Grandslam

Just for a change I went fishing last monday instead of tuesday night, I know I'm a crazy animal. With the temperature dropping slightly I was in 2 minds as to moving into deeper water on the lake. It had been reasonably warm during the day but I knew the temperature would drop after dark so i decided to hedge my bets and pick an area where I could target the margin and some deeper water. Just before dark my left hand rod ,which I had positioned just out from the margin on a spot I'd previously had some decent fish off, screamed off. Line was being pulled from the bait runner but when I engaged the bait runner and struck I was met with thin air. I'd missed an unmissable run and was really not impressed. Shortly after dark the same rod rattled off again and this time I connected with a reasonable fish, a thought appeared from nowhere that I hadn't lost a fish for quite some time. No sooner had the thought entered my mind than the tip sprang back and the fish was gone. Luckily I was on my own because the air turned blue. Funny how when I think about about winning the lottery it never happens. Around an hour before packing up I was beginning to count my losses when the right hand rod roared off. I long plodding fight ensued until I slipped a net under a common weighing an ounce under 15lb. It had been a night of mixed fortunes, loss, draw and a win. Once again DNA's Secret 7 had done the tick. Tomorrow will be more of a challenge with the temperature falling dramatically according to the girl on the weather tonight.

Before My Eyes

last week I managed my usual tuesday evening session. Some time after dark my right hand rod absolutely screamed off and I connected with a good wish that took line and stayed deep, plodding around under the rod tip. I netted the fish and caught a glimpse of a common carp in the mesh and assumed it was one of 2 large fish. However on lifting the fish out it shrunk as I watched it. Instead of a 20 something carp I was amazed to see a low double. Ah well you never can tell whats going to happen.

Jigging

I took my new Shakespear Ugly Stick lure rod to the lake yesterday to try it out with some perch in mind. Its an easy way to fill in a few hours. With the water still quite warm I opted for jigging with soft rubber lures rather than drop shotting. A 3g jig head twinned with 1.5 and 3 inch Fox and Berkley lures did the trick. The perch werent big but I was happy just to put some fish in the net.

Autumn Is Here

I made it onto the water as usual last night. Obviously at this time of year daylight is at a premium so given the chilly breeze that was blowing I opted for a swim in the shelter and positioned 3 baits. I had to wait until well after dark before my right hand margin rod slowly pulled tight and I was into a nice fish. After a spirited fight and picking up my middle line I slipped the net under 16lb 10oz mirror. A short time later the middle rod screamed but I struck into thin air. All in all it was an enjoyable but wild night.

Something Old Something New

I've often wondered what gains a modern bite alarm the 'digital' tag and how they are improved over my 20 year old Optonics so I've dusted my old units off and put them back into service. The main difference I can see is that the V that the rod sits in is a lot more shallow on my Optonics which can result in the rod being easily pulled sideways off the alarm. back in the day mods could be bought or made to keep the rods in place but I settled on a set of Fox snag bars. Other than that I the only other problem is the lack of a remote sounder box. To go with my resurrected alarms I splashed out on a new set of bobbins. I've been using Fox Swingers Mk 2 for years but they do have a couple of drawbacks. Unless you lift the rod vertically off the rests the line clip sometimes doesn't release also they're quite heavy even on the lightest setting. I splashed out on some ESP Barrel Bobbins. They come with small weights that can be moved to make the bobbin weight either 3, 6 or 9g and have clips that can be changed to grip the line rather than just hang. At £9.99 per bobbin the price is quite reasonable but the isotope that clips into the bobbin is a little more eye watering at £10.99 each. I used the set up on Tuesday night fishing into a stiff breeze. By pushing a bait spoon around a bush I was able to drop the lead into it and pull it around then slide it tight into the margin under the next bush along. It was a major faff on but as it resulted in a 12lb 12oz mirror it was definitely worth the effort.