as pathways.

THE LIFE OF FLESUS

The flounder, Platichthys flesus, is a right-eyed flatfish although left-eyed specimens are not that uncommon. It’s an estuary fish capable of surviving in part freshwater and therefore having its own niche in the food chain.

Once described as the most prolific sea species, the flounder is now less common on some venues where it has been an easy target for pot bait by commercial fishermen fishing for crabs and whelks.

Widely dispersed around the UK and often a novice sea angler’s first fish because it hugs the shoreline and you don’t need to cast huge distances to catch one. It’s a fact that a few tournament casters have never caught a flounder.

Identification points are the square cut tail and the rows of bony tubercles at the base of the dorsal and anal fins.

Not so good for eating as other flatfish, it is mostly returned alive by anglers although its survival rate may be less than many conservationists think.

Summer Top Tips

Carp Fishing

1. Carry Polaroids

Polaroid sunglasses are one of the most effective pieces of kit you can own, especially when it comes to fish spotting. The polarised filters in the lenses allow you to see beneath the surface, whithout them the glare of the lakes surface will generally hinder your sight. These glasses eliminate the problem, widening the realms of what we, as anglers, are able to see.



2. Try The Float

Forgotten by many a carp angler, float fishing is a very effective method, especially once it’s warmed up and the carp are using the margins. It’s a great way to angle and puts you back in touch with how it all began. Catching carp on the float is one the most exciting ways of catching them and is something everyone should try from time to time.


3. Particle Fishing

Once the fish have spawned particle fishing can be extremely effective, they seem to go wild for it. Introducing large beds of these tiny little seeds can spur the fish into a feeding frenzy and multiple catches can be achieved with some regularity if you can get it right.


4. Spread Some Boilies

A wide spread of boilies is great way of intercepting fish on the move. The summer sees the carp venturing into every corner of the lake and as those fish glide merrily along route, passing the boilies as they travel, they will often stop to feed, or at least return later on in order to feed. Before long you have several fish grazing in the general area of your hook baits and in turn action should develop.


5. Pre-baiting

Pre-baiting is a tactic that will serve you well during every month of the year but when carp are at their most active, pre-baiting can be at its most productive. By wandering around the lake a baiting several spots you can create opportunities all over the place and bouncing between areas can see your catch rate go through the roof.


6. Try Solid Bags

The weed in many venues will be at it’s most prominent stage of growth once we reach the summer and the carp will spend a lot of time held up within the confines of it all. Solid bags allow you to present a bait where no other rig does, right amongst the green stuff, and right amongst the carp. It must be done safely though.


7. Boost Your Boilies

The warmer water of the summer months allows us benefit from things such as fish oils. The carp absolutely love them and boosting your boilies with additives such as Mainline’s FOS Oil will add a whole new dimension of attraction to those already appealing boilies. This often results in more carp on the bank.


8. Get On The GOO

The GOO has transformed the fishing for many anglers such as Ali Hamidi, it really is absolutely devastating stuff. The warmer water temperatures allow it to really work its magic and whilst the carp are at their most active too – a very effective combination of factors. Those sensationally pleasing attractors certainly come into their own during the summer months.

Fishing With PVA

Presenting, tying, using and fishing with PVA

 

 

It doesn't matter whether the carp are feeding well, or just picking at baits, the magical PVA tape, PVA string, PVA stocking and PVA bags are just the thing to help you put a few more big carp on the bank.

 

What is PVA?

PVA stands for Poly Vinyl Alcohol. It’s a water-soluble substance that can be made into solid sheets, tape, string or woven to create a mesh-type stocking. When cast into the swim, the PVA product will start to dissolve and leave a neat pile of free bait around your hook. This is something that patrolling carp find hard to resist and it’s a method that has caught many large specimens. Lee Jackson, for example, banked his former British record carp of over 60lb when using a PVA bag presentation.

Types of PVA

There are several types of PVA on the market. Each one has a distinct use...

 

STRING

 

This is a thin cord made from multiple thin strands of PVA. It’s mostly used to create ‘stringers’. This is the name given to a number of baits threaded on to a string, which is then attached to your hook. The problem with PVA string is that it shrinks in the water before dissolving. This can cause the baits to become fused together in a lump, or worse, the string won’t melt at all.

 

 

 

 

 

TAPE

 

Similar to string, except it has a flat, wide profile. Tape can also be used to form stringers or for tying off the tops of solid PVA bags. Tape also has several advantages over PVA string. It doesn’t shrink in water. Due to its thicker profile, the tape holds strung baits better, great for long-range casting. Also, this thicker profile opens a bigger hole in the free baits, allowing more scent to be released.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOLID BAGS

 

Flat, solid bags that can be filled with all manner of freebies, regardless of the size of bait used. They can also be filled with just liquid, such as flavours, slimes or dips. This is a great edge in winter when you are fishing single hookbaits. The liquid puts out a strong level of attraction into the swim, but the only food item is your hookbait. Their disadvantages are that they are slow to form and tie. Always pierce solid PVA bags with a baiting needle, as this will help the trapped air escape, preventing it from floating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MESH BAGS

 

Made from woven PVA thread, this stocking material – which Korda named Funnel Web – has revolutionised carp fishing. Having an open weave, it doesn’t suffer from trapped air. This product comes in long lengths – five or 20 metres – allowing bags of any size to be made up. The other advantage of network bags is that they are much quicker to make than their solid counterparts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

RIG FOAM

 

These buoyant nuggets are either hooked on to or folded over the hook before casting. Once in the water, they hold the hook off the bottom until the nugget dissolves. The hook will then gently settle on to the bottom of the lake. Rig foam is indispensable when fishing over silt or weed. When the rig is cast in, the lead will either sink into the silt or dive into the weed and the rig foam will help stop your hook from being masked.

Top 10 PVA tips

1. Always make bags in a dry environment.
2. Always carry a towel with you so you can dry your hands.
3. Keep your pre-made bags in a watertight container.
4. Make a few bags up before fishing.
5. Don’t make up sticks too early, as the oil will affect the PVA’s melt time.
6. Avoid string when using stringers as it shrinks in water. It’s better to use PVA tape.
7. Always leave a bit of room between your baits on a stringer to allow the water to get at the PVA between the baits.
8. Don’t use pure chopped boilies in your stick mix as the hook point could get masked.
9. When using solid bags, remember to pierce them before casting. This allows any trapped air escape.
10. Always use rig foam when fishing over weed or silt, as it will give your rig a much better presentation.

 

Finding Features Using A Marker Float Rig

How to find underwater features using a marker float rig

 

This simple yet amazingly effective marker float rig diagram will enable you to ‘see’ all those hidden underwater features and therefore ensure you can place your bait right where you need it.

 

This rig can be cast to various spots around the lake to not only find the depth in that particular spot, but also to find out what lies on the bottom – weed, gravel, mud or silt.

 

With a little experience you can very quickly figure out the exact make-up of the bottom of the lake you are fishing and determine which areas are likely to hold the fish and therefore where you think you will be best casting your bait.

 

All you need to create this set up is a spare carp rod (preferably around 2.75lb test curve), a reel loaded with strong braid, a marker float, a heavy swivel lead (of around 2oz or more), a length of strong monofilament, a strong baiting needle, a cork ball and a run ring with bead.

 

The reason for using a strong rod and strong braid is so the angler can ‘feel’ the bottom of the lake. Basically the combination of strong stiff rod and braid helps transmit every knock and bump of the lead along the bottom to the angler’s hands. It’s hard to describe in words, but with a little practices you’ll be able to tell exactly what lies on the bottom by the feeling you get through the rod and braid when the leads moves.

 

 

Building the link for the rig

 

Creating this rig is really very simple… Cut off 14in of your strong monofilament and tie one end to your swivel lead. Now pierce the cork ball with your baiting needle and draw the strong monofilament through it so the ball is trapped upon the line. Now tie the run ring to the end of the strong line.

To complete this link, push the cork ball onto the base of the run ring. You could glue this in place if you wish.

 

Setting up the rig

Thread your braid through the guides of your spare 2.75lb test curve carp rod and pass it through the run ring of the link you made earlier. Now thread the braid through the run ring’s bead and then tie it onto the base swivel of the marker float. Job done

 

 

Using the rig

You must cast this rig with a fluid motion – not a jerky cast – so you don’t tangle it. And once the rig lands gently wind the reel’s handle to send the large marker float down to the bottom where it will contact the link and lock up.

You’ll feel this through the rod, when the float hits the link and the line tightens fully.

Now open the reel’s bale arm and pay out line 1ft at a time, remembering to count as you go and remember to add the 12in (1ft) that forms the link. Keep paying out line and counting until you see the float break the surface. Whatever figure you arrive at – that’s the depth.

Remember that figure, or better still write it down, and then gently wind the float back down again until it locks up against the link.

Now gently pull the rod around to your side, while keeping the reel locked up, and drag the lead along the bottom.

You’ll feel various things through the rod depending upon the substance that the lead travels over.

If the lead hits into weed, the rod might well lock up solid and then jerk round again as you pull on the lead.

If the lead passes over flat mud or through silt you’ll feel a constant but smooth pressure.

If the rod passes over gravel or rock you’ll feel a definite tap-tap-tap feeling through the rod.

Once you’ve pulled the rod right round to your side, swing it around again to point directly at the lead, wind down again slowly and pay out line until the float pops to the surface, counting the depth as you go.

Do this many times in a wide variety of places around the lake and you’ll begin to build up an excellent picture of the bottom of the lake with all its little dips, troughs, gravel bars, weed beds and ledges.



Get the right distance

If you find a real corker of a feature there's only one way to ensure that you hit that spot. Cast to it with your marker float and once you've found it again, clip the line around your line clip.

Wind the rig in and place both your marker float rod and your fishing rod onto rod rests and open the bale arm. Now walk the marker float and the fishing rig out until the line hits the clip. Once you've done that, place the rigs onto the ground, walk back to the rods and clip up the line of your fishign rod.

Now you'll always cast the right distance and hit that spot every single time you cast!

TIP: If you are new to this rig and aren’t exactly sure what you ought to be feeling through the rod when you pull your lead across mud, gravel, silt or into weed then try this trick… Simply visit a lake that has all those features in the margins, drop your lead onto those features, walk the rod away from them and simply drag the lead across or into the features and note what it feels like through the rod.

Resistance-free Running Rig for Big Perch

Big Perch Fishing

 

Resistance-free running rig for big perch

 

 

This is THE rig to use if you are targeting specimen perch. Although it’s quite simple to tie, the components you will need are quite specialised but can be bought from Noble's Fishing Store.
A Run Ring is a must because this provides a large diameter bore through which the line passes, therefore resistance is kept to a minimum. Big perch will drop a legered bait if they feel the slightest resistance.

The Run Ring will need covering with some silicone tubing to prevent tangles, and then a snap link swivel can be clipped to the Run Ring so that any weight of lead can be used quickly and easily.
The best hooklength lines should be soft, supple and camouflaged – either a braid or clear mono is ideal. Length needs to be between 2ft and 4ft.

One of the best baits for big perch is a couple of lobworms, so this means that the hook will need to be quite large. A size 4 wide gape will be ideal, preferably barbed so that the worms remain on the hook.

A: Use a Run Ring followed by a bead and a swivel. The Run Ring reduces the amount of resistance to the taking fish.

B: The size and weight of lead ought to suit the distance that you intend casting. You could switch the lead for a feeder crammed with red maggots or chopped worms if you wish.

C: It’s best to incorporate a snap link swivel into this rig so you can change the lead quickly at any stage during the session.

D: Use a large swivel and a very strong knot to lock on your hooklength as there’s every chance you may encounter a large tench, carp or bream fishing with this rig.

E: Hooklengths need to be strong and short – 2ft to 4ft is ideal and between 4lb and 8lb is best.

F: When fishing with two lobworms hook them in the saddle with a wide gape size 4 hook.

G: Chop and change your baits between using whole lobworms and broken lobworms to find out which bait the fish respond to best.

Spodding Your Swim

Spodding Your Swim

Spodding is the most efficient way of delivering particle feeds at long distance. Aerodynamic spods will fly 100 yards and it’s possible to lay down large, tightly grouped beds of feed in minutes.

Spods come in various sizes and a fully loaded, larger model weighs several ounces when filled with broken boilies, hemp, pellets and other goodies.

That demands a spod rod with a minimum test curve of 4 lb. Standard carp fishing rods are not built for repeated casting with heavy spods and it’s unwise to risk overloading them.

Casting gloves or fingerstalls will prevent deep cuts caused by line. Shockleaders are also a must for buffeting the extreme pressures.

For shorter distances up to 60 yards you can use lightweight mini spods, which only weigh around 3 oz when fully loaded with bait.

These can be used with your standard carp rod of around 2.5 lb test curve or more, but it’s still a good idea to reel on 30 feet of shockleader to prevent crack-offs.

Tight baiting is easily achieved using a marker float. It only takes a few dummy casts with a spod to hit the right spot, and then you simply put the line in the line clip, reel in, load the spod with feed and aim for the marker float. The clipped line ensures that the spod will fall on the same spot every time.

Spodding can be quite addictive, especially when you get into a rhythm.

Remember, it’s easy to introduce too much feed into the swim – and you can’t remove it once delivered!

1 - Centrifugal force keeps feed in a spod until splashdown. Then the cork or polystyrene nose-cone makes it invert and spill the contents. Different coloured cones are needed for changing light conditions. Casting to a marker float is the most accurate method.

2 - Gardner pocket rockets are safe to use with a standard 2.5 lb test curve carp rod, but stout shockleaders will prevent any line breakages caused by repeated casting. A lack of holes improves performance with wet, sticky particle mixes.

3 - A loaded spod will weigh several ounces but dedicated spod rods have sufficient backbone to cope with repeated long chucks. Shockleaders are needed to prevent crack-offs and leather fingerstalls or a glove will protect your index finger.

4 - A loaded spod will comfortably cast 100 yards in experienced hands. Holes in the body allow passage of water when the empty spod is being retrieved. Different coloured nose cones ensure successfully inverted spods are easily seen.

Foam Tip - Spods have a tendency to ditch some feed during casting, potentially spreading feed and fish across a wide area. A quick dunk in the lake before casting helps prevent losses. But the best solution is to place two dissolvable foam nuggets on top of the feed as a plug. They’ll dissolve immediately on splashdown.

 

 

 

Effective Winter Baits

Effective Winter Baits

 

Tempting lethargic fish to feed in winter can be particularly tricky as most species’ metabolism slows right down in colder water.

They need far less food than they require during the rest of the year when they are much more active, so to cajole them into feeding you need to alter your feeding approach as well as selecting the right bait.

Here's some great baits that have a top reputation of catching even the most stubborn of fish in tough winter conditions.

 

 

 

Bread

 
Bread is a top winter bait especially on the rivers where chub and roach both adore flake, crust or punch. Although mashed bread is widely used as groundbait when bread fishing, for winter use a finely liquidised white, sliced loaf which produces smaller particle sizes and is less likely to fill up a feeding fish; remove crusts from the slices for an even finer mix if the going is really tough. A PVA stick of compressed crumb is a little used but brilliantly effective winter carp tactic – use in conjunction with a single grain of white, rubber corn
 
 



Maggots

One of the very best coldwater carp catchers. A mesh PVA bag of maggots, in conjunction with a bunch of grubs on a hair-rigged maggot clip, is one of the most reliable of winter carp tactics. Maggots are easily digested, colourful and loved by carp. Cast regularly and tightly to build an area and don’t forget to include a couple of rubber grubs on the rig to balance the weight of the hook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spices

Spicy flavours have long had an association with winter fishing and with the proliferation of Asian stores there is a bewildering range of brilliant additives with which to spice up your baits. A sprinkling of turmeric on maggots, a shake of garam masala in groundbait, chilli-laced hemp, coriander flavoured corn, meat dusted with garlic salt and pastes made with belachan paste are just some of the spicy options – which are only limited by your imagination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paste

 

Hi-attract paste hook baits are only one part of the winter paste story as the versatility of the bait lends itself to a number of different applications. Most notably it can be used as a ‘plug’ for watch-style leads or as a wrap around for any bomb or hook bait; it can even be ‘blobbed’ onto PVA stringers. The paste used in this way gives a longer-term leakage of flavour-charged particles into the swim and acts as a great fish-puller, especially in the rivers. To give a more rapid breakdown for non-hook bait applications mix pastes with water rather than eggs.

 

 

 

 

Corn

For coldwater commercial carping there are few baits to beat a simple grain or two of sweetcorn. Corn is easily digested, highly visible – even in coloured water – and, unlike maggots, resistant to the attentions of small silvers. A couple of grains hair-rigged through the middle sit perfectly on an 18 but, if the going is really tough, a single grain presented lengthwise on a size 20 should do the trick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peperami

The spicy meat snack checks all of the boxes when it comes to winter fishing, despite the fact it is on the oily side. Highly attractive to carp, chub and barbel it can be whittled down to tiny chunks for use with scaled down line and small hooks, yet it still packs a serious punch in terms of attraction once the outer skin is sliced off. Try a thin slice as a topper for half a 10 mm pop-up boilie for excellent winter carp results.