jh92

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 👍

I’ve put on 2 and a half stone since the first lockdown mate I’ve been stocking up on pies 😂😂 I’m now hitting 18 stone on the scales, heaviest I’ve ever been. Diet starts after new year, might as well get Christmas out the way first 😂

To be honest I didn’t get a lot of fishing done this year. I had big plans but with everything going on and with everyone deciding to take up fishing, I didn’t get much done, everywhere has been rammed lol. Been out in the boat and caught some mackerel. Lure fished for perch and had a lot of small ones. I think I’ve had 3 carp this year, all under 10lb. Caught from a hard little water so not bothered about the size. So for 2021 the plan is at the beginning of the year I’m gonna fish for pike and perch. Lures, dead baits etc Tidal carp when it warms up. There’s some massive chunks in there, it’s just finding them. I’ve been fishing for them for years now and still haven’t managed one over 19lb. it’s like an itch that you can’t scratch, it’s annoyed me that much, I don’t get much joy carp fishing else where because all I’m thinking is I should be on the river trying for a big one lol There’s a few big reservoirs I want to try for some big perch. One about 40 miles away holds them to 5lb with a good head of 3lb with plenty of them being over the 1 lb mark. It’s full of silvers so I think that’s why it has a good perch population lol so want to get down there for a day session 😃

Cheers pal hes getting big now aye mate, I remember when you first got him. Time flies doesn’t it 👍

It’s been sold🤦‍♂️😂 never mind I was 50/50 whether I should get it and now I’m liking the idea of a cheap bait boat 😂

it’s fully grown now 😂 she’s a great dog I’m always out walking her, we go for hikes on the weekend, it just doesn’t tire out and always want to play or go for walks 🤦‍♂️😂 she’s not a very good fishing dog though, can’t come to the lakes she barks at people approaching the bivvy, so has to stay at home unless I’m fishing canal/river 😂

ordering these little beasts, hopefully I can catch a few on them 😃😂

How reliable is this £200 bait boat though lol if it won’t break after a few goes and it goes straight I will buy it 😂

Well it’s a blank from me, about an hour in and all the rowing boats came along, must be some sort of event going on because there was loads of them... quit early and came on home, what a waste of time that was 😂😂

I know what you mean, I’m fishing a small pond at the moment, I’ve got to be putting baits tight to the island and under over hanging trees. Most of the spots are under 12m so I think it might be a good tool to have 👍 Hmm I think it might be a good deal then, it’s local to me on gumtree mate 👍 only problem I got is if I wait until Monday to contact my local tackle shop to see if I could get a similar deal, the offer on gumtree might be gone lol. I’m gonna see if it’s still available 👍😃

I’m loaded up for a few hours on the canal this morning, hopefully I can catch a few perch. Haven’t done any lure fishing since the beginning of the year so really looking forward to it!! is anyone else doing any predator fishing at the moment?

Just after some advice really. I’ve just seen one of these cygnet 12m baiting poles for sale including the spoon, float/sponge thing and hard case for £90 second hand. Is it a good deal?

I’ve had a few but 2 I mainly remember were on the river. One night when I was asleep I woke to hear lots of footsteps behind my bivvy, getting closer then scratching the back of the bivvy, I dive out to see what was going on, there was like 50 cows behind my bivvy with one licking it lol. Can’t explain how relieved I was to see the cows lol another time me and a friend were doing a night on the river, must of been about 16 at the time, we were outside the bivvys having smoke around midnight, when two men entered the field and started walking towards us, we weren’t sure what to do so just stood there and waited out, they walked directly at us, when they were a few yards away my mate asked what they were doing. They replied they’ve been on the mdma all night and wanted to go for a magical walk along the river 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ Had a chat for a while and off they went, never seen them again 😂😂

Yeah we think they are as well mate, gonna pack up and leave them to it👍👍

Starting to wonder if the carp are starting to spawn again, I’m pretty sure they’ve spawned already, can do they do it twice 🤔 they are crashing a lot around the margins. ive had my rigs with in inches of where they’ve been jumping but not a sniff except the eels. Might try a zig 🤔👍

What do you think is the best way to fish these? I’m on a lake tomorrow where these are a top bait. I normally put 2 or 3 all bunched up on a hair rig with a piece of maize as a topper and to keep it all in place. No artificial baits allowed, any suggestions? 😁

Managed a few baby chub and what I believe is a brown trout?