March catch report

[commonly]

It makes a change for me to start one!

Started well yesterday morning, got here around 7, saw a few shows, small bag with a few 10mms and pop up combi rigs put out in that direction. 

Literally within 5 minutes (whilst I was down the margins putting out a few freebies), my left hand rod had ripped off.

I felt it on, felt a good weight, then the dreaded snag. I just kept tension & bump, it came off.

Dejected I redid the rod and put the kettle on. Just about to pour & the middle ones off.

Good little scrap and lovely little scaled 16lb mirror. 

Went a bit quiet, sun was up so tried zigs in a few different spots , moving them about every hour or so. Not even a liner!

As the sun dropped , I thought I'd switch back to bottom baits as I'd already caught and felt more confident for the night.

Nothing through the night and just as I was stirring the left rod was off, happy days.

This one felt a bit heavier, then the line went slack, I wound in faster and found the tension to the fish, it tussled a little bit, but was easily netted.

As I pulled her out I thought this is a good 30 odd, could be a new pb?

Scales topped out at 43 exactly, it is a new pb!

Sent a pic to my mate (who's also on here), turns out to be the big girl of the lake.

I'm absolutely made up

[yonny]

36 minutes ago, commonly said:

it is a new pb!

Whallop.

Congrats!

[kevtaylor]

Superb start to the year mate - well in 👌

[elmoputney]

Well done @commonly great result. Really pleased for you. 

[commonly]

Woke up at 7 on the dot to a lovely 27lb linear.

One of my best trips for a long, long time.

Not sure the moon phase had any effect as they were all caught at first light

[Golden Paws]

Two days after the full moon and moon set on Thursday was about 7:15 a.m. so according to the theory, it should have been a good time.

I did my first 24 hours session of 2026 on Friday and started at 6:30 and within an hour saw 3 good shows close in and put a rod on it and the other 2 out tight to an island. I had 3 slight pulls within the first couple of hours on the close rod and that was as good as it got. The water has good night form but I didn't have one bleep or didn't hear one fish roll. I went in light with the bait, only about a dozen boilies and a small scoop of boilie crumb in the boat and poured some dip/oil over it so it was more smell than food. I also put on a small mesh bag of crumb on the hook and dipped that  and the bait in the liquid before sending it out. 

I chatted to the bailiff earlier who confirmed it was hard going and I spoke to 2 blokes in the next swims up on the way out and they reported the same. The water didn't feel too cold for March as we have had a pretty wet and warm winter but I'll give it a bit longer before my next trip. 

[ouchthathurt]

Great result @commonly well done! 

[ouchthathurt]

a mid double common to christen the new rods 

[crusian]

11 hours ago, Golden Paws said:

Two days after the full moon and moon set on Thursday was about 7:15 a.m. so according to the theory, it should have been a good time.

I did my first 24 hours session of 2026 on Friday and started at 6:30 and within an hour saw 3 good shows close in and put a rod on it and the other 2 out tight to an island. I had 3 slight pulls within the first couple of hours on the close rod and that was as good as it got. The water has good night form but I didn't have one bleep or didn't hear one fish roll. I went in light with the bait, only about a dozen boilies and a small scoop of boilie crumb in the boat and poured some dip/oil over it so it was more smell than food. I also put on a small mesh bag of crumb on the hook and dipped that  and the bait in the liquid before sending it out. 

I chatted to the bailiff earlier who confirmed it was hard going and I spoke to 2 blokes in the next swims up on the way out and they reported the same. The water didn't feel too cold for March as we have had a pretty wet and warm winter but I'll give it a bit longer before my next trip. 

Well glass half full it sounds that you did nothing wrong , Golden Paws .

On my local water I registered a water temperature of 11C  ; I don't know what type of water you were fishing , G.P. ? . 

[Golden Paws]

Years ago I used to take the water temperature in the winter virtually every time I went but with the warmer, wetter winters of the last 10 years, I got out of the habit.

I was fishing a 4.5 acre lake in an enclosed wooded area which is about 6 foot deep. The water certainly felt warm enough but the weather was pretty non-descript and cold and I wasn't totally surprised to blank.