ouchthathurt

For pop ups, I have been using the Ronnie on a size 4 curve pattern for a few years, my go to bottom bait rig is a blowback rig on a curve pattern with a shrink tube kicker. Pva bags call for a subtle short braided hooklink with a blowback presentation to a size 6 wide gape and shrink tube kicker. If using fluro hooklinks, I’ll use a d ring type presentation or a supple hair to an out turned eye, but that’s pretty rare these days to be honest.

Morning mate, welcome to the forum. Reels are very much personal choice. I’ve used Diawa reels for years and my son uses them still and they stand the test of time. I’ve only trashed one in 20yrs, that was down to my own stupid fault. I’m currently using fox 12000s, which I can’t fault at all. I prefer them over the Diawa reels, but that’s just my personal opinion. I find they balance my fox torque rods perfectly. Shimano are a tried and tested brand, if you can get hold of a reel you like the look of, have a play rather than buy blind if possible.

For an idea, suggestion, have a look in your local army surplus or fleabay for an army sleeping bag, gortex bivvy bag, inflatable rollmat and army poncho. Couple of pegs and bungees and you’re good to go. All designed to stuff down to nothing in a bergen. Spent many a night happily kipping under the stars with this set up in the army.

What car have you got Kev? I helped an old dear who’s battery in her “keyless ignition” car was dead, I found if you lifted the drinks holder in the centre console there was a small disc under it. If you placed the dead key fob on this disc, the car would start.

I’ve been using the same base mixes and additives for the last 15yrs and the same basemix with different additives since 1997. The flavours haven’t changed much in that time either, started with rod Hutchinson mixed herbs flavour, then richworth blue cheese, then richworth ham (boiled?) then smoked ham flavour from nutrabaits. They work, I’ve massive confidence in my mix, so I don’t see a need to change

That’s excellent news mate, fingers crossed that you get the all clear

I got the beach rods out this morning, 10mins in, the sea crashed over the sea wall and far too many gallons of freezing seawater landed right on me! Both waders filled to my knees, totally soaked through top to toe. Manned it out for an hour or so, but 6oz leads were been thrown up the shingle by the force of the swell, so I gave it up and went home early.

I still have and use my sti rapid erection 1 man bivvy… whoever named it didn’t think it through… 🙄

Best wishes to your wife mate, fingers crossed it all goes well. I haven’t been out carping for months! Got waylaid with bass fishing, which led into a winter season off the beaches. Hoping to do a day session after a few carp in a week or two.

Tell me about it! At least you got out and gave it a go mate

Any joy?

It might seem daft, but I used to mould my groundbait around small stones, give them added weight to help them sink quicker in deep or moving water.

Good luck buddy 🤞🏼

Love it mate, well said

With my spinner rigs, I have a rig ring on the hook shank stopped by a hook bead. I attach the pop up to this ring using floss and lasso the bait. I don’t pierce my pop ups as they are home made cork ball pop ups

The supermarket oyster and fish liquid are great additives, I’ve used them in spod mixes, as a soak to rehydrate air dried baits, soaked nuts in it, groundbait, pellets just prior to feeding etc. I used to hair rig a boilie or nut stack then push it all into a pot of marmite so it was covered in it before casting. That used to be a right winner!

Well you’re either brave or daft nick! Lol! I’ve had a size 4 korda Kurv embedded in my thumb up to the bend… that didn’t half sting! Mind you, I had a nash fang x size 4 embedded in the side of my finger and of the two, the fang slipped in a lot easier! 😫

I just make pop ups using my usual boilie basemix, slightly upping the flavour, use the whites of the egg only, and added egg white powder (from the baking isle in Tesco) and wrap it around 10mm cork balls, they produce baits of 12mm or so. By only using the egg white and added egg white powder produces a harder skin to them, I make them as one egg mixes, which will produce a small number of baits, once airdried in the airing cupboard for a few days, will last in an air tight tub for a fair while. I use bait floss to attach them, they don’t pierce with a needle, (well they will, but a piece of cork may break off and punch a large hole in the bait, plus breaking the skin on the bait allows water ingress which will break the bait down.) I drop each bait in a glass of water as I make them to check their buoyancy.

Yep, you and me both. I renewed nov last year, it arrived in October this year… swiftly followed by a letter from DVLA saying I need to submit the medical forms to renew my licence as it expires in November… 😡😡

I’ve asked for Terry Hearns latest book, that’s all I’d like this year.

I would only lead around in an unfamiliar swim, if I know the spots well, then I’ll whack the leads out to clip up to the spots then use marker elastic to mark the lines. I occasionally use a marker float if I need to find a certain spot or want to double check something, then cast the rods, clip the rods up and marker elastic as usual. Marker comes in and rods whacked out. I don’t usually go for this leading all over the swim. If I’m fishing the margins, I may donk a lead about to get an idea of depth and firmness of the bottom, but a lot of my waters are very silty, so winging a lead all over would give me limited info, a rough estimate of depth followed by a poor drop as it hits the silt. I know my waters like the back of my hand anyway, so I know where I’m aiming and where will do bites.

I’ve got a set of Chesties made by Dunlop, they get used for digging lugworm, wading for bass fishing in low tide, and they are more than adequate for carp fishing. Mine cost me absolutely nothing as my father in law gets his from his job with the EA.

My items I could live without? Hmmm… my Steve Neville buzzers, I had a set years ago, until my ex wife snapped them off the bank sticks in a strop. I replaced them with fox micron Mx alarms, which did the job, (I have absolutely no idea where they are now!) they were replaced with Delkim EVs, which although weren’t bad, I had two out of four that packed up in the rain, although Delkim replaced them no questions asked. I brought a set of nash sirens for my boy, but he soon got the delks as they had too many buttons and options! So I got another set of Steve Neville alarms and I’ve never been happier with them. I’ve got a set of fox torque 12ft 3lb tc rods, which my partner (now wife) brought me to replace a set of sonik sks black rods, (two of which I snapped going for a long chuck!🙄) and they are probably the nicest rods I’ve ever used, they are perfectly balanced and weighted for me, and I think that the tackle has to suit the owner, rather than just buying anything. I learnt that sea fishing. My beach rods are Leeda icon elite match 13ft 10” and I can cast them as I can get them to load properly, whereas stiffer rods, I can’t fully load the cast so lose distance. I’ve coupled the carp rods with fox 12000 reels, again, I can’t fault them. I replaced a set of diawa crosscasts with them, and can’t see them being replaced anytime soon. Smooth action, silky clutch, effortless casting as far as I can throw it, balanced lovely with the rods. I’m a fox convert! My sonik rods and Diawa reels have followed the delks into my sons rod hold-all.

The “beach” area from the haven side is ok, fish to the reeds on the far left used to do bites. Accessing the lake from the lake road car park gives you access to the point, where a long cast will place a bait near the reeds. I used to get bites fishing pva bags 2/3rds of the way across towards the reeds.

slightly off topic, but I posted this a while ago about canal fishing, it might be of some use to you mate I love getting on the canals, always approaching them with the same basic game plan mate. firstly, location is the most obvious thing, however it's surprising how often it is skipped over. Often, canal carp are not as pressured as their lake brethren, so can be easier to see and pin down. You say that one section is relatively featureless? I would hit that with a prebaiting campaign. My start would be with hemp/particle/corn/pellet with a few boilies added. Keep it going in initially to attract all species. As much as I want to stop other species in their tracks, I won't go straight for boilies until I know carp are visiting regularly. Flowing water carp (river/canal) tend to be very nomadic, especially in stretches where there are little in the way of cover or features to hold them, this is where I would attempt to create a reason for them to visit a chosen spot time and again using bait. Once I was happy I knew carp were hitting the spot regularly, I would do away with pellet and corn etc and wean them into boilies to deter the nuisance species and target the carp better. Although flowing water carp are less pressured, they can be spooky - catching one carp off a prebaited spot can spook the others and they often drift away, so I try get as many spots going as possible. Then I can leapfrog the carp on the move and be set up waiting as they reach my next spot. Good thing about most canals is you can follow the carp along the bank. More of my successes come from sections with lots of features and bushes etc, boats and marinas are good places to try. Get a mountain bike and some polaroids and go searching. Carp are always gonna drift from one section to another, unless something holds them. Lock gates, weir pools etc. I find once i am on fish, they're catchable, the trick is to find them first. Find them, feed them, catch them... Rigs wise, I tend not to get too riggy anyway, I believe location and quality bait is key anywhere, especially on a canal or river. Long casting is generally not an issue, so I tend to go for strong and simple gear. My main line is .35mm Shimano technium, (got 20lb b/s on testing it myself) with leadclips or inlines as a lead arrangement. Hooklinks are often just mono or a tough coated braid. Simple knotless knot to a strong size 4 hook. I'm an avid leadcore user, although I'll also use rigtube as happily. I want something tough and abrasion resistant, not all techy and complicated. If bottom debris and crayfish are an issue, then pop ups would be my choice, if I can present a bottom bait without any problems, then I'd go for that first. Backleading to prevent boats/kayakers etc catching my lines is important as well as keeping my gear on the path clear so walkers/cyclists don't run it down! I like to keep light and mobile so I can keep moving onto fish if my present spot isn't producing, before finding a night spot in a quiet stretch to do an overnighter. - this I bait regularly to keep the carp interested. Somewhere a little less snaggy and more open for fish safety reasons after dark. It's ok fishing locked up in the weedy/snaggy bits in the day where you can be on it and in control quickly but at night, I want it a bit more risk free where a run off a clutch won't cause issues. The carp will leave the snags and explore more at night anyway, so you make the best of both worlds. FInally, if you can rake the swims of crud and bait them, then try it - if all you do is clear a load of litter off the canal bed, then it's a good thing! I'd try get as much out as possible, anglers are guardians of our environment, rubbish is an eyesore and anglers tend to get blamed - more flak we could all do without, even if we are blameless. Clear the spots, with the rubbish and the carp gods will smile on you. Canals and rivers are tricky venues, but I love them. They fish through the winter too usually, I've got a little canal lined up this winter... Good luck mate.