Quest Baits Blog

Words and Picture by Stuart Forsdike:

This weekend I approached a new water. I d didn’t have time to grab the actual fishing rods but with a few hours spare I thought I would take the marker down and do as much homework as possible to get a good head start. On arriving at the water there were only 3 anglers. All in the deeper water (or so they told me). obviously not wanting to disturb them I worked my way round the lake looking for areas of silt or gravel and holes in old weed as well as depths etc.

This blog was meant to be about doing your homework but it turned into something a bit different. With a strong wind blowing into the deeper area of the lake most anglers were bivvy bound or seeking shelter. Whilst I worked my way round the lake I scared numerous fish with the marker rod. The fish were shoaled up in the shallower water (only 2ft) indeed it would have been the last place I would have expected to find them. It goes to show how important fish location is. There is no point sitting behind rods fishing blind when the fish are not in those areas.

Finding the fish is the biggest tip I can ever give anyone. If the fish aren’t in front of you, you can’t catch them!

Stuart

The result of a little bit of hook bait tweaking.

Words and pictures by Stuart Forsdike.

After watching several nice fish above my baits but not actively feeding I knew there was definately something wrong. I wondered whether it was the flavor (currently using chili chocolate). On watching the fish for a while I came to the conclusion it might be the round shape I was using. With everyone using the perfect round boilie could it be that the fish were associating this with danger? Rather than re shape a single boilie I decided to simply cut the sides of the boilie off to make it more a barrel shape and I also attached one of the brilliant Pimple Pops. The orange being my favorite colour!

The new shape served a number of purposes – the longer narrow shape offer the fish something different that they are not caught on, the shape is more difficult to eject form the fish’s mouth, but cutting the “skin” of the bait more flavour can be released and finally the pimple although small has enough buoyancy to lift and thus creating a mini snowman rig. That a lot of plus points.

After a blank night in the sun the fish moved over my baits again – this 22LB common may not be one of the manors monsters but certainly didn’t hold any fear when it came to barrel shape Chili Chocolate bait tipped with an orange pimple !!! I can’t wait to try the bait again and this time hope for one of the larger residents

It’s that time of year when the mind starts to think about the new season ahead and those fish waking from spawning. Now I’m not saying I’m a fair-weather fisherman but the thought of bearing the cold weather with hours spent bite less don’t fill me with to much excitement! I’d rather spend a bit of time piking and preparing the

I enjoy my Pike fishing too

carp gear for the season ahead. The obvious question that must cross everyone’s mind is where they plan to fish or start their campaign.

Choosing water is a difficult task. No doubt everyone wants a beautiful lake round the corner stuffed with big carp (Common and Mirror) that’s cheap as chips and don’t suffer angling pressure. Do these waters exist? I’m sure there are some out there but it’s unlikely they will be the sort in the angling press or to be found on angling forums and the like.

I have personally settled on 3 waters for the season ahead. I think it’s very important firstly to be realistic with your self. There is a need to be clear in what you want from your fishing. Are you looking for a PB or target fish? Are you simply looking to get away from it all in nice surroundings where it doesn’t matter what or whether you catch. You must also weigh up the cost of the water against how many times you think you will fish it – will you really be able to commit the time to an expensive water?

In my local Essex area I have restricted myself to waters within an hour of work and home. Time is precious with family and work busy thank god. I don’t want to use up to much of my time on the road when I could be behind the rods!! My target is a UK 40. I therefore have to find a water or waters that contain them and at most times of the year. Many waters can’t sustain fish of this size and if that’s what you are after there is little point fishing waters without them in. Also if there are fish in the low 40’s you could find at the time of year you plan to fish the water they aren’t at there biggest weight. The 2 syndicate waters I have found both contain a number of 40LB fish. One contains a number that go into the high 40LB bracket and the other is an “easier” water which should give me some runs but also still gives me the chance of that big fish over the magic 40LB mark.

Finally I also take my 2 boys fishing. They have grown up from the “catch anything with maggots” phrase and now their looking at increasing their modest PB’s. We have therefore chosen to join a “Club” water. Club waters certainly should not be over looked as they offer very good value for money in these tough times. They usually have a number of different waters and you may be very surprised the size of some of the fish in them!

Good luck in what ever waters you decide to choose this season. There is something very exiting about getting to know a lake and her moods.

Tight lines

STUART FORSDIKE