Tackle and Tactics
Etang de la Botte 9th - 16th August 2003
by Kevin Hodges

Whilst I don't claim to be an expert, I thought I'd write an article on the tackle and tactics used whilst at la Botte in the hope it may assist others and maximise their trip to the venue.  My week on the lake was very hot and I'm sure the fishing suffered as a result. But I think I did as well as any angler finishing the week with 7 twenties and 2 thirties.


The water level appeared to be a good 3 foot down; the entire margin was covered in a prickly weed extending out a minimum of 50 foot. The water was milky grey in colour. The main feature was a large island, this being beyond casting distance from all but a couple of the swims.  Due to the marginal weed, marker float feature finding was difficult. The bed was a fairly constant in depth with strips of gravel and silt. These strips were narrow in places so accurate bait placement was tricky.

I had been allocated a swim, so that ruled out this variable from the equation.


The important consideration here is being happy, and confident, in the equipment you're using. There's no point investing a lot of time, and money, on a trip to France with doubts in your mind.

Rods
Four rods are allowed, if you're comfortable with this number, use them. Personally I feel we're going over the top with rod test curves. The main considerations here are the casting weight and casting distance. It's far less to do with the potential weight of the catch.  I decided to concentrate my efforts on the far side of the marginal weed, a maximum cast of 60 yards. Rods of 2.5lb or 2.75lb test curve are more than up to this even when fully loaded with feeders, bait, PVA bags etc. I've been using my trusty Daiwa Pro-Carp rods for a few years now without problem.

Reels
My Shimano Baitrunners still serve me well although they're probably long over due for a service.

Line
I tried more main lines over the years than I care to remember. For the last two years I've been using Daiwa Infinity Duo and I'm very happy with it. For this trip I opted for 16lb B/S. Remove the end 20 or so feet of the line on a regular basis.

Rod Support and Bite Indication
Personally I prefer bank sticks to rod pods. I'm currently using the Nash Euro stick. It's over-sized with a threaded point and comes supplied with a tommy-bar. I set up my rods in 2 sets of 2. When using 3 rods in the past I've had problems with landing a fish on the middle rod, primarily due to getting the landing net into the correct position between the outer rods. With only 2 rods you don't encounter this problem.

I'm using Gardner buzzer bars and Fox Micron MX alarms, both excellent. I'm not a lover of swing arm indicators, again a personal choice; I prefer the bobbin style of indicator. I'm currently using the Fox Specialist Hanger; I like my bobbins to be as light as possible. Swan shot can always be added to the cord if wind drag is a problem.

Other Items
You need a good quality landing land and unhooking mat, make sure both are wet before coming into contact with a fish. If it's hot have some water handy to keep wetting the fish. You'll also need scales and weigh sling.  I prefer to avoid using torches if possible as this can ruin your night vision. You'll be surprised how much you can see even in the middle of the night.

Terminal Tackle
The business end, this is where you must be 100% happy with your chosen set-up. The vast majority of my ledger fishing falls into 2 groups, the 'method feeder' and fixed or semi-fixed leads, also known as the 'bolt-rig'

Regarding method feeders Fox and Korda both made excellent versions. If using them in-line be sure to have the correct size swivel to fit into the end of the feeder.

I'm currently using the Nash Euro rig for my bolt-rig set-up; it's supplied in a kit with all the bits required.

I use braid for my hook lengths and currently using Kryston Merlin, Super-Nova and Snake-Bite, the latter being coated. This gives the option of creating a 'hinged' rig or a stiffer rig if used fairly short.

All my baits are mounted on a hair rig with the bait hanging just below the hook. I always use a knotless knot to tie the hook and a 5 turn grinner knot to tie the swivel. I apply a drop of super glue to the knots.

My hook lengths generally fall between 6 to 10 inches.

Top-tips
A always use good quality scissors when cutting braid. If using multi-strand braid it easily frays once cut. To prevent this apply a small drop of super glue to the braid where you want to cut it, and allow to dry. The cut will now be clean and make knot tying and threading through the eye of the hook much easier.

My hook choice at the moment is Fox Series 2 and ESP Raptor. For France I opted for size 6.

A difficult choice at the best of times. If the fish are actively feeding during your time on the lake you can get through shed loads! 
After much deliberation I opted for Mainline NRG, Active8, Maple8 and Tutti-Frutti boilies as the main hook baits. This was supplemented with trout pellets as bulk loose feed. I also took a supply of dried chick-peas, hemp and tinned sweet corn. The chick-peas and hemp must be thoroughly cooked before use.


With four rods you have the opportunity to experiment. Most of my carp fishing at home is done with 1 method rod, so I opted for this together with 3 bolt-rig set-ups. My method mix is usually trout pellets with sweet corn and hemp with particle hook bait. However this approach only attracted the bream. After a couple of days this rod was swapped for a fourth bolt-rig.

Three times a day I loose fed with boilies and pellets to build up a carpet just beyond the weed bed. By far the most productive method was the use of PVA bags. These were filled with the single boilie hook bait, 20 or so additional boilies and the ledger weight itself. The bag being tied with PVA string. This produced a very neat rig which was easy to cast.  I've read many articles about PVA bags and the theory of the lead spooking the carp. I have not found this to be the case. Indeed one of the fish I landed had the lead in its mouth!

I said at the start that the lake was very coloured so I assumed that bait location was all on smell. It follows that a compact pile of bait should provide the carp with the most interest. By putting the lead in the PVA bag it ensures the bait is put on the lake bed in as tight a pile as possible, as quickly as possible, before the bag dissolves. I had catches on NRG, Active8 and Maple8 boilies, none on Tutti-Frutti.

I had no success with popped up baits or fishing on the surface. I wondered whether the latter was due to the water colour. Perhaps the carp found the upper levels far too bright being used to a much darker environment?

When fishing a bolt-rig set-up I have the bobbins on a very short drop, this allows for a good indication of a drop-back run. Having the bobbins set too low could lead to a drop back being interpreted as a line bite. If I'm using a running lead then I would have the bobbins set lower as drop-backs shouldn't occur.

Although no expert I used a spod.  As most of my fishing is done at close range I've never found the need but it does offer the ability to tightly group your loose feed. I used an old North Western pike rod which worked fine; I would suggest a minimum of 3lb test curve rod for spodding. I used 20lb floating braid line with a 40lb braid shock leader. When using braid I always do a few 'test casts' with just a lead attached. I find braid beds down on the spool and some initial casts, building up the distance, are needed. A few spods of loose feed can deplete your bait at an alarming rate.

My marker float set-up is similar to that of the spod but I use sinking braid and shock leader.

Well that's it. I hope you've found this informative and look forward to sharing some of your experiences.


Kevin Hodges
kevin.hodges@tesco.net

Also see related articles

What Should I take?
Netting Baits?