Uptiding

[mark]

a few folks seem to have a go 'uptiding' at this time of year, boat anchored and cast away from the boat.

might seem an odd question but why??

I've read something about noise from the slapping of the hull and such like, but as sound carries a huge distance under water, does it make a difference being 80 yards from the boat

I would of though using the finder to find the right bit of ground, move forward, dropping the hook and then drifting back till your held over the ground, would be just as good, maybe drop a weighted bag of ground bait on a line down next to you??

If you cast uptide as it suggests, then drift back, surely with a 1 or 2 knot drift, by the time the lead hits the sea bed you'll have drifted right on top of it??

maybe I'm just being a bit dim!

[davem2005]

Mark,

Uptiding was developed by Mr Coppello on the thames. The theory is that fish swim up tide and seperate round the boat as the noise is unusual. Fine theory and there is no doubt that uptiding works but you also need to look at it another way.

By having six or eight rods casting out the side on a charter you get more room for anglers at anchor. Less tangles ...more fish. At the best most boats fit 4 rods comfortably out the back so uptiding spreads the baits and increases catches.

Whenever at anchor I alway drop a rod over the back and drift it back with very light leads. It means you have to swap leads regularly to just keep your bait down and letting it drop back 200 yards is not unusual. Go lighter as the tide drops...2oz is not unusual, and heavier as it picks up. It covers the ground and catches fish. While you are doing this another rod can be chucked out the side on even the smallest boat.

Uptiding works best in depths of under 100 ft.

Cheers
Dave

[Kentish Bassman]

Uptiding really does work well in shallow waters. I used to fish a lot on boats out of Ramsgate where we would head off to the Goodwin Sands. This area is well known for the large bass and rays that feed well on the vast shoals of sandeel that are always present on the sands and uptiding would usually produce more fish than traditional downtide methods. I have caught thornbacks up to 16lb and bass to 12lb uptiding and it is by far the most successful method for catching the huge tope that congregate off the Kent and Essex coastline. I haven`t tried uptiding off the Northumbrian coast yet but it is something I hope to be doing soon.