fishing short and shallow?

[TF_AnthonywatersParticipant]

What’s the shortest length you will fish shallow, reason I’m asking is I normally fish 14.5m + when fishing shallow but today fished 7m with the horrendous wind, I started getting a few indications and foul hooked 3 carp on the deck and lost em, I put a 2ft deep shallow rig on and had 2 but something didn’t seem right shallow fishing so short then they went and couldn’t get bites. Did I only have 5 carp in my swim or did I blow it ?

[TF_JohnH]

We all think we need to fish long but its not always so.
A guy in our club used to fish short on caster for the silvers and invariably he would hook carp. As for getting them out, well that’s another matter.
This time of year its all about locating fish, they could be anywhere almost at any depth and they wont move as they are not chasing bait, they will take a bait if it wafts past their nose though.
On pellet wag feed at 4m by hand as well as long and drop your rig in short once or twice an hour, you might get a nice surprise. The fish will feed if they are hungry in the safest place, ie where they think they wont be hooked, think about it.

[TF_AnthonywatersParticipant]

Thanks for the response John, Chris don’t you try fishing shallow the legs might fall off your mechano seatbox 😀

[TF_sillysod]

Depending on clarity of the water have fished shallow on top kit before

[TF_AnthonywatersParticipant]

I dont think we fish shallow enough, some days you can be fishing on the deck with no bites and see a carp swirl, and go back in and continue to get no bites on the deck

[TF_Kagger TNB]

Most of the venues I fish, the carp are seriously cute,

I might start at 13m just on the basis that if I can mug a few close it’s easier, but i’m more likely to catch at 14.5-16m.

They seem to feel safer the further away from you they are.

The “horrendous wind” you mentioned, probably masked all the bankside disturbance from a load of hairy arsed blokes and made them more confident closer in.

With silvers it’s a different matter. You seem to be able to catch them much closer in, probably due to the lack of lumps and the amount of competition.

[TF_Tim_D]

On venues like Larford and TBF where there is a high stocking density of fish then people catch shallow on a top kit! So probably depends on where and what you’re fishing for.

[TF_AnthonywatersParticipant]

Cheers for the replies, venue im talking about is generally won with 20 -30lb on a match weights may seem a little low but they are 3 hrs matches fished at the worst possible time of the day 11 – 2 !

[Author]

Posts