A bite every chuck from quality fish may sound far-fetched in the cold conditions, but you could make that dream a reality if you set your sights on stillwater roach. Not fazed by a sudden slump in temperatures, roach will respond to the simplest of tactics, with the better stamp fish often favouring one bait in particular – casters.
They seem to find the combination of a crunchy shell and a soft centre irresistible, and two pints will normally prove more than enough to put together a bulging keepnet of fish. Find a swim packed with roach and use casters without putting much thought into your approach and you’ll still get bites, but by making several tiny, yet deadly, tweaks you could seriously boost the number of fish that go into your net. Match ace Tom Scholey reveals his best tricks to put more roach in your net.
Set up two rigs
Concentrate on one line, but have two rigs for different presentations. One is shotted with a bulk and a couple of small droppers below, and aims to get the hookbait down quickly. The second – and the better one to start on – has a strung-out tapered shotting pattern, spread over the bottom half of the rig to help you get bites on the drop.
USING ONE OF THE BEST FISHING POLES WILL AID YOUR PRESENTATION, WHICH WILL IMPROVE YOUR CATCH RATES.
Create a cloud
Make your casters work harder by covering them in an additive that will create an attractive cloud as they sink through the various layers in your swim. Make sure your casters are damp, and add a teaspoonful of Fjuka Sweet Sensate Powder. Mix it in well, so that all the bait is coated, and the casters will instantly be ready for use.
IF YOU ARE TARGETING ROACH, THESE ARE THE BEST BAITS YOU CAN USE TO CATCH THEM!
Keep in touch
You may find that you’ll get a run of better stamp roach before the smaller samples take over. It’s unlikely the bigger roach will have disappeared and, in this instance, pushing slightly beyond where your loosefeed lands can work wonders. Go a few feet past your original distance and you’ll often get back in touch with the better fish straight away.
IF YOU NEED MORE ADVICE, HERE IS A GUIDE TO THE BEST POLE FISHING TIPS.
Feed frequently
Roach are stimulated by food falling through the water. Start your session by feeding 15 to 25 casters each time you lay the rig in. Gauge the response, and adjust the rate if required. Cut it down on slow days, up it when there are lots of roach present, and remember to maintain the frequency of feeding even while changing the amount.
IF FISH PUSH BEYOND THE POLE, THESE WAGGLER FISHING TIPS WILL HELP YOU CATCH THEM.
