The Pikers Pit

Hi lads after some advice. I'm fishing a small pond rammed with the things. It's about 2ft 6" deep. I'm using a whip, getting loads of bites but can't seem to get the bigger ones, can see them cruising about but only nailing one every 50 or so of the tiny ones. I have tried fishing up in the water, down and bottom. Also fishing off the baited area with no real change.what should I do?

Cheers in advance

Setup to fish them on the drop. Keep flicking in 2-3 maggots quite often drop yer bait in along with it now and again. Should hopefully attract the bigger ones by constant tiny amounts of bait going in.

Fish maggot feeder on short hook length and chuck a bit past the pesky little ones---you will never beat them (have the same trouble on a water I fish)

I used to fish an estate lake filled with the things.
Using a whip, rubber apron into the net, cotton wool around the hook and mashed bread groundbait, eventually got my tally up to fifty in an hour.
Never got a mum or dad tho.
Now fishing a similar place except they are all stop at 6-8", rumours of bigger fish but never seen solid evidence.

Could be a good place for eels, they often are

Try fishing at night with ledger tackle. Popped up sweetcorn as bait.

plastic corn worth a try

Mike J wrote: ↑Tue Sep 26 2017 15:19 -

I used to fish an estate lake filled with the things.
Using a whip, rubber apron into the net, cotton wool around the hook and mashed bread groundbait, eventually got my tally up to fifty in an hour.
Never got a mum or dad tho.
Now fishing a similar place except they are all stop at 6-8", rumours of bigger fish but never seen solid evidence.

Could be a good place for eels, they often are

50 an hour!!! you need a session on one of Als waters, one a chuck every chuck, 3inch to 6inch little bars of gold, couple of hours the other day and we had 300 odd in the tanks (moving to another water that got wiped out with sheep dip) our arms were going like bees wings

Boilies.

Lads hes using a whip. The best thing here is getting the swim going first.

It's a tough one when you have that, tbh I have always failed to single out the big ones.

With hindsight, if I had it in front of me again it would be mini boilie on hook on the drop, feeding as normal.

large pellet?

Andrew Croft wrote: ↑Tue Sep 26 2017 13:29 -

Setup to fish them on the drop. Keep flicking in 2-3 maggots quite often drop yer bait in along with it now and again. Should hopefully attract the bigger ones by constant tiny amounts of bait going in.

The methods you suggest Andrew is actually perfect, perfect for catching the little ones!

Some of these water dont have bigger fish as the conditions cause them to be stunted and so mature early, thats why there is so many of a size and it works the same for other species like tench, one water I fish has loads of the little beauties but I have never had one over 8oz.
Fished a little farm pond with rudd when I was a kid, caught hundreds but nothing bigger than 4oz.
The best method is probably tip a few jacks and perch in and leave to simmer for 5 years

Cheers Alan

That has not been my experience Alan.

Andrew Croft wrote: ↑Tue Sep 26 2017 19:58 -

Lads hes using a whip. The best thing here is getting the swim going first.

Sorry, my mistake, I had not realized that the OP was asking for ways to catch the bigger rudd with his whip.

However if the OP has access to other tackle, 10mm boilies fished on the bottom will increase the chances of catching one of the bigger members of the shoal in my experience.

Andrew Croft wrote: ↑Wed Sep 27 2017 10:19 -

That has not been my experience Alan.

I suspect you opinion will be in the minority on this Andrew, but your opinion it is

Cheers Alan

Alan, with my baiting regime i generaly draw in a better stamp of roach and rudd eventually or get a good un a bit more often. Im not fussed about opinion of minorities or majorities or what ever im simply stating my experience of similar waters around me using a whip in shallow ponds rammed with tons of the things. I love fishing the whip btw dead easy to just get up and at em in a flash.

Kinda limited with distance though so you have to bring them to you if thats the rod you want to use, there is no other way than good baiting, if only to increase the odds at best.

stevie wrote: ↑Tue Sep 26 2017 12:44 -

Hi lads after some advice. I'm fishing a small pond rammed with the things. It's about 2ft 6" deep. I'm using a whip, getting loads of bites but can't seem to get the bigger ones, can see them cruising about but only nailing one every 50 or so of the tiny ones. I have tried fishing up in the water, down and bottom. Also fishing off the baited area with no real change.what should I do?

Cheers in advance

I would try and get the big ones you see cruising around feeding.
Use floating bread and once they are in your swim get them feeding hard (they should push the smaller fish off) Once this is happening, make your cast. If they are 2lb+ fish they wont be shy of a piece of bread 50 pence size. It is amazing how much they can slurp down. Fishing bigger bread will also give you a chance if the smaller ones are still feeding. The smaller ones will be pushing your bread around and then suddenly, slurp! Bigger Rudd on :0)
Try floating crust, floating bread flake and sinking bread flake. Could also try 2-3 bits of sweetcorn to deter smaller fish 'gobbing' it. Go for bigger hooks, size 10. Loaded wagglers with no shot on the line. Vaseline the line if you want to try and help everything to float.
Good luck.
#Edit
Ditch the whip and use a rod, the bigger fish can be spooky, so fish away. 4-5lb line straight through.

Rik,
Where I fish 3grains on a 10 and its still a 3incher every other cast.
A slice of bread on the surface and they are like Pirhana until a bird flies over.

Good fun all the same.

Mike J wrote: ↑Fri Sep 29 2017 11:06 -

Rik,
Where I fish 3grains on a 10 and its still a 3incher every other cast.
A slice of bread on the surface and they are like Pirhana until a bird flies over.

Good fun all the same.

It is amazing how much those small fish can 'gob' - big baits have helped me. The key for me out on 'The Fens' is to have my target fish spotted. The bigger bread will generally last longer and gives a bigger fish a chance to get it before the little ones.
Great fun as you say :0)

Try fishing a large bait hard on the bottom ;-)