Should you fish for just one bite at a time?
Do you tend to mostly angle for one bite at a time or try and get the greedy multiple fish-feeding scenario going?
Most of the lakes I tend to fish are on the trickier side and generally I’ll be fishing for one bite at a time, because that’s all you can expect. If, however, I am fishing a venue where I think multiple bites are on the cards then I’ll do my best to catch as many as possible and go for the hit.
After meticulous rig placement, reaping the fruits of your labour is very satisfying
There are two main ways of going about it really and they generally involve the quantities of bait that you’re using. I have found that a large bed of bait is the best way to get multiple bites on a venue which holds a decent amount of fish. The other most effective way I have found of racking up a tally of fish on the heavier stocked lakes is to get about the pond, casting at showing fish and spreading a scattering of boilies over the top. This is a great way of intercepting shoals of fish. You’re able to get them grazing over a much larger area and this enables you to pluck them off without spooking the other fish too much. Once they move, if they move, I’ll simply follow them and then start the process again. This can work just as well on the harder venues too, you just can’t expect to catch as many.
Five changes of swim, some bright pop-ups and a bag of Cell later
The type of venue I’m fishing will always dictate the play and it’s important to understand quite what’s achievable from the venue. Going mad and fishing for loads of bites on a lake where that situation is unrealistic can backfire on you.
I really enjoying fishing for a bite at a time, setting small traps and hoping one will trip up, but this kind of suits the venues I fish. A big part of my fishing is about learning to understand my target fish and again, this will often lead to the one bite style of fishing, unless of course they always get caught amongst hits of fish for example. Some carp are greedier than others and it’s all about figuring out how the one you want tends to get caught. I’ve fished venues in the past where hits of fish are certainly available but fishing for a bite at a time is the way to catch the one I’m after. As always, it depends entirely on the venue, and the target fish.
My favourite way of catching them is following them around and keeping on the move – it never gets boring!
The two types of fishing are quite contrasting, but both very enjoyable for different reasons. Trap setting, be it with large of small quantities of bait, is more intricate, time-consuming and requires a lot more thought, which is what makes it so satisfying when a plan comes together. Chasing them about the lake and getting lost in the madness is also very exciting and probably my favourite way of catching them. Those moments where you sit down at night, after a hectic day running around following them about, are always enjoyable, you’ve worked hard for your opportunities and it feels good.
When fishing for a bit at a time, these take some beating
The most rewarding thing in fishing is working hard for your captures, when you deserve them and you’ve put your heart and soul into it, they’re always the best ones, regardless of how you’ve had to go about it.
In a nutshell, I look at my target fish, try to base my approach around that carp and then aim to catch as many fish as I possibly can, without straying away from what I think is necessary in order to catch the one I want most.