fantasticmrfox

Didn't think of that, I guess it could cause the ground bait to break up on the cast as well, because them moving would crack it and leave pockets of air in it... how would I go about killing them without damaging them if you know what i mean? I'd like to keep the in one piece and drowning would cause them to bloat wouldn't it?

thanks for the advice mate, I'd have turned up and whacked out a boilie to start with! start with the corn and work up is a damn good idea! I weren't going to go too light, to me 8lb mainline is light! I was thinking of starting with 8lb mainline and 7lb hook length and open ended cage feeder, with crushed boilie and ground bait, and boilie on hair to a size 12. but after your input I think I'll start off 10lb mainline with 8lb hook link, fishing method with ground bait, pellet and corn and maybe maggot in the mix on the method, and single corn on the hair, and see how that goes, then I can change to 2 corn if I don't get any bites, then onto maggot and boilie last, changing as I go to see what gets me the best results, but obviously if I'm getting bites on corn, I won't change unless the bites die down, then I'll switch to see if I can get them going again! You've helped me a lot mate, I really appreciate it!! what seem's obvious to most I would have and have previously overlooked! this has helped me understand the tactics I should be using more often, where I have gone out with boilie first and blanked, had I used a simpler bait I would probably have caught. also, starting with corn and working up to boilies allows me to start cheap and work up to the expensive bait's, which could save me boilies and money in the long run!

WOW Steve, (I'm guessing that's your name as your name on here is snowmanSTEVEo, please correct me if I'm wrong mate ) that's a lot of useful information, thanks! yes it'll be Drayton, I live in Daventry and it's the closest place to me that I'm 99% guaranteed a fish and it'll give me a chance to put my new rod through it's paces in one session, all though I did blank when I went for 2 nights on the last bank holiday weekend, far too many anglers on there, dire wind and the boat's didn't help, well at least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it lol! I'll be going mid week this time, only for a day session, hopefully it'll be a bit quieter... I have some pellets, and some chocolate ground bait and white chocolate boilies, I also have some Scopex and crab boilies, but I don't think they'll mix well with the chocolate ground bait, or will they? I'll cut down the chocolate boilies to make them a little smaller (sent my mate who hasn't carp fished before and he picked the big ones, 22mm I think) and to also release some more scent into the water... I'm going to use them for 2 reason's, 1 after buying rods, reels, line and a few other bit's and bob's I'm tight for cash, and 2, I want rid of them before the winter so I can get something spicy instead of sweet, been told sweet in summer, spicy in winter is a general rule of thumb... don't know how well that combination will work, but I'll take some corn, and maybe half a pint of maggots to allow me to change tactics if the boilies don't get me anywhere, that way I can always switch to a open ended feeder or cage feeder as well.. I wasn't going to clip up, as I've never used that method yet, and want to try with light gear first, so I don't risk snapping off etc, but I was going to use a marker float, then mark the line at the tip eye, or the bottom eye if the tip eye is too small for the knot to pass through, so I know I'm roughly at the right distance, and fish towards one of the buoys so I have a visible marker to aim at.. I've not done much fishing of late so my casting is a little rusty, still, I'll get a lot of practice in next session if I'm re-baiting every few minutes! If I need a leak I'll go between cast's! seen a few rod's end up in there as a kid, not having that with my new rod lol!! Thank's for your extremely helpful input mate! much appreciated! hopefully I'll have an avatar by some point next week, or the week after, depending on when all my gear get's delivered!

when you talk about ounces on the quiver tip, that only relates to the tip it's self doesn't it? unlike the test curve on a ledger rod? or will the rod it's self have a set ounce test curve? like I said I'm new to quiver-tip's so don't have a clue! If it only relates to the tip, then it come's with 3, from 2oz to 4oz. I think it's medium to heavy as it states that it can be used for light feeder fishing, up to heavier method feeder's... I think I read somewhere that the lb line goes some way to identifying how heavy the rod is, and this will handle up to 10lb line, so I guess it isn't extremely light! Cobleyn, thank's for that information, will save me a lot of frustration So I assume that the normal semi-fixed and running rig's I use on my ledger rod's will work if I scale it down and make everything lighter? so how would you recommend starting off on my first session? start with a light ledger and search about, then once I have found a spot bait up using a feeder? or would you recommend putting a bed of bait down first, then changing to a light ledger once the fish are feeding? my first session with it will be on a fairly large reservoir, that's a run's water, and can be quite open to wind, so I guess I would be best off starting with the lightest tip, then going heavier if I need too, rather than starting too heavy and working down, yes? Sorry I can't provide you with more information about the rod's at the moment, but until they arrive all the information I have is from the booklet and website :/ Thank's for the information you guy's have all ready given me, I really appreciate it

Hello all, I have been searching on here for a few day's now for information on quiver tip set-up's, what to use where, how best to judge when a change in tactics is required and when to tell what tip to use. so far on here I've found nothing, and all I have found on google is feeder set-ups. I've only just ordered 2 quiver tip "feeder" rod's as they're called, as I broke my dad's old ones and wanted to replace them, but my experience with them is VERY limited to say the least! can you use normal light ledger's with a quiver tip, as the only difference between that and a ledger rod is bite indication, isn't it? how will I know if I'm using a too sensitive or too strong a tip, and when to change tactics from say a cage feeder to a ledger (assuming a ledger can be used) what kind of set-up's do you more experienced "tip" angler's use, and in what situation (river, canal, lake etc) once I have everything delivered and set-up I'll be doing a day session on Drayton to test the action of the rod's, the £10 reel's I have purchased to go with them for the time being and also to try new tactic's I've never put into play before, I'm going to Drayton to hopefully ensure I get one bite, to really test the action of the rod, and also to break my cherry as I've not landed a fish over 1lb in 10 year's, I really want a photo I can put as my avatar lol! if you need the information, on one of my other thread's I have put a run down of the tackle I have ordered today, which is what I'll be using.. I'm hoping someone out there will have some information that will help me make my first quiver tip session a productive one Thank's for taking the time to read this, and I'm sorry if I've asked too many questions over the last week or so, or if I'm asking for information that is all ready on here somewhere, or if this is in the wrong place! I hope you aren't getting too frustrated with me, I'm sounding like a 7 year old kid asking "why?" every minute!

It was the same when i went mate, out of 120 pegs over 100 were taken, way too packed, pratically nudging elbow's with the bloke in the next peg, and that for me aint fun fishing, i'd rather blank and be on a nice, quiet water, away from the hassle and stress of everyday life.... drayton has gone downhill in my book, won't be fishing there again, and IF i do, it'll be a mid week evening session... Where about's is local to you mate? u from around here or did you travel a long way? tomorrow i'm not really going for me, all though it's an excuse to wet a line, i'm expecting to blank, unless i go extremely lightweight and pull out a million rudd smaller than the length of your finger lol. i'm going to hopefully get this little lad into fishing, his dad's a bit useless and doesn't give the lad enough to focus on, so he get's bored, misbehaves and his dad think's "sod this, i cant take him anywhere" so hopefully i can get him into it, give him something to focus on, and maybe make his old man realise he can be well behaved if given the opportunity and all he want's is some father and son time. i guess i just feel sorry for him, after having my dad pass away when i was young, i see them and his dad doesn't really put in the effort or spend time just the 2 of them, it sadden's me, maybe i can help bring them closer together

Well i wouldn't say worse mate, we were there for 50+ hour's lol! first night we were in the shallow bay just before the bridge on the left hand bank, that's where we (well, i say we, make's me feel a tad better about it lol) landed the only carp between us... good luck, hope you pull something out!! let us know how you got on... I'm taking my mother's boyfriend's lad of about 7 to the pond on the heartland's industrial estate tomorrow, just behind drayton reservoir, he's never been fishing before and there's a fairly good head of rudd in there, so it'll be a good learning experience for him, I'll be going for carp, if there's any left, it used to be quite good for carp up to 10lb, but there was a fire on the industrial estate recently and all the chemical's got washed into the pond by the fire hoses, and Load's of fish died, so i don't think there is anything left carp wise, I guess tomorrow i'll find out.... surely if there are rudd in there then it's habitable, maybe a few survived

what's the difference between a chod and a heli then? i thought they were both names for the same rig :S never thought of a zig rig, but tbh i wouldnt know how to set one up...

chod mate, cant really go wrong with a chod rig, as it was designed for use in heavy weed, but then again if your trekking a long way and paying alot for a session, u will want the highest chance of catching, in which case fishing in weed aint the best idea if your not confident with the rig etc... i would recommend finding a cheap day ticket close to home that's weedy to get a few sessions practice in to build your confidence up. where ever you go, have a great session! Good luck and have fun, remember to let us know how you got on

i'm sure there is loads, have a look on google maps at the area you want to fish, northampton has quite a few reservoirs and the like. If you steer away from weed all the time, and never fish it, you'll never gain the confidence.. Confidence is earned by trying new things

ROFL!! that had me in stitches!! the voice's are a little annoying after a while though! but as advert's go it's worked, i want to go to Canada!!

Not too bad, bit of mouth damage but not a bad fish Thank's i'll look it up online now and have a look Thank's, hopefully i will find a pretty little pond somewhere, that doesn't get too heavily fished or pressured, that's what let drayton down, it was too busy... Hopefully you and your mate's have a more productive session than i did! good luck

i feel bad though mate, i was looking forward to putting a name to the face... I'm sure when it's good, it's a cracking water! i just think that the busyness of the bank holiday weekend, coupled with the poor cold weather, meant the fish just weren't active enough... it's also not a beautiful fishery, it's too commercialised and i didn't like that, i prefer small, quiet, quaint little undisturbed water's that are picturesque, i wouldn't mind blanking if i was enjoying the quiet and scenery, maybe i'll give a few canal's and river's near me a try, and use that google tool to find some nice puddle's lol. overall for the cost of the whole weekend i was very disappointed with drayton, and won't be doing another 24hr session there, atleast not this year.. does anyone know of any smaller, quieter water's near daventry?

Have you ever had a session where everything that could go wrong does go wrong?? This was such a session..... Firstly, Bowza, i'm sorry i didn't let you know what peg i was on so you could pop down for that brew, i was relying on my missus phone, but the battery died almost as soon as we had got there... It started off badly, bringing the missus's wasn't a good idea, we had far too much to carry and me and my mate decided to set up in a peg a lot closer than the one we originally intended, in the expectation to move when the women turned up... by the time they did we were stuck in that swim overnight... the reservoir was RAMMED, so much angling pressure it was unbelievable!! so from getting there at 6:00 am, we didn't have a bite until 3:00 am that night, where my mate landed a 15lb mirror, and i had lost one at the net. it seemed quiet all over and we struggled getting the fish feeding... so on the 2nd day we decided to move onto the point, which turned out to be a bad idea as every swim was occupied, you could't cast out without fishing on top of someone else's baited area's..... nothing all day, not even a liner, untill around 4ish that night, where i had a run that broke my hooklink.. after that not a nibble until we left! i think there were a few crippling factor's that turned this into a session to forget! one, was bringing the women and too much stuff to carry! two, was the weather, i think that had alot to do with the lack of bite's three, angling pressure, picking a bank holiday wasn't a smart move at all, there was far too much pressure, and it seemed the whole reservoir went quiet... i want to find somewhere smaller, a little less pressured and a bit more picturesque, not too far from home... Drayton wasn't a fun fishing experience for me, i now understand why alot of people say that it's the place to go to see everything wrong in carp angling!! sorry if that's a bit of a rant or i have blabbed on and not made any sense, i'm still recovering from the lack of sleep

again, thank's for the information mate, very helpful, i'll be getting there 6am on saturday morning, so i'll fish with corn or single's until they leave and i can plant myself in a decent swim, before a bait up an area... as long as i have somewhere for me and my mate to set up tent's close to each other i'm sorted.. will be a fun weekend, even if i don't get on the swim i had in mind i can't wait now lol! counting down the hour's lol... 17 Hour's 39 minute's and counting

Thank's for that info mate, i appreciate it, will be turning up a 6 sharp, i don't mind waiting for the bailiff to open the gate i'll be first through then and onto the peg i wana fish. Thank's again

awesome, i look forward to it

Thank's for the info mate are you still going to pop over for that brew? i'll PM u on here when i get there and let you know what swim i'll be fishing if you are

Certainly will be, but a fun one to travel down nevertheless! =D

I can't help but read that with a hint of sarcasm, as Drayton is a poor water from a lot of angler's eye's and the fish are in real bad condition.... But I'll be having a good time, don't worry about that! once i have played a few fish at Drayton, and have some recent fish on the bank, i will be in search of a "proper" fishery, something that isn't overly pressured, harder to fish, has more feature's and a better looking back drop and where angler's take care of the fish, so they're good looking fish, not "polly's" lol...

Thank's for the info, I'm going to be doing the weekend, from Saturday morning, until Monday afternoon, so the information has been really helpful thank you, I'll be turning up at the crack of dawn, well, opening time Saturday morning in the hopes to get a good choice of swim.. I know it get's busy at the weekends though, as it's such an easy water to get fish out of! i should be in for a good session there! with a high chance of beating my personal best... I'll have to let everyone know how i get on when I've had some sleep and come round on Tuesday

I've not fished it, but went for a wander round a few day's ago, and the water level seem's quite high. i'll be fishing there this weekend so i will let you know what it's fishing like when i'm back

LOL! well that would have saved me some time..... i hadn't seen that, is an interesting thread, I've learnt alot from it.. Thank's

Thank's, it's certainly worth a try, i don't have any PVA mesh and not a great deal of cash either, what with me fishing 48hours at £25 a night... but i do have some PVA bag's which Im sure i can trim down, make a bait sausage at the bottom and use that instead.. Thank's for your help, I'll try it and let you know how i get on. Would be nice to beat my PB on my first proper session since my dad died 9 year's ago! with any luck, I'll beat his PB too!

Can i just ask some of you who have fished Drayton in the past, what sort of rig's you use/used that get/got you the best result's, and how much does hook-length and the length of the hair have to play in landing the fish.... Also if i wanted to maximise my chance's of landing my first 20lb'er, what minor adjustment's should i make to my rig's, locations and bait's? Any advice on these matter's would be greatly appreciated! Thank's. Mr Fox!