lake fishing

[Fishermancon123]

hi people,
i need some good tips on how to fish a big lake for small fish.
it is my first time ever fishing alake so please leve me some tips on baits and what fish are in what depths.
thanks,

[ninjacarp]

by small fish i guess u mean rudd and roach and all silvers alike so they tend to be mid water and maggot would be a great start also corn and lucheon meat work wonders

[Fishermancon123]

Thanks for the advice mate

[andystone]

don't forget to plumb the depth before you start.

[tightlinesdaz]

defo try some sweetcorn and maggots. i would look for an overhanging tree or some reeds/lily's. good luck..

[BoldBear]

Originally Posted by Fishermancon123

hi people,
i need some good tips on how to fish a big lake for small fish.
it is my first time ever fishing alake so please leve me some tips on baits and what fish are in what depths.
thanks,

I would start with Maggots first and perhaps take a few small redworms and some sweetcorn and some breadflake.

But if you can, walk round the lake talking to locals to find out what baits they are using; and what the predominant species of fish are in the lake plus you will get an indication of where they are fishing, this can save you having to buy too many different and un-necessary baits and also put you into the more productive areas.

As far as your question as to "what fish are in what depths"

Typically you can usually get a clue to the depths that a fish normally feeds by looking at the shape of its mouth and whether it has barbules plus its body shape and the position of its dorsal fin.
On a lot of fish both in rivers and stillwaters these clues are obvious but on others these clues can be a little bit more subtle.

For example:

The Barbel which has developed a downward sloping head and an underslung mouth with four Barbules and a large powerful tail is designed to hug the bottom in strong currents in moving water with its underslung mouth and barbules grubbing through the bottom gravel.
Although Barbel are primarily designed for this they often turn upside down on warm summer nights and feed on the undersides of streamer weed or feed higher up in the water and sometimes can also be found in slack water.
They are also often artificially stocked into some stillwaters.

The Roach has a slightly protruding top lip designed for feeding on the bottom were you usually find it, although occasionally it can also be found feeding at mid water and on the surface at times.

The Rudd has a slightly protruding bottom lip and a Dorsal fin set slightly further back than a Roach making it easier for it to feed off the surface layers where you usually find them however they too feed at all levels at times.

The Bream has a deep but thin body, plus a protractile mouth which helps it dig for larvae, bloodworm and other food in the bottom mud and silt but it sometimes also feeds water plants and daphnia as well,
Bream tend to shoal close together (making their thin bodies useful) and they move across the lake bed like cattle and a large shoal can leave vast areas behind them totally devoid of food, but they too can occasionally be found feeding at midwater; plus although they are usually found in stillwater or slow lowland rivers they are sometimes also found in faster flowing rivers where you normally wouldn't expect to find them.

The Tench is slightly less obvious with its small light sensitive red eyes and two Barbules it is a bottom feeder but doesn’t form dense shoals and will usually swim just off the bottom tilting its body downwards to feed on the bottom so doesn’t need to have such a potruding top lip as some other bottom feeders even though you rarely see the Tench feeding high up in the water.

Then there is the Carp which is an all rounder that feeds at any level and is often seen cruising and feeding in the upper layers as well as on or near the bottom, does not have a receding dorsal fin, or a potruding top or bottom lip and has barbules enabling it to search for insects in the bottom mud and silt but can also suck up food from a few inches above the bottom.

Most fish give away clues to where they normally feed in this way but most fish will occasionally also feed at other levels if the food they like is found to be there.

Good luck and Tight Lines
Keith (BoldBear)

[Fishermancon123]

Thanks for all the info guys very much appreciated