With a free day from gardening, I was off down the lake. Probably not the best conditions, with bright sunshine. You can’t always pick and choose when you’re free. You just have to make the most of your time on the bank.
I headed to a nice swim in the day only area of the lake. I feel it’ll give me the best option, as it’s an overlooked area. I also need to spend some time with the Deeper around this area, I have yet to build up a picture of the bottom. It’s not going to be that simple due to all the island and overhanging trees, but it’s going to be worth the effort as I may well find myself here a lot in the winter. The lake is very busy in the winter, I may well switch over to long day sessions in these area’s, I am sure the carp will also feel the same pressure.
With winter getting closer, I’m starting to play around with Evolution carp tackle corn stack. This has many color combinations, which can certainly be an edge in the autumn & winter months.
The other rod I’ve baited with a frank Warwick caramel cream wafter, as I didn’t wish to fish a bright white bait, but I felt an off-white/washed out, may do the trick today.
It was not to be, however, I did find some very interesting features in another area, which will certainly come in handy in the future.
It’s been some time since my last midweek trip out on the lake. What a shock I got as I drove around looking for a likely spot to fish. There were 8 people fishing on a Monday night! Total shock. I was not left which of an option a long walk to the swim a fished last time or a swim that needed precise casting (not going to happen with the fading light) or a swim on the south bank with the wind behind me. This was the area where the wind was belting down to all weekend. It must be worth a quick overnighter in there.
I had mapped the swim some time ago, so I quickly referred to the lake map on my Deeper. This was online and familiarised where I needed to cast and the number of wraps needed, this also corresponds to some old log notes I still keep.
I made up a couple of bags with the leftover spomb mix from my last trip and then tied on a couple of wafters. I then cast out on the spot and put about 10 pouches full out over the top, which was a mixture of catalyst boilies and Smokey Jack boilies.
I then finished setting up in the dark and wondered why I had changed to my Winter bag, it was because it was pretty cold at the weekend.
Unfortunately, no video as its that time of the year.
Fishing is an amazing past time – it changes you from the normal everyday stressed, rushed, busy person to a relaxed and chilled out human.
I can’t stand in queues if they are too long, I will just walk away. Even if I really need something, I just can’t stand waiting about but put me behind a rod and I can wait – hours, weeks, a month for a fish.
We just all sit and watch the world go by without thinking of anything else. The stress relief from relaxing should be prescribed by doctors and the passion for fishing just can’t communicate with other non-fishing people. They just don’t see it. I have tried over the years, there just must be something different about us all.
I do find that if you don’t go that many times each year, the drive just fades out of some people. For me, I find very odd as I can’t see myself losing that bug.
From watching the line twitch and the float knock. Your adrenaline is fired up which non-fishing folks just clearly don’t get.
Come rain or shine, we head out feeling the passion driving us forwards. On a cold wet Winters day, you drive to the shop thinking ‘I don’t want to be out here’, but given the chance to go fishing, you would happily sit under the brolly for hour after hour and not wishing to go home.
I think it’s the combination of all the senses which drives us all forward time after time as well as the peaceful surroundings where we spend hours. It must take us back to the Stoneage hunter/gather thing to sit patiently after our prey and formulate better ways to capture and outwit them.
With the Airfield Lake closed, I had only one option for my carp fishing trip this weekend and that was the Meadow Lake. As I had promised my wife, I would reduce my two-night session down to just Saturday night, my original idea was to arrive at about noon time and leave a similar time on Sunday. However, the weather put pay to that. A band of rain was pushing across the UK from 9 am until 4 pm. My only solution to not get drenched was to get up early and be on the lake just before 9. This plan was pretty successful. I, however, had a shock when I arrived, the lake was pretty full up with 10 anglers on last night and most were doing two night. A couple of them were also moving swim.
Lucky for me, one of the swims I had in mind was free. The wind was due a change in direction and I felt that 3/4 of the way the lake would be my best option and the possibility to intercept the carp following the wind, down the lake. We shall have to see.
I was using my standard Ronnie Rig set up with a pink catalyst wafters. These where fished with bags as I didn’t wish to put much bait out when I arrived. I just Spombed out 6 loads of a Winter spomb mix, which I am playing around with. I shall adjust as we go through the Winter months.
I like to have a mixture of fine particles and whole boilies, which will cloud up when the small fish are feeding. When the bigger ones move in, they will have whole boilies to hold them in the area.
Once the rain had stopped this afternoon and the possibility of a daytime take passes. I would then put out the rest of my bait for the night (and mid-morning feeding spell). And hopefully, this will produce me a fish or two over the next 24 hours. I also need the angling pressure to drop down as well.
Well, the angling pressure was still pretty full on, as night arrived (way too soon). Winter nights are certainly on their way. The cloud cleared, the wind dropped and I was feeling there could well be a take in the night. I had a couple of liners early on and then it fell silent. With a fresh start to the day and a good bit of sunshine, it was no sooner time to pack up and head home for some family fun.
have now been using this for just over the weekend and it’s pretty amazing bit of kit and will aid anyone’s fishing. I have purely been using it as a mapping tool and depth finder at the moment. The weather has not been helpful on this front. Way to much rain for me to stand out in. I’m not that crazy anymore!
This image picked up a lovely slope, with a couple of nice edges where fish would patrol along. A perfect spot for a bait.
This screenshot has picked out a couple of depressions in the lake. Another perfect spot and unless you were extremely lucky, you would never find them with a marker float set up.
This final screenshot depicts a steady incline from 11ft up to 9.4ft, again is another likely area that fish would patrol along.
I have been casting the Deeper out and once I found the perfect spot, I flicked the marker out and retrieved the Deeper. I then cast a lead to the spot and clipped up, as I clearly don’t want to hit the Deeper with a lead! This is also a good way to get accurate baiting up with the Catapult or spomb.
I have also started to map out the lake a bit and play around with the online map feature. (I need more work on this part)
Some of you will say it’s cheating but I say it’s embracing modern technology. All people do in one shape or form e.g cars, phone, camera’s, t.v’s etc, so why not fishing tackle? If angler’s in the past not done this, we would still be using Heron buzzers and Argos chairs. With the modern-day pace of life, this gadget will save you time and put more fish on the bank, that’s got to be a plus on my book.
I have been using the Deeper Pro Plus for some time and I have put together a few tips which may help you get more from your Deeper.
1. When you cast out and are mapping the lake, the Deeper will take a few seconds for the GPS to lock on each time – check the GPS icon has changed from orange to green.
2. If you reel in too fast, you can create a false reading for the depth on the Deeper.
As you can see from the middle part of the screenshot that the Deeper been pulled down into the water.
3. If the Deeper doesn’t auto connect, you can manually do this via Setting –
manage Deepers –
Refresh & then Connect, in most instances this will have already happened.
Hints & Tips Video
Part 1
Part 2
Hopes these two videos help you with your Deeper Pro Plus
I love my pike fishing and the Deeper is a great way to locate bait fish in a swim – be it on the river or lake. This helps me a great deal with my fishing when I get only a few hours on the bank. You can search out the bait fish or if you are lucky find a pike. This will stop wasting time in swims with no fish.
With a quick under arm flick, you can check out some great margin features. This can also be used on the river bank to great effect.
This hole contains bait fish and the potential of a big pike.
Night mode is a very useful tool for the angler who arrives at the lake after dark.
Night mode solves this problem as you have the ability to change the black cap over to an orange one. If you then set your Deeper to the night mode function, you will get a flash of orange light.
This is very visible at an amazing range. You can then follow your normal process of clipping up and adding enough to allow for your bait to land on the spot. The beauty of the light is that you can line this up with a horizon marker and you will be safe in the knowledge you are fishing the perfect spot, even in the dark.
To set up night mode.
1- open the Deeper app and select settings
2- Scroll down until you find night fishing, which will be set to off.
Well, I can’t believe another season has passed by on the Airfield Lake. It’s still a real shame we can’t fish any Winter months. When I say Winter, I suppose it’s really Autumn months. We only get September (October would be nice!). We’ve all asked and there is no chance, so we have to live with that.
Unfortunately, the UK suffered the first frost of Autumn this week and carried on a few times this week and the last weekend of September was going to be no change. We started the season on here with a cold snap and we were going to finish it the same way. Mind you, the day temperatures were pretty good, so there was a good bit of hope for a carp or two this weekend.
Swim selection was based around avoiding the very cold N/E wind blowing and that was the choice of the most angler’s this weekend.
I was fishing with Ian again, he arrived before me and after a couple of phone calls, we opted for the spit between the big lake and the middle lake. We both fished into the middle lake, with the wind behind us. I fished along the tree-lined margin and Ian fished in open water and according to the Deeper the water temperature was still quite high – hence the misty mornings this week. It was still reading 16c which was pretty good.
I baited a perfect area with just over 2 kilos of mixed Hemp and Tiger nuts + catalyst and Smokey Jack boilies. I fished a couple of wafters over the area, one was was close to the trees and the other was a few yards off them. The baited area covered them both.
My first take arrived around 0430 to my right-hand rod and it just blasted off in true Airfield Lake fashion. I was out and up in a flash but quickly got the fish under control, away from the trees and nicely moved around my other line. After a very hard fight, as normal from these fish, there was a lovely twenty slipping into the Nsr.
I redid the rod and got it back out there but I was going to have a brew, watched the lake until first light and then reposition the rod again. I really needed to make sure it lands on the spot and not 3 or 4 ft the other way. We all know, despite your best efforts at night, there is always a chance you could be off a bit, which I don’t feel is too much of an issue normally but I just needed to know the bait had landed on the hard spot and not just off. It felt good when it landed but I wasn’t prepared to thrash the water with multiple casts at this time of the morning. If I gave it an hour, there would be enough light about and I wouldn’t disturb my swim.
After the light came up, the rod looked like it was perfect and I left it there until just after 11am and then re-baited for the day/ night. I was surprised that no more were had and despite the glorious day, evening came around all too soon and the last night on the Airfield lake was upon us.
The second night was a complete flop without a fish between us. I was very surprised, to say the least, as I had been getting liners all night and was just waiting for the rod to rip off. It was just not going to happen and as I needed to be home early for due to a few family commitments. I was off by 0930 and saying goodbye to the lake until mid-March next year. Bring on the Autumn/ Winter on the river and Meadow lake after some pike and even maybe chub this year, not forgetting some Winter carp trips on Meadow lake.
As the end of the week approaches, the weather forecast became a lot clearer. There was storm due from late Thursday night until Sunday afternoon and with the pressure way down to 1004mb, it was time for going fishing. Unfortunately, this would mean my first night set up, as both my kids have after-school clubs and I would not be home to load the car until 1845. This would not give me very much time to arrive before dark, if at all, but with even a minor set back after forgetting something and popping back home – I couldn’t go without my tablets. Oh, the joy of getting older!
I was not really sure which lake to even go to, so I headed for the Meadow lake as it was first on the way. It was pretty empty and an area that had been fishing well, (which I also hadn’t fished for over a year) was free and the two other areas I had in mind where occupied. The airfield lake is very open and I didn’t fancy my chances of not being blown away in the 50mph winds which are forecast! My choice was made and with the light fading fast and the ever closer prospects of heavy rain, the bivvy was set up first.
I then set about the rods this was going to be tricky as the spots in this swim are pretty hard to cast to in daylight. So, with that in mind, my left-hand rod would be fished near the end of a bar, not so far out and I would be able to get a couple of Spombs close by. The other was not going to be that simple. As I didn’t fancy too much of an issue, I kept well away from the right-hand island/tree line, as I felt it would be my best option.
I planned on being up early and getting the rods into perfect position for the day and then getting some bait out around noontime. With this in mind, the Bay rod was a large PVA bag with crushed all sorts that I make up from Spotted Fin products and a Wafters was tied on. The other rod I tried a bag but with the wind and extra distance out, there was too much of a bow in the line. I couldn’t make out if I had clipped the trees as the wind was pushing hard on to the island. So, I reeled in and a heavy lead was put on and I fished a single hook bait half Smokey Jack boilies with a half pop up.
I did manage to get 4 Spomb loads sorted near the left-hand rod.
The wind was picking up nicely and the rain was still due, it was time for a brew, some food and watch Netflix until the early hours. This was when it was due to settle down a bit and the rain dies away. There was no real point in trying to get my head down, as that would be a complete waste of time.
I drifted off to sleep as the rain did die down until the left-hand rod ripped off with the new SF prototype hook bait on. I was into my first take at just after 2 am and after a very hard fight in the margins, a lovely common rolled into the nsr50, happy days.
29-8oz common
I quickly got the pics done and returned the fish to its home and got out the rod again to the area. I topped up the swim with 2 spombs worth of bait.
My second take happened just after 7am and was another hard fighting carp but this one managed to slip the hook, which was a real shame. I inspected the hook and found it was still needle sharp, I was just one of though’s things.
I was time to sort the rods out as it was daylight and I also needed to decide on which spots were the best ones to bait up for the next 48hrs. The left-hand rod which had both takes was certainly one to stick with. A lot of carp were showing on this line and also checked the weather. I discided that one rod along the tree line was not a viable option as casting it back there would result in a few trees getting caught! With that in mind, I got the Deeper and investigated the swim from the area which had produced the two takes and followed that line across the lake.
It was clear that there was plenty of fish and that there were some good features – the weed and undulations on the bottom. The rest of the area, to my right, was pretty flat and no real signs of weed.
I decided that it was worth putting both rods along this line spaced over 40 yards. I Spombed out a mixture of Spotted Fin boilies, tigers, hemp, krill and ground bait mixed with Minamino and put both rods out there with wafters on a Ronnie Rig, using SF end tackle. As usual, I had a brew, a bit to eat, got my head down and fell asleep listening to the radio. I was woken by the wind arriving back for a good blow in my face but my confidence was booming.
The day and the early evening past without any action, which was a bit of a surprise. However, I had baited up as normal for a two-night session and was confident that I would get a take in the night, sure enough, I did. This was not until just after 5am and I was in the middle of a dream when a screaming noise was in my ear. For that split second when you wake up in the bivvy, putting your boots on automatically, pausing for a second think where am I and what is going on and then you’re of out the door and pull into a big lump.
I then had the best fight I had had for a long time, it never gave up trying to get into the overhanging bushes to my right. It was an endless effort by this beast but I finally got it into the Nsr and breathed a sigh of relief as I knew it was a lump!
You will hear me puffing a bit in the video, I was wiped out by the fight. It was the same rod as all three fish was caught back on! I laid down on the bed and drifted back off to sleep.
I was woken by the rain starting a lot earlier than I expected and a choice needed to be made – should I stay or should I go? Sometimes, I am very reluctant to stay an extra night, is if it results in a blank night, your average of the number of fish caught on overnighters goes down. I was a bit worried I had overdone the bait but for here it shouldn’t be a problem. The size of the carp I had landed over the past two mornings was pretty good. Just before 11am, the other rod was off for the first time this trip – which was great news. After a short open water battle but a very long margin fight, another nice common was landed.
22lb 1 oz
This certainly wavered my thoughts and with a fish in the daytime as well. I then looked at the weather, the rain would pass by, by early evening. As I had never really done well on here when it was raining, I made up my mind to stay another night. I was sure I was very likely to have another take at first light or even before (as per the previous mornings). I did plan on an early pack up as the family was kind enough to let me out for 3 nights.
Well, the last night passed with no wind and little rain. It did help me sleep very well and there were no beeps at all. I have about 1 hr left before I have to be off and next time I will be on the Airfield lake for the last trip of the year (before it closes for Winter). This gives me a good month on here, or more if I am lucky, before the frosts arrive as Winter starts. Let’s hope it’s not a wet and windy one, good for fishing but hard on me setting up in the dark and packing up in the dark. That’s the times I do start to wonder what I am doing? It must be my age! I have nearly been fishing for 40 winters and I may just be starting to see sense in why some anglers stop night fishing and just do days.
Once I have found my spot (and settled down with a brew), I flick the Deeper out into my swim. When the wind is from behind me I let it drift about slowly across the lake over my area and also on to other areas of the lake.
It works into areas you without disrupting the carp who may be in the swim where you’re baiting up. It also maps out a larger area with less effort. You can sit back and watch the lake (and the screen at your own pace). This really helps on large lakes where it will clearly take you a long time to map the areas you have not and fill in any gaps.
With floating braid on you can also let the Deeper drift under the overhanging tree, where you would never get a marker float to go.
With a free day and the conditions as they are, there was no way I would be wasting this opportunity. I just had to get down the lake and in one of the day swims. It was clearly obvious that the carp were keeping away from the main part of the lake. When I arrived just after 9 am (after doing my school run bit), there was only one-day swim occupied. However, there were a lot of night anglers and apparently, there where only two night swims vacant last night – the fish will defiantly be feeling the pressure on them.
I kept away from the open water day swims and headed to the bay areas, with plenty of cover for the fish. The other day angler was also thinking on the same lines as me and had opted for one of the swims at the end of the sanctuary area. This left me with the other end of the bays, which I think personally is the better option for me today.
I could fish up against some overhanging trees or alongside a small island. I decided that both rods along the treeline would be more favorable as the wind was pushing hard into that part of the bank and I gained a bit of shelter from the island.
I set up both rods and clipped up the distance and as it was daytime (and fishing had been hard going), I decided I would use bright baits again just to get the carp’s curiosity going. I put on some Frank Warwick Miracle Berry Wafters and a Caramel Cream wafter. I flicked them out along the tree line, one nicely in a small cove and the other by a set of pads and sat back on my chair watching the lake.
Just before noon time, the rod (with the miracle berry wafters on) ripped off and I was into a very hard fight common carp. Who tried going out past the island and then along the left had margins but I gained control and it was safely in the Nsr50. The pics were done and the fish was returned home and I quickly flicked the rod onto the spot again.
23lb 4oz Common
I had a few more liners, close to packing up time but that was the only fish.
29-8oz common
