A Bit Of Interactive Bank Chat

[Gazlaaar]

Well, I ended up at the tough one again, I just didn't fancy the others, but I knew where the fish were going to be with the sun up. There two anglers here fishing on the end of the wind. I spotted a few fish cruising around near the surface on the back of the breeze so I've put two zigs out for now until dark, one at 8ft and one at 6ft in 9ft of water. I'e baited a couple of spots, one very close in to my left and my right hand rod will be fishing an area that' not too clean but not too weedy either. 

It's a tough water so I wouldn't expect to see me with a fish but I've gotten in quietly so there's every chance, we shall see

[Gazlaaar]

I meant to add, I've got fish in front of me so I've got the kettle on and keeping out of sight.

 

 

[yonny]

25 minutes ago, Gazlaaar said:

I've got fish in front of me

Then you're half way there buddy.

Good luck!

[Gazlaaar]

I've just moved swims to a silty area of the lake, I've seen a number of fish head and shouldering over the area, I've just put out a couple of catapults of 20mm boilies and a fish has just rolled over. I'm using 2 different types of boilie that have had a good dose of hemp oil, so I'm hoping that'll get them down. 

Rigs are in place and the fish are still there, fingers crossed.

[yonny]

Love that feeling when you sit back knowing there's nowt else you can do and you're on them!!!

[Gazlaaar]

The odd fish is still showing over my bait, I'm sure they can detect the hemp oil, very subtle shows, to be honest it could be tench or bream, but activity creates activity and at least something is happening.

My right hand rod is in my margin about a rod length out, neatly place onto a little spot that looks like it' been dug out. It could be birds, but you could spend months looking for a spot like this when they are usually right at your feet. The rig is stretched out with a handful of bait placed around the hookbait,  there is literally nothing else I can do apart from keeping out of sight and keeping quiet.

[chillfactor]

going off cold now Gaz .... should think your in for a crisp night & morning .

sunrise over a frosty lake .... magic 

[Gazlaaar]

14 minutes ago, chillfactor said:

going off cold now Gaz .... should think your in for a crisp night & morning .

sunrise over a frosty lake .... magic 

It is starting to drop now, I'll be gone before the sun comes up, sadly. I'm leaving at 6 to get back home, but you've go to be in it to win it, as they say

[Gazlaaar]

I turned in at 10, had a single bleep about 12 and I've been up since 3am. Nothing to report apart from its not as cold as I thought it was going to be. Nice cloud cover, I'll be off at 6am, I'll put the rest of my bait in just before I leave over that silty spot and try my luck again next week.

One of the weeks I'll do a day session of the local runs water but for the rest of my sessions during the winter, I'll be here, where time allows

[smufter]

Just about to head off for another session at "The Lake with no fish"......it's blooming cold out there!

 

[Gazlaaar]

2 hours ago, smufter said:

Just about to head off for another session at "The Lake with no fish"......it's blooming cold out there!

 

Good luck

[Gazlaaar]

2 hours ago, Big Common said:

Nice to see you bump this thread back to life mate, it was always one of my fav's..... Look forward to following 

I fished it as well as I could, one thing, I lost my wedding ring

 

[smufter]

4 minutes ago, Gazlaaar said:

Good luck

There are fish in front of me. Some really nice swirling and something BIG has just entered the bay I'm fishing in. Feeling a little more confident today. Fingers crossed.

[Gazlaaar]

I doubt it mate, I lost it whilst fishing, I blame the hemp oil, it must off slipped off somewhere.

[smufter]

Well, another blank! I was the only one fishing today, a couple of guys were there when I first arrived but they were coming to the end of their sessions and both reported that the lake had been very quiet. There were definitely fish in "Back Pond" today, but just couldn't tempt them despite my best efforts. I may not be catching, but I am definitely honing my fish spotting skills! Couple of single beeps, but nothing I could get my teeth into. Bailiff has suggested scaling down my hook size. I've been using 4's for my bottom baits, but may well go down to a 6 or an 8. I had maggots on my "trap" rod (right in the bay entrance) by the way Yonny, and was using sticks CM......

Edited November 10, 2017 by smufter

[yonny]

3 hours ago, smufter said:

I had maggots on my "trap" rod (right in the bay entrance) by the way Yonny

What qty bud?

3 hours ago, smufter said:

Bailiff has suggested scaling down my hook size. I've been using 4's for my bottom baits, but may well go down to a 6 or an 8.

Pffftttt..... he's clutching at straws there I reckon bud. I never scale down, even for winter.... it just means you're more likely to lose the fish when you finally get that hard earned bite!!!!

[greekskii]

9 minutes ago, yonny said:

 

Pffftttt..... he's clutching at straws there I reckon bud. I never scale down, even for winter.... it just means you're more likely to lose the fish when you finally get that hard earned bite!!!!

Exactly that!! 

I was due down the lake a bit later but somehow the missus has lost my fishing joggers! (Last I saw was when I put them in the washing machine! + a tshirt too)

so ive sacked off work and decided to head home after dropping my boy off to have a search (I couldn't find them anywhere) so looks like it's thermals as trousers for me and a new pair unless she finds them. Off to the lake now! 

[yonny]

37 minutes ago, greekskii said:

I was due down the lake a bit later but somehow the missus has lost my fishing joggers!....... so ive sacked off work...... Off to the lake now! 

Love it mate..... so you've had to sack off work to go fishing and it's your Mrs' fault!! Top work Vik!

Note to self: must try this one!

Edited November 10, 2017 by yonny

[smufter]

58 minutes ago, yonny said:

What qty bud?

Pffftttt..... he's clutching at straws there I reckon bud. I never scale down, even for winter.... it just means you're more likely to lose the fish when you finally get that hard earned bite!!!!

About 10 to a dozen on a medium maggot clip mate.

I was thinking with the amount of dead leaves and other material on the lake bed, even a size 4 would be difficult to see by a fish. But he reckons that these carp are so "clued up" that they could mouth the bait and feel the hook before even registering anything on the alarms.

My thoughts are if they are sucking a bait in, by the time they've realised there's a hook there, it should be too late???

My hooks are well sharp by the way, and I am using pva to help mask them.

[salokcinnodrog]

I use the same hook size in summer and winter, usually size 4's, although a large 6 in another brand will also get used at times.

I don't want to lose what I hook! 

I don't know if you remember my winter session a few years ago on Nazeing?

4 fish in January, 3 over 20lbs on a 4 day session. My rigs were exactly the same as in the summer. Think they were size 6 Gardner Muggas, even with them, I actually had a hookpull, as the fish came over the net cord, and it sunk into the net

I honestly don't think a carp can differentiate between hook sizes, they feel resistance, from the hooklink pulling tight to the lead, and being 'pulled' out the mouth, or the hair being taken to full extension, and the bait being unable to go to the back of the mouth, so the hook not even entering the mouth.

 

My usual answer to that is lengthen the hair and/or the rig, one at a time to try to confuse the fish.

This theory of the hooklink laying flat and straight can work against you, especially with stiffer hooklink materials, including totally coated braid, even with a short length stripped near the hook. A braided hooklink that falls and coils rather than falls in a straight line could be a 'confuser'.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, yonny said:

What qty bud?

Pffftttt..... he's clutching at straws there I reckon bud. I never scale down, even for winter.... it just means you're more likely to lose the fish when you finally get that hard earned bite!!!!

 

4 hours ago, smufter said:

Well, another blank! I was the only one fishing today, a couple of guys were there when I first arrived but they were coming to the end of their sessions and both reported that the lake had been very quiet. There were definitely fish in "Back Pond" today, but just couldn't tempt them despite my best efforts. I may not be catching, but I am definitely honing my fish spotting skills! Couple of single beeps, but nothing I could get my teeth into. Bailiff has suggested scaling down my hook size. I've been using 4's for my bottom baits, but may well go down to a 6 or an 8. I had maggots on my "trap" rod (right in the bay entrance) by the way Yonny, and was using sticks CM......

 

[greekskii]

1 hour ago, yonny said:

Love it mate..... so you've had to sack off work to go fishing and it's your Mrs' fault!! Top work Vik!

Note to self: must try this one!

I was going to go buy some new ones instead of work but instead decided I'll cope with using my thermals with my waterproofs on top... still her fault though!! 

[yonny]

1 hour ago, smufter said:

About 10 to a dozen on a medium maggot clip mate.

Fill it in man! Whack a gallon in there!

1 hour ago, smufter said:

But he reckons that these carp are so "clued up" that they could mouth the bait and feel the hook before even registering anything on the alarms.

I have caught for some very, very tricky fish in my time and most have been tripped up on size 4's.

[kevtaylor]

1 hour ago, smufter said:

About 10 to a dozen on a medium maggot clip mate.

 

You could try less maggots?

Its a bit in your face if they are wary

I tied a sick maggot rig last night, will look bob on with about 4 maggots on it.

Edited November 10, 2017 by kevtaylor

[smufter]

47 minutes ago, yonny said:

Fill it in man! Whack a gallon in there!

I did fire out a fair few as freebies Geezer, I thought you meant how many on my rig!!

Am going to tie a few more rigs up this week-end with some size 6 and 8's on there just to ring the changes.

Quick links used, so not a big faff to swap them around a bit.

 

[Gazlaaar]

8 hours ago, smufter said:

Well, another blank! I was the only one fishing today, a couple of guys were there when I first arrived but they were coming to the end of their sessions and both reported that the lake had been very quiet. There were definitely fish in "Back Pond" today, but just couldn't tempt them despite my best efforts. I may not be catching, but I am definitely honing my fish spotting skills! Couple of single beeps, but nothing I could get my teeth into. Bailiff has suggested scaling down my hook size. I've been using 4's for my bottom baits, but may well go down to a 6 or an 8. I had maggots on my "trap" rod (right in the bay entrance) by the way Yonny, and was using sticks CM......

I wouldn't worry about scaling it down mate, a lot of people forget all you need is a fish to sample a bait, by which point the rig should be doing its job. It's getting them to feed that'll be the problem.

Edited November 10, 2017 by Gazlaaar