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Finally got out and caught one this weekend. Got to the lake Saturday lunchtime to find only one other on. Had a look around in the island half of the lake and as usual found a few mooching about. It was really weedy everywhere so I continued walking, looking at the bigger end of the lake I just thought it looked good, whilst it was still very weedy. I got the plumbing rod out to look for a spot I used to know. It still existed a bit but was a lot smaller. Did quite a lot of leading about and didn't find a lot else so raked a spot close in for a 3rd rod, one mountain of weed later it was done, flicked in a load of pellets to let the Rudd go to work, I stuck a rig on it straight away but a couple of hours and it had stunk out my pineapple pop up. Continued baiting it and left it for the morning. 2 rods went out to the bank of pads and weed onto a plateau baited with a good few spombs of boilie and pellet mix and just chucked the 3rd onto another clear spot I had found in the other side margin. Nothing much happened until I was asleep and about 2am I had a series of beeps and line was being taken so I hit it and instantly it was weeded up, it came in like a big ball of weed for a while when it got free of that went nuts and found another weedbed, this continued for a while and I just kept trying to gain line, until it got to the weed In front of the swim I tried and failed to get it round the side and it locked me up solid. In the end my only hope was putting the rod down. Luckily after a vape I picked it up and it came free I ended up landing it and a free ball of weed. Couldn't find my tripod, or water bucket, and my intervalometer batteries were dead so had to find some more of those. Luckily I could use a picnic bench that was in the swim as a tripod. Not the greatest photo but at 3am it was the best I could manage. 31lb 3oz of hard earnt carp. I also lost one to my line parting (happened straight away off a drop back) , caught a massive rudd on a size 4 pop up I had a couple of what I thought were liners because my raked spot was fizzing, sadly no takes because of the Rudd, and I also had a pretty big tench with weed ball also on a pop up.bith slipped back because I needed a nap, The trig hammer XT got a big test and passed with flying colours. I had a little nap and came home a happy but tired and achey man. These were the biscuit of the week in my world, they came alive when you dunked them. And pink what's not to love.

A 29lb 5oz mirror on Friday evening. I had 3 rods about a rod length from an island but saw 3 shows really close and so lengthened the cast to a really shallow spot. Did a 54 hour stint and that was it and didn't hear of any other fish coming out. Strange as Saturday conditions were perfect as the temperature rose a bit and a pretty strong Southerly wind picked up and chopped up the water.

My son has been trying to catch a carp from the park lake for 11 months. (Doesn’t help it’s a tricky water, he’s only been able to do weekend days, taking whatever swim is left and to top it off, I had the 3 out the other night while he blanked) Today he finally had the bite he’s been dreaming of all this time that photo says it all I think… 18lb 8oz (whilst wearing my lucky fox hoodie…) caught on a home made premier superaminos boilie with shellfish sense appeals and belachan. Freebies were 12millers that I rolled. My little girl rolled some 25-30mil baits from the scrap ends, he caught it on one of those! buzzing, when it hit the net, we both screamed for joy! That’s what this game is all about, that buzz

Thought we were in for some bites over the weekend with some favourable conditions at last. Only fish seen were in a section with no swims between points - absolutely choked with weed. Plotted up nearby in whats become the usual swims for a little while now - 6 weekends. Changed back to pop-ups but rained the baiting right back to just a few boilies with the catapult. 10pm a decent one clatters out in my water, we both hear it and think game on. But as usual that was all the activity all weekend, what a kick in the nuts! Think the fish was just telling us he was off somewhere 🤣 Plus points - bivvy pegs are good and seen dear on the island again - sorry for the phone pic.

Couldn't get the swim I wanted, busy bank holiday weekend, hopefully bait it when he's gone. Done a bit of cutting back as usual and this swim will certainly do for now ❤️

Did a quick overnighter on the park lake last night as my current seasons tally stands at: nights fished: 1 days fished: 2 carp: 0 I’m still sat under the oval winding down the last few hours of the session. September being my favourite month for carping, l felt o needed to get on the score board for this season. This one went 23lb

34lb 10oz mirror

Sacked off an overnighter with my youngest, we didn't fancy packing up in the rain. Went to a little farm lake instead for a few little ones. He caught his new pb log.

Conditions were next level by me last night.... had me standing by the window wishing I was on the bank!

22lb mirror, bring it on September!

Quick 3hr session this afternoon produced this nice common

They feel like a miracle at the mo tbh too few and far between, must do better, 2nd proper season fishing just this lake, 4th year on the complex and still dont know where they go overnight and indeed whether they feed at night with the weed growth? I have seen some dawn showing but when you move onto it the next day and next trip not a sausage showing, no pattern other than the assumption they're doing laps through the day. Few sessions ago a few of us had 4 hours of showing fish over our traps and no bites whatsoever, so bizarre - never happened since - like what?!?! Where they eating naturals that were on the baited patches? I know exactly when and where the 2 main targets get caught from in spring (ones now dead) but the behaviours outside of that are a mystery and noone has really sussed it - certainly testing me to the limit but I love it thankfully. Lots to keep you busy 👍 Do it while you're able to hey - to the max, one lap exceeds my daily step target so small wins! 💪🤣

Iv had a run in with a deliver bike he must have been going 20mph he skidded to a stop and we both went down, sadly I lost my balance as I got up and stood on his front wheel damaging the spokes then would you believe it trying to untangle my foot I stepped on the back wheel 🫢

the boys rods out on the spots

Snide rod in the boat??? 😎

Mate, it went right off, decent nights angling 👍🏻

the rods out on last nights session, the calm before the carpy storm

5 x 3oz leads, pack of size 6 ESP claw hammer barbless hooks, pack of small fox shrink tube, pack of ESP streamliner sleeves, pack of ESP splicing needles, 3kg prepared hemp

I agree, everyone should have a dog full stop - brilliant little mates to have around 👍

Great shot. If you look closely at his eyes you can tell he thinks he's spotted one 😅

Jack looking fab, Waterside Fishery, back in spring - keeping an eye on the snags for me ❤️

View left side of the swim Sunday morning, glad I opened it up 👌

Even if we did save the cash and became millionaires, what would the first thing we would buy?? a carp lake… you know it makes sense!

Don’t forget the carp anglers prayer… “dear lord, when I die, please don’t let the wife sell my carp gear for the price i told her I paid for it”

Ages ago I decided to calculate my annual spend on carp fishing. I took into account tickets (of which I had a few back then), bait, tackle, petrol, France trip etc etc.... I had to stop counting the figure got so high. It was eye watering. I decided I didn't want to know! 100%😅

If it wasn't for fishing we would all be millionaires

XXX Wafters, hard hookers, 2ltr Hemp Oil, 2ltr Bait booster and 25k hallibut pellets mixed sizes. Think the pellets were cheaper than going to the big boys as free delivery and the bulk suppliers are not. Was gonna buy 50k earlier in the year but the price with delivery put me right off tbh but can't be avoided forever as only got about 5k pellet left. 🤷‍♂️ This fishing lark doesn't half cost some money it seems never ending tbh

They'll go for the easiest target for maximum reward so the birdlife may well be doing you a favour mate. Interestingly, at Denton you'd tend to only get a couple of carp taken in winter as they're all sat in the middle 250 yards from the nearest bank - difficult for Mr Otter to take. Then, in spring when carp start to gather for spawning in the shallows the otters would be back and you'd see a flurry of kills. Easy pickings innit. The issue where you are is the island on the big lake..... the bailiffs used to go over there and find corpse after corpse after corpse 😔. Not sure if they still check?

Indeed mate lots of prep time and fairly costly granted - final tally 340k including liquids, but this is Parco and as he's been about 10 times prob knows it better than anyone tbh I'd love a 2 week trip somewhere - proper chilled with the security of a 2nd week should the first be rubbish.

10kg of premier superaminos base mix arrived today 👍🏻

I am mate, I only needed a couple, plus I’ve known this particular tackle shop owner for 25+yrs and he’s been very good with sorting out kit at decent prices, I only paid £1 a lead. I like to give him my custom as much as I can

To celebrate my latest blank I just bought 20 3.5oz dumpy distance leads and 20 micro hook swivels.

That's my view from earlier. I've seen some, I am a little bit confident.

Yeah tried that looked great but no bites, also tried real snail meat popped up inside a real snail shell - looked MEGA - no bites! 🤣 I do think anything like that will work and well - my attempts were just wrong time and place. I like the idea of small deadbaits tbh for the busy waters that see it all I will be trying that at some point, the dog has dried sprats that look good and I have a big bag of small roach in the freezer. I'm changing my approach for a while from tonight - back to pop-ups and sticking baits out (small amount), think it is the baiting that is wrong not the rig - fishing for single passing fish not big groups the baiting is just too much.

Tbh most people just think you are an idiot for making that much disturbance, if you can do it without being spotted it does help though. But most people tend to be doing their own thing and slaves to other swims, so you can get away with it to some degree. Pellets are good for spot clearing as they tend to suck up the smelly silt once you have raked and make your spot smell like it's been shake n vac'd, it's all you have to do.........

I love these pegs already, the carbon insert is a perfect fit and my mate screwed one straight into my rock hard lawn no probs last night. No more untangling dogs from pegs, after 15 years of doing that I deserve the rest!

I managed to break the blank spell yesterday and got not one but a pair of nice mirror carp, this was on Aireys pool, the middle size pool on the complex, 1st fish came pretty soon after setting up using very light tackle (new Adventa river ambush 7ft 1.75 lb rod and 4000 size mini freespool) this was on corus nut cluster 15mm boilie and a proper one tone solid run 12 3/4 lb second later in day was a charming 9.8lb scrapper on a Mulbz 12mm pop up bait, well chuffed, the first fish had a couple of sore looking lightly lifted scales so a good dose of Propolis !!!Yes i really do need a good hair cut lol!!!

I reckon he will catch it before we do too 😂

He's great lol Follows me up trees - out over the water and everything, then remembers every climbing tree and looking spot on our laps and pulls me towards them. he also thinks every car in the world is mine and tries to get in each to go home lol Not as interested in the waterfowl as George was but still barks if someone goes past or enters the swim 👍

Haven't used hemp seed for a few years now, became to expensive and quality seemed to drop too. I am now using my own spomb mix, over method feeders, was very impressed how the buckwheat 'resembled' large hemp seed when cooked, might be worth a try for others on here?

Rig marole Camh20 25lb for booms 2 packs of trig hammer xt size 4 Gardner camflex leader Marker leads And some mainline fruit Smart liquid.

You would have thought a peg should be able to do its job without thinking about it kind of like that picture they could use a set of wings or prongs like a fork on the top part of it that you can stand on at the end to give it a final push home once wound in as an added bit of security. there ya go kev a proper bit of development that will keep the company afloat a while longer

Thanks, was pleased with this one because it came from an area of the lake that had always beaten me for some reason. Something to build on now. Thanks I enjoyed both and the pack of custard doughnuts. I was proper lazy with food this week, brioche rolls, burgers at night, bacon in the morning, biscuits and doughnuts 🤣

When I was 19 a v large water near me came up for sale at 40k. I pleaded with the bank to lend me the money and of course they just laughed at me. Ten years later it was sold again for more than a million. I still haven't forgiven the bank 🤣

Still can’t decide if that saying is the correct way around or not location bait and presentation ?? there’s a future topic lol

No it's a big van and that's a lot of weight, the guy who's van it is will take a 10th of that amount and catch barely anything but he's not serious at all whereas my mate will spod night and day and smash it if conditions are good, he's a machine when need is must. Travelling to Belgium this year in my car and taking 20k of boilies each that's it anything more is banned by me - buy pellets etc there if needed. The only place I would want to take 150k plus a week is for Parco, very few places are like that, although it's not what it was a few years ago.

Yes mate, roll all my own bottom baits and cork ball pop ups, I was gutted when I saw his post on the website saying that he was retiring! Got my own boilie mix down pat, I’m so confident using it, I can take it anywhere and not have to worry if the bait will work, one less thing to worry about! premier superaminos base, premier cream palatant, haiths robin red (gotta be haiths original!) egg albumin, premier shellfish sense appeals, hutchie regular sense appeals (new one not a patch on the original) and CC Moore belachan flavour. Been doing the business for me, I used to use the richworth boiled ham flavouring or hutchie mixed herbs, but I’ve long ran out and can’t find any anywhere! So went for the sense appeals and they’ve proved just as effective. god knows what I’ll do when premier pack up and retire for good, what basemix will come close to this proper classic?

Bought a set of the Jag ones, it is your fault Elmo but they look great and the cross bar slides out so no more dog cable getting caught around them every 5 mins so worth it for that alone 👍

Buckwheat has very low oil content and in my mind its the oil content that in hemp that makes it so good. Buckwheat to bulk out a particle mix yes but not to replace hemp , for me anyway.

There was a low 20 in a little complex I was a member of,it was the biggest in the lake ..sadly it got dropped and landed side on ,on a scaffold pole, on a bordered a bark swim ..we all thought it was going to die ,injuries were awful ..but on advice it was put in a salt bath and survived and grew .. The amount of Carp I've caught with predation damage is unreal ,and yet as long as the fish actually survives ,regeneration can occur ..here a pic of my first fish from a little water ,its clearly been munched at some point ,and has started to grow back.. I guess I'm trying to say carp are proper tough creatures.