Rob Wootton reveals why frequent bait changes are key to preventing carp and F1s from sussing you out in spring
TACTICS
Packed with expert advice from top anglers to catch you more
THE ANNUAL hibernation practised by some anglers is coming to an end and visitor numbers will rocket at almost every fishery in the coming weeks.
A noticeable climb in air temperatures revives the enthusiasm for many, and with that comes significantly more baited rigs going into each lake.
Sport is likely to be quite easy for a short period as the fish forget about the traps we set and fall foul of them, but this naivety will be short-lived, and they’ll soon wise up.
Following the crowd and using the same tactics as everyone else will harm your catch rate, and it’s the anglers who remain busy and start thinking outside the box that will put the most fish in the net as spring progresses.
Changing your approach every couple of sessions isn’t enough either, and Rob Wootton reckons you need to switch things up as often as every couple of casts in order to stay ahead of the game.
The commercial fishery expert is convinced that the fish wise up to our rigs very quickly and it is up to you to keep them on their toes. “You might catch a few fish on the feeder and think you’ve cracked it, but you can pretty much guarantee that the run will soon peter out and bites will become harder to come by,” explained Rob.
“Making small adjustments can get you back on track and the single biggest thing you can do to keep catching is to have an array of different baits on your side tray to help you create concoctions that the fish simply don’t associate with danger.”
Mix and match
Rob’s sidetray is packed with options whenever he visits a commercial and there are no limits as to how he will deploy them.
“If you’re using a small feeder packed with micros and a hard pellet hookbait and bites suddenly stop, you need to make changes so that the next time they see a tight pile of bait, it looks completely different.
“That could include switching micros for groundbait, going over to a brightly-coloured wafter or adding a dash of flavouring to your loaded feeder. At times, it could even be all three of those things!
