Fishing pop ups

[callum23]

Would anyone be able to give me some advice on fishing pop ups? I am more interested in the baiting tactics around them as I am happy with the multi rig. Should bait be spombed around the pop up or just scattered and is it mainly boilies that should be used or is hemp and corn any good ?

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2 hours ago, callum23 said:

Would anyone be able to give me some advice on fishing pop ups? I am more interested in the baiting tactics around them as I am happy with the multi rig. Should bait be spombed around the pop up or just scattered and is it mainly boilies that should be used or is hemp and corn any good ?

I mainly only fish pop ups close in around under trees or if any debris with loose feed of just Boilies around it, further out I use loop to loop combi on bottom or water, with a pva mesh bag of Pellets, with pellets and boilie scattered around. But its personal preference and probably lake depends on lake reaction to bait. 

[elmoputney]

If the bottom is clean I would fish a wafter or bottom bait if you don't think it is fish a pop up, 

As for baiting I wouldn't use too many small bits if I wanted to fish pop ups unless it was weedy and I was trying to clear the spot at the same time, or I wanted to keep them busy, basically if I am using smaller items to feed I want my hookbait as close to the deck as possible, if I wanted to use hemp and small items and wasn't sure the bed was clean, I would use a solid Pva bag over the top with a small wafter, that should sit nicely enough in most situations, 

My usual approach now is prebait with smaller bits and use a spod mix type concoction if I need to clear spots or keep them visiting and when I  fish usually just boilies, tigers and pellets, when I can I will also prebait with these as it makes life easier if you don't need to spomb, that being said I usually use an airbomb which will make a bigger area of feed than a spomb which In my head means the fish should move more between mouthfuls and be easier to catch lol 👍

[callum23]

Are there certain times of the year when you’d use different hookbaits? If so what times ? Looking to try and stick to certain ways and perfect them but dunno really what to try. Are pop ups mainly for winter ? Do you change for example in spring compared to summer, any advice would help a lot

[framey]

1 hour ago, callum23 said:

Are there certain times of the year when you’d use different hookbaits? If so what times ? Looking to try and stick to certain ways and perfect them but dunno really what to try. Are pop ups mainly for winter ? Do you change for example in spring compared to summer, any advice would help a lot

The million $ Question 

there is no right answers and fish will do what they want on any given day

the only given is you need to go and find them as they won’t move far in winter

then fish something that is in their eye line as moving uses energy finding them will tell you at what depth that will be and then you can decide on bottom bait pop up or zig

 

[elmoputney]

11 minutes ago, framey said:

The million $ Question 

there is no right answers and fish will do what they want on any given day

the only given is you need to go and find them as they won’t move far in winter

then fish something that is in their eye line as moving uses energy finding them will tell you at what depth that will be and then you can decide on bottom bait pop up or zig

 

You are a bit of a podcast fan aren't you? , did you listen to the Steven White carp angler chronicles one, where he used different baits for commons and mirrors etc that was interesting I thought, I still havent solved the million dollar question lol but it gave me some food for thought, 

And when I thought back I haven't caught a common since last May and that was about the time I stopped using yellow wafter hookbaits, I stopped because I kept catching pike on yellow pop ups but it may also explain why I've not caught any commons lately 😳

 

[elmoputney]

1 hour ago, callum23 said:

Are there certain times of the year when you’d use different hookbaits? If so what times ? Looking to try and stick to certain ways and perfect them but dunno really what to try. Are pop ups mainly for winter ? Do you change for example in spring compared to summer, any advice would help a lot

The main thing is trial and error, what will work somewhere may not work somewhere else, you can use pop ups all year round, I think the main thing people seem to suggest is bright baits during winter and spring, then more match the hatch during summer and autumn when the fish are  most likely to be feeding on plenty of bait and they may have been caught on bright baits already, but it all depends on the fish and on the day really, some people use bright baits all year round and catch, I think its mainly about the baiting situation and location 

Edited December 13, 2021 by elmoputney

[framey]

2 hours ago, elmoputney said:

You are a bit of a podcast fan aren't you? , did you listen to the Steven White carp angler chronicles one, where he used different baits for commons and mirrors etc that was interesting I thought, I still havent solved the million dollar question lol but it gave me some food for thought, 

And when I thought back I haven't caught a common since last May and that was about the time I stopped using yellow wafter hookbaits, I stopped because I kept catching pike on yellow pop ups but it may also explain why I've not caught any commons lately 😳

 

Who’s Steven white ?
problem is once you sift through the commercial stinky winky whether it’s a podcast book magazine or video it does all only boil down to 

1 finding them 

2 something they want to eat

3 a sharp hook on whatever rig you want.

Last 2 can be either way around lol

 

everything else is what we think 

fish are animals and will do whatever a they want to do when ever they want to do it

they haven’t read the articles the so called stars have written

[salokcinnodrog]

5 hours ago, callum23 said:

Are there certain times of the year when you’d use different hookbaits? If so what times ? Looking to try and stick to certain ways and perfect them but dunno really what to try. Are pop ups mainly for winter ? Do you change for example in spring compared to summer, any advice would help a lot

I tend to fish a high attraction pop-up on 1 rod (fishing 3 rods) every session. For some reason I seem to catch on either the bottom bait rod(s) or the pop-up, rarely both, and I don't have any explanation for it.

Years ago I was fishing for a week in winter, for 2 days the pop-up was catching, then every take after was on the bottom baits I had been feeding. 

Other things to consider are the lakebed; some areas are black and smelly, sulphurous, a bottom bait on that is rarely taken, whereas a pop-up may well be as the fish will just grab it and run. On or in 'decent' silt, a bottom bait may be better, even on harder lakebed areas, a bottom bait may be the one. 

Your hooking arrangement, basically your rig, and how the carp feed can determine bottom bait or pop-up. If the carp are mouthing baits to take them, then a pop-up could give you a better chance, whereas sucking and blowing, a bottom bait on a proper hair.

Or perhaps you find that a single bright pop-up fished on its own is the best way to catch. That to me is usually the rod with no other bait around it. The bottom bait(s) has (boilies) bait around it. Possibly you want a pop-up over groundbait, loads of small crumb size particles, 

 

There is no fixed way to fish a bottom or pop-up, experiment and experience may tell you. 

[elmoputney]

1 hour ago, framey said:

Who’s Steven white ?
problem is once you sift through the commercial stinky winky whether it’s a podcast book magazine or video it does all only boil down to 

1 finding them 

2 something they want to eat

3 a sharp hook on whatever rig you want.

Last 2 can be either way around lol

 

everything else is what we think 

fish are animals and will do whatever a they want to do when ever they want to do it

they haven’t read the articles the so called stars have written

I think he is just a bait boffin, it was quite an interesting listen though, he would tailor his approach whether he was fishing for big mirrors or big commons, believing they each liked different things, 

 

[framey]

1 hour ago, elmoputney said:

I think he is just a bait boffin, it was quite an interesting listen though, he would tailor his approach whether he was fishing for big mirrors or big commons, believing they each liked different things, 

 

Is there such a thing then lol

[yonny]

On 12/12/2021 at 11:33, callum23 said:

Would anyone be able to give me some advice on fishing pop ups? I am more interested in the baiting tactics around them as I am happy with the multi rig.

Pop ups are probs best used over boilie. The last thing you want is a pop up hovering over bits n pieces sitting on the deck.

But ultimately the spot itself should dictate when to use a pop up. They're intended to be used when you want the hook/hookbait suspended over a weedy or choddy bottom.

BUT..... I use them for 99.9% of my fishing regardless of the spot or baiting situation. I get proper paranoid about presentation and would rather have a bait that's a little too obvious/blatant than risk the hook point being compromised by a tiny bit of debris/detritus.

If you get them feeding I don't think it matters that much under normal circumstances.

[callum23]

What does your spod mix normally contain if you don’t mind me asking ? Is it normally just boilies , crushed and halved ??

 

[...]

2 hours ago, callum23 said:

What does your spod mix normally contain if you don’t mind me asking ? Is it normally just boilies , crushed and halved ??

 

"Spod" mixes are usually Particle mainly... Hemp, Tigers, Tares, Sweetcorn, Full/Half/Crushed Boilies, pellet, Bit of Rocks Salt, Liquid choice or water. 

Edited December 16, 2021 by Highy

[salokcinnodrog]

13 hours ago, callum23 said:

What does your spod mix normally contain if you don’t mind me asking ? Is it normally just boilies , crushed and halved ??

 

Pigeon conditioner, maize, pellets and boilies whole and chopped.

 

Be careful if you have birdlife on your water; swans, coots and tufted ducks will make fishing over particles a 'mare in shallow waters as they won't leave the bait alone, even at night.

Sometimes this is where a 'free moving' pop-up can be beneficial, the movement of the hookbait can spook the coots. It doesn't always work though

[Carpbell_ll]

Good way to avoid bird problems is to join a syndi that shoots them or allows a team of non native mink to stay on the lake and deal with those that can't be shot. bit of a sad trade off to see all that seasons cygnets and moorhens killed but at least you can bait the margins.  they also put handy traps out here and there, they don't mind bending the rules a little to keep us anglers catching. 

Spod mix is ok but i have found if you are only fishing for single bites and not feeding, a few pellets and boilies work best spod mix is something you would want to use when you are putting it out all day regular Not saying carp are clever animals more fussy they like what they want and if they don't want a big dinner it could be that that sends them off to the other end of the lake, funny sods. 

[yonny]

13 hours ago, callum23 said:

What does your spod mix normally contain

I have no "normal" mix as such. It would depend on the given water, the application (pre-bait vs. loose feed), the time of year, the spot itself (substrate), the stock (i.e. other species)..... loads of variables.

One thing I will say: Different is good.

[salokcinnodrog]

On 17/12/2021 at 10:34, Carpbell_ll said:

Good way to avoid bird problems is to join a syndi that shoots them or allows a team of non native mink to stay on the lake and deal with those that can't be shot. bit of a sad trade off to see all that seasons cygnets and moorhens killed but at least you can bait the margins.  they also put handy traps out here and there, they don't mind bending the rules a little to keep us anglers catching. 

Spod mix is ok but i have found if you are only fishing for single bites and not feeding, a few pellets and boilies work best spod mix is something you would want to use when you are putting it out all day regular Not saying carp are clever animals more fussy they like what they want and if they don't want a big dinner it could be that that sends them off to the other end of the lake, funny sods. 

Strangely enough we had a dog otter on the lake and his favourite food was coots, probably easier to catch than most fish. He left the carp alone, picked up the occasional pike and mostly coot. 

 

I tend to use the spod mix when I want to clear an area from weed and bring in the naturals for the carp to feed on. In the weedy areas that are fishable (mostly cleared) is where I tend to use pop ups

[Carpbell_ll]

27 minutes ago, salokcinnodrog said:

Strangely enough we had a dog otter on the lake and his favourite food was coots, probably easier to catch than most fish. He left the carp alone, picked up the occasional pike and mostly coot. 

 

I tend to use the spod mix when I want to clear an area from weed and bring in the naturals for the carp to feed on. In the weedy areas that are fishable (mostly cleared) is where I tend to use pop ups

Otters are very lazy they are big cute rats there only downside is they like to play rough, the ones in Alaska keep the fish cannery workers entertained. plus given a choice between fish or poultry i imagine it's xmas every meal time for most otters. 

Think that what might be how i upset the gaffer on the day he rang me up being all civil servant, i had texted him earlier in the day to say i had seen the mink and it was off murdering stuff in the bushes, went off at me like i was offering to put a dog in there... just saying. 

[greekskii]

I’ve done well on pop ups over particle in the past. But it can be very water dependant and how the individual fish feed too. 
I know Kev Hewitt published an article a long while ago about fishing double fake corn on a chod over particle and catching well too. 

I’m similar to yonny, I’ll fish pop ups a majority of the time over any lake bed. Only time I don’t is when using tigers or peanut hookbaits. Saying that I should probably use snowmen more often. 

[carpepecheur]

I don't fish pop ups very often but I did make a slo mo video of a set up based on the "Bald Rig". It gives an extremely active hook action. I just chuck it in here as an idea some may find interesting.

 

 

[salokcinnodrog]

I'm sure we are forgetting something, like a pop-up is a pop-up whether it is on a D rig or a Ronnie rig, a 360, Multi rig or even the dreaded Chod rig, and the height we fish it off the lakebed.

 

A Ronnie or 360 rig is going to present that pop-up very low and close to the lakebed, a Multi rig may be higher up and a D rig can be anywhere in between.

 

What and how you feed may be totally different for each one.