yonny

I see they've bought out mini versions which look pretty cool!

I always get isotopes but they've never come in handy for me. Purely a tart thing for me I'm ashamed to say.

I don't disagree mate. I've used all-sorts over the years, spent a small fortune, and my resulting mindset is: In fact @B.C. you're whole post reflects my thoughts very closely indeed. I used the old Fox swingers for years which were good, then I changed to the standard Solar bobbins which were also good, then I changed to carbon Bugs (because I thought they looked cool lol), also good. I then changed to JAG Safeliners due to their effectiveness when slack lining but they were so poor at range/with tight lines I ditched them. Moved over to MPS Defiant MKII Mag Heads, more of a classic bobbin but with a magnetic mechanism so you could fish them fixed to the line (best of both worlds). Then realised I'd gone nearly full circle and ended up getting the most basic of basic bobbins you can get, those being Korda B&W's. There's several more I've not mentioned too. What has all this taught me?: That when you've fished well enough to get the carp feeding confidently it doesn't matter what you use (imo), you know about it when you have an angry carp hooked. I fish my lines as tight as I think I can get away with without spooking the carp (which at short range might not be very tight at all), therefore indication is normally pretty good whatever I use. I do use the interchangeable weights that come with the B&W's to spot drop-backs more easily but tbh I'd not be bothered if I didn't have them. Imo the bobbin is just an aid to allowing the alarm to beep and if I get one single beep it is enough for me to know that the rod/line has to be checked/observed very closely to ascertain what the score is. I'll get down to the rods and check the line where it enters the water for movement, any signs and I'll pull the line very gently to check for resistance. I'll know if a carp is on. Basically I'm not waiting for the bobbin/alarm to tell me I have a fish on - I use them as a signal for ME to figure out if a carp is on. Nine times out of 10 the alarm screams anyway, there's no mistaking a carp is responsible. So basically I think they're all a complete waste of money lol...... BUT: It's sad but true😂. I pride myself in not being a tart - I use whatever I think is the best on the market for what I do, regardless of looks, and stick with it...... but having been through so many bobbins I cannot deny that there must be an element of tartyness to it!

Not recommended for eating..... gutted lol.

This should be a good'n as I predict we'll all have very different opinions on what's important. I went first last time so I'll let one of you guys kick it off........

I would agree with that Nick. In my experience, the bigger the water, the more the wind will influence the carp (in fact on proper big pits (50 acres +) they almost always show up on winds). And I agree a plethora of lines in the water on the end of the wind can soon have them mooching about off the back of it! It has to be swim availability/getting on fish Nick - there is something seriously wrong if you catch less in the warmer months otherwise. I too have experienced great sessions throughout winter but they are exceptions where they can be the norm during the warmer months when the fish are fully active. Likewise - my sessions are in the diary way before conditions are known. We take what we can get.

I think there's three separate threads right there buddy but to summarise each water will respond differently to varying conditions. If we're talking very, very generally: - The end of the wind is good, particularly a new wind, possibly due to oxygenation of water at the windward bank. - Low pressure is good - because it brings with it cool conditions and nice winds (see above), feeding conditions if you will. - Rain is ok, as it comes with low pressure weather systems (see above lol). I have noticed waters kicking right off after periods of rain, but that's just a personal observation. However, for every water that responds as you'd expect there is a water that breaks the rules. I have seen waters change in the way they respond to conditions from year to year too. There are no hard and fast rules imo. Carp are carp and they'll do what they want to at a given time.

I agree mate, November is still prime carp time nowadays. It's normally well into December before I finally admit to myself that it's over for another year.

RESULT! Have fun lads.

Autumn and winter are worlds apart imo. For autumn my baiting levels go through the roof. For winter they drop to almost nothing. Regards tactics stick to what you know/what you're confident in. Likewise. Every target fish I've ever caught bar 2 have been in Autumn. My fave time of year by far. Big fish time.

I like that too lol. Just don't expect to take the lift and get any credit from me !!!🤣

Imo they are cheating but I have a couple mates with one and I've also seen an entire lake mapped out with one. What do you want to know? Mapping is one thing but fish finding fish really is taking the wee wee. Carp fishing is suppose to be hard - that's why it's so rewarding when we catch. I think replacing watercraft with sonar is blasphemy of the highest order lol. But hey - that's just me. I couldn't live with myself if I caught a special'n that I found with a fish finder that proper anglers had been chasing for months or years.

Imo mouth damage through weed fishing is caused by inexperienced anglers trying to drag them through it, particularly with braid. I have never seen a fish tethered in weed. Imo they just use it to their advantage. Hence when you lose a fish (in the weed) it's always easy to retrieve the rig. In my book as long as the rod is locked up in weed, the fish is still on, otherwise it just pulls through. It can be a very long and arduous task extracting them without a boat and without damaging the mouth. That's just my observations of course. Most jetties were built for either boats or for match anglers as a peg and in many cases they were built before carp angling was mainstream. I'm sure most waters that are built as carp lakes nowadays would consider building them big enough for shelters.

Out of interest @Gazlaaar, did you hook them on the same type of rig?

Twins for sure but not identical twins lol.

They're very similar but one has a mouth that is far more over-slung than the other and the lower lateral lines look very different. One is more chesty than the other and one has an area free from scaling above the anal fin.

Imo no. Quite a tricky one tbf.

For sure Smuft, it's just a debate buddy, it's healthy👍 See in open water I don't see that as a problem. I'm sure if I timed myself in the middle of the night I'd exceed it. Imo it's safe

I've told people that before lol😜

The place looked awesome in Nige's vids @chillfactor. Glad you enjoyed it mate. I've done that too. Not fun lol.

+1. Absolutely brilliant stuff.

Although there are two kinds of the corn starch ones - taste them - the good'n's taste of pretty much nothing, the bad'n's have a horrible burnt taste!

Same thing mate. There's no such thing as PVA foam - it's just what guys call the corn starch foam.

I think he explains quite clearly in the video something that I've said on here before - that being that carp that don't know they're being fished for are infinitely easier to catch. If that means setting up a 2 or 3 second dash away from the jetty I'd have no problem with it. It's not like he's fishing snags - he's fishing open water. Yes there is weed about but at worst that means he'll lose the fish. It's not like he'll tether it. For me it is safe angling and that is ultimately what counts. I thought it was another brilliant vid from ESP. "For those 2/3 hours at dawn I'm a millionaire". So true.😃

I did a write-up of a session on Stanwick in the catch reports last April but it's not what you guys want to read - it was a nightmare, stuff getting nicked, couldn't get on fish..... it's never normally that bad so I won't post it as it'll put you off!