Opportunist fishing like the pro's do
It's edges and tips like these that keep Nigel Sharp and Terry Hearn catching throughout the summer
If your water is anything like the ones we fish, all the going spots have been hammered to death by now and finding opportunities can prove a little tricky at this time of year. Other than sitting on your fat behind waiting for your lucky day, you’ll need to put some work in to get the results. With some careful observation of both other anglers and the fish you should be able to work out how to fool some of the wary creatures living in your lake.
01 Location
As always, location is the key. When under pressure the fish may hold up in any snags or heavy weed. But these places too can receive a lot of angling attention, however safe or unsafe it is to do so. This is where the hard work comes in. Where do the fish go when they leave the areas of cover? Try to find a vantage point to watch where they go and perhaps leave some bait along their path to gauge their reaction.
02 Keep it simple
So you’ve found a new spot where they’ll happily pick up your baits. Well, you’re more than halfway there. Now is not the time to try some new ‘fan-dangled’ rig you’ve read about. Tie on a tried and tested rig that will present the bait appropriately in the situation. The spot is probably not going to be clear, like a well-used feeding area. So you might need something like a Chod Rig that will present the bait well over most kinds of lakebed.
03 Try a solid bag
If it’s not a boilie water then try a solid PVA bag full of pellets. Bags are a very ‘fashionable method’ right now and it’s not hard to see why – they offer brilliant presentation. Again, it will present the hookbait effectively in most situations and can be lowered into the edge as quietly as any other rig. I’ll probably only fish one rod when fishing in this way and I can be 100% sure that my rig is not tangled when the bag melts.
04 Bin the marker
This tactic doesn’t require all your gear, with no place for a marker rod and pods etc. Weighing kit, a bucket of bait, some bits to re-bait with and a couple of rods at most are all you need. Look in all the unlikely spots between swims; you’ll be surprised where you find them. Don’t just cast on top of them though. Use a few 2 and 3mm pellets to try and move them off the spot. Anything bigger spooks them properly and your chance has gone.