salokcinnodrog

I was watching a Monster Carp in Hungary re-run on ITV4 and laughed at 'pest control' Spooner catching tiny carp on massive baits and hooks, with long hairs and with their  baiting.
 
Years ago I saw an article with somebody catching Carp on a bare hook over hemp, and tried it myself
The fish were feeding so heavily on the hemp that the hook was sucked in. Feeding loads of groundbait, hemp and tiny particles can be the cause of this happening as it was on Monster Carp. You can just as easily catch roach or rudd on this method, (and I have). The hookbait was not catching (or attracting) fish it was the groundbait background feed.
To avoid the smaller fish, stop the groundbait and feed just boilies.
 
Anymore thoughts?
 
 
 

Christmas for me was a couscous and bell pepper starter, Roast goose and the trimmings for main, then for me, Yule Log and Christmas pudding for dessert.
I'm lucky, I only had to worry about cooking starters and the goose.
Since Christmas though, I've been laid up with the bug. I've only been going out with the dog to give her a walk.
 
I stick to porridge for breakfast, along with coffee, lunch is sandwiches, and then my dinners are often pasta based, but I do have beef or venison steak, potatoes and vegetables normally once a week.
 
My big problem is obviously the hip and back which has cut out the cycling.

Glad you got it sorted.
A company that admits it is at fault and sorts the problem is a company you remember

I read this with interest, although I am that horrible freak that eats what he wants, although that is mostly healthy, I do have a soft spot for packets of Jaffa Cakes or all 4 Chocolate Rice Crispies bars...
 
When I played American football I was around 85kg, and spent time in the gym most days. I retired from playing sport back in 2009, the weekly aches that used to be gone by Monday in my early years lasted until Thursday...
I promised myself I'd never go back into the gym to keep fit. Exercise would be walking or cycling.
 
I'm now down to 72kg, and avoid the takeaways, and MaccyD's unless I am on a trip involving a motorway or dual carriageway stop.
I frequently batch cook for myself, usually having 5 or 6 tubs of 'ready meals' in the freezer.
I've stopped using the supermarket to buy vegetables and meat, going to my local greengrocer and butchers instead. The quality is much higher, and it works out as cheap, even cheaper. 

Shouldn’t take a mk11.
the money these companies charge for an essential part of kit, it should be right before it’s released.
quite a simple thing to ask really 
 
 
 

Thats kind of what I've done gone back to a bag that works for me, I am tempted to have a year just fishing boilies to reduce buckets 😂

I do that, go through a reorganise phase, then go back to what I did previously as I found what I did previously worked best for me.
 
 

I do that, go through a reorganise phase, then go back to what I did previously as I found what I did previously worked best for me.
 
 

I do that, go through a reorganise phase, then go back to what I did previously as I found what I did previously worked best for me.
 
 

The lake runs from 6ft (from the narrow bottom of picture) to around 16ft (to middle of the wider top of picture)...
How some of the Fishing Areas look...




The last picture is taken from the Left Red Dot, Middle area, on the above Map.
At the moment, Bait wise I'm at, 20kg Aller Aqua Pellets, around 60kg Bio Marine, 5kg Sticky Krill, 5kg DNA Slk....
What would be a good time to start up a Pre Baiting Campaign for Spring Time fishing ???
 
 
 

Got out last night on an old estate lake. I managed 15 runs! 11 carp, one large roach/bream hybrid, and a surprise 2lb roach! I lost one tiny carp at the net. 
 
nothing massive, biggest was a ghostie about 11lb, but excellent winter sport. 

You've picked a tough time to start fishing a lake.
 
The big question is are you sure you have found the fish?
Sounds obvious I know but no point fishing the margins if they are in the middle of the lake.
Spots to look for the fish, near snags, tree roots, maybe any rushes, dead or dying weedbeds, possibly natural food beds (bloodworm), which can be found by casting out and dragging a lead along, the grippa leads are good for this as 
@ouchthathurt mentioned.
Over leaf litter is when I pretty much stick exclusively to pop-ups, making sure I have my bait above it, although in silt I try to get my bait to the level the fish are feeding at. 
That doesn't sound like it makes sense, but carp might not feed on top of the silt, but dig into it, picking up mouthfuls of natural food. On other lakes they might feed on top of the silt, especially if its horrible stinky stuff.
Talking of stinky stuff, leaf litter I've heard can make the area more acidic, and put the fish off feeding for a while.
On my syndicate lake, the lake is a pretty consistent depth, no drop-offs other than the old stream bed, however there are some softer holes in the silt where carp have dug them out. Imagine the lake is 4feet deep, and then you suddenly drop to 5feet deep. These holes gradually fill back up, but the bottom is softer.
 
 
Those pop-ups, about the only time that I have a bait off the lake bed, normally I fish close to the lakebed, the counter weight directly below the hook, but in leaf litter I will fish with the weight a thumb or even forefinger length below the hook. 
Are you able to attract smaller silver fish and get them feeding? Their feeding might actually get the carp investigating.
For that a groundbait with very little solid food content, maybe fine ground breadcrumb, liquidised or creamed sweetcorn. 
Hookbaits, obviously try sweetcorn, maybe maggots or boilies.
Boilies: you might find in winter certain flavours work better than others. I used to do very well on Dynamite Green Zing, Solar and Nutrabaits Pineapple and N-butyric pop-ups, along with my own recipe Garlic and Spice ones.
The occasional fish in winter on my syndicate comes out on pink pop-ups.
 
I have to keep going back to it, years ago, I did a  session between Christmas and New Year. For 2 days I caught on the high attract pop-ups mentioned above (my original garlic spice) then after feeding a few of my normal food bait boilies every day, I started catching on them, ordinary bottom baits. In that week I think I ended up with 10fish, nothing massive, but any fish in freezing winds and temperatures near 2 or 3⁰ Celsius is a good fish.
The yellow and green pop-ups on the second lake worked on day trips when we hadn't got a bait established.
 
On those two waters Other pop-ups just didn't cut it! 
 
 
Braid definitely gives a better sense of feel than mono. 

As the seasons roll on into winter fishing can be really tough.
We had a wet autumn, with a couple of big storms putting a lot of cold water into the waterways.
My syndicate lake rose a metre in 12hours. That is water level, not bank space. In terms of bank space, I had to move my rods and bivvy back 5metres. The constant cold water going in from rain, flowing in off the land and inlet stream put the fish off feeding. 
I don't know the depth or size of your lake, but walking and watching may or may not show you where the fish are, it may be that you have to fish it, a different area each time.
It's so tough as so many different possibilities.
It may be that the carp have been an learnt to avoid hi-viz/hi-attract pop-ups in the obvious flavours that 'everyone' uses. They may take a washed out pink or white bait, they may prefer a food bait, or even the 'smell' created by liquidised corn, or liquids in PVA bags. It may be that silver fish feeding attracts them.
Watching the birds can be useful. Coots can suddenly surface looking flustered if they come across a big fish, it might be a pike, but it can be a carp.
Fizzing in winter is not always carp, it can be a pike hitting the lakebed or turning the bottom as it hits a fish.
2 or 3 rod limits change how you fish; you have lost or gained an option.
I'll go through my 3 rod fishing as that's what I do, but you will have to decide what to drop if you only have a 2 rod limit:
Rod 1 is fished with a washed out pink pop-up in my garlic spice combination a thumb length off the lakebed. My lake has a reputation for the occasional winter fish on washed out pink baits (not much is caught through the winter), the garlic spice is one of my favourite combinations that catches well for me on many waters.
Rod 2 is fished with my food bait (KMG) fished as a low pop-up, a Ronnie, 360 or D-rig tight to the lakebed, cast in with a PVA bag of crumbed boilie.
Rod 3 is a snowman bait, the food bait tipped with a 12mm purple Monster Crab pop-up and again in a bag.
 
I don't tend to put in any extra bait actually while I'm fishing, saving it until I leave, prebaiting for the next session a week later. (I normally fish 4day sessions).
 
 
I don't have many silver fish in my lake, so using them is not really an option for me, but baiting up with any of or a combination of maggots, liquidised sweetcorn, finely ground breadcrumb can be a way to get fish feeding.
I prefer red maggots, simple reason for me, they are the same colour as bloodworm, and in clear water, harder for those pesky coots and tufted ducks to see than white maggots. A teaspoon of mixed chilled powder and turmeric in 2pints of maggots degreases them, and adds a little attraction. 
Try to avoid oily fish meal groundbaits. Cold oils really don't release in cold water, and can take ages for the fish to digest. Lighter oils like sunflower or rapeseed may still work but don't use too much, you do want the oil 'breaking free' and coming up.

I sometimes wish I wasn't single, believe me. An acrimonious split wasn't good with children involved.
Although fishing most weeks is nice, the back and hip problems do make things painful at times, and life comes first. It took a whole year to get PIP sorted.
 
I've got a trip planned this week, then more car problems to sort.
I'd be really keen on another carp.com social.
I'll see if I can get some beef or venison steaks ordered if it's a trip I can attend, I have a very good local butcher.

I sometimes wish I wasn't single, believe me. An acrimonious split wasn't good with children involved.
Although fishing most weeks is nice, the back and hip problems do make things painful at times, and life comes first. It took a whole year to get PIP sorted.
 
I've got a trip planned this week, then more car problems to sort.
I'd be really keen on another carp.com social.
I'll see if I can get some beef or venison steaks ordered if it's a trip I can attend, I have a very good local butcher.

I sometimes wish I wasn't single, believe me. An acrimonious split wasn't good with children involved.
Although fishing most weeks is nice, the back and hip problems do make things painful at times, and life comes first. It took a whole year to get PIP sorted.
 
I've got a trip planned this week, then more car problems to sort.
I'd be really keen on another carp.com social.
I'll see if I can get some beef or venison steaks ordered if it's a trip I can attend, I have a very good local butcher.

April last year, myself n a mate built a small camp/hand sized fire to warm out hands....bivvys stunk for a bout 2 week after.

 

I have a centrepin, shooting jacket and flat cap, is that close enough?
 
We had a clean up of dead branches and brambles around the lake and estate, and 2 bonfires were built. One was around 200metres from my bivvy, I smelt of wood smoke for 5 days.

After making the comment above on the 'Is Fishing Tackle too Expensive?' thread I had to treat myself to a full Kelly Kettle kit.
Admittedly £75 but I think it might be saving gas...

I'd love to, although with hip and back, I'm not sure what I'm doing with hospital appointments etc. 
 
If you can a Sky dog friendly venue would be nice?
 
I know it is a long way for many, but is Horcott a possibility?
Maybe the Tench lake?
 
 

I'd love to, although with hip and back, I'm not sure what I'm doing with hospital appointments etc. 
 
If you can a Sky dog friendly venue would be nice?
 
I know it is a long way for many, but is Horcott a possibility?
Maybe the Tench lake?
 
 

After making the comment above on the 'Is Fishing Tackle too Expensive?' thread I had to treat myself to a full Kelly Kettle kit.
Admittedly £75 but I think it might be saving gas...

After making the comment above on the 'Is Fishing Tackle too Expensive?' thread I had to treat myself to a full Kelly Kettle kit.
Admittedly £75 but I think it might be saving gas...

My honest opinion is yes, life is too expensive and with those 'labour saving, must have' devices, smart meters and equipment which use energy constantly compared to being able to switch off. I, meaning we, can buy a smart light switch, a smart doorbell, smart heating system, which constantly uses electricity, yet 'old fashioned' light switches don't use electricity when the switch is off. The bi-metallic strip thermostat didn't use electricity, but the smart 'stat is continually on.
 
I'm tempted to say eating out at a restaurant is too expensive, but I know the ins and outs of wages, the hospitality industry and how costs have gone up, which brings us to the cost of electricity and gas, even transport and utilities.
When CEO's take huge wages, massive dividends are paid to shareholders, yet prices to the user go to silly levels.
Then when we go to low tech alternatives like wood burners, laws are put in to make getting the 'right' wood, yet countries burn forests, destroy the environment then things are seriously wrong. It is the little people who suffer.
Our skills and trades have been forgotten.
 
Our metal production, steel uses massive amounts of energy, furnaces, burning gas,  coal or coke, which go to carbon emissions. You can't have both no carbon emissions and no industry, you need production, which means one is not possible.
 
Then cost of transportation goes up, and prices increase. UK wages are higher, say £10 a week to your Oriental factory worker compared to £10 an hour in the UK.
Fishing tackle is just part of it. You want 'made in UK', but we have lost the skills, so it becomes expensive. Having a UK factory goes to UK emissions so we went abroad to get it cheaper...
 

My honest opinion is yes, life is too expensive and with those 'labour saving, must have' devices, smart meters and equipment which use energy constantly compared to being able to switch off. I, meaning we, can buy a smart light switch, a smart doorbell, smart heating system, which constantly uses electricity, yet 'old fashioned' light switches don't use electricity when the switch is off. The bi-metallic strip thermostat didn't use electricity, but the smart 'stat is continually on.
 
I'm tempted to say eating out at a restaurant is too expensive, but I know the ins and outs of wages, the hospitality industry and how costs have gone up, which brings us to the cost of electricity and gas, even transport and utilities.
When CEO's take huge wages, massive dividends are paid to shareholders, yet prices to the user go to silly levels.
Then when we go to low tech alternatives like wood burners, laws are put in to make getting the 'right' wood, yet countries burn forests, destroy the environment then things are seriously wrong. It is the little people who suffer.
Our skills and trades have been forgotten.
 
Our metal production, steel uses massive amounts of energy, furnaces, burning gas,  coal or coke, which go to carbon emissions. You can't have both no carbon emissions and no industry, you need production, which means one is not possible.
 
Then cost of transportation goes up, and prices increase. UK wages are higher, say £10 a week to your Oriental factory worker compared to £10 an hour in the UK.
Fishing tackle is just part of it. You want 'made in UK', but we have lost the skills, so it becomes expensive. Having a UK factory goes to UK emissions so we went abroad to get it cheaper...