salokcinnodrog

this is my sons pb mirror that went 29lb - we were doing a night in a double swim, fishing identical baits, rigs, etc to a reedbed off an island. My son had 8 that night, topped by this otherwise unknown mirror. 
 
I blanked! 
he’s just done a new pb common of 26lb 5oz this week. 

It does also work with liquidised liver.
I made these for barbel and chub when the river season reopens

It will work with liquidised fish.
 
If you use it as it stands for a 50/50 or basic base mix you may need to add semolina.

A productive afternoon making bait, with a base mix that is available without visiting a tackle shop. Even better I picked it up at a bargain price of 45pence for the main base.
Chapati flour, liver powder, mackerel and herring meal (animal feed store) and eggs

I did originally post to ask, but then looked at your profile which has it on, so deleted the post.
 
 

So I started this thread while on my winter ticket to try learn about when to be on the wind and when to be off of it. Just got back from my last session on the lake with a smile on my face as I managed 3 fish. It’s clear to say at this time of year on this lake with weather conditions as they were the fish were definitely on the wind and it was proper windy. I didn’t enjoy sitting in my bivvy on the end of the wind scared that it was gonna take off at any point! I honestly had about an hours sleep each night and had to down 2 red bulls just to stay sane on the drive home as I was spaced out hallucinating cars coming at me when they were actually miles away from me 🥴I pictured being dragged into the lake stuck inside my inner capsule even though the wind was hammering the other way so it was unlikely but it seemed to be blowing all directions and at the time I am not afraid to say I was scared ########. 
considering the average size of the fish in the lake I was unfortunate to catch a few of the smaller ones but I’m not complaining next year I might hook into one of the monsters that reside in there. Here’s a couple pics 

 
27lb 

19lb
And the highlight of the session and the fish that warranted me buying the ticket. We’re in spring now so can’t really say they are winter carp but I had been baiting this area with whatever bait I had left over from my sessions and now I’m kicking myself for not dropping on it sooner.

32 lb 
Before this session I was honestly considering taking up a different hobby!  I thought I had lost the love for it. Had a brilliant time and am looking forward to the rest of the years adventures.
Thanks for the help from anyone who was on this thread. Cheers 
Danny Hearn 

I'd figured it out that you were talking about Earith.
Originally Ian didn't think or know there were any catfish in Virginia, but I think at some time Pingrees and Virginia  had joined in floods and a couple of cats decided to go for a visit.

I also found the pics of the first 20lb fish from Trimley top lake

I have some real memorable captures:
A 28lb carp from the local river caught on a 3hour session, which for years was my largest fish and one I still class as a PB, my first 20lb fish from Earith, my first 30 from Nazeing Brackens, a 4 fish capture over 4 days in winter from the Central lagoon and my current largest fish at 33lb caught in December. 
 
Plus a number of fish from the 350acre Alton reservoir, 2 20's in one night, 23 and 28, a night with 3 20's that was so severe with wind and rain I could not get pics of the fish, my camera and phone were soaked through. 
 
Two of the most memorable though were 2 fully scaleds from Ardleigh on the night of the London bombings. Memorable not for the fish especially, but because I had a very close friend who was on the tube when one of the bombs exploded. I had tried to ring him on the first fish, but only got his answer phone, he always answered. Thank god he survived and we still fish together as much as we can. 
 
The 2 Ardleigh fish


 
My first 30 at 32lb. It was also my first fish out of Brackens pool at Nazeing.

When I've bought base mixes in the past I have tended to use flavours from the same brand, although there are exceptions.
@emmcee's point about adding extra bits and pieces is a valid point, but some mixes can be improved upon.
Years ago I was on Nutrabaits The Biollix, the bait was designed as a 'stand alone' base mix needing no additions, and it caught (one time British Record Carp), although I had a couple of essential oil and flavour combinations that went well with the Multimino PPC I added.
25ml Multimino, Eucalyptus EO and Cherry Nutrafruit or 25ml Multimino, Cinnamon EO and Peach Nutrafruit, both at the lowest level of the flavour and EO to 4 eggs.
Those basic additions worked.
 
Nutrabaits Trigga I did tweak with a couple of extra ingredients: Betaine HCl, Green Lipped Mussel Extract, Sweet Cajouser and Liver Elite added to 30ml of the Trigga liquid and 4 eggs. The basic mix and liquid worked, but the additions improved it and gave it my own twist. @brucelait and I really did well on it, I caught on almost every trip. I lost count of the fish I caught on it, with baiting around a kilo a time every week when I left.
I have had a look at John Bakers website, although I've not used his baits or flavours myself.
There is a bit on the homepage that might interest:
Welcome to John Baker Specialist Baits   John Baker has been creating specialist carp bait since 1978.  Our advanced base mixes and bespoke flavours can be used in total confidence for carp and barbel. We like to encourage customers to personalise their own recipes and we are always on hand with help and advice for all aspects of bait design and tactics. We firmly believe that really good bait is one of the last remaining edges in the field of specialist angling.
 
 

Good luck with Prince Albert, a lot of waters on that ticket, and with the 20lb fish.
I'm glad that is still a 🎯  to aim for.
 
 

Jealousy:
Those who blank due to their lack of effort, watercraft or skill will sometimes break rules to try to make up for it.
They can also be the first person to complain about someone breaking rules. 
Rules themselves
Some are in place for fish or angler welfare, some are misguided, some for genuine reasons.
No particles, no peanuts and tiger for instance could be to prevent incorrectly or non prepared baits, overuse/ too much going in. It can be to stop inexperienced or ignorant* anglers using unprepared particles, and potentially damaging fish.
*Ignorant in this case is used as someone who does not know how to prepare them, not as someone who simply doesn't care.
 
All fish captures must be recorded or given to the syndicate manager, on the website or Facebook group. This one can be open to interpretation and is one I'm used to, as it is in place on my syndicate. We have to put pics up, but we are given a 'time', of the end of the fortnight. We do tend to stretch it as much as we can as if you have baited and worked a swim up, you don’t want a swim jumper going off your hard work. 
Some people can recognise a particular swim on a lake by background features, if the picture is straight on the site they jump in as soon as the successful angler has left, stopping the successful angler getting back in there.
My own pictures I might put straight on my FB newsfeed, I've got angler friends who might be interested in my catches, but I can hold onto them to put them on the syndicate page. Not everyone in the syndicate is on my friends list, although some are, (the ones I trust). The syndicate manager is also aware of this, so gave us grace as long as he knows about the capture.
 
No plastic or fake baits. The obvious worry of using a bait that does not break down in the event of a break-off. I've seen fish tethered from picking up plastic baits still attached to a length of line. At least a real bait can come off or break down. Plus the pollution from a piece of plastic.
 
I can't claim to be innocent as I am sure, no positive, I have broken fishery rules. For example on Nazeing there was a 'No wading or swimming' rule. I broke that a few times going in to retrieve snagged fish or end tackle. One fish I had to play out from an undercut bank to my right, the only way was to be in the water. The Bailiff actually saw me, but his view was that the fish was not left wrapped around tree roots and possibly tethered. 
 
A syndicate is only as good as its members, one member who is a troublemaker can spoil it for everyone else, or just alienate themselves. My advice, avoid or ignore them. If you have to keep to yourself, be polite, just don't give anything away, or don't tell everything. That may mean cutting out background on your pictures, baiting up when no-one is around, or occasionally passing on a blind lead.
Passing on a blind lead; a funny one. I was pre-baiting a new swim as I left when someone I knew who was a swim jumper was on the lake watching me with binoculars. I swapped buckets and Spombed in a bucket of floating dog biscuits in molehill soil to take them to the bottom. By the time I had gotten back to the car park with my gear he had jumped into the swim. Sadly he blanked and got plagued with ducks...

Welcome to carp.com.
My plan to enjoy what fishing I can do.

I’ve been a victim of jealousy, it got so stupid, I stopped fishing there, moved on and got the same issues on the next lake! I did a winter on a local park lake that I know like the back of my hand - during one particular winter, I stayed on, putting the time in, blank after blank while everyone pulled off. Then I started stringing some captures together but kept it to myself - peg piracy was another issue, however one session, the bailiff was down while I had a take, he commented how this was the first fish out all winter, I then confessed to this being my 6th fish out! Word was out after that and other anglers started fishing again. I was still able to catch while others were blanking, the snide remarks started - then accusations I was using leadcore (which I wasn’t as it’s banned) I had spot checks on rigs - nothing untoward found - I then found anglers taking leadcore rigs to the bailiffs saying they had recovered from my swim! Bailiff took one look, said that they weren’t mine and put a stop to that nonsense, the green eyes still kept on it, I got a call from the club secretary saying I had been seen standing on an outflow pipe in the out of bounds area - I asked what day this was, turned out I was 150 miles away driving an ambulance car around central England! I had to show my time sheets and shift rota to the secretary to prove I was nowhere near the place in question at the time. I moved on to a small syndicate after that where I had a cracking start, landing the mythical big common at over 31lb, soon after that, one angler started casting over me, casting onto my baited areas while I was fishing them, even went to the lengths of pretending to be a bailiff and tried to quote fake rules (that I would be in contravention of) and then tried to chuck me off the lake! I had to call the real bailiff to come and sort it all out. I pulled off there in the end, it was getting far too busy, now I am looking for a new water, but having a newborn at home means that nighting it takes a back seat, I get my fix with a bit of piking in the winter and bass fishing in the spring/summer. Life is too short to get wrapped up in jealousy, I just fish for myself and move on if I find I no longer enjoy it. I’m currently wandering along a nice little canal that rumour has it is home to the odd carp, no one on it - sounds like heaven! 

Look at carp...
Not indigenous to the UK, brought over possibly by the Romans and definitely in the 13th and 14th centuries.

There have been reports of catfish getting into The Broads system, and I know after a bank collapse after floods some got into the River Gipping, but were quickly retrieved.
 
 

Look at carp...
Not indigenous to the UK, brought over possibly by the Romans and definitely in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Welcome to carp.com.
My plan to enjoy what fishing I can do.

Jealousy:
Those who blank due to their lack of effort, watercraft or skill will sometimes break rules to try to make up for it.
They can also be the first person to complain about someone breaking rules. 
Rules themselves
Some are in place for fish or angler welfare, some are misguided, some for genuine reasons.
No particles, no peanuts and tiger for instance could be to prevent incorrectly or non prepared baits, overuse/ too much going in. It can be to stop inexperienced or ignorant* anglers using unprepared particles, and potentially damaging fish.
*Ignorant in this case is used as someone who does not know how to prepare them, not as someone who simply doesn't care.
 
All fish captures must be recorded or given to the syndicate manager, on the website or Facebook group. This one can be open to interpretation and is one I'm used to, as it is in place on my syndicate. We have to put pics up, but we are given a 'time', of the end of the fortnight. We do tend to stretch it as much as we can as if you have baited and worked a swim up, you don’t want a swim jumper going off your hard work. 
Some people can recognise a particular swim on a lake by background features, if the picture is straight on the site they jump in as soon as the successful angler has left, stopping the successful angler getting back in there.
My own pictures I might put straight on my FB newsfeed, I've got angler friends who might be interested in my catches, but I can hold onto them to put them on the syndicate page. Not everyone in the syndicate is on my friends list, although some are, (the ones I trust). The syndicate manager is also aware of this, so gave us grace as long as he knows about the capture.
 
No plastic or fake baits. The obvious worry of using a bait that does not break down in the event of a break-off. I've seen fish tethered from picking up plastic baits still attached to a length of line. At least a real bait can come off or break down. Plus the pollution from a piece of plastic.
 
I can't claim to be innocent as I am sure, no positive, I have broken fishery rules. For example on Nazeing there was a 'No wading or swimming' rule. I broke that a few times going in to retrieve snagged fish or end tackle. One fish I had to play out from an undercut bank to my right, the only way was to be in the water. The Bailiff actually saw me, but his view was that the fish was not left wrapped around tree roots and possibly tethered. 
 
A syndicate is only as good as its members, one member who is a troublemaker can spoil it for everyone else, or just alienate themselves. My advice, avoid or ignore them. If you have to keep to yourself, be polite, just don't give anything away, or don't tell everything. That may mean cutting out background on your pictures, baiting up when no-one is around, or occasionally passing on a blind lead.
Passing on a blind lead; a funny one. I was pre-baiting a new swim as I left when someone I knew who was a swim jumper was on the lake watching me with binoculars. I swapped buckets and Spombed in a bucket of floating dog biscuits in molehill soil to take them to the bottom. By the time I had gotten back to the car park with my gear he had jumped into the swim. Sadly he blanked and got plagued with ducks...

Welcome to Carp.com, and to winter fishing. I've got the same problem in not catching.
 
You've picked the hardest time of the year to be fishing for carp.
Choose your water, make sure you fish a lake that has fish in it, has winter form, and easy to find fish. On both of those, there is absolutely no point in fishing the wrong place, a lake with no fish in it, or a swim where the carp are not present.
 
Fishing in winter is hard at the best of times, don't overbait; you don't want to be putting much bait in, and most pellets, and some groundbaits are too oily to attract in winter. Boilies are not the best bait, at any time, but in winter you will only need a few to last a whole day, quite literally your hookbait plus 1!
Low oil pellets, Sweetcorn, worms or maggots may be a better bait.
 
The best carp or any fish catcher equipment you have available is your eyes, look for the fish; tiny shows, rolls, fins breaking surface or even bubbles or flat spots in the waves.
Don't think that a 3oz lead cast out on a carp rod is the only method to catch carp. A basic float rod setup feeding a few maggots or pellets every few minutes around the float, or a feeder/ledger rod casting a small feeder or plain lead with maggots or worm on the hook.
 
 
 
 

Believe it or not, 3lb TC rods should be hitting around 150metres, although it is very much technique.
For years I was fishing 2.75lb TC Century SP's at ranges from the margins to 130metres, and now I'm using 3.25lb TC tods from margins to 160metres. One set of rods.
 
Any rod, since the advent of carbon in rods, you want around a lead or total casting weight close to 1/2oz above the Test Curve rating in pounds. So a 2.5lb TC rod, 3oz is about right, 3lb, 3.5oz and so on.
Stiffer rods are strictly for casting, definitely not fish playing.

Welcome to Carp.com, and to winter fishing. I've got the same problem in not catching.
 
You've picked the hardest time of the year to be fishing for carp.
Choose your water, make sure you fish a lake that has fish in it, has winter form, and easy to find fish. On both of those, there is absolutely no point in fishing the wrong place, a lake with no fish in it, or a swim where the carp are not present.
 
Fishing in winter is hard at the best of times, don't overbait; you don't want to be putting much bait in, and most pellets, and some groundbaits are too oily to attract in winter. Boilies are not the best bait, at any time, but in winter you will only need a few to last a whole day, quite literally your hookbait plus 1!
Low oil pellets, Sweetcorn, worms or maggots may be a better bait.
 
The best carp or any fish catcher equipment you have available is your eyes, look for the fish; tiny shows, rolls, fins breaking surface or even bubbles or flat spots in the waves.
Don't think that a 3oz lead cast out on a carp rod is the only method to catch carp. A basic float rod setup feeding a few maggots or pellets every few minutes around the float, or a feeder/ledger rod casting a small feeder or plain lead with maggots or worm on the hook.
 
 
 
 

Welcome to Carp.com, and to winter fishing. I've got the same problem in not catching.
 
You've picked the hardest time of the year to be fishing for carp.
Choose your water, make sure you fish a lake that has fish in it, has winter form, and easy to find fish. On both of those, there is absolutely no point in fishing the wrong place, a lake with no fish in it, or a swim where the carp are not present.
 
Fishing in winter is hard at the best of times, don't overbait; you don't want to be putting much bait in, and most pellets, and some groundbaits are too oily to attract in winter. Boilies are not the best bait, at any time, but in winter you will only need a few to last a whole day, quite literally your hookbait plus 1!
Low oil pellets, Sweetcorn, worms or maggots may be a better bait.
 
The best carp or any fish catcher equipment you have available is your eyes, look for the fish; tiny shows, rolls, fins breaking surface or even bubbles or flat spots in the waves.
Don't think that a 3oz lead cast out on a carp rod is the only method to catch carp. A basic float rod setup feeding a few maggots or pellets every few minutes around the float, or a feeder/ledger rod casting a small feeder or plain lead with maggots or worm on the hook.
 
 
 
 

Over years then they probably do 
it is so gradual would you even notice unless you picked up an  exact same rod in a brand new u used condition
 
 
 
 

Believe it or not, 3lb TC rods should be hitting around 150metres, although it is very much technique.
For years I was fishing 2.75lb TC Century SP's at ranges from the margins to 130metres, and now I'm using 3.25lb TC tods from margins to 160metres. One set of rods.
 
Any rod, since the advent of carbon in rods, you want around a lead or total casting weight close to 1/2oz above the Test Curve rating in pounds. So a 2.5lb TC rod, 3oz is about right, 3lb, 3.5oz and so on.
Stiffer rods are strictly for casting, definitely not fish playing.