greekskii

On minimal kit, I take the same basic kit whether I’m doing 1 night or 4, more bait and more food but everything else is the same pretty much. I could probably cut down further, and likely will this year for a new water with long barrow journeys. However all my kit fits on the barrow so nothing on my back. Under Barrow bag with spares and other things like sack, tripod, etc. bedchair on top, rucksack, food bag and unhooking mat on top, rods on top of it all. I’m like a few of you, I have loads of bits of end tackle I never use but just keep in the tackle box because of the dreaded “you never know” that hasn’t happened for 5 years+ 😂 need to sort that out this year!

This is why I like my walled mat. So much lives in it when it’s on the barrow or being carried. Throwing stick, distance sticks, collapsible bucket, any loose items pretty much. ideal if stalking too as you can just throw loads in it and off you walk.

I use propolis occasionally. Bit like Kev though, just let them heal themselves unless it’s really bad. I also have some korda stuff (very old though) in the side pocket of the mat. as said. Best course of action if you want to/have to use something is any of the anti septic stuff followed by propolis on the body. But tbh there’s every realistic chance that the fishes goes and rubs the propolis off once released anyway! Or thrashes on the mat or sling and knocks it off beforehand. if a fish is obvs suffering from some infection from a wound it’s best to give it a salt bath and quarantine it, any treatment an angler puts on won’t be of much use!

You can get various devices. I got some pest plug in things from Amazon for this winter. I still left the poison traps out but only had one dead. Previous years it has been 6+! I do back on to fields though so have a steady population nearby. the plug in pest thing seems to have worked for all manner of creepy crawlies and mice. Worth a look

Wellingborough lakes, Chris Berry. I’m surprised he took the post down about Ben tbh.

I use my ridgemonkey light on a bankstick with the flash on. Worth getting your camera settings right too. I use this as a starting point and rarely change it round. Just the f value. 1/125 shutter speed, f4-f5.6 & ISO 400

With the short casting it’s an art for sure. Try hitting the clip with the rod tip high, just flicking the lead out and then following it down. I fish a spot similar on a club water. A deeper silty gully between weedbeds. But I fish braided mainlines too so easier to mess it up! sometimes though you just have to keep casting until it’s right. A lighter lead will help 1. Reduce noise when recasting and 2. Bit more forgiving to get out.

I mean they are white inside so they do look good mixed with those two tbf.

Personal choice here, I have used a mix of both, other than looking better crushed up I dont know if there is any difference. I have some for hookbaits and tend to use one of each so have a few in the mix. If I order 10kg of normal tigers I will get a kilo of black to run through.

Have used it and will continue to do so. Very meaty and pungent. I dose my boilies with it and then the following day add garlic powder, caught a few this way. Have previously used their ocean+ which is a mix of hydros and I like that. Used a few others, mainly the fishy/savoury ones and all great quality. Buy with confidence.

You’d need to register the fishery with the EA if you’re going to run it as a legitimate business. Then you’d be able to get stocking licenses. These allow you to stock fish from reputable fish farms and dealers. and also allows the EA to do spot checks for rod licences.

Cracking local pizza place delivers to the place. Can be a tough little nut to crack! Good luck!

Think this is the common opinion, that you see no benefit, and probably dont, but it all depends on how deep you look in to where it goes. I personally know of at least 50k worth of rod licence monies that went back in to improving the River Nene, because I spent it! Also another 20k has gone to the local angling club in the last few years for various projects like otter fencing & platform access over the venues. The club has to be proactive in getting hold of it as the grants come up twice a year. Calverton fish farm is partly paid using rod licence money, so all those fish restocked after pollution or to supplement species like barbel population or to restock club waters. The EA are being cut to death by central government, most of the teams rely on the big budgets of FCRM to supplement them. It's about time the government twigged on to the fact they'd be raking it in if they employed 100s of EA bailiffs and went and caught all the dodgers out and got the fine income. Sadly the EA dont get the fine money, it goes straight to treasury to be spent on a dinner party or something.

I go when I can but Autumn is the best time in my eyes. November specifically.

it really depends on the spot and the situation. Impossible to say before you're in a swim and found the spots that are fishable. I normally try to spread my rods in a swim to give options and may move two to a spot if it's producing fish and the others are quiet.

If only you could land the fish on zigs though 😁

Chod rigs work well for me fishing on top of the weed, im not worried about fishing the chod 3,4,5ft up the leader with a light lead. That lead will plug in the weed and become a lot heavier, itll also drop off easier. I use the C clip way of attaching them. If I find clearer spots then drop off run rigs as per usual for me. Strong line and if a fish gets weeded just keep constant pressure with the rod as high as possible. I have always found the fish start moving, it might be millimetres at a time but theyll come. Last resort is putting the rod back and slackening off a bit imo. I have just started using braid so cant say it's better or not but all of the above has worked fine for me with heavy mono lines.

I pierce mine so they dont bother me. If anything they feel more secure with the large chunks for me. Funny how the attachment you use can change your view on something so drastically! I would keep buying them but at £20 a pot is the reason I'm looking down the making my own route. Basemix from my bait guy and I can add to it and do what I want then. Probably cost me less than £20 a tub but I havent worked that out yet!

I like the SHB chunky granules. I'll maybe go for a smaller size but I dont mind them not being perfect balls, that's not what it's about for me. I think it's the fully knowing and being able to adapt it myself as I go.

It has inspired me to look at doing my own hookbaits with cork granules though. Just need to get round to it...could be a while!

Having used them for about 2 years now I have caught on them. Cant say if it's more than normal but I've had most of my fish in this period on them. Both the s2 and GPB2. You still have to put them in the right place. If anyone decides that it's the bait's fault they haven't caught I would give your head a wobble. that goes for any bait. You just didn't put it in the right place at the right time. There is so many variables in fishing to ever be able to nail it to one single reason you didn't catch. You can only blame yourself for wrong decisions. Wrong rig, wrong hookbait, wrong spot, poor line lay, too noisy, wrong baiting approach, too many casts, etc. Throw in the variables out of our control such as temperature, weather, light, pH, water quality, spawning fish, natural food, oxygen levels. And then add the other angling pressure and what they are up to. These things change daily, hourly even. To say it's your hookbaits thats at fault is ridiculous to be honest. The sheer amount of results that come to SHB means you cant deny they work and work very well. I saw your posts in the other forum, you came across as a troll with some very poor timing as there had been some stuff go on literally hours previous to your posts doing the company down. I believe I told you that at the time. You may still be a troll who knows. Plenty banned from there for their part in rows, you played your part in getting yourself banned. I've been banned myself from there twice. Not sure why people think they get banned for no reason tbh. Have some accountability for your own actions. Ironic that you believe you did nothing wrong and got banned & that you blame SHB for reduced catch rates and it was nothing you did yourself!

It's probably the slowest time of year for bites anywhere, maybe dont be too worried about a lack of action. Unless its rammed full of carp! Could just fish solid bags so you know you're presented, or rake a spot. If there is leaf litter it's unlikely the carp are feeding there, as they'd clear a spot off. Look for clear areas instead of casting on the leaf litter.

No idea sorry.

what about the other side of the argument? using thicker leaders ( I use fluoro or leadless leaders) when fishing places with snags to prevent cut offs is surely better than bare line which is much more likely to cut off and leave a fish with a rig in it's mouth? End of the day it's user error, some people just dont care and will pull for a break straight away instead of exhausting all options before pulling for a break. Personally I do everything I can to retrieve a snagged up fish/rig and hate to pull for a break. I have been out on a little dinghy in the dark to try and retrieve snagged up rigs, face pretty much in the water to reach down far enough. The amount of trees ive climbed to get other peoples lost rigs and leads because they cant be asked. Most wont even ring a bailiff and tell them the situation. You cant educate the idiots sadly. Just have to avoid fishing places that they do!

My suggestion would be to put a rod on top and a rod on the base. See where the bites come from. Temperature will have an effect as in the hotter months you’d assume they’d follow the top in the shallower water. They probably do both in all honesty.