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100 % I even said at the time ... that was definitely a fish I couldn't of caught , plus the other takes you had . Most of my fishing these days is exclusive bookings with mates .... normally 4 of us . Its split 50/50 with 2 of us not using bait boats & 2 that do . From my experience & all the info gathered between us over the past decade or so . A bait boat will only catch you more fish if you know what your doing in the first place . & can be an awesome bit of kit . If your a noddy your still be a noddy just with a bait boat 😁 Regarding certain comments about having more skills etc .... you could spin that around & say an angler with a bait boat & all the sonar etc & knows how to use it, has developed more skills .

Gotta replace my Shimano Spod reel it's almost ceased up 3 times now, difficult or impossible to turn the handle, but you can manually turn the front and it isn't old by any means, really disappointed in it tbh My mates replacing his too as he's now expecting future trouble with it and has read other complaints online. Seems they have lesser internals than the fishing reels. For me it's like there's no grease in there and no local people doing servicing any more. Will try to service myself and keep as a spare. Think we're getting XTB's or something 200 each new, un-used but second hand that he's found online. It's the most important set-up, I cast that more than anything every trip, so an upgrade seems sensible but an unexpected expense 👎 Money that I could be spending on go faster stripes for my baitboat lol - only kidding 🤣

They do do that, and I find quite often too, apparently you can remove the thing that makes it happen, but I haven't got round to it yet but I wouldn't buy another one when this one dies.

We are going for the fishing reels expecting better quality internal components but you lose a little bit of retrieve speed. Will let you know what I get. 👍

Plus if a boat is good enough for the Hearn then it’s good enough for anyone lol

It really doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks your fishing and how you choose to angle for them is your choice alone i have a bait boat and have never used it in England, mainly because the waters I fish do not allow them. that means I still have to be able to cast and feature find so it will never be a forgotten part of fishing for me some of the day tickets I fish you will be on a loser if you don’t use them I just choose not to.simply,because to me my fishing isnt a numbers game couldn’t think of anything worse than fishing the Tom maker style 50 fish a day would be so boring to me…

Thanks very much , Kev. At the moment I have one rod with a Ronnie , and the other with a multi rig so I can try different hook patterns ; the pattern I'm trying at the moment is a ESP Grip Rigger which has an out turned eye .

Probably change to a coated braid straight through then? Stripped hair The Korda Dark Matter sinking braid is a thick material for hooklinks especially in 25lb - not a thin braid that cuts like whiplash 👍

Hello Kev Could you describe your pop-up rig please , or do you prefer not to say ? . I use pop-ups exclusively , and all the Carp I catch are hooked in the scissors ; that's using a Ronnie Rig with a Gardner Mugga Sz. 6 . Like Kindfisher I'm keen to hook the Carp I catch in the tougher , less inclined to damage lips rather than the scissors . 😃

Yeh, that's the 1 👍

If I can, I'll always use a curved Krank hook. On the rare occasion I catch a fish, it's always nailed center of the bottom lip. I found similar similar issyes with unusual hook holds with the straight shanked hooks. That's on combi or stiff rigs.

Use an efficient pop-up rig, my hook holds since using these almost exclusively have been bang on, normally dead centre of the bottom lip and a fair way in. Very few hooked in the scissors, cant remember any tbh, must have been a few, but nailed proper. Its the first thing i noticed when trying the rig and the reason I've stuck with it since. Also no slippage that I can remember. 👍 Used to use a blowback rig with rig ring, bottom baits, wafters or snowmen, caught lots, but hook holds were more random and lost more. When its not nailed on the pickup I guess it pulls into the scissors as it tightens it up whilst moving off.

Not this one is it? So many versions ive not got a clue. the offending item 👆

Nick your just fishing the obvious spots in that swim lol .... fallen tree trunk / lillies/ gullies/ gravel bar / back water channel / sounds good to me where do we sign up 😁

I was thinking changing Spod Reel too, looking at the Aerlex XTB but heard a few people say the Bailarm sometimes closes mid cast and causes crack offs

Yesterday thawed about about 3kg Particle for tomorrow, added the A Force Liquid to it for attraction.....question is to Spod or Boat out 🤔🤔🤔 Gonna look at the Park Lake 1st, but only 6 fishable pegs on there, and with the weather tomorrow n weekend, I think will be full (this lake would be boat job), then 2nd is the club lake (more or less guaranteed bites, but small ens) Spodding place this.

I think with a sonar feature finding becomes even more important tbh as you can really find some different spots, there are always the ones in most swims you can tell everyone uses because they are firm and large finding the smaller ones where you have seen them fizzing I've found to be the holy grail this year, I've found a few like this that aren't clear but with a bit of prebaiting become small but mighty dinner plates. One of the lakes I can fish I once caught 10 in 24 hours, I've not fished it since was exhausting 😂 I think the key is enjoyment, I am always the first to congratulate people when they catch a good one, whatever method you are using it's usually taken a lot of effort or some good angling. Some people have time, I just try and do the best with the time I have, and I like to make the most of it. 👍

Quite enjoy using a spomb, some of reservoirs I fish I'll be putting 5kg+ of boilie out every 24 hours, even more if I'm using particles 🤣 I'm sure sometimes that spomb hitting the water is like a dinner bell because I've had quite a few takes while I'm baiting up 🤔🤣

You have to remember I also don't get the luxury of fishing a week Infact I've only had one 48 hour session this year bar the social and I had the kids and dog with me. Normally I get there sometime in the afternoon and pack up in the morning. Time isn't a luxury I possess, I basically get to fit in where I can and try and make it count. That's when the boat and deeper comes in very handy, as constant leading and spombing would spoil most of the chances before I even got them. Like I've said I still largely check spots with a lead or marker I just don't have to cast 50 times to find them. and I always feel for a drop even from the boat. Other boat advantages include being able to bait very tight and very heavy and very quickly. I can drop off 3kg of bait on a literal dustbin lid, to spod that much, fatigue might set in and one or two might go astray and that may take slightly longer to get a bite. Sometimes I will make a sweet spot in the middle of a wider spread of bait, kind of like a bullseye with all roads leading to it. There is so much you can actually do with one. something else I do is bait tight to a marker with it and then put a rod either side on the edges. I like to cast these as its less of a faff and quite satisfying. Prebaiting with a boat, gamechanger, chances are you will get noticed spombing out kilos of bait and also it takes ages, 1 bucket of bait in a boat is probably 3 trips out and you have quickly prepped for next time (accurately) and with discretion even in the dead of night. I never used to like boats either, but now I can really see the advantage,sometimes it's good to move with the times a little and I'm still only scratching the surface with what it can do.

Spooled this morning... Taken 2 weeks to deliver 🙄🙄

My old 36" landing net got chewed by rats a good few years ago and I replaced the arms and net to a 42". Unfortunately I went cheap and got some plastic arms that sagged every time I went to lift a fish. Finally bit the bullet and bought a Trakker T3. Although I have got a bivvy, I still prefer the speed and convenience of a brolly system. The ground sheet is a half size which is OK in the summer but with an overwrap being used in the colder and wetter months, the front area could be a bit of a quagmire. I've got the extra large which is 1300 x 650 mm which should be ample. I did try a couple of old rubber car mats out last time but they were heavy and dug into the ground and took a lot of washing off when I got home. Well it is my birthday coming up soon and all the family don't know what to buy me so I've made it easy for them!

Well mines been a pain since day one or every time it rains seemingly 👎 My fishing reels, shimmy lc big pit baitrunners are faultless and will not miss a beat, only serviced twice in over 20 years. They dont make them like that anymore.

Just getting it out to take that pic and water came out from here - see below: