trotting

[keiranrussell]

going to trot the river tommorow after being told to get of my lazy arse and fish []
but i know to trot maggot/caster/worm, how would i got about trotting meat or other baits to try get the bigger fish

 

[Piker-Dave]

same way.......

id have thought

or fish rolling meat on the bottom []

 

[keiranrussell]

what size meat should i attempt

 

[Piker-Dave]

Originally posted by keiranrussell

what size meat should i attempt

depends how your fishing for bigger ones....

i wouldnt trot meat for the bigger fish, id fish hard on the bottom with a feeder and lots and lots and ground bait feed, pellets, fish meat on the hook...

all depends what size hook your using aswell...

 

[keiranrussell]

i usually do feeder on the bottom and get alot of small barbel and chub bettwen 10 ounces and 3 pound but i started trotting and like the fish a cast thing but th ebiggest i was getting was around 6-7 ounces and i just fancied some bigger when trotting

 

[banksy]

I've had plenty of success with chub and barbel on a fairly fast 4' deep stretch of the Trent, using meat.
Loafer float, with a half-inch cube of meat on a size 12 hook, and a handful of hemp with every trot.

There was a huge overhanging willow tree at the bottom of the trot, and almost every bite happened within a yard of the willow.

Exciting hook-and-hold stuff, and much more enjoyable than using a feeder.
[]

 

[keiranrussell]

i think its more enjoyable and the stretch your describing sounds like the one i do, its got a fallen tree hanging in the the edge half way down the trot getting the bit just after i got past it, ill haveta take both my feeder rod and float rod.

 

[Piker-Dave]

out of my depth this.... i only river fish 1 way and caught nothing small (to me) when it comes to barbel...

id defo getting advice from the guys that fish rivers ALL THE TIME, where as i dont....

 

[keiranrussell]

i only catch small barbel at this river with feeder tactics, although i never see anybody catch much of the barbel (its a free stretch and maybe 80% of people dont have a clue and chuck anywhere and make noise all day)

 

[Fishnets]

Regular loose feed to stimulate and get the fish moving onto the bait. If the bottom is fairly even and snag free try fishing with a slightly larger float (like the loafer mentioned or chubbers) fished over depth and dragging the bait along. This slows it down a little and makes it look like it's just rolling in the flow, hold back periodically or when you hit the bite zone to lift the bait up, this some times gets chub well. Aim to feed so that the loose feed hits bottom at a distance that is comfortable for you to fish and control the tackle.; If you are catching well and then slow down it could be fish have moved up in the water or nearer to you to intercept the feed. Dosn't always figure to use a bigger baits as they can get pre occupied with the feed.

 

[SteveH]

Confession time my brother seems like he could catch river barbel and chub if he glued an iou on his hook, myself while I find the chub less of a challenge I have only ever caught barbel on the N Yorks rivers using meat torn off the block and allowed to either run down into the swim with the current or using a feeder that when emptied of g/bait is light enough to drag the meat further down the swim.

Frustrating really as I like to think of myself as a better angler then him but he has all the darned luck

 

[Super ted]

I think you probably just need to feed heavier with the old faithful grubs. A river swim takes loads of bait and I would doubt you could afford to over feed it with maggots. How much do you get through in a typical 4-5 hour stint. Personally I would have at least two pints of grubs with hemp, caster and worm in addition to eventually pick out a few better ones if I am still hitting smaller fish. Feed half a palmful every trot and every few trots stick some hemp and caster in too. Keep trying different hookbaits each few casts to see what the bigger ones want. It could be a worm tail or it could be single maggot as this is less suspicious. Bigger fish are more wary generally and a big bait doesn't always produce in a trotting swim. It's more for stalking or a roving approach I have found. An instant big fish tactic. However you may only pick one or two out. I always find that building a swim heavily but gradually produces better fish towards the end. Especially if it's getting dark in the last hour!!

 

[Simon R]

Can't believe nobodies mentioned bread.
IMO if you're trotting for bigger fish it can't be beaten - knock up half a loaf of liquidised bread for feed and use the other half on the hook. - total cost 50p []

If you're worried about it coming off the hook get a set of the Drennan flake punches and try the 'longlife' bread as bait - it's a bit stickier than normal bread and stays on the hook far better.

Simon

 

[Ivan heaphurst]

The same as maggot and caster. Keep the bait in front of the float.