If your lake has a lot of small roach and only a few bigger fish, getting through to the specimens you want can be quite challenging.
Playing the numbers game should eventually work in your favour, but your best bet is to try and single out the biggest fish. To do this, you need to use mini boilies, because maggots – and even corn – will get decimated by the nuisance fish.
FIND THE BEST VENUES FOR BIG ROACH NEAR YOU IN THIS WHERE TO FISH GUIDE.
It's also worth moving away from a feeder, because groundbait will draw in the small roach, and instead use a small lead on a helicopter set-up, with a boilie hair-rigged tight to the back of a size 12 hook.
Some of the best roach reported to Angling Times in recent years have fallen on this tactic, and for loosefeed just ping boilies over the top little-and-often, with a catapult.
The action might be slower with this method, but you’ll know when you get a bite that hopefully it will be a decent fish.
That said, roach as little as 1lb will still get caught on 10mm or 12mm boilies - so it’s not totally foolproof!
One final tip is to fish a tight line and quite a short hooklink, either 6lb fluoro or a thin braid. This will help you get maximum bite detection or your alarms.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE SAT COMFORTABLY WHEN ROACH FISHING WITH OUR GUIDE TO CHAIRS.
Kit for the job:
Mainline: 6lb mono or a thin braid is best. Braid offers the best bite detection but is more visible to the fish and harder to use for the angler.
Lead: 1oz-1.5oz bomb, rigged helicopter-style. This will ensure you are always well presented.
Hooklength: Short length of 6lb fluoro or 8lb braid. The shorter hooklink will increase the 'bolt' properties of the rig - perfect for these shy feeders.
Hookbait: Mini boilie hair-rigged to the back of a size 12 hook. Keep the hair quite short, roach have very small mouthes and will quickly eject baits they aren't sure of.
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