Looking Back Over 2019 Part 1 of 10

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.

Trip 1 Carp Fishing – 2019

I am out for my first night of 2019.  My youngest was have a friend over for the night and my services were surplus to requirement – phew.  I did offer to stay at home but was told it was a girl only weekend.

I arrived just after 9 am and had a chat with another member.   He had been on her for a few nights but was still happily blanking.  As the Christmas rush was over, the lake was a lot more peaceful and only 3 or 4 of us were on the lake.  It took me nearly 2 hours before I settled on this area.  I then proceeded to look for some new spots in this area.  I hadn’t seen a thing looking around and purely pick this swim due to its location to the back bays and the sanctuary area.  Both are holding spots for the carp at this time of the year.  It’s been fishing hard for both the day and night anglers over the past month, but from my experience over the last 4 sessions on here and speaking to other old members, this is what generally happens each year and the lake will pick up as we move through January.

Conditions are not too favorable but could be a lot worse, the pressure has started to drop slowly.  I find it more about the constant conditions over the winter months.

My right hand was fished on the drop off in a nice area I found with the deeper, this was away from the normal spots in this swim.

And the other was in a very nice weedy area that clearly would hold some warmth and a food source for the carp.

Both areas were baited up with the catalyst active ground bait and micro pellets.  They were all soaked in the Catalyst particle syrup.  The weedy area rod had a natural 15 mm pop-up and the other rod had a 12 mm Pink Black pepper and Squid wafter on.  With this all done, it was time to set camp up and get some food in me.

As the night started to draw in, the liners started and continued on and off throughout the night.  I spent a few hours awake, in anticipation of a run, which never materialized.  This was a worry, I started to think the rig may have got tangled.  It shouldn’t have done but it does happen once a year (just to get you thinking every so often).  There was clearly some fish action over the area, just not interested in picking up my hook bait.

With packing up time here, it was time to pack down camp and head home.

And I hope we are back sometime this week.

I’m planning a few Perch trips this year.

Trip 2 Carp Fishing – 2019

This could be classed as trip 3 as I was out the other day.  Mapping the lake with the Deeper and also in the hope of finding a nice group of fish.  With the lake completely void of people and carp, I spend 4 productive hours mapping and discided to come back today in the hope of wetting a line.

So, after another good look round and still no signs of carp, (my rule for this situation, is if you just can’t quite pinpoint the swim you feel confident with, just go for comfort and move on from there).  I’ve picked this spot on the smaller lake as it gives me a great view of this lake and the big lake behind me.

I did this to spend some time looking out for fish and the potential of moving swim.  One rod has been set up with a bag with a small number of pellets and a bucket load of SF Food Dip.  My aim is to keep this rod static and cast a single hook bait around on the other one.  Fingers crossed I may pick up a carp or if I am lucky see some signs of fish and move on to them or just take note for my next overnighter.

The static stayed static, with not even a bleep and I did my best with the roving rod and recast every 45mins.  I saw no signs of carp and the water was pretty still.

On to my next trip.

Trip 3 Perch Fishing – 2019

With a few hours spare (and more to the point I had finally sorted out some perch fishing), I had a go on my local day ticket water.  I took a small rod with a few choices of jig heads and had a play around.

I knew there were perch in here, so I headed for the dead pads and would you believe my luck?  On the third cast into the swim, 1lb 1oz will do me for a starting point.

Not a happy Perch.

I used to fish for them many years ago but just lost the love (when carp took over).

It was some time before I received my next perch, it was from an area I was 100% sure that I would get one.  The small fry were all over the place but I couldn’t get a pick up for over half an hour.  I even left the swim and came back as it was that frustrating.  I’m sure there are no pike in there but there where a couple of very large swirls.  I will just have to see.

The second one and 1lb 3oz this time.

Need to sort out the holding malarky – it’d been some time and practice makes perfect.

I was very happy with that and I will be back for more.

on to the next trip out.

Trip 4 Perch Fishing- 2019

After I finished my gardening job today, I popped by a local pond and took a walk around with the jig rod.  I was after the perch again.  Unfortunately, there were a couple of other anglers about which limited me to only a few of the dead pads areas.

One of them was the area where I had one of my previous Perch from.  This time there were no signs of small fry about and no perch either.  I continued around the lake and then headed home.

It was very nice to be able to pop by on my way through and I will be doing that a few times over the winter months.

on to the next trip

After I finished my gardening job today, I popped by a local pond and took a walk around with the jig rod.  I was after the perch again.  Unfortunately, there were a couple of other anglers about which limited me to only a few of the dead pads areas.

One of them was the area where I had one of my previous Perch from.  This time there were no signs of small fry about and no perch either.  I continued around the lake and then headed home.

It was very nice to be able to pop by on my way through and I will be doing that a few times over the winter months.

on to my next trip.

Trip 5 Perch Fishing – 2019

After finishing work today, it was only a short journey to the river.  So I parked around the corner, grabbed my perch kit and headed off for a walk, my first stop was by an outlet.

A perfect place for perch I hoped, but not the case today.  So, I walked up to the bridge, as they can be pukka spots.

Which was also looking great, but still no joy!  So I carried on up the stream to the far end.

And then back again.  With some very promising spots, it was not to be.  I think it’s back to the lake on my next trip.  As I have a bit longer, I am going to try two rods and prawns and worms a go.

on to my next adventure.

Trip 6 Perch Fishing – 2019

I have come back down the local lake today after the Perch.  This time, I am armed with two rods and a pot full of prawns, in the hope of bagging a better fish.

I am still learning about perch fishing at this stage, I used to do it many years ago but things have changed so much.  But fishing is all about learning and I am finding it very enjoyable.  Don’t panic, I will never lose the love for carp fishing and I will be out soon after then again, I just fancied a change.

I had a small bit of action but didn’t hook the fish, it got away with the bait.  I gave it another 45 minutes but just couldn’t connect to the fish.  Very frustrating, so time to move on.

My second swim showed no signs of any fish but looked pretty perfect, so I gave it a go for 30 minutes.  With not even a knock, time for the third swim!

This had produced fish in the past and there were little signs of small fry.  So I was hoping for some action and sure enough after about 30 minutes, the center pin rod was away and I was into a lovely perch and it was soon in the net.

1 lb 10 oz

With the rain really coming down hard, I put up the brolly and hunkered down for a bit in the hope that there must be another fish out there.

With no more knocks and a break in the rain, I quickly moved to my last swim of the day, which is next to the one I started in but a different angle to the pads and maybe a fish.

With only just over an hour left, I was very hopeful of another perch, but it just did not happen.

out after the carp on my next trip.

Trip 7 Carp Fishing – 2019

I am out after the carp again this weekend (not the best conditions), the pressure is low and you can’t always pick when you can get out.  I’m not keen on quick nights anymore, think its an age thing.  I’m sure if the conditions were very favorable, I would be out like a shot.

I did manage to arrive just on dusk for a quick look about – a fellow Syndicate member had messaged me about the number of anglers and the swims taken.  This was a mega help – thanks Woody.

On the drive down, I put some thought into the weather conditions and where the fish had been seen recently.  I picked an area to head for, as there clearly was not enough time to look everywhere.  I had a choice if 7 swims which were perfect and my choice was soon made up.

I set up the Deeper, marker and my 2 carp rods as I like to get the deeper out there.  With a nice southerly wind, it drifted across the swim nicely and I then flicked the maker out as a point of reference.  I felt the lake bed until I found what I was looking for, then reeled down to the float and clipped up.  When I am setting up in the dark, I like to only fish one spot as its hard work baiting up, casting accurately, spomb out bait and come the next day, if I feel there is another spot in the swim I will then bait that up for the second night.  I think it is best this way otherwise there will be too much of a spread of bait.

The rain arrived at just before 9pm and its been here all night.  It will be here most of the day, which is a bit of a shame but it will give me a chance to sort through the tackle box, think, play with a few rigs and refine things a bit.

No joy in the night and this morning so far will have to get the Deeper out at some point and see if there’s another interesting spot to fish and top up the swim with some more ground bait & chopped Smokey Jack boilies.

The rain today just continued all day long and I was pretty much bivvy bound until later afternoon.  Around noon time, I sorted out the rods and stuck a few more ground bait balls out.

There was nearly a glimmer of sunshine just be dusk after the rain had stopped.

Which was very nice to see.  It gave me a bit of an opportunity to stretch my legs, get some tea on and settle down for the night.  This was broken by a bream on the righthand rod just before 11pm.  That was the only action of the night and I was only disturbed by the geese just before 8am doing their morning honking routine.

The weather conditions were a lot better than I expected.  I was pretty confident over the session and even had a couple of fish roll over the area, these were clearly carp but unfortunately, the bream picked up the bait.

I have just under 2 hrs before pack up time and as we all know it only takes a moment in time to change the session from a blank into a trip of a lifetime.  This is why we love the game so much.

back on the day trips for Perch again.

Trip 8 Perch Fishing – 2019

I am loving the Perch fishing, you need less kit and time.  It may even teach me to take less carp fishing!  But that’s not possible.

I have come back to my local lake and my first port of call is the pads swim by the bridge.  This is the most productive spot so far for me, it has plenty of features and a few good signs of baitfish for the Perch this morning.

I am sticking to the prawns, simply because I forget to dig for worms yesterday and the ground is frozen solid in my garden this morning – not very organized for me.  These things happen.

After about an hour and a half, with a twitch to my left-hand rod in the first 20 minutes, I was very hopeful. But it was time to move on.

My second swim gave me plenty of options but the buzzers stayed silent.  As before I, flicked the jig rod about before I moved on to my next and last swim.  Some heavy rain is due and with no brolly with me, I just don’t fancy getting wet.

It was not long before I received a twitch on the left-hand rod, fingers crossed something will turn up and I will bank a nice perch today.

Despite best efforts today, it was not meet to be.

on to my next trip

Trip 9 Carp Fishing – 2019

It’s been some time since my last trip.  This was due to a couple of family weekends away and a load of snow!  I nearly managed to get out on the snow but the lake was solid.

We are at the start of a lovely mild spell.  Which hopefully will get the carp moving about.  This is only the second day of the good weather.  My main reason for heading down to the lake is to have a good look about and get the Deeper out there looking for fish.  And I found some.  I just had to have a go for them but they were just not playing ball.  The swim I finally stopped in for a couple of hours at the end of my trip also gave me a great view of the bottom end of the lake.  It was on the back of the wind, still no signs.  I think this coming weekend will be hard work but the fish will have had a few milder days and nights – fingers crossed.

bit of a short session, that was, time for some more Perch fishing.

Trip 10 Perch Fishing- 2019

After my dentist’s appointment this morning, there was only one thing to do and as I was driving past the lake on my way home, it would be rude not to!  So, with that thought in mind, I already had the Perch tackle in the car and was soon set up just before 10am in my first swim of the day.

It was not long before I had some action, which I promptly lost in pads, a bit rubbish.

After I recast, they were soon knocking the line again and it was not long before I had a nice Perch in the net.

Not bad and just under 2lb.  I took this opportunity to bait up with some more prawns and then go for a walk with the lure rod to give the swim a break.  With no joy in the next two swims, I returned after 30 minutes and flicked the baits back out.  If I had no knocks within the next 30 minutes, I was planning to move for the last hour, but I had a feeling there was more to be had from this swim.

My rig is very simple, just a free running lead with a small buffer bead tied to an Sf Longshank Turning Point Hook.

Despite my best efforts, I just couldn’t tempt another Perch to pick up a bait.  I had a few nibbles and played about with the lure rod.  However, it was extremely nice to be out in such lovely weather today, a nice warm breeze and some sunshine, it’s starting to feel a lot like Spring.

Until

Part 2 of 10 will follow in a couple of weeks

Until then Richard