jh92

Yes mate I think everyone is struggling at the minute but now that we have a vaccine there is light at the end of the tunnel so to speak 👍👍 just hopefully the restrictions ease soon, I think we are all starting to get a bit of cabin fever and all the staying in is starting to take its toll 👎 but I really do think we are through the worst of it now mate so hopefully not long until we are bit back to normal 👍

What files are people using? I use Gardner muggas straight out the pack, maybe I should be sharpening them before I use them 🤷‍♂️ I’ve also got the Gardner hook stone to touch them up after they’ve been used 👍 to be fair I’m not that confident with sharpening and not really sure if I’m making the hook sharper or not 🤷‍♂️😂 I normally change hooks or make new rigs 👍

That’s a bit dark ain’t it. Crazy. @Highy I thought your post was a bit of a wind up at first. Sorry to hear what’s going on, hope you can get it sorted 👍

Yeah mate beats being on the sofa 👍

I do this with my cradle, quite comfy to chill on and has a decent head rest, but that’s in the summer 😂no way will I be doing that this time of year 👍😂

The missus got other plans huh lol well not a knock, every swim on the lake was taken by 9am. I think too much pressure but I stuck it out. Quite nice laying on the bed chair, radio on drinking coffee 👍😂

I've packed everything including the kitchen sink pal 😂

I'm packing a bag for life for the ground sheet and another for the barrow wheel 👍😂 good luck for tomorrow mate 👍 The only thing I'm not looking forward to is I have to get the bedchair that has a sleeping bag folded up in it down from the shed and shake it out. It's hasn't been used for about a year and I can guarantee there's some monsters hiding it in. Last thing I want is one of them creeping out on me when I'm chilling on it 😂😂😂

Devon mate, it's been cold and with some icy mornings but I haven't seen the lakes frozen over yet. Although they might of on the days I didn't walk them 👍😂

Yes mate the rise in temps had made me want to get out again! I'm quite lucky with the current situation, I got 2 fisheries and miles of canal river within 10 minutes of me. One of the fisheries is fully booked until mid next year and the other one is a small fenced pond of about an acre at most with another small pond next to it about half an acre. It's quite low stocked with some old fish in. It's quite a hard water but 1 of 2 is coming out at the moment so gonna give it a go tomorrow 👍 river is flowing too fast at the moment and not going to waste my time on canal carp at the moment lol. I've been sorting the shed out and found some tiger nuts so got them soaking, will have them on the boil tonight, also got some krill boilies soaking in vodka and krill liquid. Hopefully can tempt a carp tomorrow! Sorry to hear about your wife's accident, hopefully your situation improves soon! Nice mate have you caught anything yet? Luckily down here the temps ain't as bad, haven't seen any big freezes on the lakes in a while 👍

Nice mate hopefully you bag one at the weekend 👍 the weather's warming up a bit now so hopefully it will pick up a bit.

Just wondering if anyone is doing a bit at the moment? I've got a day session at a small pond planned for tomorrow, had a walk around yesterday and the banks are so soft, my gear is gonna get caked in mud 😂 but the fish are coming out 👍

that's the one mate, thanks for posting the video it's nice to see its history. Looks a good rig for bottom baits 👍

This one mate

What's your thoughts on the slip D rig? Been watching a few videos on them and they seem pretty good for bottom baits and pop ups. I've tied a few up with metal bait screws for bottom baits. I usually like the standard knotless knot for bottom baits but these slip D rigs feel easier to tie. Gonna give them a try this year and see how they perform 👍

Fair play mate, I did a few hours this morning with some skimmer dead baits but had no luck 👎

When I was a kid my neighbour would take me carp fishing and he was ace at it. We would go to reservoirs where people would be several nights into a session and blanking and he would have 2 or 3 fish in a quick over nighter. Granted he put a lot of effort into it, he would have maps of the lake/reservoir we were fishing with all his findings like bars, holes and snags etc on (he spent a lot of time feeling about with a marker rod), a diary of fish caught on what spot, time of year what way the wind was blowing, air pressure and temperature and before setting up we would of walked the lake a couple times. All his fish would come off his home made baits, usually singles and sometimes the odd 3 bait stringer, he hardly ever baited heavily. He would watch the water all day, winding in mid day and doing a few laps of the lake/reservoir. He was mad about fishing and was hungry to catch carp, he was so focused all the time. I learnt a lot from him, but the way he would fish was hard and on the go all the time. I remember packing up and moving at midnight because he heard fish crashing on the other side of the lake and wanted to get on them 😂 I learnt a lot from him, it's just a shame it didn't all stick 😂 Now for me as I go on my own now, I don't put no where near as much effort in as he did, I will have a look for fish, if I see nothing I'll fish into the wind, have a feel about with a lead, find some spots and hope for the best.. then spend the rest of the day with my feet up in the bivvy having a snooze 😂 I suppose what I'm trying to say I think it there's two types of anglers, not so much time and money but those who are mega focused about fishing and then those who just like to get the rods out and put their feet up 😂

Brilliant 😂 Well it looks like she's struck gold now mate such a happy looking dog and fair play to your missus! I think dogs make awesome companions, mine comes pretty much everywhere with me... I pick up the keys and she'll be waiting by the front door wanting to come with 😂

ESP Tungsten Loaded is all I use, I like to keep things simple and just fish bottom baits and sometimes a snowman, simple knotless knot rig with a bit of shrink tubing.. I struggle to have confidence in other rigs lol.

Bless she looks really happy, is that a dummy? 😁

Sorry for the late reply mate, I haven't caught anything on them mate, they do feel a tad flimsy, I reckon they'll be good for perch but don't think they'll hold pike. I've seen some videos on youtube of some guy in america catching bass on them so they do work lol. That's a nice pike mate, did you end up getting a motor? Sounds fun lol. I'm getting my club ticket for the canal tomorrow so hopefully do a bit of deadbaiting 👍 I was watching a video on twitching the deadbait when using a float, you cover more water doing it so tomorrow hopefully walk the canal with a rod set up on a float/deadbait and see if I can hook something. Conditions look good too 😀

Since getting mine I've got right into dog training, I love it 😀 It's amazing having a dog willing to do and learn new stuff just for praise and treats lol. We train every day and love going on hikes. I wanted mine to be a carp dog but she is just too highly strung. She's a barker, does not like people getting close to the bivvy and just makes it hard fishing lakes so she has to stay at home lol. This is from a hike on dartmoor before all this started happening. Just hoping we can get out again after restrictions ease. Good luck with yours, hopefully you can get her on the bank one day!

Well I didn’t blank, caught some skimmers, roach, Rudd, gudgeon and perch. Fished to mid day and by then my girly little hands had had enough of being wet and cold from handling the small fish lol. I had some nice size gudgeon in the net for live bait but i couldnt bring myself to hooking them on the live bait rod. I used a small roach but even that got the better of me so I let him go 🤦‍♂️😂

Cheers pal, if I blank I’m taking up golf😂😂

It’s a struggle aye mate lol the quest for a big perch has already started. Car loaded up and ready. Finishing my coffee then I’m off 👍 gonna fish for some silvers and send one out on a live bait then dropshot/micro lure for perch. hopefully get some action. It’s nice not taking kitchen sink, I could probably carry everything in one trip but taking the barrow to keep everything off the ground 👍