Hard going, but things are looking up...

The last few days the weather has been nice and sunny during the day but frosty during night time, with parts of the Lancaster canal being iced up today. I have done a few outings but the serious fish just didn't want to play ball, even though I used many lures and presentations... Therefore I put the little softies on and also took my girl with me for some company. Now, as you would expect she wasn't very keen on following me around and just holding the net and after I managed some feisty little perch from under our feet she wanted a piece of the action! So I prepped her a UL setup comprising of, Daiwa Procyon 6.6", 1/32-1/8 oz rod, Shimano Nexave 1000 fd reel and 3lb siglon fluorocarbon. The softbait used was the Big Bite Panfish minnow 1.5" on light dropshot with a SSG shot at the end.
After showing her the do's and dont's as well as how to work the lure, we got stuck in but the action was really slow... I wasn't happy with the lack of fish and her technique so I took her rod and tried to show her exactly how to do it...As the lure neared the bank I could see some flashes behind it and feeling the bite I told her : And that's how you do it! and pulled the little fish out to her face! Don't you just love this when it happens... Continuing our session, she missed some bites and also got bitten off by a little pike but in the end she caught a baby perch and was over the moon with her first fish ever! While I managed a couple more tiny perch, but all in all it was a very slow day..

Forgot to show her how to handle them! lol

 

Again we tried other Sp's as well but the Panfish minnow was the only one successful...
Recently I have also visited Glasson Dock and fished a very short session there, but the results (or more accurately the potential results) were very promising. I changed 3 swims and at each swim, my lure got attacked first cast, by some well-sized pike that I just couldn't seem to hook! I think that size 6-4 hooks are too small for these fish and have modified my rigs accordingly...
Bellow are some pics and as you can see, the place looks very 'fishy'...

 

Hopefully the fish will start feeding properly soon and Im also going to fish Glasson dock more as Im sure I'l have better results there...

 

Thanks for reading and Tight lines

 

Equipment used.

A)
Rod: Awa Shima Qlite spin, 1-5g, 2.40m
Reel: Mitchell Mag Pro 1000
Mainline: Toray BAWO Superhard Upgrade Fluorocarbon, 3.9lbs
Rig: dropshot with SSG splitshot
Hook: Owner mosquito N8
Lure: Big Bite Panfish minnow 1.5"

 

B)

Rod: Daiwa Procyon, 6.6",1/32-1/8oz

Reel: Shimano Nexave 1000fd

Mainline: Sunline Siglon Fluorocarbon 3lbs

Rig, hook, lure: same as above.

 

 

 

When everything fails... LRF!

Today the weather was cold and even snowed at times. I was thinking about doing some jack-pike fishing down the canal and as soon as I finished with the house chores, I geared up and was at the bank in no time.. I tied my usual pike drop shot trace, although with some new hooks (Gamakatsu dropshot jig 90) and a Panic Minnow dropswim at the business end.. I started fishing at all the usual spots but it was hard work having my fingers frozen even though I was wearing gloves! I walked about a mile or so without even a whiff of a take, let alone a fish.. As I neared a bridge that is a well known hot spot, I got the very first bite of the day, but instead of a pike I landed a small perch. After releasing the hungry mini-predator, I persisted for a while with the pike rig, but after I fished all the previously productive swims it seemed that today wasn't going to be my day. Thus I thought of having some fun doing LRF style for the little perch as I had found one and surely there were going to be more around there... I tied a new rig using a size 8 Owner mosquito hook and instead of a dropshot lead I just pinched two AAA shots 15cm away from the hook. The lure of choice was the Big Bite Panfish minnow in Alewife colour 1.5". First cast and I started getting the usual perch-nibbles at the lure,  after waiting for a second for the fish to commit I stroked lightly and I landed the second little perch of the day.. Soon more followed  and I had the chance to try some more softies including the well known Marukyu Power Isome, but in the end it seemed that the fish only wanted the minnow! I did miss some fish, but I think I ended up with around 8 fish in a matter of 30 minutes until the sunset, when the bites died down...

The first one of the day.

 

 

Its not the first time that LRF saves the day but today was a prime example of its fish-catching potential. In a day with cold and miserable conditions and big fish not wanting to play ball, I still managed to catch something and have fun!
The lack of bigger fish I think was down the ability of them in capturing larger prey and not needing to feed so often, thus in a day like today I think they chose to skip a meal!
I was really surprised about the bait preference the fish showed towards the panfish minnow, ignoring every other bait..I can only explain this due to the season and location, as I have seen perch preying on little silverfish and ruffe there and not being accustomed in worm-style baits..

Thanks for reading and tight lines!

Equipment used.
Rod: Awa Shima Qlite spin, 1-5g, 2.40m
Reel: Mitchell Mag Pro 1000
Mainline: Toray BAWO Superhard Upgrade Fluorocarbon, 3.9lbs
Rig: dropshot with 2 AAA splitshots
Hook: Owner mosquito N8
Lure: Big Bite Panfish minnow 1.5"

Perseverance pays off...

Past few days I have been focusing and experimenting mostly on catching perch and pike on the same drop shot rig on Ul gear. The results so far have been encouraging.. I have managed to catch some nice pike and a couple of specimen perch even though the conditions have been far from ideal.
On Monday and Tuesday  the sun was shining all day with temperatures around 7C but the water was turbid (30cm visibility aprox) and I only managed one nice perch and some more little ones.. Today it was overcast around 3C and windy but with better visibility. I managed two jacks that were good fun as always but no perch, although I did miss some that didn't get hooked..

The only one worth taking a photo!

What never ceases to amaze me in winter fishing is the action of softplastics. I have found that although some of my favourite ones seem very soft and "wiggly" during the warmer seasons and catch plenty of fish, in winter time they become harder due to the temperature and don't wiggle as much.. Therefore I tend to go for extremely soft/pliable ones now and even more so if they are segmented as they tend to be less affected by temperature changes and keep their action.
All in all the fishing was hard work and the pike ruined my softbaits, but since I've managed to catch a few its all good in my book!
Thanks for reading and tight lines.

Equipment used.
Rod: Awa Shima Qlite spin, 1-5g, 2.40m
Reel: Mitchell Mag Pro 1000
Mainline: Toray BAWO Superhard Upgrade Fluorocarbon, 3.9lbs
Rig: Knot2Kinky 12lbs
Hook: VMC Spinshot N6
Lure: HTO Pro worm, 3.8" Pink

Dropshotting for canal Pike at Carnforth marina.

Today was another beautiful day and after going to the gym, I drove to Carnforth in order to fish at the marina there. When I arrived, I found lots of people out walking the dogs, cycling and a few fishing. There was only one jack caught between all of them on deadbait and not much after that.
Unfazed I started rigging up my Ul rod using some knot 2 kinky wire (12lb) as I have been trying various components to manage catching perch and pike on the dropshot. The best results so far have been by using thick fluorocarbon (20lbs) but u still need to change it after every fish..

My dropshot rig using knot 2 kinky wire.

The marina.

 The marina has depths of around 2m and the water today was quite dirty.
 Still, as soon as I passed in front of the deadbaiters I made a far cast near a barge and after working the lure I felt a sharp tug, I set the hook and the fish was on. It took a while to come up from the depths as it was fighting extremely well on my Ul gear, when it surfaced I slipped the net and landed a lovely and plumb jack of about 4lbs. I persisted for a couple more hours and other than a jack to the bait boys I saw no other fish. A very surprising fact of this area is that I haven't caught a perch here and cant figure out the reason why..

The softbait used was the famous Panic minnow dropswim at 3.3" mounted on a VMV spinshot size 6 hook tied on 15cm of 12lb Knot2Kinky. I tied 30cm of 3lb fluoro to the sinker for the bottom end.  I cant tell for sure if the use of this rig will allow me to catch both perch and pike easily as it needs further testing. All in all it was a pleasant session in lovely weather that I hope it will last for a bit!

Thanks for reading and tight lines
Dimitrios

New stretch and circle hooks on dropshot test.

Today the weather was mild and since I had found a nice looking stretch of the canal on google maps, I didn't think twice and was off fishing! I bought some new softbaits and some circle hooks that I wanted to try them on the dropshot for perch.. The area is a marina on the Lancaster canal and when I arrived it did indeed look very fishy... First problem was the lack of parking space but after some maneuvering I managed to park my Punto in a way that it wouldn't bother anybody.. Second problem (potentially) was the state of the water.. After two weeks of bad weather the level was high and visibility was bad (30cm aprox). I expected the fishing to be slow and near the bottom, as the fish would probably need a few more days of settled conditions to feed confidently.. Thus I shortened the distance of the sinker to the lure (20cm from usual 35cm aprox) and started fishing as close to the barges and the dock as I could..

the state of the water.

After working a large area without a touch I reached a corner of the marina and casting inches from the canal edge I got the first nibble and letting the softbait to fall I connected to the first little perch of the session.. As soon as I caught the fish from its jaw the hook came free, something that I should have taken as a warning... After the little perch I recast to the same area and got three more fish on, only for them to get free from the hook shortly after! The last one within inches from the bank and a good one as well... I didn't set the hook in any fish as you are not meant to when using circle hooks but as soon I reverted back to mosquito hooks I didn't loose any fish.


the only one that stayed on the circle hook.

I kept fishing and walking but after moving to an area with no bites, I went back to where I caught the first one. Trying different baits and slowing the speed even more, I managed to find some more fish. Most were small  and I noticed that they wanted very slow presentation (slight twitches) and minimal resistance with long pauses. Nearing dusk, I managed a better fish of about a pound, that gave a good account of itself on the UL spinning gear...

Overall the fishing was slow and hard work with the fish not really in an aggressive hunting mood, but managing to catch some fish after a couple blanks is always good! I don't think I will continue using circle hooks on my dropshot though..
The best baits today were the LFT live baby shad 2.25" and lunker City fin-s fish 2".
Soon I'm going to try and fish for pike on a modified dropshot rig, incorporating a trace and cant wait to land some pike on the UL gear..

Thanks for reading.

Perch on the Lancaster canal.

After moving from the Lakes, I didn't have much time for fishing due to my work, but since I moved again to Lancashire now, I have found plenty of time to go fishing... After a bit of searching on google Earth and the web in general, I noted that the Lancaster canal seemed very promising... So one day I got my mate Derek for a reconnaissance mission..(!) We found an area that the canal widens and holds moored barges with a good depth. The weather was relatively mild, after a couple weeks of freezing temperatures and was due to get worse again... I have encountered this again when fishing and have noted that the fish get really active immediately before and upto the coming of a cold front... Looking at the water we were amazed at the amount of activity, as fry was jumping and fleeing all over the place. This is quite common during the warmer months, but in the middle of winter quite surprising.

Derek on the stretch mentioned.

We fished many styles and lures (jigging, crankbaits, spinners) but only caught fish on the dropshot,
with the best baits being: the LFT live baby shad, Umiushi worm, Jackall super pin tail, Ima trilobite and Tiemco PDL super fin tail. I fished on the ultralight gear comprising of Awa shima Q lite spin, 2.40m, 1-5g rod and Mitchell mag pro 1000 reel. The fish were caught as expected near the barges and the walls of the canal and also from among the snags in the deeper areas. Their sizes being from 100g to about 700g.

Unfortunatelly that day we got two attacks from pike that easily managed to cut the 3lb fluoro but using a korda wide gape barbless hook I hope that they will get rid of it easily...
Since that day I have been regularly visiting the canal and have managed to get a few fish every time.. I have also modified my dropshot rig using thicker fluorocarbon and got some pike as well.
An important note is that many fish have been precaught and mishandled at times, something that shows the fishing pressure at that stretch and the need for better handling skills among anglers..
At times when the water was very cold and miserable weather, the trick of substituting the sinker for a hookless pilker seems to give a couple fish when all else fail...

More reports to come and thanks for reading...

A pinch of salt...

I had the chance to fish the  beautiful yet treacherous cliffs at St Bees during the summer and although the climbing up and down was always tiring and at times dangerous, the results were for the most part good.
I first went to St Bees in pursuit of wrasse and pollock, as I had never caught these species and was really interested in them. Surprisingly the soft plastics were not as successful as I expected.. The fish were usually more than 20m away and I had much more success utilising mini-pirks/jigs and ultra light shore jigging techniques!
The first fish I caught was neither pollock nor wrasse though.. It was of course the aggressive mackerel.

I had some action-packed sessions fishing for this fish as it gives an awesome fight, I admit its not the hardest fishing in the world but the sheer fun cannot be surpassed.. The only problem with this species though is its sensitivity to handling, thus its fishing needs restraint.. The pollock were plentifull as well, though in small sizes but gave a good acount of themselves on the LRF gear..

When the fish were further away than the reach of the lrf gear, I used a heavier setup and had very good results on pollock using small kabura jigs like the Duel Salty Bait. The mainlines I used was Berkley nanofil 0.12 and spiderwire invisibraid 0.06 with fluorocarbon leaders of 15lb and 4lb respectively.

Thanks for reading and tight lines!
Dimitrios

 

Starting up: Pike

I did some pike fishing in Crummock water and Loweswater, although some times unintentionally! To explain, I was targeting perch with a spinner in Crummock one afternoon in June, using a tiny N1 spinner on my ultralight setup and after a while I was surprised at the lack of perch at that particular spot. That spot had given fish almost every time I fished it! On the next cast and with the spinner nearing the shore, I got the answer.. A nice pike attacked my lure and after a monumental fight on my gear was landed.This was the first and last pike I caught in that lake! I had more success in Loweswater, were with the proper pike gear I managed to get some more around the 8lb mark.
All came from spots near lilly pads and at stream mouths..


Its a jungle down there!

The equipment I use for pike is: Shimano Beastmaster 8-9ft, 14-40gr casting weight paired with an Abu Garcia Soron 40, filled with Berkley Nanofil 0.12mm and finished with a titanium trace from Dragon (9kg). The most successfull lure was the Savagear Soft 4play at 13 cm.

Thanks for reading

Starting up: perch

Later in summer when the trout were starting to become hard to catch, I started focusing on the perch of Crummock water and Loweswater and the results were pretty good with some sessions seeing more than 15 fish caught and at times I was caching them at my feet! The fish weren't very big, as should be expected from these deep glacial lakes but plentiful and topping 600g.

 

The most successful technique was the dropshot. And the most productive lures proved to be the Lake Fork 2.25" live baby shad and the Dichoso 2.25" Umiushi Worm. The hooks I used were either size 6-4 mosquito hooks or size 4-2 sickle octopus on 3lb fluorocarbon mainline. Due to the very snaggy ground I didn't use standard dropshot leads but incorporated the special swivel with a weak-link to a standard sinker. Moreover, at the end of the season I switched the lead for a mini-pilk as the fish needed some persuasion...

Thhe dropshot rig I used.. Not so dear...!
 

 

I will finish with some more photos of these beautiful perch..

Thanks for reading!