kevtaylor

4ft

Another session on Kingy, took over a corner swim Sunday in the scorching sun and the banker rod was sorted straight away with big numbers of whackers chilling out under the willows. Baiting pole coming in very handy, pushing a rig under the canopy. Right rod went next to the pads. Middle rod out on an adjustable zig 1ft under the surface. Early evening one mouthed a leaf just underarm distance right in front of me so I fired some mixers out in the hope of getting something going. The rain came and the mixers kept going out but with just one greedy fish it was hard, he mouthed the fake mixer a couple of times but didnt like it. I swapped back to the adjustable zig and set it at around 1.5ft under, kept the mixers going in and just when a couple more fish joined in I was away. A good fight as it tried to reach the marginal trees but thankfully it went in the net. At 29.2 it was a good start, but the smile faded when I realised it was a repeat from a few weeks ago - unreal! I got a better picture though and no blank. Next 2 days the fish were in those snags just feet from my rig but no take, no surprise as it gets fished almost daily, weather became unsettled and no more surface interest. A very exciting trip again, love watching fish in trees, could do it all day.

I seen a clip of that video the other day - he's amazingly accurate with it. I asked my mad friend to make me a boilie tommy gun years ago - still waiting! 🤣

Go on lad, sounds wicked, well done and a cracker to boot! More of these venues popping up all over which is great, I think I'm at the age where I'd rather pay more and go less often but have a better experience overall 👍

All true, however sonar has shown me things that I would never have found with a marker i.e drop offs that are actually undercut, like a catfish highway on Swan Lake Bluebell. Also my mate taking me straight to an undercut bank in the old river bed at Pitsford Res, Perch hotspot, you couldn't find that by any other means. Sonar also shows bottom hardness, mine does anyway, I'm not saying you can rely on it soley but with a combination of manual work and tech it can be useful on occasion.

Rudd imitating weed - love it and probably exactly what you are seeing. I spoke to a guy on my syndi about this and he said on this venue its suspended plant matter and the interesting part was that he said he only gets this in the evening - not all the time - really bizzarre! My arrival times were evening - seeing the stuff on the screen - yet casting and getting drops ok, there was low lying weed there but fishable, certainly not top to bottom. Any idea of just using the boat to find spots went out the window at this point, you have to combine manual feel with the technology imo

Its too easy to over think everything, we all do it. If tap water Is good enough for Mr Hearn - it's good enough. I've used rain water and pond water and I thought the bait went off quicker, might have imagined it though, I've used tap water since 👍

Terry Hearn uses tap water to make his GLM bait splash, made a point of saying as such, good enough for us.... I use tap water to wash my baits out and prepare particles, wouldn't even worry about such a thing tbh certainly wouldn't pay for bottled water unless I'm having it.

Bought a boat and pole during lockdown, had to do something! Anyway since used both and both have caught me fish, generally it's been the stealth that has been the successful element, measuring to areas of fizzing going on, then dropping a rig right on it once the fish have moved away. Those spots did loads of bites, especially in December when less active, and the quieter recast maybe sped up the next take. The pole is useful in the same way but more of a pain doing it, still a good tool though. Vast majority of the time I find my spots through observation first, then casting, first choice is still to cast the rigs and spod, however the tools are a decent alternative or addition to the casting and spodding. I've used the boat attached to the spod line just to bait up several times, that's an edge IMO. I spoke to a guy with the all signing all dancing boat, he explained that he was using the drop down camera to find little dinner plate sized holes in the weed and dropping the rigs on those, then checking the rig and amount of bait eaten the following day etc. Sounded mega but he hadn't caught anything in the 50 nights he had done on the lake to that point. To me this proves that it's just a tool, without the observation, watercraft, basic fishing skills it still will not help you catch fish. I see people blindly using boats a lot, no checking of drops, pulling back for snags etc nothing, even with sonar I have to check the drop manually, and I don't trust autopliot and spot saving completely either and still clip up the rods and have far back markers, nothing much changes tbh you have to be able to carry on effectively even if the boat stops working at the end of the day. Sonar has been really interesting on some lakes and has shown me features that I didn't know about, however on other lakes I've found the readout totally confusing, making it appear far weedier than it really was, areas that looked solid weed top to bottom were in fact fishable, I could get drops where I wanted them, very weird and misleading at times, although I'm sure that's rare, lots of suspended matter. At the end of the day casting gives me clear, instant and understandable info so it's first choice still.

Yes mate get in there! Glad you had a great time 😎👍 What no class write-up, oh mate come on, you know it makes sense 👍

Looks really good that, give us an update after some use. I've also looked at the Anker ones but so expensive, but it's a great make so I imagine they will be reliable.

Chris recently said they try to get in every night. It's a full time job keeping them out. Seen them on one of my current waters and the fishing has not been the same this year unless its me but seeing tail damage on fish in snags and a fish has been found by another angler 👎

I'm in - we'll make stuff noone needs - sorry Ali you've got new competition! 👍🤣

Not been seen for a good while, got a mate on there who's switched on and he's not seen it either so doesn't look great. the 43 went many years ago, went missing just before the fences went up same as the big common next door. I had the 43, cracking fish such a shame would have gone onto being 50+ easy.

BB's Naturals Range bivvy pegs - how much you knocking them out for, I might invest - looks carpy!

Think I paid about 230 for the Atom, I see the price has gone up since

Powapacks Atom - got the USB-C several USB's - 2 being fast charge and the 3 pin plug socket. Use mine to charge everything fishing related: baitboat, bivvy light, head torch, phone. I've dropped my Atom several times from kitchen surface height and it's not broken so it's decent. 👍

With the intention to fish 2 nights this weekend from Saturday - firstly a look around Bluebell lakes, but too busy in the area I wanted then onto my 3 syndi lakes but again the areas were taken and whats left uninspiring, rather than make do I decided to go home and try Bluebell again the next day. That worked and I got in the swim I wanted for 24 hours. Late afternoon I spotted fish coming in and out of the bay and after an hour or so I was away, going in fully clothed as there's just not time to faff about with waders in this situation. Landed a nice common at 28.14 and managed to get self takes without anyone noticing, as those nearby had gone to collect their takeaways - result. 9pm the same rods off again, this time a 24 mirror. I reeled that rod in at midnight as I was down to my last set of clothes and put it back out at 6.30. Sadly the morning was chilly and as a result they didnt come back in time for another bite before I left, but I was treated to the sight of serious feeding going on out in the middle between 8-11am. Hindsight I should have left the rod out all night, but cannot complain another good trip.

Always tricky but they mean more as a result, any take on there is heart attack business, including my first ever take many years ago which was a tench, nearly finished me off lol 🤣

Just back from 3 nights on Kingy Sunday till Weds, was tough going as always, tried the margins, out in the middle, bottom presentations, adjustable zigs but not a touch, then a sighting on Tues afternoon meant another change and some jungle warfare. I got done on the last night but reset the rod early morning and when the sun came out late morning I managed a 2nd take having to jump down from the tree and run in fully clothed and wade out to fight my prize. First time I've jumped from a tree to a take, and being right at last knockings made it a mega buzz. 28.10 of old knarly mirror, perfect!

What difference is there from Steve Renyard's Bungy Boom that's been around forever, does the same thing - yet it resets and wouldn't snag on things? There have been other designs and all have been banned for whatever reason. The twig looks to be a snagging point for weed, snags and the net. I bet he's crying more now than when he thought it was going to be the one. But it's not! I saw one of the Nash lads tying elastic to the bottom end of a zig line, so it's hardly a new idea, and the guys original design was exactly the same -a bit of elastic tied into the rig, supported by proper braid for when the elastic snaps. To say it's a disappointment after hearing all the hype is an understatement!

I honestly think the bottom where your fishing could be like soup, what I mean is light silt sitting in a gulley, your lead hits the bottom through it but your pop-up or balanced wafter which I assume you're using is sitting up in the soup, fish are feeding beneath your baits, hence the suggestion that you try a heavy bottom bait. I'm dead sure I've had this happen to me and a heavy bottom bait is the only thing I didn't try, your above them, carp bury their heads deep in soft silt to feed. Give it a try fella, could be the answer, or a very heavy bag, 4oz lead or more - not much bait 👍

Heavy bottom baits might work

You can watch Mark Pitchers do a river challenge on the Nene if not already