LOCATION
ONCE YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT YOUR VENUE OF CHOICE, THE MOST CRUCIAL DECISION YOU WILL MAKE OF THE WHOLE SESSION IS THE DECISION OVER THE CHOICE OF SWIM.
THE BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVISE I CAN GIVE TO YOU ON THIS SUBJECT IS TO DO SOME HOMEWORK. DONT TURN UP WITH NO IDEA ABOUT THE LAKE, AND DONT JUST DROP YOUR GEAR IN THE FIRST SWIM YOU SEE JUST BECAUSE ITS CLOSE TO THE CAR.
I MADE FOUR VISITS TO MY LOCAL VENUE BEFORE I EVEN WET A LINE IN ANGER. GO FOR A WALK AROUND, TALK TO THE REGULARS ON THE LAKE, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME AROUND. INSPECT EVERY SWIM, AND IF POSSIBLE GET A MARKER ROD OUT AND TRY TO FIND A FEW BOTTOM FEATURES, GRAVEL PATCHES ETC.THERE WILL BE CERTAIN AREAS THAT PRODUCE CATS ON THE BANK ON A REGULAR BASIS.
EVEN BETTER IS TO TALK TO THE OWNER OR BAILIFF IF YOU BUMP INTO THEM. THEY WILL BE ABLE TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT ANY RECENT CAPTURES FROM THE VENUE AND ANY PEGS THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED. THIS WORKED WELL FOR ME AS I BANKED MY FIRST CAT AT TWENTY POUND ONLY A FEW HOURS INTO MY FIRST EVER CATFISH SESSION AND I HAVEN'T LOOKED BACK
ONCE YOU HAVE CHOSE YOUR SWIM, DONT JUST GET THE BAITS IN BLINDLY. GET A FEEL FOR THE DEPTH, BOTTOM MAKE UP, LOCATION OF SNAGS ETC. IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HOOK INTO A CAT, THESE ARE PIECES OF KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL COME IN VERY HANDY THROUGHOUT THE FIGHT.
 | WHEN CHOOSING ANY LOCATION FOR A BAIT I WILL ALWAYS TRY TO FISH ON A FIRM BOTTOM. FOR SOME REASON I HAVE FOUND THAT THE WELS IS NOT TOO FOND OF PICKING A BOTTOM FISHED BAIT UP FROM A BOTTOM THAT IS VERY SOFT AND SILTY. FIND FIRM CLAY OR GRAVEL AND YOU ARE IN BUSINESS. WHEN FISHING THE MARGINS I LIKE TO LOOK FOR COVER SUCH AS REEDS, LILLY PADS OR OVERHANGING TREES. THIS IS ESPECAILLY IMPORTANT WHEN FISHING THROUGH THE DAYLIGHT HOURS. PUT YOURSELF IN THE POSITION OF THE FISH. IT IS A PREDOMINATLY NOCTURNAL HUNTER, WHICH MEANS IT WILL TEND TO HIDE AWAYTHROUGH THE DAY. LOOK FOR SHADOW, SHADE AND COVER AND YOU WONT GO FAR WRONG. BY FISHING TIGHT TO COVER YOU WILL INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF CATCHING THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AS A RULE I ALWAYS TRY AND FISH A ROD IN THE MARGINS. THIS IS A VERY PRODUCTIVE AREA IF CHOSEN CORRECTLY AS THE WELS WILL PATROL THE MARGINS LOOKING FOR FOOD ITEMS WASHED UP THERE. |
ONE OF MY OTHER MAIN TARGET AREAS ARE ISLANDS. THESE ARE SERIOUS CAT HOTSPOTS AS THEY PROVIDE COVER IN THE LAKE FOR PREY FISH SO IN TURN BECOME HUNTING GROUNDS FOR CATFISH. IF YOUR CHOSEN VENUE HAS AN ISLAND FEATURE THAT IS WITHIN CASTING AND BAITING RANGE THEN DONT HESITATE TO GIVE IT A GO. ONCE AGAIN THOUGH LOOK FOR COVER AGAINST THE ISLAND AND AIM FOR THAT.
OVERHANGING TREES ARE ALWAYS MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE AS THEY PROVIDE COVER ON THE SURFACE AND ANY ROOT GROWTH WILL PROVIDE SHELTER UNDER THE SURFACE. THEY ARE ALSO A MAGNET FOR PREY FISH AND I HAVE HAD MANY SESSIONS OF MULTIPLE CAPTURES FROM UNDER THE SAME TREE. ONE THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT IF YOU HOOK ONE IT WILL PROBABLY HEAD STRAIGHT BACK UNDER THE TREE SO KEEP YOUR ROD TIP DOWN, EVEN UNDER THE SURFACE IF YOU HAVE TOO, OR THE FISH WILL SIMPLY BREAK YOU OFF ON THE BRANCHES. |  |
WHEN IT COMES TO THE ISSUE OF WATER DEPTH IN YOUR CHOSEN SWIM I TEND TO FIND THAT IT DOESNT REALLY MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE ON CATCH RATE. I HAVE CAUGHT FROM TWO FOOT AND TWENTY FOOT DEPTH. I THINK IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE MAKE UP OF THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE RATHER THAN THE DEPTH OF IT.
 | THIS ADVISE ALL GOES OUT OF THE WINDOW HOWEVER IF YOU ARE NOT FISHING ON THE BOTTOM. IF YOU ARE FISHING ON THE SURFACE OR IN THE UPPER LAYERS OF WATER THEN YOUR CONSIDERATIONS ARE VASTLY DIFFERENT. IF YOU ARE FISHING A VENUE WHERE THE CATS WILL FEED ACTIVELY ON THE SURFACE THEN YOU WILL MORE THAN LIKELY SEE AND HEAR THEM DOING IT. THE GULP GULP IS UNMISTAKABLE. YOU MAY FIND THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN IN ONLY A FEW CERTAIN AREAS OF THE WATER. IF THIS IS THE CASE THEN ITS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE TO SAY THATS WHERE TO PUT YOUR BAITS. IF HOWEVER THIS FEEDING PATTERN IS MORE SPREAD OUT THEN I WOULD ADVISE FISHING SURFACE BAITS IN MORE OPEN WATER. DONT ASK WHY BUT IT SEEMS TO WORK FOR ME. IT MAY BE THAT THE VIBRATIONS GIVEN OFF BY SURFACE BAITS AND RIGS ARE PICKED UP MORE EASILY, WHO KNOWS, BUT IF IN DOUBT THEN THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL FIND ME PUTTING MY SURFACE BAITS THATS FOR SURE. |
