Trying Out Deeper CHIRP+ 2: What’s New, Reading Data on Fish Deeper App and Exploring Global Bathymetry
I have had the opportunity to test run the Deeper CHIRP+ 2 over the past month. I’m unbelievably impressed with the upgraded features.
Just like traditional sonars, Deeper works by sending out a single frequency signal to the bottom of the lake and back again. But the Deeper CHIRP series sonars with CHIRP (Compressed High Intensity Radiated Pulse) technology send out a continuous flow of frequencies, ranging from low to high. This is what gives you greater accuracy and clarity of what the lake has underneath your Deeper CHIRP+ 2. The first thing you’ll notice is that it’s a Desert colour to distinguish it from the other models. It’s a very nice colour and will not stand out too much in the water; looking from below (from a fish’s point of view), the other good thing is that the attachment bolts are black, so they are less reflective than before.
The other nice thing that Deeper have included in the box is an orange night cover. For me, it is brilliant news. I generally have this on all the time. I’m getting older and it really helps me spot the whereabouts of my Deeper in the lake. One of my favourite ways to map the lake is by casting out the sonar and using the wind to let it drift across the water. If no one else is around, I let it drift as far as I like. With the right atmospheric conditions, I’ve been amazed at how far my Deeper will go out before losing its connection.
I decided, out of interest, I would charge it up on the bank, with a portable battery pack. It took about an hour for it to be fully charged. This is very impressive and will be a great help if you’re like me and forget to charge things at home. The CHIRP+ 2 has a longer-lasting battery which gives an incredible 15 hours worth of scanning time. The new internal battery is Li-Ion, 3.8V Rechargeable, 1300 mAh.
Pinpointing my target species even amongst a school of baitfish is a breeze with the unbelievable target separation of 1cm / 0.4”. I can see even the tiniest lure when vertical jigging, which is something I will be certainly looking at this year, as I do like my predator fishing.
How to Operate the Fish Deeper App on Your Phone
In conjunction with the Fish Deeper app on your phone, you can switch between multiple functions. Once you have connected your Deeper to your smartphone, always remember to turn off mobile data. This is the most common error when connecting your Deeper. The first time you connect a new Deeper to your smartphone you will have a brief guide on how to operate it. It’s always best to go over this part and read the instructions. First view the Function options.
Personally, I like this setup, but you may prefer it another way. I will go over these in the next few screenshots.
First of all, you can change the Sonar display to basic. This just gives you the lakebed bottom, without any in-depth readings of what is on the bottom e.g., weed, gravel etc. This can be helpful in the beginning when reading sonar data. You can then move on to understand the other features gradually.
I have now changed the beam angle. If you imagine the cone icon looking down onto the lakebed, the area you are now scanning has gotten wider. The deeper the lake, the wider the cone will be at the bottom and the greater the area you are viewing.
I have now switched to the wider beam of 47%. This will cover more viewing area in my swim and is a quick way to map. If I’m trying to locate fish in my swim (to pinpoint a spot they’re feeding on), I prefer not to use the wide beam. Unless I’m curious to know if there are any fish in a particular area like a bay or along a marginal bank with overhanging trees.
The fish icon can be switched off, or if you just want to distinguish between sizes of fish, you have small, medium, and large for those monster fish! But you’ll get the most out of your sonar if you practice interpreting the readings yourself when it comes to fish. The fish icons are an algorithm and like any algorithm, it can make mistakes.
You can switch between 3 colour palettes when you are recording. You can also do this after you’ve recorded, i.e., when you’re viewing past recordings via the History.
The below screenshot is more or less the same as the one above, however, I’ve reduced the sensitivity from 100% down to 80%. This filters out the fuzzy bits. I personally prefer it set at 100% unless there is a lot of debris floating in the water.
I’ve now switched to the last of the 3 viewing settings. These can help you distinguish the lakebed makeup. You can clearly see there is a difference between the above and below screenshots.
With the Fish Depth icon you can switch between depth from the bottom or depth from the surface when you spot a fish. This is a personal preference, but an extremely handy function.
The below screenshot shows clearly the difference between the beam angle when switching from 7% to 47%.
This shot is me switching back again over the beam angle. This function can be very effective if you’re interested in seeing how big a particular feature is e.g., bar, plateau.
Phone App Functions
There is a lot you can do on your phone before or after you have been using your Deeper Sonar. These little things will help you get a better feel of the lakes/rivers you fish.
If you open up the app on your phone, there are 3 lines on the top left-hand corner. Tap them to open up the extra functionality.
If you click on History, this will bring up all the recordings you have ever done with your Deeper.
Select the one you wish to view, tap on the screen, and it will open up your recording. Top Tip: You can delete these off your phone if you are worried about space and download them again when needed. Just make sure your sessions have a green cloud icon with a checkmark which means they’re safely stored on the cloud.
You can simply playback your recordings and see exactly where your Deeper is situated in the swim on the left-hand side.
If you wish, you can drag the dividing line between the split-screen to make either side smaller or larger.
You can even zoom in on your area to get an idea of the contours of the lake.
If you tap on the screen, it will give you the Depth at that point which is extremely useful.
I like to drag the whole screen to the full size of my phone or tablet.
You can now see the contours better and an overview of your swim.
There is also a tab for the weather which is extremely useful.
If you scroll on this page, it will bring up everything you need to know regarding the weather conditions, moon phase, daylight hours, pressure, etc.
11.
Fish Deeper Web Page and Premium Functions
This is my go-to tool and I like to study this for hours.
You can bring it up on your phone via the internet, but I’ve found that using a PC or a laptop with a large screen is more convenient. It completely changes your perspective on the lake you are fishing. You can follow the contours and get an idea of the routes the carp will follow to travel from one area to the next. You can work out where the food source is likely to build up, by seeing which way the wind blows and where in the lake the debris will settle and collect.
When you open up the page, click on the compass arrow. This will take you to where you are currently located (if you’re at home, it will take you there!).
Click on the search icon and enter your desired location.
And then zoom in on your chosen lake.
There’s a brand-new feature available to Premium subscribers – global lake depth maps also known as global bathymetry. This comes with a 3-month free membership with every sonar purchase. It gives you the ability to see a global database of lakes that have been mapped already. For someone like me, who’s just starting on new waters, this is extremely helpful and time-saving. It gives me a guide on where the carp may be at certain times of the year without having to thrash about with the marker float for hours on end. The Fish Deeper Premium membership is going to be partially helpful for anglers who don’t wish to purchase a Deeper sonar and just fancy gaining an understanding of what Deeper is capable of achieving.
4. With the global bathymetry you can clearly see the contours, get the depth, take measurements, and plan your approach to the lake before you even arrive there.
I think this feature is going to be a real game-changer for everyone who uses Deeper. Time is not on everyone’s side these days with work and family life. This is going to save you a lot of time. You can start to map the lake yourself and understand the makeup of the bottom.
Below is where it started to map the lake and it’s fitting in perfectly with the global bathymetry readings. There may/will be tiny discrepancies, as with any GPS device and atmospheric conditions to contend with.
On the Fish Deeper web page, you can pinpoint the features you’re interested in and check the depth. Measure the distance from the bank, view your scans, tap on the features and the depth will pop up.
If you would like to know the distance from the bank, tap on the ruler icon and then tap the two points you wish to measure.
If you tap on the diamond icon, you’ll have all the features there at your fingertips.
I’ve found the range to be pretty amazing and under the right atmospheric conditions I’ve achieved 403 ft which is over 120 meters.
Play around with it and find what suits your situation best.
The Key Features of the New Deeper CHIRP+ 2
1. It comes with an Extended 5-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty.
2. A powerful and fast-charging battery for long fishing trips. Working time up to 15
Charges to 100% in just 2 hours.
3. Free Night Cover, which helps to easily spot your sonar in the dark and in other low visibility conditions.
4. Your purchase comes with Fish Deeper Premium for 3 months and you can explore over 50,000 lakes.
A range of hookbaits developed and tested over a number of years, each unique blend of flavours and attractors has been tried and tested with great success on waters across the UK and Europe.
Carp love spices so this extraordinary blend was formulated to stimulate this appeal.Tried and tested over many years and countless sessions it has proven itself time and time again. Yet another all year round bait that can be devastating!
Back in the day if you weren’t sure how well your day at the lake would go, you could just look at the cows! If cows were laying down – tough time fishing, if up and grazing – good day for fishing.
I’ve decided to look back over 2019 as part of my Podcast series and will feature multiple trip in one long podcast, from pike to carp fishing and easy lakes, to the big water I love to fish so much.
With a hot week in the gardens this week, it was looking like a good weekend for fishing. Ian arrived on Thursday night and had already bagged a nice 30. By the time I arrived on Friday evening, there were a few anglers on and it was very obvious that if I wanted to stand a chance of bagging a few carp, I would need to double up with Ian. If I blanked for the first few nights there was a good chance that Sunday night would produce. By then the lake would be pretty empty.
I had studied the Lakebook on my home computer and I knew the spots I was looking for when I arrived. I arrived just before 7 pm and got straight to work with the maker rod. There had been a great deal of weed growth this year, I didn’t wish to spend too long thrashing the water this evening any fine-tuning. This would be best done on Saturday at noontime well away from the carps feeding times.
These are small areas I haven’t mapped yet, you still get the full picture of the lake and where I hoped the fish would be or transit at some point over the weekend. I just need to stop them there and get them to put their heads down. This swim is full of features and can be very tricky, you can see why.
I baited up with my ground bait mixture of crushed hemp, Catalyst ground bait, hemp and a good load of the Catalyst particle syrup, I also spombed out a few of my boilie mixture. Both rods were fished with a 15mm Catalyst wafter and a 12mm natural pop up which are perfectly balanced.
With the sun setting over the estate, it was time to relax with a bottle of ale and look for signs of carp.
My first take happened at just after 3 am and after a bit of a fight the fish was in the margins. I had managed to keep it away from all our lines and I was just getting ready to next the fish and the hook pulled out. Joy! These things happen from time to time, just to test you.
With the rod back out, I settled down in the to reflect on things and soon drifted back off to Dreamland.
I was awoken by a single beep and a kingfisher sitting on my rods, it was diving after the minnows. I watched him for sometime before I decided to take some photographs and a short video for my vlog about my trip. It was wonderful to watch and makes you realize it’s not all about fishing.
Around 11 am, I flicked the Deeper out and much to my amazement the Deeper had picked up a nice show of carp; just at the back of a weed bed. This made me re-evaluate my tactics and moved my rods two wraps closer.
Within an hour, I had a take, it turned out to be a Tench. It must have been one of the smaller fish in the above screenshot, but at least there was some action. I gave it until 1430 and then baited up with more ground bait and boilies all set for the afternoon, evening, night, etc
The day drew to a close with another magnificent sunset, but not much carp activity. I was still feeling very confident after seeing all those fish on the Deeper early on in the day. This was clearly a holding area and with a nice amount of bait out there, they would surely feed at some point tonight. Just before midnight, my right-hand rod was off and a long battle ensued, not helped by the fact I had been in a very deep sleep. I was struggling to completely wake up. The carp finally was in the net and I was greatly relieved. I set about sorting out weighing and photographing the fish. Lucky for me, Ian was about to help, I just couldn’t fully wake up.
20lb Common
Photo done and fish returned. I set about sorting both rods out, I managed to pick up the other line on the way in (this was also was very hard work). I finally started getting my head together and got both rods back on the spot. All I had to do was to write up the capture and get my head back down; this was going to be hard going, as by now I was fully awake.
Ian, unfortunately, lost a carp about an hour later as it kited under the tree’s to our right. I was awoken in the morning by the Kingfisher on my rods fishing again, I never get bored of this and is just fantastic to watch.
Do I stay or do I go?
I can do another night, however, it’s going to be a hot one and those carp are not going to be in the mood for food, not until at least dark hours again. It’s a shame I don’t live closer as I would surely head home for the day, return and set up again tonight. I do believe I will be heading home this morning.
With some thought put into this decision and checking the diary, I felt it best to head home and come out another day,. I was pretty tired and felt that I would not fish my best tonight – unless some sleep was had. So, a day trip was planned the next day on the Estate Lake and a quick overnighter in the week, this would be a lot more beneficial and productive.
With the Summer holidays getting ever closer, I’m trying my best to fit as many trips in as possible. Once the kids are off school I’m pretty limited for time, however, it’s nice to have a break and spend time with the family.
Today, I’m back on the Estate Lake and it’s looking stunning. I have been away from here for far too long. I may just have to chance another evening and see how the mossies are! I have purchased a product which claims it works. We shall see. I have tried pretty much everything, even a few urban myths. I personally believe it down to the luck of the individual person and age, they never really bothered me before.
My approach to this trip is small bags and paste wrapped around the hook bait. These will be placed in gaps in the weed which are not too far out. There are stacks of fish about, I just need to get them to put their heads down. I’ve put out a few tiny balls of the crushed hemp mixture and will give it a couple of hours, I will then move to another spot I’ve already baited up.
I’m sure some of you are thinking ‘why don’t you use floaters?’. I have tried and failed, so far they are just not interested. However, every time I come down or pop in, I put a few pouches out and maybe, one day in the future, it will happen.
As you can see, I’ve moved swim opposite to where I was fishing. I’m pretty confident that the carp use these margins to transit past the island. All I have done is just lowered a couple of bags out. I did pop over here first thing and drop a few hemp balls out.
It was less than an hour before the left rod burst into life and with such a tiny swim, I had to negotiate the overhanging tree above me. Both sides have overhanging vegetation, but all held together and a lovely mirror was in the net.
13lb 12oz Mirror
Not the biggest but another carp on the list from here and maybe a chance of another bite in the last hour from the next swim.
With only 10 minutes before I needed to head home, it was looking like just the one fish. I am not going to sniff at this as because you can’t help which fish picks your bait up. It has been an enjoyable few hours and am looking forward to my next day trip. I need to also brave an evening.
After the success of my last trip on the Estate Lake and still full of confidence, it was worth another go. The more time I spend here, the better understanding I will get.
With the mozzie issue last time, I have come down straight after the school pickup, with the youngest.
Who is quite happy with her tablet, some water, and food. I’m hoping to catch early on and avoid the mozzies. I think we will be fine until 1930 ish, which will give me 3 hrs and save my wife coming to collect her.
I have picked this swim, I feel it is an ideal spot and after catching one the other day, it felt perfect for a short trip.
The same tactic as before; 15mm Catalyst wafter with a small natural dumble one cut in half and a pva bag filled with Betafin & Catalyst pellet (a load of food dip poured into the bucket and let them soak for weeks).
There were clearly lots of carp in the weed. I just hope they would venture out and feed before I need to be off. Due to the nature of the lake and it’s very undisturbed, I felt it best to fish until 1930 and then head off. This is better for everyone including the carp as when my wife and eldest collect her; despite their best efforts, the carp will feel the disturbance. At the moment my youngest is making no noise and I’m sitting on my bucket or creeping about, perfect conditions and no point in changing it
I was getting pretty confident as the carp were getting a lot closer to my spot and just needed them to get there heads down. I just ran out of time. I promised the wife, I would be home by 2000, so I had to reel in at 1930. This meant we had been fishing for 3 hrs. This was plenty of time for my daughter who was brilliant and very well behaved.
The school holidays are less than a week away and the weather conditions are looking perfect for a change, a dip in the pressure and light rain showers, it’s worth being on the bank.
With the wind pushing up from the south, I had in mind a couple of swims and after looking at them all I opted for this one. It’s well away from any other anglers – unless some set up very late, fingers crossed on that one.
Having fished and caught out of this swim numerous times, there was no need for the marker float. I simply leaded about; to check on the weed growth and settled on an area with a lot less. It’s surprising how much weed growth is about this year. I didn’t find the perfect clear spot that is normal about on the Plateaux. I have fed the swim a mixture of crushed hemp, 12mm Catalyst boilies and Catalyst pellets and I’m fishing a pop over the top on both rods to combat the weed. I feel the Deeper is going to come in very handy if the weed continues to grow.
After having a few liners early on and after dark, I was getting very confident and finally drifted off to sleep. Until just after midnight the left-hand rod was screaming away and a lump was certainly attached. You can just tell. It was kiting right, which is not good in this swim as it involves the big overhanging tree. No sooner had I realized this my rod tip was stuck under the water and as deep as possible and I just pumped until I felt my leader knot go through the tip eye. I knew then that fish had passed under the tree finally. With the fish safely away from that, it was time to sit back relax and play the fish out. This didn’t take too long and in the moonlight, the carp rolled into the Nsr, I could see the big outline of a good size carp.
32lb 7oz Common
I was very happy and even though I had had this fish before, it’s still a joy and I was really, please.
I quickly redid another PVA bag filled with Catalyst & Betafin pellet and got the bait back on the spot.
The next take came on the same rod, not really sure when that was and unfortunately the hook pulled. I soon had the rod back out and got my head down again until some heavy rain arrived (just before first light) which soon changed into a light drizzle. The next take came just before 6 am and on the same rod. A similar fight as before, but clearly no as big.
It was soon in the Nsr and tipped the scales 20lb 4ozs.
Not a bad result and time to pack up. The first wet one for some time.
With the weather conditions still spot on, I had to squeeze another night in. The pressure was low and there was a good bit of wind & rain along with a nice southerly breeze. The downside was it was the weekend and the pressure was back on the lake.
My swim choice was pretty limited by the time I arrived and soon settled on the swim which had given me 3 runs the other week, struck into thin air. Nice.
I was quite lucky and there was a break in the weather ish, just light rain. I set the bivvy up first, then set about the rods and other bits. After leading about over the same spot as last time and with the strong wind blowing this side of the lake, it would be pretty settled and hopefully, the carp would head over this way. In general, I’m not too far away from where I was fishing the last time and may benefit from the other angler pressure.
I’ve spombed out a good load of bait over a small area and flicked a Ronnie rig set up (with a small bag on each filled with Betafin and Catalyst pellets), a Catalyst wafter with a Catalyst pop snowman style. Both rods are in the same area, just 1 wrapped differently. I find this method very productive.
The first take happened around 4am and in a lull in the rain, which is always a bonus. A pretty undramatic fight insured for a fair time under the rod tip, there was no way this fish was coming up to the top any time soon. I just had to perch on the edge of the gravel swim with my toes in the water taking my time and play the carp out. At first, when I first picked the rod up, I didn’t think it was that big but as time drew on, it was clear I had an upper 20 or another low 30.
27lb 12oz Common
Perfect, I was well happy. As dawn was fast approaching and to stand any chance of getting any more sleep, the rod was soon back in the water and my head on the pillow.
The rain faded away, the cloud disappeared and the sun shone again. This may probably the last bit of rain for a few weeks, but very well needed. It’s not far off packing up time and I’m happy with the result. It’s also the first carp I’ve had in the dark, in this swim. All the previous ones have been in daylight hours. Time to get things sorted out and head for home.
With the school holidays around the corner, I just have to take every opportunity that I can.
When I arrived, there were two other anglers fishing. When I spoke to them they were off within the hour and I really fancied those swims. It’s funny but I don’t like jumping in behind people – if I had arrived 2 hrs later I would have never known and probably gone in one over them.
I made use of the extra time and had a good look about, I didn’t see much at all. The anglers in the swims where very fourth coming with how they had gotten on. In fact, everyone is happy to share information on this syndicate and happy to pass on locations where the fish have been showing, etc. They are all a great bunch, all happy to help each other and this is how it should be.
Well, I just had a feeling about this swim and really fancied fishing it. Armed with the Deeper and my marker rod, I had a play about.
There are certainly a few fish about and with me being in two minds what to do, a nice lump stuck its head out on the far tree line. Okay, I better pitch up here. I wasn’t going to be casting anywhere near that far out, but it gave me confidence that there are better fish about in this part of the lake. Oddly, it’s opposite nearly to where I fished on Friday night.
With a couple of nice spots found, the spomb was being blasted out and a nice load of Hemp, Tiger’s, Catalyst, Smokey boilIes were out there. Using the same tactics as before, no point in ever-changing anything that’s working well.
I then set about getting the bivvy up and as I hadn’t managed to dry it out from Friday night’s trip, it was going to be fun. All sorted, the coffee was on it and was time to sit back and enjoy the wonders of nature.
Morning arrived – no fish or no bleeps in the night, it came as a shock. These things happen, these fish feed in the day time. A nice overcast morning was forecast and I’m the only angler on here at the moment, I’m still very hopeful of the last few hours.
With the heatwave over and we had a free weekend, I was down the lake just after 9 am with my two daughters. We pitched up next to Ian under the big willow, there was no way I was sitting out in the direct sunlight. There is an age thing where you become much more sensible and less concerned about catching at every cost; e.g baking yourself.
We swapped over sides this trip and I was on the tree-lined side of the swim but was keeping well away in the night. In the daylight hours, I was going to try the small bay to my right, there is always fish in there. It’s a case of can you get them down on your bait or will they just relax in the upper levels all day?
I found a lovely gravel spot at the back of a hump, opposite to the channel which leads into the sanctuary area. I placed the other rod on a silty area a few yards away and spombed out a good load of my mixture of Smokey, Catalyst, Hemp, Tiger’s, etc.
With the sun setting, the wife had collected the kids, so I settled down and watched the carp showing themselves finally. We were both extremely confident a bite would come to one of use tonight if not both. Despite the show of fish, it was clearly not happening, not a single bleep to either one of us. It was time to get the thinking hats on. The weather conditions were spot on and a nice breeze pushed through the day. I opted to put a bait on the right-hand bush.
There would be a good chance of a tench, but hopefully, the carp would push them off first.n The other rod was left near the channel, but I had changed over to a bottom bait. We shall see what the day brings.
With still no joy to myself or Ian, it was turning out to be another hard weekend fishing. There was plenty of carp, but they were not interested in getting their heads down. After watching the carp for a few hours moving in and out of the small bay to my right, I decided that I need to place a bait in the far corner of the tree line, to give me some chance of landing anything that decided to pick my bait up. I recast the other rod, as I had opted for smaller hook baits, as a change in tactics. If the carp were not really in the mood for feeding, smaller offerings were going to be better. As there had been no forthcoming action, we both decided that any inclusion of bait into the swim would be detrimental. Only worth bothering if we had a few fish over the Saturday night, fingers crossed this will pay off.
That turned out to be another blank night for me. Ian, on the other hand, lost one at the net – we all know (full well) that sinking feeling. The swim was full of carp as before but we just could not get a pickup, but that’s fishing sometimes. You try every trick in the book and they just will not play ball.
But I’m never going to complain too much, as a few days on the bank you should never complain about.
I have been lucky this weekend and have been given the opportunity by the family to get out on the bank again. So, I’m thanking them for that.
Ian and I fancied a change of scenery this weekend and headed over to the Airfield Lake. We had not been here for some time and this swim has a great view of 3/4 of the big lake. This would give us a chance to see where the carp are; generally everywhere this time of year. It’s tracking down the bigger fish which is a real issue and they generally don’t show themselves until after dark.
As I know this swim very well, it wasn’t an issue I arrived after Ian – by some 10 hrs. I was only planning on putting out a small bag on each rod with a 15 mm Catalyst wafter on and then putting 3 small spombs over each area to start with. I would then move on from there over the course of the next few nights.
After a few hours of playing around with the Deeper, I finally settled for a nice spot in 6ft of water and the other rod was just off the tree-lined margins of the island to my left. I often see carp along there. It was only 3.5ft deep, so I wasn’t going to put too much bait out, just in case the swan came along. I was sticking to the Catalyst wafter.
Finally, the afternoon heat cooled down. It wasn’t even forecasted or very pleasant, we were both glad when the evening arrived.
Morning arrived with a screaming run for Ian and it was soon safely in the net. We quickly realized being about 8 lb, it was not the biggest ever caught, but it was a carp. This should always boost your confidence as it shows there are fish in the area and they’ve started feeding.
Still, no fish for me but the day is looking a lot better, there is a gentle fresh breeze and plenty of cloud cover. Hopefully, I will be in with a chance of a carp in daylight hours.
The carp are certainly very active and crashing about everywhere. As the weather is holding, with no sunshine and still a good breeze across the lake towards, all I’ve altered is moving the left-hand rod to the point of the island. This is where there were a few fish topping first thing this morning. I’ve put a small bit of plastic corn on each wafter to make them a bit more visible, in the hope an inquisitive carp takes a look.
Well, the third night passed us by again without a bleep. This lake is turning into a real headbanger – this was once one of the most productive areas. I can’t really see why the fish would keep away. There is probably 4 acres of water out there, with a mass of features. This may be the issue. But this trip, I made a point of fishing similar features but in different areas where we still seeing fish crashing about in front of us.
I’m not sure when I will be back as I have family plans for the next month. This will only give a couple of quick overnighters and I was thinking its time to try the Estate Lake again, we shall see where we end up.
After the disaster of 3 nights blanking over the weekend and Mondays being my dedicated day for fishing, it was a hard push to motivate myself. But after a night at home, I was full of the fighting spirit again and my plan was to fish the Estate Lake.
Having in mind the stealthy approach, I decided my baiting pole would be the best method. It would certainly cause less disturbance when casting PVA bags into the weed.
I poled one bait out to the clear area where I had been fishing on my short evening trips. I was using a large PVA bag filled with Betafin & Catalyst + Smokey Jack pellets. These were filled with Catalyst syrup, an 18mm wafter and a 12mm Catalyst pop on. The hooks I’m using are size 4 turning point hooks to combat the weed. I like to balance the bait with the size of the hook.
I repeat this process with the other rod. I was also loading up the bait spoon with a load of my standard feed mixture. This was all I was going to do until I had a carp, the other rod was placed on a hole in the weed where I’d previously fished.
All I planned doing now was to sit back, watch and wait.
As 9pm drew ever close, I had been here for nearly 12 hrs with no action. I was pretty surprised at this as I stayed tucked away under the bivvy watching through the mozzie panels. I was hoping this approach would lead them into thinking there was no one on the lake. Let’s hope night time brings me some luck.
Well, the night passed by with no signs of carp, no crashing, they just melted away as always.
Sometimes our users tell us stories of their unusual fishing adventures, innovative tactics, stranded or battle-scarred sonars and we would love to share them with you!
This time, we have a domestic story from the the Foggy Albion. A marooned PRO+ that was reunited with his owner after over 4 months! It was found in a fishery by an angling coach, who was clearing swims before an upcoming competition. The ball-shaped body with an orange belt caught his trained eye in the reeds on the far bank. Once home, he was surprised to find the sonar sprung back to life after a charge – it spent the whole of British summer in the water! Being an honest man, the angling coach contacted our Deeper support team. We took it in, gave it a checkup, a good scrub, and the PRO+ got reunited with its rightful owner – needless to say, they were delighted!
If you lost your Deeper sonar – contact Deeper support!
If you found a Deeper sonar – contact Deeper support!
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Tackling a new water is a real buzz for me. I’ve waited a long time for this one, but the timing didn’t quite go to plan. I was offered a ticket in the middle of a global pandemic, your wife is in the travel industry, times are hard and the future is unpredictable. But this opportunity would not come around again. So, we made the choice to join. I looked forward to my induction day on the first weekend of January 2021 and the plan was to fish 3 night’s straight after that day. Unfortunately, lockdown happened and I had to wait for a few months as I didn’t class it as local to me. Time passed by fishing on my local club lake, the time came when we could all get out again and travel further afield. As the induction was done and nights where on the card’s.
The real issue I had was my approach to new venues. I like to fish hard and as much as possible in every swim so I can get in to and build up a picture of the lake in my head. My concern now is that the lake is very hard and it could take some time to get the right combination of tactics to bag myself a carp. If there was another lockdown, would I be wasting my time or would it be best to forget about the first year on that water and head over to the Airfield lake? I would feel at home there and I would be full of confidence. Not that I wouldn’t on the Roach pit because that’s not how I work. There’s also the two weeks closure when the carp spawn to take into account. Also, when my wife goes back to work in the office, this will throw my fishing routine out as well. At the moment her work days change from week to week. Which has the knock on effect of which day’s I can fish. But this is a real must for us as a family, it will be a clear sign the things are changing in the world and getting back to normality, financial stability will not be far away.
I decided that getting on the lake straight away and fishing Sunday to Tuesdays or even Wednesday am was the best way forwards. Simply because once the rush of lockdown being eased was over, there would clearly be a lot less anglers on the lake on those days of the week. Giving me the opportunity to look around more, move swim more. I never like to make to much disturbance when the lake is full of anglers. New members who do that, generally don’t go down well. So, being by myself or with only a few people on will help me gain more knowledge of each swim faster and the prospects of being able to move swim more during the week day’s would be a great help. When the wife is back in the office sometime before 21st June, I will have to change my days around again, which could mean weekend fishing, I just don’t know yet.
My first few trips to a new lake always make me feel like you have to be on your best behaviour – the last thing you want to do is upset the members on your first day. I decided, that as the closer to the 29th March got, night fishing would be back on. So, I thought it would be nice to turn up for the 8 am draw and meet some of the members. There where only 9 anglers down to fish the first night and the draw went very well and my first two night’s on the water were soon over.
My second trip was supposed to be 3 nights, but I just wasn’t feeling the love. I’m getting old and my body doesn’t like walking up and down steps into swims, my knees just ain’t happy (or my hips for that matter) and getting in and out of a boat and onto a platform was hard work for me. Your brain asks your body to put you foot somewhere and there is a likelihood that it won’t happen quick enough and a big splash follows etc!
I made a school boy error and forgot that someone had told me about the main car park and the entrance into the lake, not to overload my barrow. I hurt my ankle on some tree roots and only managed one night.
Teething problems I feel, as I get to grips with the place and understand my limitations/opinions, it’s all going to start getting better. The lake is stunning and perfect, its all about me and my falling about body!
My third trip was a couple of weeks later, after I had spent a couple of nights on the Airfield Lake. This felt like fishing had reset itself and I returned back to the new water full of enthusiasm and determination. I had also reduced my kit down even more and understood where I went wrong. I set up in the hope of doing three nights.
I managed to catch the first of many tench to come, there is a fair few about and I even got to see my first carp showing during daylight hours and not too far away from where I was fishing. Alas, no such luck yet. The wind had been pushing from the North and did for the coming weeks.
My next outing was only one night as it was like fishing the Baltic sea and a bitter north wind that just wasn’t moving.
My next session, I couldn’t get in the car parks as it was so busy. Another school boy error, I should of learnt to arrive later in the afternoon on Sunday (about 4pm is best), but the forecast was heavy rain then and I was hoping my luck would be in my favour. It sort of was, I headed over to the Airfield Lake and got in the perfect swim. I really didn’t fancy getting soaking wet and blown away in the 40mph winds!
With family stuff planned, I could only fish weekends until mid June and I was hoping that Covid would be better and less furloughed people would mean less anglers on the bank. Hopefully summer holidays would be in full swing and I would stand a better chance of getting into a good swim.
June started with a lovely week away in Wales and I was all set for a couple of nights on the lake, the weather was pretty good and the carp had yet to spawn. It’s also looking like there may be less people about on the lake Sunday and Monday’s. We shall see how long this last and I’m hoping to get another trip in before they spawn and the lake is closed. This is a much better way of running things, rather than having a closed season. Just too many opportunities these days when the lakes are closed which was highlighted over the lockdown periods.
Unfortunately, I only managed one trip before they spawned and the lake is now closed until 3 weeks after they finish spawning, to give them a few weeks to recover without any pressure. We are able to walk around, which is something I’m hopefully going to get the chance to do. I’ve decided that with the lack of holidays last year, I will not fish in August and just have fun with the kids in between working and then set about hard fishing in September. August has never been the best month for me and catching carp.
I will be back with part 2 later on in the year and hopefully by then bagged myself a couple of beauty’s!
With my family holiday fun over for this year, which included a fabulous time camping in Wales for 10 days and spending 2 weeks on the Norfolk Broads (as you will have read in my last blog). I’m back out after the carp again. Autumn is fast approaching and I’m looking forward to the coming months. I have a big dilemma as a couple of 40s have passed away on my new syndicate, these things happen, unfortunately, and with only 2 others remaining, one of which is now tipping the scales at over 47lb. To be honest, I’m actually after the other one I’m after. This was caught, only this morning, so it’s no worth the effort this time around. We are very lucky that every carp’s capture is posted on the FB page a few hours later. You can adjust your plans accordingly. I’m not sure what effect the past few weeks will have on the other members, will the number of anglers on the bank reduce or the fact the big one has been out twice in 3 weeks ish, or make them a lot more keener than the past few months?
Traps Set
My choice was made; for these two days, it was time to get back on the Airfield Lake and have a go for that unknown monster that hides somewhere in here. When I arrived, I found John, the Estate Manager, heading back to his truck, he informed me that I had the pick of the lake, with only 3 other anglers fishing, not bad for a Bank Holiday Monday.
I’d found this spot in 2018 and never got around to fishing it.
I’d been looking at the forecast and my Fish Deeper Page, I found the perfect few spots in a few swims I fancied targeting. This was based on the wind direction, as none of them were taken. At first, I wasn’t really sure where to go, but after spotting some movement close to the island, which I had been wondering where the best spot would be for my second rod in my choices of swims. I had planned to look about on my arrival, after an hour my mind was made up. I’d been targeting the big lake this year and I simply needed to continue that train of thought. I’d only 2 options that I had picked out this morning and one was occupied and my spot for the next 48 hours was decided.
My home for 48 hour’s
I got the marker float out and chucked it out in the direction of the horizon marker, I’d marked down on my phone this morning before coming down and quickly found the spot I was looking for.
As I’d not been about for some time, I would change my approach this few days and be putting out less bait than normal. My right-hand rod would just be about 30 x 20mm Catalyst boilies with a double 10mm wafter as the hook bait.
My left-hand rod was at the bottom of the island margin shelf with a few spombs of 20mm Catalyst boilies and some pellets. No particles this week, trying a new approach for autumn.
The weather conditions look spot on unless you check the pressure and it’s sky-high 1027+. I’m hoping the carp don’t think it’s not good feeding weather along with the North East wind. Not heard or seen much since this morning, but hey, it’s lovely to be back on the hunt for those silty pigs and you just never know your luck!
My first take was at eight forty-five on the left hand rod and after a short fight, my first Airfield Lake Common was in the net. It’s been some time since I had one of these.
14lb 3oz Common
That will do me and with the rod back on the spot, it was time for a brew.
After spending a month away from the water and the south of the country, in some noise pollution-free parts of the country, the main road had me awake at just after 4 am and I struggled to sleep after then. I was feeling pretty rough, which I needed to sort out asap, so with my headphones on listening to a podcast, I finally drifted off just after 6 am and awake again just after 7 am. I still felt like my head was going to explode, time for another bit of shut-eye. To fish well, I need to have a bit more sleep these day’s and by 9 am I was finally feeling more normal. After a brew, my head was back in the game and looking at my game plan for the coming day and night.
I reeled in and baited up at just after noon, I then went for a walkabout and then flicked the rods back out at 1 pm. All set for the afternoon and night, fingers crossed I get another carp over the next 24 hours.
My next take was at two thirty in the afternoon, to the same rod as before and this one found a boulder. I needed to play this fish very carefully until it was finally out of danger and then I played it slowly towards the waiting Nsr50. I was worried about the hook hold, but there was no need and the carp was in the net.
16lb 2oz Common
Shame about the rod but I have a few other snaps that are perfectly ok, I just prefer the color on this particular photograph.
After quite a few attempts – the wind had picked up and a crosswind is never helping, the rod was back on the spot.
With the lack of sleep from the night, I got my head down at just after eight thirty pm, just in case I get any bites in the night. Being half asleep isn’t the best way to fish for me. I needn’t of worried, my next take was just after seven am and I was well and truly fast off in the middle of a dream. There was a split second where I had no idea what was going on, I soon got it together, picked the rod up, grabbed the spool, and walked back slowly to coax the fish away from the trees. I hadn’t had an issue with the overhanging tree, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. The fish was heading to the right, the same as the last two, but this one was hugging the tree line more than the others. It also felt a bit bigger than those torpedo rocket-type carp that this lake holds plenty of. You have to fight through to get the real bigger fish.
It was getting even closer to the margins on my right and the overhanging tree that’s on the water, 20 yards along this bank. They really love this tree, I discovered this seven years ago with my first take, thinking that’s ok it’s heading away from the tree’s to my left into open water. It soon kited hard right and towards the bank and got around the other side of the tree and was gone. Since then, I’ve been mindful of that tree and it also showed me these carp were fully aware of their surroundings and very sneaky.
The overhanging tree
With the carp successfully avoiding the tree, I was able to play the carp out under the rod tip. It actually did look that big, but was giving me the right run around, I had to take stock and slow things down, to avoid a hook pull in my attempt to get it in the net, as it was clearly not having it, but after another few minutes, it was finally in the Nsr50.
19lb 2oz Common
That’s better, and a good end to my trip. I’ve about two hours left of my session and you just never know with this place. They have a very varied feeding pattern which had changed an awful lot over the years. It keeps you thinking and on your toes, a take could happen at any time.
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