emmcee

I've no experience with those rods but all my rods are predominantly Harrison blanks and have nothing but praise for Harrison rods.

For me it's simple, its horses for courses. Any amount of accuracy is all down to the angler and their ability and what equipment they are more comfortable with. Someone will be more at home with a 10ft rod than a 12ft rod. I use 12ft rods for all my fishing. I did once buy a 13ft set but literally sold them in a month as I just didn't get on with them. I didn't feel I had balance etc and most certainly lost accuracy with them. Went back to my 12ft rods and could hit a tree line or marker with my usual accuracy. So I'd say its down to the individuals rather than the fact it's a 10ft or 13ft rod or whatever. This is also why I only ever buy custom built rods for my carp fishing. They are built to my specifications. The real seat is situated on the rod blank to suit the length of my arm/reach . This aids massively in getting the balance right. Infact as I started beach fishing last year I brought for the first time, off the shelf rods. I didn't like them but I needed them for my sea fishing so put up with them. I got chatting to my rod builder friend who told me to take them to him. I did this and he moved the reel seat, first cast with the rod and easily gained 30yds on my cast. So balance is a massive thing to aid with distance and accuracy in my opinion. The thing is, when I left his house I'd ordered a pair of custom built harrison beach casters.

In my opinion the arc of the rod has no bearing on it. When you let go of the lead will determine how high the lead goes, whether that's a 6 foot rod all the way up to a 13 foot rod. So casting under a tree canopy at 40yds is all down to the individuals casting technique, not the rod.

You ever used it mate? A mate of mine used it years ago and done really well.

Pretty sure its that one that's called that. My mate used that with another essential oil and I recall him saying devils dung . Obviously stinks something rotten

Asafoetida oil, is that known as the "devils dung"?

No I haven't used molasses. Stick with that recipe and you'll be just fine. Well you might need spare batteries for your alarms Haha

Add some marmite and premier baits fish goo to the belechan and you've got a flier mate. Put the marmite in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so it goes from a goo to a liquid, makes measuring it out easier. Also measure out your oil first (assuming you're using some, will help you rolling as the belechan can make the mix very sticky) then once oil is measured put the marmite and goo into the same measuring pot as it slides out easier with the pot having the oil in it first. Add this to the eggs and belechan in the blender and blitz. Yes its messy, yes it stinks but the fish love it. Been using that recipe for years now, me and my mates have rinced lakes with it. You'll also find a very similar recipe in Mike Wilmots first book. He rates it massively.

Put your eggs and flavours in a blender , then grate the amount you want in your mix and blitz. Simple.

Spot on. Find them, fish for them and catch them, Simple.

I know when I switched to just boilie, over the course of a season my results were better. I mean as weight of fish rather than numbers. Though the numbers were certainly there too.

Following on from a post I put on the "newest purchase " thread, which was 90kg of bait for pre-baiting, I was just curious as to how much people roughly spend a year/season on bait? Now last season and this season I hardly carp fish once the carp spawn til probably end of September. Even so I'll end up doing 200kg plus of boilie. If I was really going for it then that would be almost doubled. Now I know that amounts to a few quid and is a lot of bait but fishing is my only vice and because I get bait for a few mates as well I get a good deal. Over the course of a season I'll probably get between 700 and 1000kg , sometimes more than that of bait for me and my mates. Not being big headed but I've so far always got/had good results from this so I don't see it as a waste. So just wondered how much bait you use in a season? Or as the title says, what budget do you allow?

I tend not to continually bait a spot as like you say there is a chance someone might go in there. Though when I have done this, it is in the winter months when the lake is much quieter and the few of you left fishing tend to come to an agreement, well that's what has happened on the lakes I fished. That Is why I've only gone on baiting teams with people I trust 100%. We work for each other. My first year on my current lake, I fished it and baited it whilst my other mate fished out his last year on his lake. He still put in over 150kg that year, most of which he gave to me to put in. I was top rod by a mile. The following winter I was going down mid week putting in 5kg a week with my mate coming down on the weekends to fish, he rinsed the lake, catching more fish that winter than most caught in a season. And the good thing is no one knows about his catches to this day. I was going down in the middle of the night to do pics for him. When done right and with people you trust , pre-baiting can make your fishing very easy. As long as you fish properly yourself.

I've been on that particular bait for years now. It's a custom recipe rolled in the supaminos base mix. As for confidence in my bait, everytime I cast out my bait is the least of my worries, its whether I'm in the right place or not that's my only concern.

If I saw fish in an unfishable area on my baiting up trips then that's where I would feed them. A mate of mine has it in his head that where he baits on his Wednesday baiting up session is where he has to fish on the weekend. If the fish are there then fair enough. I've baited up on a Wednesday before with a bucket of particle and 6kg of Boilies only to fish the opposite end of the lake when I arrived on the friday. Proceeded to catch a fair few fish that weekend which a few of them were passing my bait/particle on the unhooking mat. Always a risk in baiting up that someone will be in the swim you have baited or they benefit from it.

Go down the lake, find fish, feed fish. Simple as that.

In all the years I've done it, its never failed. Be that 1 chunk or several or lots of fish, I've always got my rewards. Been on my current lake 4yrs now and every year me or my mate on the bait with me has been top rod and both caught every fish over 40lb in the lake. My mate brought 90kg as well, he will be fishing the lake so should do well.

If my lake is weedy , then yellow pop ups all the way for me

IAMT 2314, Basically translates to " infinity advanced magnum taper ,2 and 3/4 lb test curve" . This isn't a serial number, just what the rod is.

I've done very well using yellow pop ups over a red fishmeal bait and white pop ups over a brown fishmeal bait. That said , yellow pop ups have accounted for over half the carp I've caught in my life. Infact I'd say more like 75% of my catches have fallen to yellow pop ups. Then again that is what I used for 90% of my fishing. This has only started to change over the last few years since I've been using wafters to match my freebies. I have had some yellow wafters made too , but not as productive as yellow pop ups nor matching wafters.

Spot on

On my old syndicate lake that was on a country park had bad litter problems. I said to the head ranger once that why were there not more bins around the park. Because it would cost more money to go round and collect them was his reply. And yet they have to go round and pick all the rubbish left by picnics etc anyway. False economy if you ask me. And yet if an angler went in to a swim full of litter left by picnics etc it was their duty to clear the swim. Used to make my blood boil.

you wpn't regret it. cracking bait on its own and it certainly won't harm your catch rate being glugged or gooed

Had the same last year, from June onwards I started sea fishing and absolutely loved it. Different surroundings, different species, different everything. Was a breath of fresh air. So yes change it up a bit. You won't fish to your full potential if that's how you feel and just be going through the motions

I use the chod when , 1, I know it's thick weed and the bait needs to be presented above/on it. 2, when I find fish feeding/ showing and I have no idea what the bottom is like. And I'd say 90% of the takes I get with chods are absolute 1 noters. Infact I don't recall too many that weren't 1 noters. Also I can honestly say I very rarely have hook pulls. I use size 4 hooks with a 12-14 mm pop up and they are nailed in the bottom lip. In my opinion it's a very good rig, when tied and used safely and in the right circumstances.