salokcinnodrog

For me even a 45minute drive before or after work can be a bit much with my shifts. My prebaiting for years has been put the last of my bait before I leave at the end of the weekly trip. For that reason it is nearly all just boilies, unless I have saved a bit of spod mix. At the same time we do all want to catch, even more so if the lake has special fish. I love the lake I'm on, some big commons, and still some uncaught fish, I would dearly love to put one or more of them in the landing net.

The other way is the sliding ring on the shank presentation I like.

Must admit I rarely think of carp sucking in pop-ups, I tend to think they mouth it, then close their mouth and the hook pr icks, as the carp either closes its mouth or tries to eject, so 'closing the gape' doesn't really make any difference. I think bottom bait, including snowman rig mechanics, are totally different to most pop-up rig mechanics. Sucking and blowing rather than mouthing baits. I mean a Withy rig has a totally closed off hook, but was very effective.

That is just the sort of post that makes me smile😊 I know we all have different waters and ideas or opinions, but it is definitely easier to catch fish on 'overstocked' or heavily stocked waters where the carp rely on the angler's baits than a sparsely stocked water rich in natural food where they may not see an angler from day to day.

Welcome to Carp.com Don't over think! Fish waters or a water where you will catch. I know that sounds obvious, but if you are going to sit it out for one big fish then you may well be sitting out and blanking for a long time. You may need to lower your expectations, you aren't going to catch 20 after 20, you may be having to fish for single figure fish. Don't 'faff' with rigs, or bait. A knotless knot (possibly line aligned) rig catches most fish over the latest fashionable rig. Fish your bait to catch, get the carp feeding on it. That may be boilies, or boilies over groundbait or particles. The more you pressure yourself, the harder it gets, the more you go round in circles. Fish to your strengths and find the fish. Don't just turn up and fish the last known producing swim, unless you are sure the fish are there. Don't necessarily pile the bait in, forget piling your spod mix in, a single bait or stringer quietly put in often produces more.

I think you will find yeast is the one non-animal protein that contains every essential amino acid. Look up Marmite...

About 5minutes job, tops. Just unclip the o-ring, slide the old clip out, new one in and replace the o-ring. A small pair of tweezers and a very flat head small screwdriver helps.

I use a Drennan original Boiliepult with a smaller pouch than it comes with. I found a few in the tackle shop and bought them all, but am down to my last one. Think they were Middy pouches. I can get 3 20mm boilies in them. I can push 55metres with a single 20mm, but that is it. If there is any cross or head wind out comes the throwing stick (still got a Cobra Ace). I will use the stick for 4 or 5 baits around 50metres. @yonnymentioned 2 handed use, that is the only way I can use a Korda stick, whereas with the Cobra I can go one handed, and once I have worked/adjusted for the wind, accurately.

Big test curves are for casting, not playing. I've landed numerous carp over 20lb on 1.5lb, even Avon and Barbel rods. Many hooked under my feet on dog biscuits, or sweetcorn. The only reason my main rods are 3.25lb test curve is because I was casting to 150yards. My largest carp was landed on a 2.75 test curve from a venue where I may need to cast further.

I have plastic shark tooth clips on my old Aerlex reels, only broken one and that was when I caught it somehow transporting gear from swim to swim. The line on the rod got tangled up in a bramble and I just yanked it. I have replaced it with a Shimano spare for pennies, it still goes. I just use my thumbnail to put the line under the clip once when I have got the right distance. I actually don't like the round metal clips, the line seems to unclip itself quite easily. Shimano reels for me, although I blanche at the quality of the newer models. My Aerlex's are 15years old and still working

Lovely! Leads on a run ring, can be fished tight or slack line, tight is a bolt rig, totally slack is a running lead. Don't think about using a lead clip running, it will NOT drop the lead. If it is soft clay, find out how far the lead is sinking, and fish longer rigs to cater for it, preferably with a slow sinking hookbait so it doesn't sink in too far. Clay is often quite firm though, although carp can dig holes to get to food, which sometimes get filled in with soft sediment, leaves and silt.

Years ago back in the early 1990's it was known as Lyng Easthaugh pits and had a head of proper big old scaly carp over 30lb, real fish. When it was bought and stocked with the Dutch and Belgian commons I promised never to go back there. There were a number of Norfolk waters with those wary big old scaly's, Booton Clay Pit was another and Geens pit near Shropham. I believe they came from Redmire spawn and fry as in the 1970's some over spawning years saw Redmire fish come all the way over to Norfolk.

I haven't managed a fish out of the syndicate yet, although I'm learning the lake. Last trip I noticed a lovely spot between the trees, although it is only 4ft deep. I had a good check, and although a difficult cast it is manageable, and you have to be on the money not to be in the weed. It might be ignored by other members as the bank is high and precarious. Bream love pellets and groundbait, and I found even using tiger nuts, if you have any groundbait in the swim, they will take them. Just keep working and learning.

I should have mentioned on this, I do use strong braid mainline. Pike fishing you want your gear to be heavy enough to land every fish hooked, with absolutely no break-offs or fish trailing hook traces. Unlike carp, pike can't eject hook traces (but can some lures) if you get snapped off. Where I mention having a permanent sinker on the uptrace, it is because I will land what I hook.

I know you have stipulated Cambridgeshire area but is Norfolk out of the question, even Suffolk? I don't know much about Taverham Mills any more, fish wise, but I did breakdown almost every swim on there in a post on here. You paid your money, chose your swim, no swim booking and could move if need be. The other option I was thinking of is Suffolk Water Park Traditional lake. You may have to book an individual swim, I am not sure, but there are definitely some good fish in there. I hate being stuck in one swim, if the fish aren't there I do want to be able to move onto them

I used to do that on Brackens. The 3rd rod was already baited, with a stringer nearby, so I could quickly recast after a fish. It's one reason I don't always clip up, and go by 'cast memory'. Even so it is rare for me to overcast into a tree or onto the far bank, and I can feather it down if I feel it was too hard.

For a 3.25lb test curve rod, I use either 3 or 3.5 oz leads, and always the same on any trip. Basically I work out which one I need to get the distance I require on my furthest cast. At the moment the longest I can cast due to the weed is 50metres, so I'm using 3's. If I need to cast further, 3.5's cast maximum distance on my rods. If I'm fishing closer-in with my Specialist rods, maximum lead will be 2oz.

1, 2, or 3 One is sometimes enough, two might be water limit, or 3 if allowed and the swim is suitable

Potato salad... 😅 Try using a free running rig ring on the shank instead and tie the (pop-up) bait on. Thats pretty much my choice for snowman or pop up set-ups, and sometimes bottom baits. You get more freedom of movement, and to some extent, even with bottom baits, it resets, or can be taken, after a missed take.

Problem was match angler's don't always go with the same care train of thought as specimen hunters

Various! Past few years I have been fishing my big fish waters with double 20mm boilies or a 20 and a 15mm on a snowman on my bottom bait rigs. My pop-ups were, in fact are 20mm homemade specials. My runs water is boilies from 8-15mm. On Earith I used 12mm boilie sausage cut into discs as well as 15mm boilies.

The lake I'm fishing is a mix of silt and weed, very few hard areas other than a Causeway through the middle of it. There are two types of silt, under the trees, (basically one end) there is black smelly silt, the rest is sandy coloured. I have waded out into it, (most of the lake is no deeper than chesties) you can see or step into, fish cleared deeper holes, they will dig into it for food. A day after wading out, you can see your trails from the previous walk. Hemp sits on top, or just slightly under the top, yet I think boilies can sink in. I have not yet seen a boilie the day after putting them in, even by hand. I do not know if this is fish (very few silvers) or sinking in, but I think it's them gradually sinking into silt. I have not found any problems with 3oz leads plugging, and sticking, you can reel in with no issues, unless you hit weed. I don't pull the lead back on any lakebed. I may feel it down, but never pull back.

Not sure if it goes back to the days of Relum, but Hutchy gear has had the reputation of being good gear. I have had various RH bits of tackle, bivvies, rods and reels and it is good stuff. I would say though, compared to modern unhooking mats that one does look a bit thin, with no sides. Mind you, the bubble foam balls in beanie mats get compressed and become useless. That one I think is sponge foam inner

I went through a series of hookpulls years ago on Fox Series 2's in size 6 and 8. During the fight the hook was opening out enough to pull free, and then springing back into shape. It was only when one stayed 'straight' that I figured what was happening. The fish were fighting very hard, in a silty water, from the off, normally hooked close to the rods. My usual course of action on hookpulls is to lengthen the hair, working on my theory; Hooked at the extreme edge of the mouth/lip, getting hookpulls then lengthen the hair. Hooked deep down in the mouth shorten the hair. Dead centre of the lip, perfick. While this is all well and good, sometimes simply increasing the amount of free bait around the hookbait can also improve your hookholds.

I eat plenty of garlic, and rarely notice getting bitten, only the occasional, but I do hate the buzz when the darn things are about. I have a mozzie front for my bivvies, and its not just a thin mesh, it is thick enough to prevent seeing through it, although the further away you are from it, inside, the better. I end up either with front section on or off. (I haven't put the front section on the Hybrid Cabrio yet), and just resort to the Skin so Soft.