What to do with only 9-11m of pole
Having a pole where you are limited to a maximum of 11m or less will always be hard to make an impression on a match as not all the water can be covered in front of you, but there are certain areas and methods you could use to maximise your pegs potential. Most match anglers will own at least 14.5m of pole but we have a number of guys and juniors that simply do not, so hopefully this article will help those out, yes it refers to previous posts but with a little more emphasis on what you could do to improve your day.
Open Water Pools - Top, Bottom & House Pools
These waters offer a many options for an approach so a limited pole length isn't always a bad thing, other methods such as the bomb/method etc or even a waggler could all play a big part during the match; so lets take a look at some key areas to target.
Margins:
The margins offer us all a good area to target whether it be for the last few hours or even throughout the day if you can get them going quick enough, they are not just a home for the resident big carp but F1's and Silvers will happily inhabit these food traps. So it pays to do a bit of research prior to the event by talking to the venue regulars, the guys in the onsite tackle shop and following the website for results and info towards baits, depths etc.
Bottom of the Near Slope:
This is always a good area to target its a natural patrol route for fish as any bait that gets dropped close in tends to settle at this point. The time of year we are there can be good for bigger baits such as meat, corn, pellet and even paste if you are confident enough to use it, this would certainly be one of the main swims to target especially a little later on in the match when its had a chance to draw fish in and let them settle.
Open water:
Careful plumbing is required and can be anywhere up to your maximum length of pole, look for underwater features such as any shelves or rises as these could be particularly effective at the time we are there, there are certainly under water features in these lakes so take the time to search your swim. Fishing the likes of pellet here is a good choice, TBF responds very well to pellet and you can also make use of fishing at all levels from hard on the deck to just a few inches deep, get your feeding right and you will score well here.
Out of Range Features:
You may not be able to reach a feature at distance likewise others with 16m poles will be the same on a lot of pegs, so methods such as the straight bomb, method, banjo, hybrid, pellet cone or pellet feeder will work the choice is working out which will be best on the day or again through local knowledge to find out which performs best on a more regular basis. Another option is to fish a waggler, something that is often overlooked these days, when most refer to a waggler they automatically think a pellet waggler; this might be the best method but don't discount a standard waggler set up with shy biting F1's this may be the better option, and it will be a case of working out at what depth the fish want to feed.
Snake Type Pools - New, Jenny's, Extension, Club, Canal & High Pools
These are snake type lakes that lend themselves more to the pole angler and this is where a disadvantage could come into play, although there a numerous pegs that are within pole range of 10-11m and some that could be reached with a little longer line and those where other methods could get you a few more fish to keep you in the frame.
Margins:
As already said the margins on any commercial are a good area to target and if you are limited you could try to get these swims to work much quicker and use to your advantage.
Bottom of the Near Slope:
Again another area to target and a very good one at that on snake type lakes, this can quite often be underused by anglers who get drawn to fishing to the far bank features. An area that can win a match all on its own on its day, get your bait choice right and feeding pattern and make full use of this line.
Bottom of the Far Slope:
This is a line that works very similar to the near slope, the only downside is it doesn't get a frequent delivery of free offerings from dropped bait like the near slope, so make full use of this line and feeding by catapult little and often can make this swim feed very well. This will also be on the limit for those with only a short pole so it then becomes one of your main areas to target, you won't go far wrong by fishing pellet here. This can very easily be forgotten during a match by those with longer poles again opting to fish tight over but don't be scared into thinking you can't compete by having this line in your match plan.
Far Bank Features:
Like we have already said you are at a disadvantage but it doesn't mean you can't fish tight over, you can use methods such as bomb, method, banjo etc and a good option is one where you can mask the hook inside the feeder just in case your casting isn't particularly accurate you have more chance of retrieving your rig or even better if it just drops in, use a feeder that offers a good amount of weight so any liners don't pull it away from the bank down the slope. A waggler can be good here too if again you can be accurate with casting and their isn't too much foliage hanging into the water where you can snag your rig, you can feed here all day too even when your not fishing it by using your catapult to keep a steady stream of bait going into the swim. Long lining is also an option something that is hard to hit those shy F1 bites but could be a last option if the likes of a method or bomb are spooking fish, this is where by using a slightly heavier float such as a 4x14 rather than a 4x10 or 4x12 is used and a longer length of line to swing your rig to far bank features if only a meter or so out of pole range.
It's just a guide to help you, you never know you might get a decent angler on the next peg who has a spare pole that might lend it to you which may help you out but if not we hope this article will go to helping you have a great day out with us all.
If you want any further information or secret tips on any of this or other subjects please get in touch with Carl or Emma (Northerners) and Gary or Mark (Southerners) and also make use of other guys and girls within the teams as their is plenty of experience to gain info from.
