Baiting pole is amazing bits of kit. I have found my one incredibly useful and it’s certainly has helped me catch fish.
Now, before you rush out and buy one, there are a few things to consider.
1. Cost – you will probably think that a 12m pole will be just perfect for you. Not the case – as it’s not even 4-rod lengths from the bank. This means you will need a few extension sections.
2. Carrying it – I have 1 x 12m pole + 11m extension section. I carry it in an old brolly bag, which was lucky, as you can’t buy anything to carry them in
3. Practicality – they are not that easy to use in small swims or slopping swims as you need to lay the pieces out.
4. Being able to use it – this is not about the operator, it’s about the condition of the lake. A crosswind or a strong wind will affect the pole and can easily cause the pole to break.
5. Advise
A. Never use on strong winds.
B. Don’t lift, always push or pull.
D. After 12m add extra floats every 10m.
E. When maneuvering the pole in the water, take your time. As to many side, strains will snap the pole.
F. Dry the pole and keep the joints free of gravel.
G. Treat it with respect.
Hope this helps and doesn’t put you off buying one. They are a great bit of kit and used correctly will help you bank carp.
It’s been just under a year since I’ve fished the mill pond and a few things have changed – not too much though. It’s still the lovely tranquil lake I remember.
I have three nights to enjoy here and a social with Rob at the same time. After a long talk on the phone in the week, Rob suggested that I might like to fish this swim as a few fish had been coming out from here. It’s a good place to start.
I baited up with a little of my ground bait mix and some ground up Smokey Jack boilies. Both rods were baited with 10mm Catalyst pop-ups, as I had forgotten the Smokey Jack ones. DOH!
The first night past with no action. This is what I had been expecting as the fish had been coming out in the daytime. There had been light rain on and off through the night which had kept the temperature up. As the carp like to feed in the rain, I was quite happy with this situation. I was up at first light due to a single bleep from a tuffty on the right-hand rod.
I rebaited both rods around 1030 and changed over to 12mm Smokey Jack pop up that I got from Rob’ s bivvy!
The baiting pole was in operation again and filled with chopped Smokey Jack boilies. Which was more like crum.
Well, the baiting pole trick paid off and within hours, I had managed my first carp of the trip.
Which I was very happy about, the baiting pole was reloaded and pushed out again.
I had to wait until the following morning for my next take, this is not a bad thing as daylight helps in this swim.
A lovely 25+ mirror, with stunning colors. With the baiting pole rod in place again, I was feeling quite confident for another fish or two today. After 30 minutes, I was into another fish – a small common this time around the 10lb mark.
It was lovely to see the sunshine this afternoon.
It certainly made the lake look stunning.
The second night and day produced not a touch, which was a shock. We shall have to see what this evening brings. After that, it’s an early pack up as I am off to fish with Ian on the Airfield Lake for the next three nights. I am hoping for a couple more carp before I head back home.
The last night past with no fish what so ever, which again was a shock as we had seen more activity than previously. Perhaps they where just waking up and having fun.
I am on the bank for the next 48 hrs with the possibility of another night – if things are going well. We shall just have to see.
It was just before 7pm when I arrived, this gave me just about an hour before dark. I had an idea of which part of the complex I fancied on fishing. I had been down in the week and had been talking with other members. With a quick look at the middle lake and then at the top part of the complex – the water was clearly more coloured up than any other part of the complex. I didn’t fancy the big open shallower area of the complex, due to all the cold rain we had been having. I headed off to a grassy area I fancied and it looked perfect. I had fished it last year a bit, it’s not the best area to get to. I must say I don’t fish it that much due to the sort mid-week trips I do. The trip there involves a lot of mud, ups and downs with the barrow and I am getting old (ish).
I flicked the Deeper out. I found the water surface temp was very warm and a bucket load of fish (they should keep me going!). Let’s hope they’re in the mood to get their heads down over the next 48 hrs.
I spombed out a mixture of chopped Smokey Jack and the ground bait mix I was preparing the other day.
And fished an FW Masala pop up and a 22mm Catalyst bottom bait as I was interested in. Which type of bait they would be after? I had done very well on both baits last seasons here. I just didn’t fancy putting my faith in both pop-ups or bottom baits.
Morning arrived and much to my dismay it was a fish free night.With a day mostly filled with rain, it was time to get my thinking cap on. I topped up the spots at around 11am, I left the rods in the water. I wasn’t planning on rebaiting them until tonight, just before dark – unless things changed. I was confident in my area, I just needed to stick with it.
Well, yesterday was a complete washout, I spent all but about 30 minutes stuck in the bivvy. It rain continuously all day long and there is only some much looking out of a tiny gap you can do.
I even got bored of Netflix! On a positive note, it did give me the opportunity to tidy my rig board, tackle box and play with a few combinations with my Evolution Carp Tackle kit.
Just a couple of the interesting combinations I came up with. These will get an outing over the coming months.
There is a bit of brightness in the distance and the birds are still on the bait.
Which is a worry, as clearly the fish have not sneaked in and cleared it up.
It’s time to get the thinking cap on again and that big choice time – should I stay or should I go now? I was certainly going to have to hang around until this afternoon, as the rain will have finally gone. I don’t generally have a problem with the rain but a whole day of it was just too much, well it was more like one day two nights and half a morning.
I had a walk around for about an hour and a chatted with the other anglers on the lake. We were all happy blanking as well. Before I went for my walk around, I put a small number of chopped boilies in the margins, when I got back, I flicked the baits out for a few hours before I decided at 2pm that I would go home.
This was a hard choice as I couldn’t get back for a week, it was school holiday time.
My first night on the Airfield lake since last September and it’s so nice to be back on my favorite big old gravel pit.
It’s also nice to be able to set up all the kit by last light. Unfortunately, this lake is notoriously hard after its 6 months shut down but effort = reward and I had a good start last year, so you never know.
Ian (my friend) had done the day with no luck and I was not really sure where to go. I had a look in the middle lake and the large bottom lake. As there were a couple of cars in the top lake car park, I left them alone. It was a hard choice but as the water was more colored in this one, my choice was made, I had not even seen a sign of a fish.
However, after flicking out the Deeper I had picked up a couple of fish in the same area.
This area had a lovely feature in it. I was very lucky and found the same thing for my left-hand rod. Both rods were baited up with an FW Masala pop and a few spombs of chopped Smokey Jack boilies over the top. I was all sorted for the night. A nice rain storm was pushing through overnight and with any luck a carp or two. Fingers crossed for a dry pack up, we shall see.
I had some more free time today – so off to the lake, I headed. With me was my Deeper Pro Plus and the tackle (just in case I spotted something interesting). I hope to be out for 5 hrs, I probably will end up fishing for part of the time.
Sure enough, I found some fish moving through the channel between the lakes and just had to give it a go for an hour or so.
All set for mapping the lake.
I map from right to left using the horizon markers that you would normally use.
I did flick the rods out in another spot but no luck today. There was a bitterly cold NE wind blowing, which never helps.
