Help me get the bigger fish

[tommo999]

Hi, my local lake is stuffed with small Roach, and I know there are some larger Roach in there - up to 1lb - but I just can't seem to get them. The small ones take anything that goes in.

I've tried both bread and maggots and never fail to catch. I usually drip feed the maggots every other throw and get a bite every time. I've not tried using ground bait yet.

How can I attract the larger fish?

[Banana Steve]

Hello Tommo, Right fishing for roach, my favorite subject. If you are getting bites every chuck and the fish you are catching are small then I would do one of three things.
1: Try stepping up the feed to feed the smaller ones off and this hopefully bring the bigger fish on, whilst stepping up the feed try fishing with 2 maggots as well.

2: Try using Corn, a fantastic bait and does produce good quality fish if the small ones attack the corn then try two grains. You will find that you will need to fish the bottom with corn. And feed little and often with the corn, the more the warm days move in the more they want corn.

3: If you use ground bait try using it with the feeder and try baits like worms and corn keep the ground bait going in with the feeder I tend to count to 180 if I have not had a bite I recast trying to keep the feeder going to the same spot.

With one and two its worth fishing the wagglar at various depths, if I’m using maggot I tend to fish up in the water, the rig I like to use is the one in the following diagram



But for fish at depth I tend to use a full bodied wagglar.

For feeder fishing I use the following set up



I hope this helps.

Regards, Steve

[tommo999]

Hi Steve, thanks for the reply, thats given me some enthusiasm to try these out and I'll let you know how I get on.

In No.1 above, how long would you go at stepping up the feeding before moving on to corn? I usually fish for 2 hours and still only get the smaller guys. Would you move to corn after an hour or so? Also with double maggot, I get a lot of missed bites where they are just sucking them.

Can't wait to get out there and fish again, especially as its a nice day again today...

[Banana Steve]

Hi Tommo, start slowly and if the small fish continue to feed i would step up after about 10 mins, but only if i was gettting a bite a chuck if the smaller fish are slow to bite then step up as they become more confident. as for double maggot step up the hook size to around 16 - 18. as for corn nothing stopping you feeding that as well as the maggot just try it every so often and if it produces fish then stick to it. try and feed a seprate area as well so you can go over during the day maggot or corn, but try it say every 20mins because an untouch area my give the bigger fish more confidnce to feed.
Hope this helps, Steve

[dougwoolcott]

Try a medium size worm on the bottom

[tommo999]

I had a few hours off work yesterday avo so managed to get out. I tried out the methods above, and still only managed the tiddlers. Its so frustrating!

I was drip feeding maggot and fed a seperate area with corn. Didn't matter what went on the hook, only tiddlers took it. Having said that only 2 were caught on corn, no other bites at all?

I'm beginning to think the larger fish aren't in there...