They say effort equals reward – let’s hope so after the nightmare set up!

After spending nearly an hour to get here due to a couple of accidents on the main road, meaning I had to take the scenic route across the New Forest. Luck was on my side, no one was in one of the swims I fancied fishing after studying my fish deeper page this afternoon. I really needed to be in the Southwest corner I felt. I’d spoken to another member in the week and the fish had vanished (as they do)! The weather on Wednesday was turning windy (from the southwest) and rainy, one of these spots had to be the one.

This was what I’m looking for and with the swim sorted, I spombed my bucket of bait out and then started to set up the bivvy, probably not concentrating enough, snap went one of the poles. $#!+

I tried to work out how to fix it, but the inevitable journey home was coming and I’m glad I’m a bit of a hoarder where fishing tackle is concerned.

The Fox reflex is dead 😦 long live the Jrc bivvy 🙂

I’m sure I will manage to fix it somehow, don’t think Fox will have any spares after all this time.

After an hour and a bit of drive, I was back in the swim and setting up another bivvy and getting the rods out just before dusk.

I could’ve come back in the morning, but why waste a night’s fishing? You never know wants going to happen, the rods are finally on the spot and the bivvy is up. It was definitely time for a drink.

Just before 2 am, the right-hand rod burst into life and I got the waders on. I like to do this first these days, the older I get, the more wobbly I am on my feet and add in a hard fighting Airfield carp trying to kite into the nearest snag (you get the picture!). Don’t laugh, but once trying to put my waders on after I’d picked up the rod, I fell over and the carp got away. I’ve not done it that way around ever since.

I grabbed the rod and pulled into thin air, the joy of fishing here. I got the rod out and tried to sleep, but it took me until about 4 am, and slept until about 8 am.

I was hoping for an early morning bite, but that wasn’t the case. The conditions are quite favorable today and a morning fish is still on the cards. Finally, at about noontime, the left-hand rod burst into life, grabbed my waders, and slipped them on. I grabbed the rod and pulled into my first carp of the session. It was a pretty straightforward fight and soon a lovely Common was sitting in my Nsr50.

I’m happy now, after that start, anything will do this session, now time to move on to the bigger carp.

My second night passed by with no action for me, this isn’t good, but there’s still a chance of midday take on the cards, now that the wind is picking up again. However, the sun is going to be out all day, I can only hope that the rain forecast for tonight is still correct later today and actually happens, giving me a good chance tonight.

About 1 pm the right-hand rod rattled off, over 24 hours of being on the spot, and a scrappy Common, finally picks my bait up. Unfortunately, you can’t get to choose which fish picks your bait up. I’m quite happy that something is moving down this end, I was getting quite concerned and had thought about moving swim. However, the heat of the midday sun put me off and I’m glad it did, there’s a bit of rain coming my way tonight, I’m hoping this peps them up and bring me more carp.

This will also mean, I need to get my overwrap on as this bivvy, as it’s 18 years old, it’s started to leak a bit at the sides.

Small but perfect and will grow into something special one day.

The bait is back out and it’s nearly being 2 pm. I really need to work out whether to put any more bait out or change the distance I was fishing to. I tend to bait an area in here and the fish around it hoping to pick the bigger carp off from the outside. I know it’s not quite working I hear you say, but its a good way to fish and does work a lot of the time.

I decided to stick to my original wraps, as any further out could result in a carp kiting far too much right and I could lose it in the snags, and this is not my sort of fishing – at all costs method.

The wildlife life has been active today and the geese have some young, I even spotted a little grebe, moorhen with chicks.

I was awake listening to the rolling thunder in the distance and the heavy rain on the bivvy roof when the left-hand rod belted off. I quickly got my waders on, I tried to grab my coat which had moved by itself (as they do), forget that, and out into the rain to do battle with a very hard fighting Airfield lake carp, in the pouring rain. This was made even more fun with the headtorch pointing at the rod tip checking which way the carp was heading; all the time hoping it would go left, as this was the better direction in this swim, away from any possible contact with the fallen tree to my right. It was going left and into more open water. The only danger was a hump two feet under the water that they liked going around and dumping the hook on you. If you miss that, there’s always the bay and the small island to my right. If you can get out there with you waders on and up to your belly, you can guide them around the hump, avoid them getting into the entrance of the bay and slowly walk back to the shore, to pick up your floating Nsr50 net and the simply play the fish out under the rod tip.

This fish was pretty good until the under the rod tip part when it kept powering off on the surface numerous times. It felt like a much better fish. I was determined that it wouldn’t gain enough ground and find that hump. I’m sure it was close a couple of times but I stood my ground and it abandoned that plan. Time to try another plan, this time trying for the small channel between me and the island, with a lovely collection of underwater obstructions. I had to walk towards these to put myself between them and the fish, thus forcing the fish back out into open water and ever closer to the net. Amazingly, it rolled on the surface and slipped into the net the first time. It was as if it had in an instant given up, quite straight forward after all that commotion.

I was pretty wet at this point and lightning was flashing away in the distance, I needed to get the photos done in the pooring rain. This is something I’ve not had the pleasure of for a few years!

That will do me. Time to dry out, write my blog, get a brew on and warm up.

The thunderstorms were out at sea, I could hear the rumbling in the distance and the flashes of lightning, it was gone four in the morning when I settled down to hopefully grab a few more hours’ sleep.

I was hoping for more carp, I had heard a few in the night crashing about, but alas that was it.  I checked the weather forecast around eight am and find out, much to my surprise, that it was going to be raining all day.  If I was quick I could get home in this lull in the rain, that was my mind made up.  After I packed up and was 5 minutes up the road from the lake when the rain arrived.  It didn’t stop until after 4 pm. I had a lucky escape. 

Until next time

Richard

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A nice day to relax in the bivvy, out of the sunshine.

Richard

I’m back out for a few night’s, the weather doesn’t look that great, but you never can tell

Richard

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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.

1. Personally, I like this setup, but you may prefer it another way. I will go over these in the next few screenshots.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. The below screenshot shows clearly the difference between the beam angle when switching from 7% to 47%.
11. 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.

1. 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.
2. If you click on History, this will bring up all the recordings you have ever done with your Deeper.
3. 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.
4. You can simply playback your recordings and see exactly where your Deeper is situated in the swim on the left-hand side.
5. If you wish, you can drag the dividing line between the split-screen to make either side smaller or larger.
6. You can even zoom in on your area to get an idea of the contours of the lake.
7. If you tap on the screen, it will give you the Depth at that point which is extremely useful.
8. I like to drag the whole screen to the full size of my phone or tablet.
9. You can now see the contours better and an overview of your swim.
10. 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.

1. 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!).
2. Click on the search icon and enter your desired location.
3. 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. 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.

5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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. 1. It comes with an Extended 5-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty.
2. 2. A powerful and fast-charging battery for long fishing trips. Working time up to 15
   Charges to 100% in just 2 hours.
3. 3. Free Night Cover, which helps to easily spot your sonar in the dark and in other low visibility conditions.
4. 4. Your purchase comes with Fish Deeper Premium for 3 months and you can explore over 50,000 lakes.