Meadow Lake
New Point
4 – Nights
I’ve successfully secured a few nights on the bank, a potential four if I’m fortunate enough to weather the two storms headed my way in the coming days. Upon my arrival, the lake still showed traces of cat ice in certain spots. Some anglers had braved the weekend, carving out clear areas in front of their swims. I hesitated to check the water temperature, deciding to wait until the rain subsided tomorrow before deploying the Deeper sonar. The forecast indicates a warming trend in the upcoming days, with milder winds and nighttime temperatures in the double digits.
My swim selection is primarily driven by the need for shelter from the impending 50mph winds, yet I aim to position myself within the heart of the storm but amongst the shelter of trees. Interestingly, I found myself back where I spent my last night of 2023 in mid-December, a location I hadn’t anticipated returning to so soon. The persistence of my ongoing tooth issue serves as a surprising reminder.
Baiting strategies demand careful consideration, and I’ve opted for a mix of boilie crumb and chops, complemented by liquids, ground-up particles, and some 20mm boilies halved. One rod will feature the catapulted boilie halves, while the other will deploy the crumb mixture, with Catalyst pop-ups and wafters as attractors.
Despite the challenging conditions, strategic baiting offers a glimmer of hope for landing my first carp of 2024.
After dozing off at 21:00, I aimed to catch a few hours of sleep before the strong winds arrived. However, around midnight, the flapping of the overwrap disrupted my rest, prompting me to secure pegs doubly and triply. Over the years, I’ve learned the importance of reinforcing weak spots in corners during setup and reserving a few pegs for emergencies. The night unfolded with vigilance, bolstering confidence as the storm gradually subsided.
Surviving the tempest, I awoke to a picturesque morning with a brisk wind rippling the water. A rod needed recasting due to a drifting lump of weed entangling the line during the storm.
The day oscillated between sunshine, sporadic light rain, and gentle winds, gradually warming the lake. As the skies cleared and the moon briefly emerged, anticipation of a pleasant day ahead grew.
Choosing to leave the rods out for 48 hours, I planned to bait up with fresh offerings the next morning. The evening brought intermittent rain, and while the anticipation of carp action lingered, the night remained silent.
An unexpected morning bite marked a pleasant surprise — the first carp of 2024, a small but welcome capture from the new stock introduced last year. The rest of the day unfolded in leisure, filled with coffee and conversations with fellow syndicate members.
Despite my hopes for another carp in the following 24 hours, the day took on a more tranquil tone. As I packed up, reflecting on the past few days, I realized that while the experience felt distinctly carpy, the bites eluded me. Nevertheless, it was a memorable outing, and I look forward to the next adventure on the bank.
Until next time,
Richard
UK Carp & Coarse Fishing 