SPIRALLING WATER COLUMNS
Keith Sykes talks stimulants and attractors, and explains how we might encourage our quarry to feed exactly where we want them
Carp rarely sit just off the lakebed, waiting to tuck into a bed of bait. Rather, they’re often up in the water. Keith Sykes talks stimulants and attractors, and explains how we might encourage our quarry to feed exactly where we want them
1. The Water Column Trick
One of the easiest to use straight out of a bottle—and it’s effective in all but the very deepest water—is a combination of L-Zero-30 and salmon oil (or cod liver oil). The oil, feed triggers and dense liquids are perfect for pulling fish down through the water column. Given its make-up, it’s perfect for summer fishing. After coating your free offerings, activity will last for hours.
2. Hot-Weather Lures
In really hot weather, getting fish to feed can be a nightmare, and there is no doubt that synthetic-flavoured baits can be hair-pullers. We tend to think of over-flavoured hookbaits as a winter tactic, but they can work extremely well at times of elevated water temperatures. A classic example of is Monster Crab, Squid & Octopus, and Tails Up Liver. The hotter it gets, the more flavour you can use. Soaking your hookbaits in the neat flavour can prove devastating, if not a tad smelly—it’s really not one for the wife’s kitchen!
3. Cloudy Water
Suspensions are excellent for getting fish to move down or up in the water; just remember the principle using liquids such as evaporated milks, and flavoured and coloured milky drinks. By dressing your free baits in them you can achieve wonderful spiralling plumes. Try adding a flavour-oil combination or an oil-based food dip, vigorously shaken. Lightly coat your free boilies in a dry, milky drink powder for awesome plumage leaks.
4. Volcanic Reactions!
If you are bag fishing, try the superb Hinders mixes. These dry mixes are ‘volcano active’. They send all sorts of goodies up and down the water column, and can be wetted down with the flavoured liquids supplied. Alternatively, use products such as Tiger Slime, or any liquid betaine derivatives. Nashbait’s effervescing Stick mixes are another great alternative.
5. Shake it up, Baby!
If you want to experiment with ‘up and down’ liquids, try cod liver oil, hemp oil, pistachio oil or salmon oil. Add your chosen flavour, be it oil-soluble or ethyl-based, and vigorously shake. Then add some naturally heavy material and again shake once more. You’ll need to shake the liquid well prior to use to achieve the best activity. Food and attraction signals will move up and down the water column, and such a combination works well with Zigs fished mid-water.
6. Sorry, Love… Just off Fishing
I’m an advocate of flavouring Zig hookbaits, and I am more than happy to use really concentrated flavours if I think I can get away with them in high water temperatures. Most importantly, though, they should be highly water-soluble, with a pH opposite that of the water. Use acidic flavours with pHs of 4.5 to 2.5—there’s a massive tip right there! Blends can also be useful, and again oil and solubles work well. Always check your additives against your foam, ESP Bugs or whatever, as they may melt.
7. The Light Meter Trick
Try to understand how ambient light might affect your Zig fishing, and choose the colour(s) of your bait accordingly. At night, a good backlight from the moon at night is perfect for black foam, or black Bugs, as the carp will see a silver halo. In daylight, it’s a case of experimenting with colours according to the depth you’re fishing, but add a flavour as a bonus attractor. Mini beta lights, as used by sea-trout anglers, can be an edge. They probably won’t have seen them before.
8. When to Get Sloppy
If you want to work from the top down, then use either a sloppy spod mix, or liquids containing sweet, fatty liquids, with heavy feed items and liquid feeds. Liquid molasses is a superb sweet additive for such mixes. You can fish this over Zigs, as well as bottom freebies. It’s all about experimenting again, and most bait companies supply some great bulk-liquid agents.
9. Nature Always Wins
One aspect of fishing in the water column that is often overlooked is the use of natural attractors that will rise and fall of their own accord. Consider amino-acid preparations in combination with small amounts of CC Moore’s Frozen Bloodworm. These can prove deadly. Feed sensibly, however, otherwise preoccupation can occur. Add a Korda Goo, and try blending some of the same; you’ll achieve crazy effects—read ‘visual attraction’ as well.
10. Keep the Bites Coming
One point to concentrate on is thinking about how to attract the fish and getting them to feed, against the odds, but without satiating their appetite. In doing so, you’ll prolong the feeding spell and increasing your chances of bites.
