On my most resent excursion I arrived at the lake at 10am ready to do a feature for the UK Carp magazine. I needed to catch 1 carp from all 3 day ticket lakes on the Anglers Paradise’ Nirvana’ Day ticket complex. My original plan was to fish the Kracking first then move across to ‘Fat Boys’ and then to see out the challenge on ‘Xanadu’. Obviously, the most challenging part was going to be getting a bite from the Kracking, so I thought it best to begin session there.
There was a big easterly wind pushing down towards peg number 1 leaving me with a couple of swim choices. I could either get in the face of the wind and fish the shallower end, or get in peg number 4 and fish the sheltered end that the sun was warming. I took a lap of the lake to see if I could see any of the residents but the cold wind had clearly pushed them down deep. In the end I chose peg 4 and decided get comfortable and fish the spots I have highlighted on the map.
Both spots were fished with an identically baiting and rig approach. Each was baited with a mix of Hinders and Mainline pellets glugged in a mix of Cell and Tiger Nut liquids and Hinders Cream Supreme liquid.
Each spot received about ½Kg of pellet and a ¼Kg of chopped Cell boilies. The mix was dropped accurately using a baiting pole and were fished close together in a small hole in the weed. I topped up each spot with a handful more bait every couple of hours, just to keep a consistent smell going into the muddy water.
My rig approach was one that I have become come very confident in during recent times. Combi-links, roughly 7 inches in length, tied with 5½ inches of 20Ib Trick-Link hooklink and an inch of Trickster Heavy braid (15lb silt colour) that was connected with an Albright knot. On the end was a size 6 Covert Continental Mugga and a 14mm Cell pop-up soaked in Hinders Betalin. This was mounted on the hook using a rig ring and stopped by a Covert Hook Stop positioned directly opposite the bard of the hook.
I added an inch section of shrink tube to the hook and steamed it, leaving a short section of the braid free to allow the hook to turn aggressively and covered the Albright knot with Critical Mass putty ensuring the pop-up didn’t lift the whole rig off the lake bed. This rig has landed me every take I’ve had so far. ..
So, with all the rigs in and the bait applied perfectly, I began to erect the bivvy in readiness for what I hoped would be a successful feature. After a few hours I had just got all the kit inside and finished arranging the gear when I heard one of the best sounds ever … my bite alarm!
I span round to discover the Bug slowly rising up to the rod that started hooping round as the locked up clutch held solid! I lifted into a heavy fish and the Covert Lead Clip dropped my 5oz lead.
After a couple minutes the fish darted directly across the front of the swim. My heart was in my mouth and my legs were feeling like jelly. After several surging runs, I finally got a glimpse of the beast I was connected to and instantly knew it was one of the two largest resident’s fish in the lake.