popped up query

[Gonk]

hey up,

question on uptraces and popped up baits.

You cast out and it all gets feathered down so it all lands in the same whole (sometimes), with the bait popped up surely it puts it right next to the uptrace or do i draw it back a little bit to pull the weight away from the bait. I currently fish with a slack line so the float sits above the weight, or do i need to fish a tight line to pull the float towards me a little????

cheers in advance,

John

[markyboy]

If its popped up it will be away from the uptrace

[The predator]

Feathering will separate the bait from the weight when it first hits the water but since the weight sinks relatively rapidly, the bait will fall above the weight on the descent. I pull in a foot or so as soon as the weight hits the bottom.
As Mark says, if it is popped up, it will not be so much of a problem.
Certainly tighten up to the float too. This pulls the line between the float and the weight away from the popped up bait and gives less slack line.

[Gonk]

Sorry but should have said - i was using those fox egg sinkers and not a paternoster, or would a peternoster always work better when putting the weight on the bottom of the river/lake???



(cant tell i have been out drowning a deadbait today and not catching and then the brain asks why not)

[The predator]

There aint no hard and fast rules except one....if you aint catching.....change something. Keep ringing the changes.

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

Sorry but should have said - i was using those fox egg sinkers and not a paternoster, or would a peternoster always work better when putting the weight on the bottom of the river/lake???



(cant tell i have been out drowning a deadbait today and not catching and then the brain asks why not)

Yes I think it would and was about to say, but then you did .
Generally you do not need to use an up trace when deadbaiting and you generally do when livebaiting.
The main difference is that the bait when live can move over to you main line and so the need for an uptrace arises.
When ledgering a popped up live 18-24 inches off the bottom, if enough pop up material or sub float is used then you will not need an up trace unless you are fishing close in when the line comes up steeply from the bottom, in this case a sunk float paternoster would be the better choice.
At times an uptrace is essential when dead baiting as it would be if fishing in a upstream situation in a river, after the lead touches down, the bait and line will both drop directly down stream of the lead and create a potential bite off.
I changed what I was writing then and put "upstream situation", this is because if you are fishing a river with a relatively heavy flow such as the Trent, to hold bottom across the flow a bow of line needs to form and so even if you line appears to suggest you are fishing down stream, in fact you rig is still fishing in the "upstream situation".
So to make life easier it often pays to fish all rods down stream and at least one close in to keep them apart and the margins should never be ignored .
Some folk always use uptraces, some only when using live fish and it still surprises how many experience anglers use pike rigs that are mechanically unsound, for example, using an uptrace on a paternoster, what wrong with that you think, well nothing until you attach the paternoster link to the top of the uptrace rather than where the two traces meet!
As said elsewhere, when pondering rig mechanics it is really so very helpful to draw them on some A4 paper and as near as you can to scale, include any flow into the equation, you will realise a lot and has even inspired me to invent a few (not necessary original) rigs of my own.
Lastly drop you chosen rig in the margin and and see how it performs in the angling situation, clearish water obviously helps as I hope I have?

Cheers Alan

[Gonk]

Alan you have indeed, as have the pred and Mark. Thankyou.

Todays job in a bit is to change both rods to proper rigs.

Thinking more the paternoster float set up will be a lot more flexible as well in fishing situations.

Can you get banned for asking to many questions?

You will be relieved Mark (bro) is back to daylight working hours in a fortnight

Once again gentlemen i thank you

[The predator]

What a nice man.

[markyboy]

Alan you have indeed, as have the pred and Mark. Thankyou.

Todays job in a bit is to change both rods to proper rigs.

Thinking more the paternoster float set up will be a lot more flexible as well in fishing situations.

Can you get banned for asking to many questions?

You will be relieved Mark (bro) is back to daylight working hours in a fortnight

Once again gentlemen i thank you

Nope, we're all here for each other