Can bait boat really up catch rate?

[Leegii]

Hey everyone, do you think bait boat can really up the catch rate or not?

 

[Carpbell3]

Yes definitely even more so the more the experienced the angler using it.

 

[...]

It's has helped me get to places were the fish are and you can't cast to.

[salokcinnodrog]

3 hours ago, Leegii said:

Hey everyone, do you think bait boat can really up the catch rate or not?

 

Yes and no, although I don't like them either 

[elmoputney]

I wouldn't say I've caught more since using a bait boat, but there are certainly times when it pays to use one over casting and spodding, it certainly a bit more stealthy and probably more accurate,it's also great if you know your spots already or its dark,simply wrap your rod up, rig in, bait in,ahoy there shipmates and there she blows, and and it's also brilliant for prebaiting you can deposit a load of bait without having to make loads of noise, but they also come with drawbacks they can malfunction, you can get your leader caught in the props, it doesn't open properly etc etc, and can also be a faff when things go wrong 

But I shan't be selling mine anytime soon now I am getting to grips with it. 

[Golden Paws]

Without a shadow of doubt. As mentioned, the stealth, accuracy and getting close to places you wouldn't dare cast makes them a formidable tool.

I was chatting to a bloke at work the other day and he told me that he was blanking on one lake before his mate sent a drone up and based on what he saw, he uppped sticks and moved to the other side of the lake and started catching. That may be a step too far!

[elmoputney]

1 hour ago, Golden Paws said:

Without a shadow of doubt. As mentioned, the stealth, accuracy and getting close to places you wouldn't dare cast makes them a formidable tool.

I was chatting to a bloke at work the other day and he told me that he was blanking on one lake before his mate sent a drone up and based on what he saw, he uppped sticks and moved to the other side of the lake and started catching. That may be a step too far!

Drones are the new bait boat lol. I find them annoying when they are buzzing around like gnats, but I can see how they can be an advantage 

[jh92]

Yes, mine has caught me fish that I would of struggled getting to. A little pond I fish has an over grown island with trees hanging out over. I can send the boat out and get under the overhang, drop my rig and a couple handfuls of bait on over it with minimal disturbance. 

I also find it fun using it 🤣

My dad on the other hand.. "might as well chuck in a stick of dynamite" 🤣🤣

 

[B B]

How far are anglers prepared to go in pursuit of a carp ??…
Send a drone up to spot the carp locate them then send the bait boat out with a rig all the while looking at your phone or tablet at the fish then when the boat draws near just drop the rig 

If I seen that going on at a lake I was fishing Il have to pack away and wouldn’t go back. 

[...]

2 minutes ago, B B said:

How far are anglers prepared to go in pursuit of a carp ??…
Send a drone up to spot the carp locate them then send the bait boat out with a rig all the while looking at your phone or tablet at the fish then when the boat draws near just drop the rig 

If I seen that going on at a lake I was fishing Il have to pack away and wouldn’t go back. 

Nevers seen em both at once with 1 angler, but seen em used by different people on same lake.

[salokcinnodrog]

1 hour ago, jh92 said:

Yes, mine has caught me fish that I would of struggled getting to. A little pond I fish has an over grown island with trees hanging out over. I can send the boat out and get under the overhang, drop my rig and a couple handfuls of bait on over it with minimal disturbance. 

I also find it fun using it 🤣

My dad on the other hand.. "might as well chuck in a stick of dynamite" 🤣🤣

 

Problem is some of those overhanging trees have extensive sticking out roots as well. 

I've had to retrieve fish from them after anglers boated their gear in and got smashed or snagged. 

Go round a lake when the water is down, and you can see some of the snags those root systems have become...

At Bromeswell I had to remove a lot of branches and roots from the trees, the roots extended at least as far as the branches, sometimes further.

 

I don't like bait boats for that reason alone, but the disturbance of 1 PVA bag or stringer is a lot less than a bait boat and dropping rig and bait.

 

My point of view, fine if you are a disabled angler unable to cast, not for others.

[Carpbell3]

Thought drones were banned on all waters these days bar park lakes, I felt bad getting the deeper but it really is necessary when you see the amount of information it sends back the depth readings are near spot on you really can find raises and dips plus get right up to the edge of a weed patch without battering it with a heavy lead.

[elmoputney]

39 minutes ago, salokcinnodrog said:

Problem is some of those overhanging trees have extensive sticking out roots as well. 

I've had to retrieve fish from them after anglers boated their gear in and got smashed or snagged. 

Go round a lake when the water is down, and you can see some of the snags those root systems have become...

At Bromeswell I had to remove a lot of branches and roots from the trees, the roots extended at least as far as the branches, sometimes further.

 

I don't like bait boats for that reason alone, but the disturbance of 1 PVA bag or stringer is a lot less than a bait boat and dropping rig and bait.

 

My point of view, fine if you are a disabled angler unable to cast, not for others.

How many rigs do you find in the same snags with people that have snagged in them from casting too hard? While I agree with you that you shouldn't fish too close to snags I don't agree that it's just boats that are the only ones that fish irresponsibly. I've seen people fishing very irresponsibly without boats, doing things I wouldn't do even with a boat. 

Also are you just pub chucking a 2 bait stringer, probably no one will just fish a 2 bait stringer exclusively with no extra bait, no leading about and cast perfectly on the money with a nice donk first cast. It wouldn't happen. 

 

[salokcinnodrog]

13 minutes ago, elmoputney said:

Also are you just pub chucking a 2 bait stringer, probably no one will just fish a 2 bait stringer exclusively with no extra bait, no leading about and cast perfectly on the money with a nice donk first cast. It wouldn't happen. 

 

You haven't seen my casting.

That's how I used to cast on Earith, and on Nazeing aiming towards the corner by the inlet Frank Warwick style (I'm sure Google can find you a video on that, I've seen it pop up on my FB feed).

Even if you have to 'creep up' your  casts; cast, clip, cast, creep, allow a bit more reclip etc.

Another way of doing it is with a particular lead and a certain number of baits on a stringer, knowing it will drop in nicely.

In fact towards the inlet corner it was nearly always a stringer, stick too many baits in and you'd only get crays.

I did also have my maps with distances marked with my bank reference points.

Problem is as always, the idiots cast their baits too far. Idiots are idiots, whether they own a bait boat or not.

[jh92]

4 hours ago, salokcinnodrog said:

Problem is some of those overhanging trees have extensive sticking out roots as well. 

I've had to retrieve fish from them after anglers boated their gear in and got smashed or snagged. 

Go round a lake when the water is down, and you can see some of the snags those root systems have become...

At Bromeswell I had to remove a lot of branches and roots from the trees, the roots extended at least as far as the branches, sometimes further.

 

I don't like bait boats for that reason alone, but the disturbance of 1 PVA bag or stringer is a lot less than a bait boat and dropping rig and bait.

 

My point of view, fine if you are a disabled angler unable to cast, not for others.

Where do you draw the line though?

You cast towards trees, rig ends up in the tree and snapped off leaving a baited rig/possible leader/line dangling from the tree which other wildlife could get caught in.

Using a boat or even casting towards an island, fishing tight enough to it could result in the fish swimming into the roots and becoming snagged.

I see using a boat as another tool in my inventory, and as long as you're using it responsibly I don't really see an issue.

 

 

[elmoputney]

7 hours ago, salokcinnodrog said:

You haven't seen my casting.

That's how I used to cast on Earith, and on Nazeing aiming towards the corner by the inlet Frank Warwick style (I'm sure Google can find you a video on that, I've seen it pop up on my FB feed).

Even if you have to 'creep up' your  casts; cast, clip, cast, creep, allow a bit more reclip etc.

Another way of doing it is with a particular lead and a certain number of baits on a stringer, knowing it will drop in nicely.

In fact towards the inlet corner it was nearly always a stringer, stick too many baits in and you'd only get crays.

I did also have my maps with distances marked with my bank reference points.

Problem is as always, the idiots cast their baits too far. Idiots are idiots, whether they own a bait boat or not.

So you're not fishing 2 bait stringers exclusively or first cast if you are creeping them up and no one does ever, In reality you are making more disturbance than a boat. And even with a map spots change, so you would probably check that first with a marker or lead which is more disturbance, and that's before any bait is applied. I used to hate bait boats too, now I can see that used correctly they can be a great tool. 

With a boat with a sonar you can turn up blind, put your rig and bait (probably 20 spombs worth or more ) on a nice spot that you've just found, line tight and feel for a drop and bingo, you are fishing effectively. And that's just the basics you can find spots you could never find with a marker rod, be more accurate, you could literally fish on a dustbin lid at 35 wraps without any bait falling out of the dustbin lid. Not that I would mind, I like to know I am able to cast as far as any boat I send out. Not only that I still like to cast sometimes, you get a better drop from a cast. I will also use marker, wraps and the boat to make sure I am super accurate, you cant do that pub chucking a 2 bait stringer out. 

 

 

 

 

[jh92]

1 hour ago, elmoputney said:

So you're not fishing 2 bait stringers exclusively or first cast if you are creeping them up and no one does ever, In reality you are making more disturbance than a boat. And even with a map spots change, so you would probably check that first with a marker or lead which is more disturbance, and that's before any bait is applied. I used to hate bait boats too, now I can see that used correctly they can be a great tool. 

With a boat with a sonar you can turn up blind, put your rig and bait (probably 20 spombs worth or more ) on a nice spot that you've just found, line tight and feel for a drop and bingo, you are fishing effectively. And that's just the basics you can find spots you could never find with a marker rod, be more accurate, you could literally fish on a dustbin lid at 35 wraps without any bait falling out of the dustbin lid. Not that I would mind, I like to know I am able to cast as far as any boat I send out. Not only that I still like to cast sometimes, you get a better drop from a cast. I will also use marker, wraps and the boat to make sure I am super accurate, you cant do that pub chucking a 2 bait stringer out. 

 

 

 

 

This is my issue on a pond I fish, the trees droop out over and getting a lead in under is a right pain, you can see the rigs in the trees where other people have attempted. 

I've had a feel by sending the marker lead right under with the boat and dragging it back slowly and never got snagged. It just makes life easier and the fish in that pond seem to spook easy so using the boat is a massive advantage to me lol.

 

What are peoples thoughts on using baiting poles?

 

[elmoputney]

58 minutes ago, jh92 said:

This is my issue on a pond I fish, the trees droop out over and getting a lead in under is a right pain, you can see the rigs in the trees where other people have attempted. 

I've had a feel by sending the marker lead right under with the boat and dragging it back slowly and never got snagged. It just makes life easier and the fish in that pond seem to spook easy so using the boat is a massive advantage to me lol.

 

What are peoples thoughts on using baiting poles?

 

If it works for you and it isn't putting the fish in any needless danger crack on I say. 

[Golden Paws]

6 hours ago, jh92 said:

What are peoples thoughts on using baiting poles?

What a faff! To get any distance, you've got to take more poles then a plumber installing a central heating system from scratch! Any slight wind or undertow and it's going to snake out and you're going to struggle to get it to go where you want. Although my boats meanders a bit with a chop on, at least you can instantly compensate. A pole is probably alright for a margin spot but I wouldn't go much more than that.

[emmcee]

A bait boat will help you put more fish on the bank for sure, simply because you can put a bait where it is impossible to cast to., but...

I fished a lake in the Colne valley many years ago  and one season a new angler arrived and I'd never met somebody who was so bad at casting i thought he was a proper noddy. I got chatting to him one day and asked  where he'd fished before etc and he rolled off a number of impressive catches and i thought i had misjudged him but at the end of our conversation he mentioned that the lakes he had been fishing were all bait boats. He said he hadn't cast a rod in 6 years. 

So yes a bait boat is a huge help but if you rely on them then it may very well take away all your skills as an angler, which if your next lake didn't allow them you may well come unstuck.  

On a side note, I've never used one and had ample opportunities to use them, especially in France but I personally see it as is not right. I'm not knocking anyone who does use them by the way, each to their own and fish how you want to fish and not how others want you to. 

[andywilson123]

Yes definitely my sonar will scan the water and if it detects any fish, it’ll send a fish alert on the app so I know the ideal spot to cast my bait and rig.  

[kevtaylor]

Bought a boat and pole during lockdown, had to do something!

Anyway since used both and both have caught me fish, generally it's been the stealth that has been the successful element,  measuring to areas of fizzing going on, then dropping a rig right on it once the fish have moved away.  Those spots did loads of bites, especially in December when less active, and the quieter recast maybe sped up the next take.

The pole is useful in the same way but more of a pain doing it, still a good tool though.

Vast majority of the time I find my spots through observation first, then casting, first choice is still to cast the rigs and spod, however the tools are a decent alternative or addition to the casting and spodding.  I've used the boat attached to the spod line just to bait up several times, that's an edge IMO.

I spoke to a guy with the all signing all dancing boat, he explained that he was using the drop down camera to find little dinner plate sized holes in the weed and dropping the rigs on those, then checking the rig and amount of bait eaten the following day etc.  Sounded mega but he hadn't caught anything in the 50 nights he had done on the lake to that point.  To me this proves that it's just a tool, without the observation, watercraft, basic fishing skills it still will not help you catch fish.

I see people blindly using boats a lot, no checking of drops, pulling back for snags etc nothing, even with sonar I have to check the drop manually, and I don't trust autopliot and spot saving completely either and still clip up the rods and have far back markers, nothing much changes tbh you have to be able to carry on effectively even if the boat stops working at the end of the day.

Sonar has been really interesting on some lakes and has shown me features that I didn't know about, however on other lakes I've found the readout totally confusing, making it appear far weedier than it really was, areas that looked solid weed top to bottom were in fact fishable, I could get drops where I wanted them, very weird and misleading at times, although I'm sure that's rare, lots of suspended matter.

At the end of the day casting gives me clear, instant and understandable info so it's first choice still.

[elmoputney]

6 hours ago, kevtaylor said:

Bought a boat and pole during lockdown, had to do something!

Anyway since used both and both have caught me fish, generally it's been the stealth that has been the successful element,  measuring to areas of fizzing going on, then dropping a rig right on it once the fish have moved away.  Those spots did loads of bites, especially in December when less active, and the quieter recast maybe sped up the next take.

The pole is useful in the same way but more of a pain doing it, still a good tool though.

Vast majority of the time I find my spots through observation first, then casting, first choice is still to cast the rigs and spod, however the tools are a decent alternative or addition to the casting and spodding.  I've used the boat attached to the spod line just to bait up several times, that's an edge IMO.

I spoke to a guy with the all signing all dancing boat, he explained that he was using the drop down camera to find little dinner plate sized holes in the weed and dropping the rigs on those, then checking the rig and amount of bait eaten the following day etc.  Sounded mega but he hadn't caught anything in the 50 nights he had done on the lake to that point.  To me this proves that it's just a tool, without the observation, watercraft, basic fishing skills it still will not help you catch fish.

I see people blindly using boats a lot, no checking of drops, pulling back for snags etc nothing, even with sonar I have to check the drop manually, and I don't trust autopliot and spot saving completely either and still clip up the rods and have far back markers, nothing much changes tbh you have to be able to carry on effectively even if the boat stops working at the end of the day.

Sonar has been really interesting on some lakes and has shown me features that I didn't know about, however on other lakes I've found the readout totally confusing, making it appear far weedier than it really was, areas that looked solid weed top to bottom were in fact fishable, I could get drops where I wanted them, very weird and misleading at times, although I'm sure that's rare, lots of suspended matter.

At the end of the day casting gives me clear, instant and understandable info so it's first choice still.

I've found sonar can be misleading, especially if I have already baited a spot, I've found clear spots that I know are clear, that look like they are right to the top with weed, I've decided that's the pesky rudd now though. not happy with eating all the bait, they are also mimicking weed. Like you say though I need a drop and also prefer to cast. If I don't get It drop it gets redone. 

[kevtaylor]

16 minutes ago, elmoputney said:

I've found sonar can be misleading, especially if I have already baited a spot, I've found clear spots that I know are clear, that look like they are right to the top with weed, I've decided that's the pesky rudd now though. not happy with eating all the bait, they are also mimicking weed. Like you say though I need a drop and also prefer to cast. If I don't get It drop it gets redone. 

Rudd imitating weed - love it and probably exactly what you are seeing.

I spoke to a guy on my syndi about this and he said on this venue its suspended plant matter and the interesting part was that he said he only gets this in the evening - not all the time - really bizzarre! 

My arrival times were evening - seeing the stuff on the screen - yet casting and getting drops ok, there was low lying weed there but fishable, certainly not top to bottom.

Any idea of just using the boat to find spots went out the window at this point, you have to combine manual feel with the technology imo

[salokcinnodrog]

On 04/09/2023 at 11:12, kevtaylor said:

Bought a boat and pole during lockdown, had to do something!

Anyway since used both and both have caught me fish, generally it's been the stealth that has been the successful element,  measuring to areas of fizzing going on, then dropping a rig right on it once the fish have moved away.  Those spots did loads of bites, especially in December when less active, and the quieter recast maybe sped up the next take.

The pole is useful in the same way but more of a pain doing it, still a good tool though.

Vast majority of the time I find my spots through observation first, then casting, first choice is still to cast the rigs and spod, however the tools are a decent alternative or addition to the casting and spodding.  I've used the boat attached to the spod line just to bait up several times, that's an edge IMO.

I spoke to a guy with the all signing all dancing boat, he explained that he was using the drop down camera to find little dinner plate sized holes in the weed and dropping the rigs on those, then checking the rig and amount of bait eaten the following day etc.  Sounded mega but he hadn't caught anything in the 50 nights he had done on the lake to that point.  To me this proves that it's just a tool, without the observation, watercraft, basic fishing skills it still will not help you catch fish.

I see people blindly using boats a lot, no checking of drops, pulling back for snags etc nothing, even with sonar I have to check the drop manually, and I don't trust autopliot and spot saving completely either and still clip up the rods and have far back markers, nothing much changes tbh you have to be able to carry on effectively even if the boat stops working at the end of the day.

Sonar has been really interesting on some lakes and has shown me features that I didn't know about, however on other lakes I've found the readout totally confusing, making it appear far weedier than it really was, areas that looked solid weed top to bottom were in fact fishable, I could get drops where I wanted them, very weird and misleading at times, although I'm sure that's rare, lots of suspended matter.

At the end of the day casting gives me clear, instant and understandable info so it's first choice still.

I've fished waters where bait boats were the number one method of getting end tackle in the water, including under trees.

 

At Taverham Mills while I was bailiffing it, there was a bay on the island that from a particular swim people would frequently use a bait boat to put a bait under the overhanging trees. 

I had to go out a few times in a dinghy to recover and rescue bait boats from under the trees. Carp rarely visited the spot, it was absolutely foul  stinking silt. While fishing that swim I'd found that out by watching the area,  casting and dragging my marker float back, boat journeys and wading confirmed it. 

Most anglers using a bait boat do the same thing. Rig and bait in hopper, send out to feature, nice pile of bait around the hook.

Without a bait boat, you may think of alternative options, that 2 bait stringer, a spod or 3, a bag or mesh. That bag or mesh can also be used to give a clean drop through the willows...

Don't forget, I did used to use a bait boat, but my ethics probably bit back.

 

 

This sonar searching may give you some idea, but sonar only tells you weed, not what type. Eelgrass has holes or clear patches, that will not necessarily show up with a bait boat and sonar. Then some other weed like the dreaded blanket weed may show up clear, or as a fuzzy layer, but a layer on the lakebed may make your hookbait disappear.