[Keith White]

3 of us ventured out onto a fast current break last night armed with plugs and soft lures. It was late as we'd just finished an Eging session at a nearby hrbour. Low was around 1am and we started fishing the outer reef. Within minutes I had a serious hit but something felt wrong. I carefully wound in to just glimpse a massive Ika hanging onto the plug (over 5lb) before it finally let go.

We fished another 20 minutes before Callum came up behind me and I quickly explained how we would deal with the ensuing current break. The water would be fast I informed him and he wasn't to feel bad if it all went tits up because, current takes practice.

Faster the current, deeper the fish, more upstream you cast, faster you have to operate and the less you have to actually work the plug.

Mark Sleep is in a similar position regards current fishing and I don't think people realise just how quick these breaks are until they try to fish them. However, all credit to both of them, they stuck it out and learned some stuff I hope.

I had a better time but, lets face it, I'm quite experienced on this type of water and working comfortably in the pitch black.

First up, a nice fish of about 2 1/2lb on a OSP Rudra. Chucked up current, cranked down fast and hard and then, dead drifted through the break. One arm wrenching bite later..

Callum came over to get a pic for me. Nice one m8.

Previous to the one pictured, I had another one about 3 1/4lb to a rattle L trap fished lift rattle and drop. Just dropped under tension as the whole thing gets swung by you at some pace. a 50 yard cast upstream gives you maybe, 5 or 6 lifts and falls before it's over. It was really pacy. The one seen here went 4lb - 2oz and gave a serious account in the rapid river like water flow.

Bill Lewis L Trap. A big one. These lures, the lipless crankbaits are the most underused yet deadly series of lures me and Kev have ever used. I will NOT go plugging without at least 3 or 4 various ones in my bag. I went out with 4, came back with 3 as Callum locked one up on the submerged reef. No problem m8, like I told you, I don't care, so why should you.

I moved down the break a bit and nailed this puppy. Another 3 lb'er but this time on a soft lure fished 'on the drop' just like the rattle bait but this time, keeping better contact and feeling for the lure tapping bottom as by this time, the water was around 6 knots and pumping like a train.

I'm going to spend some time teaching the guys running water techniques in preparation for further missions to this mark and the faster gutters and constrictions where, later in the season they can 'expect' Bass amongst other stuff.

Overall, Eging and Pollack'ing (with a hope of Bass) I'd say, the night was again, pretty damn successful.

Thanks to Mark Sleep and Callum for joining me on the late mission.

 

[Iestyn Jones]

Nice result there Keith. Just wondering though how does the VS effect the balance of your set-up (think there about 11/12oz in weight)? Not that ill be getting a VS but after having a try with Simons Injection/rarenium combo Im in the market for a light reel to pair to the shukan 7`8".

 

[Keith White]

I'm used to it m8. Causes me zero problems.
On lighter setups, the reel weight does affect bite detection though.
To be honest, the Injection felt like a tree trunk in comparison to what we've been using of late.
Glad I had it though, the bigger Pollack put some serious bend in.

 

[Iestyn Jones]

cheers Keith I thought I had read something previous to reel weight effecting bite detection, just one of several factors im currently considering!!!

 

[Alex Jordan]

Awesome evening - great Pollack too ... takes me back to a certain October evening last year

 

[Mike Kennard]

Great to see you guys getting amongst some better pollack too.

Interesting about the Rat-L-Traps. I have got quite a few here, together with Rattlin Spots and Rattlin Raps and have been convinced they were fish scarers!!!! Had follow-ins from bass well into double figues but NEVER caught a bass on one!!!! They are proper loud though!!!

 

[Peter Smith]

I can't take this anymore :evil:
Time to bite the bullet and jump on a plane to Jersey, if the fish won't come to me, I will have to go to them.
I should have made this decision ages ago

p.s lovely pics of the fish guys, well done!

 

[Callum]

i had a great night cheers keith! fishing the current is effing hard i still haven't got my head round it but ill crack it one day. i want to do do the same mark tonight but after only 4 hours sleep last night im a bit moody you wouldn't like to see me tomorrow if i had done the same tonight

 

[Keith White]

i had a great night cheers keith! fishing the current is effing hard i still haven't got my head round it but ill crack it one day. i want to do do the same mark tonight but after only 4 hours sleep last night im a bit moody you wouldn't like to see me tomorrow if i had done the same tonight

I'm tired too m8.
Mark is going to bed tonight too.

I might hit it again, I'll see but it is late tonight.
Them big pollack are calling me though...

 

[Tim Murphy]

.

We fished another 20 minutes before Callum came up behind me and I quickly explained how we would deal with the ensuing current break. The water would be fast I informed him and he wasn't to feel bad if it all went tits up because, current takes practice.

Faster the current, deeper the fish, more upstream you cast, faster you have to operate and the less you have to actually work the plug.

Mark Sleep is in a similar position regards current fishing and I don't think people realise just how quick these breaks are until they try to fish them. However, all credit to both of them, they stuck it out and learned some stuff I hope.

.

We've got some serious tides round here and I'm trying to get my head round this. "Faster the current, deeper the fish, more upstream you cast, faster you have to operate and the less you have to actually work the plug." what sort of plug would that be? Deep-Divers to get on down there?

 

[kevin white]

tim, it all depends on the cover, structure, depth and speed of current, there's no quick fix, only lots of time fishing the same area will help with what to choose, i know that doesn't help much, but it's the truth.

presentation, presentation, presentation that's where it's at.

think of how a baitfish/crab etc, will react in such fast water, then try to replicate, it's as simple as that, watch the small fish, they hardly move, they allow themselves to drift in the current, only correcting themselves every so often with a quick movement, then back on the drift again, most of the small bait fish will swim with rather than against the current, until they find a current break themselves to rest up in the very edge's where the current slow's due to the drag and have the safety of the shallower water ( less than 4 inches ) as i've seen bass 6lb + with there backs out the water waiting for bait being flushed out tiny creeks etc.

kev

 

[Tim Murphy]

Cheers for that Kev, that's clear, I see what you're saying. My Deep-Diver reference was to Keith's comment, "Faster the current, deeper the fish," and trying to understand that. Sorry if I seem a bit numpty, I've never approached my fishin' in a more technical way like this. I'm starting to realise the potential benefits though.

 

[Keith White]

Tim:
Note:

First fish pic with Rudra (suspender) and K&K 'tuned.
I was in water with broken heads subsurface but a clean seam between the inside slow lane and the faster, outer lane.
cast upcurrent at 15 -20 degree's. It was fast. However, (no trumpet here btw) I do have a pretty good cast so 50 - 60 yards in little wind with a Rudra is very viable and with accuracy in the dark. Plug hit seam line well upcurrent, actually, just in the fast lane. Slack line is picked up REALLY FAST and plug contact made. (remember, all the while this is going on, the plug is coming BACK and ACROSS you). You sweep the rod in a JERK, JERK (activates the bib, activates the rattles etc) and then, we wait. All we do is either just pick up the slack (a la dry fly) or wind the plug JUST faster than the current. If doing nothing with the suspending K&K 'tune' the plug travels along at the depth to which it was jerked give or take a few inches. As the plug crosses your position you wait for the line to tighten, the rod tip to bend and, you'll feel the bib starting to work. Also, see note..*** later

a few things you can do here...

Hold it tight, plug swings in a tight heavy vibrating arc.

OR

As the plug crosses, lift the rod HIGH and then, when the bib activates, lower the rod as the plug swings. This gives a slightly longer arc and a more controlled vibration.

OR

Note ***: You can, as the plug crosses you, slip line. You take off the bail and slip braid through the fingers under controlled pressure. Varying amounts of 'slip' mean your plug will swing over a new arc each time you put the bail back over to let it swing.

OR

or, Backwinding: As the plug crosses you, backwind the plug across a longer arc under controlled and varied pressure.
In fact, I might choose a floating plug, rip it down and drift it whilst the plug is rising. Rip it under again..etc

Ok, back on track.

Water was now getting faster. I chose a heavier plug (L Trap sinks) it vibrates heavily and gives great feedback even in heavy or fast current.
Same upstream cast but a fast wind down to depth and a quick pause, say 2 seconds. Lift the rod fast, activate the lure and then, whilst picking up the slack caused by the plug swinging across you, feel the plug down as it sinks again. On repeating strokes like this, vary the depth until you tick bottom or when you rip you feel resistance as the trebles perhaps tear a bit of kelp.
On repeated swings, just remove 1 second from your drop times to stay close too bottom cover without excessive risk to tackle loss ( which is inevitable btw, so live with it).

Hope this helps. It will all become clearer once you try it.

 

[Tim Murphy]

Ta for that, might take a few readings to drive it home.... I'll certainly try it.

 

[Mike Kennard]

It sounds like there are similarities to how I fish our local estuary but it seems like you are working much deeper water. My lure of choice for the last couple of years at that spot has been 6in sidewinders eels. They are easy to get down to depth by giving them slack they sink like a stone but will more or less hold their depth on a tight line and swing around in the current. Letting out a bit of line when they swing around requires holding the rod top up to stop them snagging but it has a similar effect to what you are describing. The takes are very hard and the fish then go off like a salmon!!! I just wish it happened more often.

 

[Bagpuss]

Keith / Kevin

Could a lightly weighted shad be fished in a similar way in a fast current???

 

[The Squid]

good work chaps

 

[kevin white]

Keith / Kevin

Could a lightly weighted shad be fished in a similar way in a fast current???

nigel,

to be honest, there's no right or wrong way to fish any lure, there's only different, what worked today may not work tomorrow, it all depends on the fish and the situation.



Cheers for that Kev, that's clear, I see what you're saying. My Deep-Diver reference was to Keith's comment, "Faster the current, deeper the fish," and trying to understand that. Sorry if I seem a bit numpty, I've never approached my fishin' in a more technical way like this. I'm starting to realise the potential benefits though.

tim, with reference to faster the current deeper the fish, that's drawn from our own experiance's, others may not find this true in there area's.

fast current doesn't always mean deep divers, use the lure most likely to get the best presentation for the type of water in front of you (not just because it's your favorate ) heavy current in only 2-3 feet of water can mean they may well leave a surface / slightly sub surface presentation alone, but completely nail something ticking along the bottom that might represent something they expect to see like a small goby / crab etc, it happens more than people realize, they walk away convinced there's no fish, but they used the wrong presentation for the situation.

kev

 

[Tim Murphy]

So, to try and break it down into my kind of simplicity level.
Faster current of water flowing besides slower current of water. Cast into (Preferably edge of) faster current of water. Run the lure past at different depths until the depth the fish are at is found.

Somewhere near the jist of it?

 

[kevin white]

yes and no,

apart from feeding etc, fish can do only three things in current, hold in it, run with it, run against it, what they do at certain stages of the tide is the key you have to find to help unlock the pattern.

look at the key items fish need,

cover, this not only provides the fish with somewhere to ambush prey, but somewhere to hide for it's own protection away from predators while it rests up etc, cover will also slow current because of drag and even current it's self can be classed as cover in the form of turbulance.

structure, provides similar, an area or slowed current to help with the process of hunting food, in area's of fast heavy current anywhere that has an edge will have slower current, IE, the bottom and sides of a gulley will be slower than the water pushing through the middle and surface water.

read a googans guide for more info on cover and structure.

fish in some ways are like us, they like to be in there comfiort zone and everyone and everything has a different level, no one likes to be in horrible weather conditions so we seek shelter rather than standing out in the open, we look for warmth in the coldest month's and the coolness of the breeze in the hotest day's of summer, everyone knows what it's like, if your to hot or to cold, you don't want to do anything, but when the temps are between 15-25c you'll do most things quite happily and it's just the same for fish, also like us, some are bold with there approach while others seem to spook at the slightest thing, this flight response seems to increase with shallow crystal clean water ( lack of cover ) yet you'll find fish in similar depth water that has current because of the cover associated with it, the more cover and structure a stretch of water has, the longer the fish will stay there especially on the fastest part of the tide no matter wether it's flooding or ebbing.

as for what depth to fish your lures in the current, this all goes back to how the fish are reacting to the current, IE running with, against etc, if there running with the current then fish could be at any depth, it'll depend on what bait source there on, if holding or running against then i'd go with keith's recommendation of faster the current, deeper the fish.

hope that helps a little.

kev