KINDFISHER

Hi all, just started to use Nashbait Wormcell liquid. In my opinion the smell is absolutely vile, but I am using it none the less. However, I am now wondering if my bottle is the actual smell as intended, or has it gone off ??? Does anyone else have experience with this liquid, and could they please shed a view on the pungent whiff of this lovely stuff. Thanks Kindfisher

Hi all, Just checking, but I bought a tub of CC Moore Betaine Powder online and when I received it the pot was half empty. Just wondered if this was how they are all sold, as to be honest I thought it was a bit of a swizz. Why sell the product in a tub that's twice the size of the product that it contains ??? Thanks all KINDFISHER

what test curve are they, and are they through action ???

By the looks of it, I think I'm going to have to go second hand. I assume ebay is probably the best bet ...

Hi all, I am looking to buy some new rods. I would like them to be through action, as I don't fish at any great distance. I would like them to be either 10ft or 12ft with a test curve of between 2lb and 3lb. I'm also on a bit of a budget, so nothing at the top end will be within my reach (I mean £800 for one of the latest Daiwa rods is a tad over the top). All recommendations welcome, and some information about the rod if you have such knowledge. Thanks in advance

Personally, I've never used a lead clip or dropped a lead either, but it has been suggested as a solution to the problem. I didn't know that it was illegal, and I'm now wondering why the myriad of companies that sell them, are allowed to continue to make money out of them if it's illegal ???

Yep, that's exactly what I'm going to do ... I'm going to change one component, make a note of what I use and see if it makes a difference. Then if it has made the difference then bingo, but if not I'll make another change and so on, and so on

Hmm, I will have a look at purchasing longer, through action rods in a lighter test curve, but this will probably be my last port of call due to cost £££ The hooklink braid is 20lb KORDA DARK MATTER SUPER-HEAVY BRAIDED HOOKLINK, I have now purchased the same braid in 30lb, some 20lb ESP TUNGSTEN LOADED SOFT and some SEMI STIFF 20lb KORDA N-TRAP ... so we shall see if this makes a difference I have made a load of new rigs in longer lengths and am going to make them gradually shorter to see if the length is making a difference. I have made the rigs with 2 different hooks attached, the KORDA wide gape and the sharpened KORDA KAMAKURAs in sizes 6 and 8, to see if this makes a difference. I have also bought some lighter leads 3oz, 2.5oz and 2 oz, to see if this makes a difference. I am also going to drop the lead, to see if this makes a difference. Lots to be going on with, but at least it will keep me busy

Yeah, well it just feels like I need a new challenge on a different lake. I have been doing a spot of river fishing recently, catching perch, dace, chub and gudgeon etc, but it doesn't really scratch that carpy itch. I will fine tune my current method as you suggest, I've just got back from my local tackle shop with the ESP TUNGSTEN LOADED and some inline drop off leads, so I'll see how I get on. I had a bit of a moan about the 20lb KORDA braid, but to no avail. I was advised to contact KORDA, so I will, just to see what they say

Well, I won't ditch the whole lot at once, I'll start with your braid suggestion and see how it goes. I'll the gradually assess each component to see if it can be improved or ditched depending on the experimentation results. I just want to be as effective as possible, whilst preventing any unnecessary damage.

I'm going to reassess my whole end tackle arrangement from mainline right the way through to the boilie stop (including PVA bag size and contents). I'm also going to ditch the current waters that I'm fishing and find pastures new, and do a little bit of experimentation work. Should keep me busy for a few years

Thanks, I'll give the ESP a go. I think that you're right in that this is an issue that is overlooked and needs to be addressed. I was only using the 20lb (cheesewire I'll call it now) as it was the closest match to my 16lb braking strain mainline. I would never have thought that such a product, produced by one of the biggest carp Kompanies, could cause so much damage to the very fish that we are meant to cherish and look after. I'm really [censored]ed off that I've spent £15 on something that really shouldn't be on the shelves.

Thanks, I'll give the ESP a go and up the braking strain of my supple hooklink as you suggested.

Unfortunately a think that I must agree with you. Can you recommend a soft coated braid ??? On a more sinister note, I fear that I am not the only carp angler in the UK using this method or indeed similar methods. Based on my assumption, it must therefore be that lots of other carp anglers are suffering the same issue, but just do not think it's something to be addressed. This could partly explain why we are seeing so many carp nowadays with damaged mouths. Anyway, I will lighten my lead and use a different hooklink on my next trip out. I will also experiment with dropping the lead for a short while and see if this helps.

Hi there, quick update - I have checked and I'm using the 20lb version of this hooklink. In which case why do they sell such a product and what are they expecting us to use it for ??? Maybe certain components of end tackle should carry warnings - for example on the supple braid it may be that it should state 'only to be used with leads of 2oz or less' or 'in conjunction with a drop off lead'. Personally, and only my opinion, I think that carp anglers far and wide must be causing mouth damage with some of the methods I have described, but they just see it as part of the process, whereas I'm prepared to change whatever it is that's causing the issue, in the name of carp welfare. I just cannot believe that I'm the only carp angler using 4oz leads, with a short supple hooklink, in a PVA bag - or am I ???

As I said in my post, I don't play the fish hard and in my opinion I play the fish quite lightly and only apply pressure when the carp make a bid for freedom in snags or reeds etc. I usually let them plod around under the rod tip whilst keeping a light bend in the rod.

Unfortunately you have picked the exact supple braid that I am currently using

Basically it's as if the sides of the mouth have been hacked a bit - not to the point of a complete 'Glasgow Smile' , but enough to cause a need for change...

As I said in my rather long post, most of the time the carp are hooked in the centre of the bottom lip (not always) , but there is still mouth damage ???

Have you any suggestions for an alternative that will behave in the same manner as my current supple braid ???

The supple braid is supplied by one of the biggest carp Kompanies out there and so I would hope that it is one of the best quality carp friendly braids out there - it should be as it costs nearly £1 per metre . I will try the drop off inline lead, but cannot see this as a long term solution as on some good weeks this could cost me £70+ and over the year means 400+ discarded leads sat around on lake beds. There must be thousands of carp anglers using 4oz and indeed 5 oz leads to aid in the initial hooking of the carp (including some very famous ones), maybe they all have the same issue, but just move on ???

Hi all, sorry for the length of this post, but the information is all relevant. I am a seasoned angler of 40 years plus and have enjoyed all types of fishing in this time. I am predominantly a carp angler and have fine tuned my tactics over the years, both with ideas of my own and information gleaned from the famous and those not so famous, from books, magazines internet etc. etc. I’m not gonna boast, but the main method I use catches me a hell of a lot of fish when others around me seem to struggle. However, I have come up against a problem, which is the result of the method that I use, and although I’m catching a lot of carp I need to change things. The problem is, that the fish I’m catching seem to be suffering mouth damage in the scissors section of the mouth - sometimes on one side, sometimes on both. I have been using propolis on the damage and carp disinfectant where appropriate, but I’m not prepared to carry on with the damage that I’m seeing. I fish all types of lakes and catch all sizes of carp. So, I’m using 10ft 3lb test curve rods, 16lb fluorocarbon mainline, 2 blobs (about the size of a large pea) of heavy metal putty on the mainline about 8 inches and then 16 inches above an 18 inch length of anti tangle tubing (to protect the carps flanks), anti tangle tubing plugs into a tail rubber which attaches to an inline pear lead (3oz or 4oz). I have my rods on alarms, with heavyish bobbins that register the bite quickly, and have my lines reasonably tight, but not bow string tight, as I like to have the line resting on the bottom about 4 feet from my lead. I have my rod butts sometimes on the floor (due to rock hard banks and not wanting to smash banksticks in - scaring all the carp away and naffing off every angler in the vicinity) and sometimes in a butt holder of some description. I fish big pit reels with baitrunners, with the baitrunner clutch set anywhere from no give ( if anywhere near bushes, reeds et) to fairly loose if in open water. My mainline is then threaded through the anti tangle tubing etc and attached to my rig via a 6 turn full blood knot to a size 8 swivel that plugs into the lead. My rig consists of a size 6 or 8 wide gape micro barbed hook or similar sharpened variety, tied onto soft 20lb braid (varying between 4 inches and 6 inches) via a 4 turn grinner knot. The braid is then tied to the size 8 swivel via the same knot. Both knots have a blob of rig glue applied. I whip a hair onto the hook using fine sewing thread material, and the hair leaves the hook opposite the hook point. The whipping uses a small blob of rig glue. I then have a one inch piece of shrink tubing which covers the hair whipping and the hook knot and extends the length of hook by about 1 cm in a gentle curve (line aligner style). I solely use PVA bags, which contain my lead and rig, which are separated by 2/3 the length of the rig that I am using. The bag is filled with pellets, boiles and various powders / groundbait and other goodies that the carp find attractive. Due to the effectiveness of my rig and boilie attachment, coupled with the PVA bag, most of my catches are nailed in the bottom of the mouth somewhere and rarely come out - in fact I only lose one or two fish in every hundred runs. The hook holds sometimes can be seen to have moved a bit initially, but this results in only small scratches or tears, which can easily heal with the aid of the carp care products that I use. I don’t play the fish hard and don’t drag them out of snags or reeds etc, although I will put some pressure on them to keep them out of said snags or reeds etc so that they don’t damage themselves or get snarled up in their bid for freedom. I use a 42 inch landing net which I use to carry them to the unhooking mat, making sure that the line from the rod tip to the rig has slack line so that it doesn’t pull on the fish whilst being transported. I am very proficient at unhooking them once on the bank and the hooks are removed with relative ease and no excessive damage. So, as I said at the beginning, I am catching a hell of a lot of carp with my methods (not gonna give my hook baits or bag mix away, as to be honest these are probably my biggest edge) but the mouth damage in the scissors is not acceptable to me, so something has to change. All thoughts welcome and feel free to ask questions and give helpful opinions. Tight lines to you all and thanks in advance 🙂👍🏻