Winning tips from Des Shipp
The pole shouldn’t be an automatic choice
I’VE fished enough rock hard winter matches to know that the pole isn’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to catching enough to put you in the money.
In truth, it can be the worst tactic to pick in clear water despite its superior rig control and bait presentation.
The problem is that the distance you can fish with the pole may not put you on the fish, which back away from disturbance on the bank. What’s more, any pole, even if the top kit is painted grey or white, will cast a shadow that won’t be to the liking of carp and skimmers.
Change to the waggler and it’s a completely different picture. The likelihood of spooking fish has gone, and you can cast around the peg to find a few bites.
On top of that, the waggler is just a lovely way to fish, one that’s all too often forgotten in favour of the pole or tip. You just need the right conditions and the right peg to put it all into practice!
WHEN TO FISH IT
Obviously, if there are no bites on the pole, the float is your next choice. Cast several metres past where you’ve been on the long pole to see if the fish have backed off a little or have been sat there from the start.
This range has to be comfortable enough to loosefeed over, and you also need the right wind to fish the float properly. Blowing over your back is ideal while a side wind, as long as it isn’t too strong, will do as well. You want to be able to cast, sink the line and have the float stay put for up to five minutes. If this isn’t happening, it might be a day for fishing the feeder or bomb.
TERMINAL TACKLE
I use 3lb Sinking Feeder Mono as mainline attached to a 20cm hooklink of 0.12mm Accu Power and a size 16 SFL-B hook. This balanced kit will easily land big carp and skimmers.
If the rod is too stiff, you’ll bump fish off and casting becomes awkward and inaccurate. I go for a classic match-style 13ft rod, the Supera, with a casting weight of 3g-10g. This isn’t cosmetic guff and is a useful guideline to help you get the most out of your fishing!
FISH OVERDEPTH
Owing to the lack of close control on the waggler, the rig is left to fish on its own, as it were, and you need to avoid any chance of the float being pushed through the swim by the wind or tow on the water.
Fishing overdepth is therefore a must. I start four inches over and see how it goes. This may increase to eight inches if the wind is bad. Another tip is to add more depth if you are missing bites. This gives the carp and skimmers more time to get hold of the bait before a bite is registered on the float tip.
GETTING TWITCHY
Once I’ve cast out it’s not just a matter of leaving the float alone until it goes under.
Skimmers like a bait that’s being twitched along the bottom so, as you would on the feeder or if lifting and dropping on the pole, I’ll wait a few minutes and then move the bait.
This is dead easy to do and involves flicking the rod tip towards me as if I were sinking the line.
Watch the float come back to the surface and be ready to strike, as a bite should be pretty swift in coming.