Leaderboard

3 night blank on Swan Lake last week - Weds to Sat - arrived at about 10am Was at the right end (back of the wind - wide end) and in a swim that had done fish off the surface days before so felt super confident. Whilst setting up the fish were in front of me right up in the water, felt quite warm and sunny. Didn't bring floater rod (utter noddy) so 2 on adjustable zigs - different depths different colours - no takes, lots of adjustments. 1st night I moved the 2 adjustables right out into the middle following the shows and brought the depths down as the temp dropped. The 3rd rod was a bottom presentation - a lightly baited trap to the left of the swim which is nearest to the shallower water - causeway bank but still in 15 feet. I also baited the middle rod with the mindset that I may change to a bottom presentation at some point if it looked on. 11pm a take on the middle rod (zig) - bend into a fish and seconds later it's off - I reel in another zig - so it was a trailer - got the heart going. 2nd morning - it looked as though I had a fish on both baited patches - though it's hard to tell exactly at distance, but I felt confident all the same. Lad next to me (left) in the causeway swim had a 20 common (only fish out) from his right rod at 08:45 off the bottom - which would be his deepest rod - so that gave me more confidence for my left rod. I gave it right until about 2pm before the rods came in and I walked the dog, had lunch etc. 2nd evening the middle rod was changed to the bottom with a different presentation and both spots were topped up a little. Right rod still on the adjustable but lower overnight than the night before as it had been cold all day, I'd seen much less activity but still felt that I was at the right end of the lake and in a good swim - although it was now freezing. 3rd morning- no activity on the spots its freezing cold all day, lad to my left has a mid 30 common on his left rod at about 9:30 whilst packing up - his shallowest rod by far from a reed bed along the causeway. This now puts me in a panic for the last night, I've got nothing shallower than 15 feet and feel like I won't catch off the bottom - furthermore they don't seem interested in any depth or colour of zig. I decide to stay put for the last night - knowing it looks like a blank, reel in and walk the dog mid afternoon. Passing an empty swim on the causeway of Sandmartin Lake I go for a look, it's absolutely freezing facing the wind, just wanted to see the swim. To my amazement I see about 15 shows about 20 yards out in front of me in this empty swim - doing the total opposite to the Swan lake fish!!! I watch for a while - some nice low 20's - dark looking cracking fish. But then just as I'm about to leave I spot a huge common roll in the margin to my left - is it the 50? The swim to my left has been closed and I stand in there and there is a lovely looking clear strip in the margin just 8 yards from where I saw the common. So now I'm running back to get a bucket 🤣 so much for staying up. The last night was spent on Sandmartin - a margin rod left and right and the adjustable 20 yards out - sadly I don't think the fish came back and when a new arrival started crashing leads into my water that spelt the end of the session and time for home. Last trip till winter onto pastures new - can't wait. What have I learnt: Floater rod from March onwards just in case you hit a freak warn spell Going from a week of warm to a week of freezing it has taken 5-6 days for the fish to adjust and start feeding again - the main targets have both just been out in the 50lb bracket the following week, so I was days out with the timing of the session again. So hard when you just have to book weeks in advance and hope. So the more settled the weather the better in April it seems. Hate April

Winter in western Kansas is lasting too long, but the sunsets are pretty.

Totally agree this warm then cold weather has definitely made catching much harder. After my common I haven't seen another fish in the area, they just seem to be picking up the occasional bait, not feeding properly. A few fish have been out though, one of the 2019 20lb stock fish has made 30lb, and some of the 2021 December stock fish have come out at least 2lb heavier than stocked.

I was looking at 1 of these not so long back... I'm using the SKTek Armchair -(when on my own) and the SKTek Recliner Armchair (when the lad comes).... Both are quite padded and comfy.

One from a few years ago.

The sightings on the water I fish are very, very ziggy already. The place hasn't done a bite off the deck in 3 weeks now. Although it's not done a bite on zigs either like.....🤣

I had one of them I broke it 😳