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After getting strict orders that we was spending the wk end together from her indoors and knowing that a happy wife = a happy life my only angling was to be on a local club water after work Friday so I could be home bright and early Saturday morning ! Catfish was the quarry and a quick trip to matey boys house and 20mins sat in traffic on the M56 seen us get to the water a little after 6. It’s the small snaggy pool I’d fished a few wks back the walk to the pegs are short and with an on-site toilet it’s a lovely little stress free water perfect to unwind after a long wk in work. We opted for a double peg so first thing was a brew and smoke and decide our plan of action. Two rods was positioned one by a set of lillies and the other placed by hand on the far bank under a snaggy old tree. A couple of kilo of pellet maize hemp and chops all soaked in a fishy liquid 🤢was dumped over my large snowman hook bait Food was made brews brewed and we sat up to around midnight chatting and putting the world to rights (as you do) 🙄After a long day it didn’t take long to doze off and taking a pee around 2am not a beep to either rod and the pool looking pretty lifeless tbh I did hold out much hope for a fish. At around 3am a one toner had me out of my pit and after a spirited 5 min battle this 12,7 was safely in the net. The rod was recast to the same spot and a kilo of pellet dispatched over it as I drifted off to sleep as the dawn chorus started 😎 After a few hours dozing I was lying on my bed sipping a brew thinking bite time was over as the bream and small carp started to show themselves around the pool when at 7am a screaming take had me on the same rod that was recast. Straight away the fish charged down to the opposite end of the lake and no amount of pressure was going to stop it I just simply held on. 3x I got it from round the back of a small island and every time it just charged back round it 🙄🤣 after 15mins the runs it made had slowed down and it sought sanctuary under a tree everything went a bit solid and I was fearing the worse. A change of angle and the rod held high I got something moving around 12inches and said to matey boy it’s either big or I’m bringing in a branch when the rod tip gave a satisfying nod as the fish was still attached. After another little drama when the fish kited left to go under a tree I was pretty much in control by then and got it up on the surface and after a few mins of it wallowing around we tried to net it but it wouldn’t fit in !!! On the second attempt with it half in the net matey boy leaned over grabbed the tail and placed it in the net ! Result ! I let the fish rest for 20mins and to have a rest myself I brewed up had a cig and peered into the net with a huge smile on my face. Weighed and pics we watched her slink back into the water as she swam away casually. It was the biggest fish in the lake the biggest fish I’d ever caught and obviously a new PB cat. My second PB of the week and my 3rd this year !!!! 😎 She went 47,11 on the scales and I sat there with a massive smile on my face.Another mate turned up for bacon buttys and coffee and we started the slow pack down and before we knew it was sat in traffic again as the Saturday day trippers made their way to Wales Her indoors was less than impressed with my smelly clothes and I was ordered to shower and change as she had a few jobs for me to do then an afternoon of family time all done with a massive smile on my face 😬 I know cats ain’t everyone’s cup of tea but the battle/fight they give is amazing and I for one enjoy targeting them. Thanks for reading ! 😬😎🎣

So why do they hold predator competitions through the summer then at Grafham Res and such like? Do as we say not as we do!!!!! World Predator Classic 13th & 14th August Grafham Res? Plus we've seen Zander Pro etc etc all summer sport - what a joke

3 fish this evening in 3 hours, though only one carp, around 7lbs. The other two were tench at around four and one pound each. No photos as fished on light leger gear (8lb line to 4lb hooklink, size 14 barbless), no mat, unhooked in net and returned. Homemade groundbait (vitalin, cornmeal and fishmeal 50/25/25) with 2mm pellets treated with molasses on the 1oz method feeder. A few dead maggots and castors over them. Great fun on light gear.

This lakes been really kind to me, the 8lb was the smallest I’ve had by 10lb. I had the biggest winter 2019, 31lb and ounces.

they do seem to be spooked by people even though there are spots where people feed ducks etc so i may just have to hide

What’s the stock levels like ?

Ive actually started a youtube channel to document how i get on so if any of you are keen to check it out go here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWVxYmwJAyCcZXi1LSMA1Bw?sub_confirmation=1 I dont have any content up at the moment as we are currently being lashed by rain and the river is approaching flood levels. Once it all settles down im going to be posting some footage

I have a 14ft6 boat which i use for saltwater fishing but i have seriously thought about cruizing the river in it looking for spots only acessable by boat.

Thanks i think i will start with that idea... attached is a typical swim on the Waikato. Banks of weed close in then clear on the outside of that, the big fish/all fish seem to cruize on the other side of the weed then come in closer to mill around. You can see a group of them in the photo.

Thanks i have PVA bags to i might give that a go.. the only problem i have with any meat is the eels in the river im pretty sure if i use meat im going to get eels and small catfish plauging me I was thinking of maybe baiting up an area with something cheap and easy like chickpea's from the local Indian food supply store.

Welcome to Carp.com. Every trip is a learning experience, and I'm willing to bet the majority of us get it wrong far more than we get it right, although experience can improve the ratio of getting it right. If you put too much bait in the fish can feed and feed and not even get anywhere near the hookbait. Don't put enough in, they might not feed confidently enough to pick up the hookbait. An ever going circle... The simple answer is put in enough to get them interested, you can always put in more later, but you can't take too much out. It may be cast in a single PVA bag, stringer or mesh, leave it for a couple of hours then top it up. This is my usual starting point. As for rigs, KISS, Keep it simple stupid. Don't confuse yourself with rigs. A simple line aligned, knotless knotted rig will catch most fish going. It is only if you are sure that you are missing takes that you might need to change things. My usual approach with normal bottom baits is look at hookholds: In the edge of the lip, losing fish, not enough feed out there, and/or hair not long enough If the fish is hooked back of the mouth, close to the throat, the fish are preoccupied feeding, hair too long. You may need to 'spook' them, with a short rig and a big lead. Hooked dead centre of bottom lip, hair and feeding spot on.

I have the rather strange distinction of peeing on a certain well known anglers head, Achie Braddock the the worst of me.

My own experience of river carping is about 20 years old now, but may help, so here it is. I used big trout pellets in the margin, and pre-baited for several days before fishing at the same time each evening. If there's a lot of flow halve the pellets so they don't roll. You may need to pre-bait for some days or weeks before the fish are accustomed to finding bait at the same time and place. Hope this helps! I only did this for a few days and caught a twenty pount mirror from our local river (the Gipping). Dissapointingly it didn't even put up much of a fight. Mind you it was in the net in seconds, and I don't hink it knew what happened. Good luck!

Little en has had about a thousand roach n rudd...plus 8lb common Mate nipped to loo (literally behind us)...his rod ripped off 15lb 6oz All quiet so far.

Got home, from zombie sheep lake this morning early as I had to call the water company as they had “noticed an increase in our usage” after explaining that I haven’t installed a hot tub/swimming pool and that I am not holding playboy bunnies pool parties every weekend, (the wife might get annoyed!) they informed me that my daily water usage is 900L a DAY!! I did a few tests they told me to carry out which proved there is a significant leak in the water main feeding my house, so they have to come dig up the road… 🙄🙄 after the shock I felt I better go relax, so went to a local pond to freeline a mixer or 2. Lost a small mirror in the pads after it skilfully transferred my hook from it lip to the nearest stem then caught this little chap. he proper nailed the mixer, it was a forceps job about 1.5” back!

Damn phone! Kept saying “upload failed” so I’ve inadvertently posted 4 pics of a scamp common! Enjoy gents, lol 😆

Blank saving 8lb common, smallest fish in the lake! Lol.

Quick 150 min fish at the club lake. Homemade groundbait. Handcraft hookbaits "Herb" boilie chops The tackle safe is approx 10 inches for scale. 12lb on the nose.

Why choose ? Both stunning 😏 Thanks everyone, here's a different one that you can see the scales a little more on 👍

May was a write off for me angling wise the dreaded 60hr wks kicked in at work and while it may be good for fishing tokens it’s not good for bank time. The 4 day break seen me do a Thursday overnight on a local club water that’s a very small snaggy mixed fishery that also has a handful of cats. Picked up matey boy and a quick trip to the local tackle shop and a leisurely drive to the lake we was up and fishing for dinner time. I had to be home to pick the daughter up from Uni Friday dinner so the plan was to catch whatever swam throughout the day and target the bigger girls through the nite. It was a pleasant day t-shirt weather and silvers,bream and a small carp graced our nets but i lost a decent tench to one of the many snags in this tight little pool. The forecast rain started a bit earlier than hoped so 2 swims was baited heavily with pellet maize hemp and some old salmon trimmings frozen from a few months ago and the lot had a good glug of fish oil and a couple handfuls of krill active hook bait was a 26mm moggy muncher bottom bait and 20mm squid and scopex flouro pop up to a simple size 4 strong hook 35lb coated braid running rig,traps set game on as we retreated to our beds as the rain intensified. The rain carried on but it was a warm still night and the odd beep kept us both awake for the first hour into dark before drifting off to sleep. BEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP a one toner at 1am as line flew off the open spool and I was up in a flash and hanging on as the rod bent double as an angry cat sought sanctuary in a fallen tree. Mate woke up and put his waterproofs on and then proceeded to take the mick for the next 15 mins as I did battle in my t shirt and boxer shorts 🙄 Given how tight and snaggy the pool is id like to say what an epic heart in the mouth battle it was but barring a 10 second drama where everything went solid as it found the fallen tree steady pressure soon got it out and most of the fight was done in open water thankfully as it gave me a great battle and fought every inch to the net 😎 A quick smoke and dry off while the fish rested and it was weighed and pics time 27,7 it went and the third biggest in the pool I’ve been told so I was more than happy with that. Sadly nothing else the rest of the night but after a dry off and fresh clothes i lay on my bed with a big smile on my face still buzzing off the battle and didn’t drop off till 1st light which made me have a very rushed pack up to go and get the daughter 🙄🙄 but thankfully she understands my addiction to fishing and didn’t mind me turning up stinking of fish and the car full of sodden fishing kit 🤣🤣 Think that’s me now till the rivers open as the dreaded work kicks in again so hopefully can get amongst the barbel and chub on The Severn. Thanks for reading. 🙄😎🎣