In clear water silverfish, especially roach and bream, will back off way out into the lake for sanctuary. You could reach for the feeder, but a waggler is far stealthier, and the extra finesse this method provides will lead to less spooked fish and more fish in your net. Here's how you can give it a go...
FIND A FISHERY NEAR YOU TO CATCH A BUMPER NET OF SILVERS ON A WAGGLER BY READING OUR WHERE TO FISH GUIDE.
Match the conditions
Which waggler to use is down to the wind. If it’s blowing, a straight waggler will let me keep the bait still, but if there’s no wind, I’ll go for the sensitivity of an insert as they show bites up far better when the fish are feeding tentatively. My floats are semi-loaded, so they cast well and don’t need massive locking shot. A couple of No8 shot hold the waggler in place, with five or six more down the line.
NEED HELP CHOOSING THE RIGHT FLOAT? READ OUR ARTICLE FOR EXPERT ADVICE ON PICKING THE CORRECT FLOAT FOR YOUR SESSION.
Pick a long rod
Any depth over 7ft is too much for a short rod. A 13ft float rod gives me more reach and control of the float, plus it allows me to fish up to 12ft deep and cast easily.
THE BEST FLOAT RODS FOR SILVERS WILL RESULT IN A BETTER ALL ROUND PERFORMANCE WHEN USING LIGHTER WAGGLERS.
Create a base area
I use both groundbait and loosefeed. The groundbait is an opener to create a bed to fish over. It holds casters and micros, with four balls going in at the start. I will then loosefeed with a catapult over the top to draw more fish into the area and create competition.
IT CAN BE WORTH ADDING LIQUIDS AND ADDITIVES TO YOUR GROUNDBAIT TO ATTRACT MORE FISH INTO THE SWIM.
Use fluorocarbon!
I’m a big fan of fluoro for silverfish hooklengths, as it doesn’t spin up when using double or triple hookbaits. It also helps when the fish are being finicky in clear water.
LINE CHOICE CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE, READ OUR BUYERS GUIDE TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE USING THE BEST LINES.
Have bait options
Anything from a single caster to double maggot can work, but three fluoro pinkies is my top hookbait. Pinkies seem like a negative bait, but they’ll sort out the better fish.
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