I'm a massive fan of big, natural lakes packed with silverfish. Living where I do, I'm surrounded by plenty of these places to get stuck into for pleasure sessions and matches, but they all have one thing in common - the distance at which the fish naturally live.
With so much water, it's rare to find roach, skimmers and hybrids on the long pole line when you start fishing, which is why the feeder is such a popular method. The pole though, is a much faster way of catching, so what can we do to get the fish feeding quickly closer in? The answer is simple - ball it in! Here's six tips on how I do it, head to the AT Member's site for the full article.
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PICK A CEREAL MIX
Although fishmeal is good for silverfish on commercials, where big natural waters are concerned I’d go down the old school route of a sweet cereal mix, namely Mainline’s Super Natural Cereal and All-Rounder.
OPENING SALVO
In my opening bombardment of groundbait, there’s little in the way of particles, just a few casters or dead maggots. That’s because I want these balls to make the noise and attract the fish, but not feed them once they arrive.
PILE IN THE CASTERS
Alongside the groundbait I’ll fire in casters regularly. These will pull even more fish into the swim and give me the chance to catch with a lighter rig through the water if the fish show signs of coming up off the bottom.
COVER EVERY OPTION
With an eye to catching off bottom, I’ll set up a light rig with strung-out shot. My main rig will be a heavier rugby ball-shaped float with an olivette and droppers to pin the bait on the deck and pick out better-quality fish.
TRY A WORM HEAD
I start with a single maggot on the hook but once I’m catching well this changes to a worm head. I can catch several fish on one piece of worm and be straight back in if I happen to miss a bite.
FISH WITH LIGHT HOOKS
I believe in using the lightest hook possible for silverfish to get more bites – it makes the bait behave more naturally. My pick is the Guru Kuranku, which is very light but strong enough to deal with big fish.
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