back on the park...

carpmanjay · back on the park...

Well I never intended to be doing much time on Suffolk water park , I just fancied a couple nights on there for old times sake until the weather got a bit warmer. Best laid plans and all that ehh!! Ive now clocked up 6 nights on the 20 acre park lake, 4 more since my last writings and to be honest im a bit concerned that I havnt banked a single carp!!! There have been a fair few fish out in the last few weeks, which did make them quite predictable in there movement s as they had been visiting the same old spots. I havnt been able to get near to where they have been coming out from and with the trend for anglers who must have more time than me to get to the lake on thursady night and stay all weekend. Still its all part of the fun.

I couldn’t get down to the lake until a little after 1pm Saturday and I was quite surprised to find the lake fairly empty for once with the few anglers on fairly well spread out.

The few swims where the carp had been previously caught from were also empty so I did a bit of a sneaky one, chucked on my camo jacket, carpy hat and carp spotters and took a wonder around the back bay which is strictly out of bounds and one of the reasons why I lost my syndicate ticket. With nothing to lose now I climbed the old tree that many of us old members have spent hours up hiding from the carp and the bailiff. This tree gives an exellent few into the depths of the bay and a good few of the preferred snags. After a few rollies and an hour or so this little bay seemed devoid of carp and as this is where a lot of the fish have been caught from and nothing else to go on I settled for a swim on the other arm of the lake which is much shallower, this also had a good tree to climb and as the wind started to drop I was able to see the ledge that runs right across the width of the lake separating the deeper water from the shallows. There had been a few fish spotted in the shallows the over the last few days but none had been banked so I made a guess that the fish were probably moving back to the deeper silty part of the lake during darkness.

Both of my rods where baited with my special little bait concoction we call the bum bait. (see pic) with a great new little bag from MO’s Co called Bag a Bite, filled with just a few pellets. I cast them at 50yds and 80 yds just to left of the ledge in the silty area just before last years weed was laying. Not a lot happened just the odd bleep which is not uncommon this time of year as there was a lot of scum coming up of the bottom lifting my lines and causing havoc with my slack lines. After hours of trying to re-sink my lines I gave in and just left them, watching my hangers slowly lifting. I wasn’t to concerned though because I was using my usual 8ft of leadcore.

Bum bait on my fav hinged stiff rig.

I went to sleep about 12am feeling fairly confident that if the fish were moving I may well intercept them, I have done well before fishing this way in this swim.

At around 2.45am I couldn’t hold it any more, my bladder was about to explode. As I stood in the vegetation doing my best trying not to get stung I just happened to look across the lake towards the ? swim (that is its name). Baddossshhhh blimey that was a biggie!! Then again, even though it was dark I could make out the shape in the bright moonlight. For at least 10 seconds I thought about a move, sod it down went the brolly, bag and rods on the barrow and 15 mins later I was setup in the ? swim. I know this swim pretty well as I have spent a lot time in here over the years. The bottom is pretty featureless until the weed gets up. Upto 70 odd yds it’s a simple 3ft feep then after its 4ft deep.with mainly hard silt and afew patches of light gravel. It was difficult to know exactly where the fish showed so I cast one rod about 50yds and the other 80yds just into the slighty deeper water. Pretty much straight out.

my second swim

At around 7am my alarm let out an absolute screamer unfortunately it wasn’t my nev sounding, it was my internal alarm, to much Robinsons the night before had left me busting for a pee and despite rolling over and over I couldn’t hold it in any more. As I slid out of my bag the heat hit me, blimey was it warm, with not a cloud in the sky and no wind the sun felt amazing. I just sat there watching the motionless water in just my boxers and t shirt. The swim looked pretty dead, with not a sign of any movement I contemplated getting the marker out just to see if I could find any thing out there that may off attracted the fish last night but I decided against it as the sun could well pull carp in at any time and I didn’t want to risk spooking them.

Once I rolled a few fags, strectched my legs and put on some clothes I climbed a tree at the back of my swim again from my perch I saw next to nothing carpy, a few bubbles which I put down to pike which seemed to be warming up in the morning sunshine all around the margins.

I spent a lot of the day up and down the tree looking down, I could see a lot of the shallows from this tree, and expecting anytime to see a carp or two cruising into the shallows, but it wasn’t to be. I fished till seven pm hoping that they still might visit but nothing came my way.

So this is starting to become a bit of a campaign now, im determined not to move on until ive caught one of these carp but with six nights under my belt, I feel that the only thing I can put it down to is my location, with the water temp still a little on the low side and with no decent weed beds yet these carp are now very hard to predict, certainly more so than they used to be, im confident in my rigs and bait so I wont be changing anything in that department, its time to start baiting!! Woohoo. It looks like I might be spending a few more days yet after these some what elusive carp!

Tight lines.

Foot note:
This afternoon I got a text from Mark telling me that his mate Rob had just banked a fish called ringo at a huge 47lb+ well done that man, not an easy fish to bank !! !!!!

Mark Mann

Nice write up mate and just for you

my mate Rob with Ringo @ 47lb 9oz!!

richchappy

again a cracking write up, jusxt need some fish to go with it...

02jlloyd

awesome write up buddy

richchappy

carpmanjay

il bag one of the biggies soon!!!

im not to intersted in the smaller fish in there so my approach is slighty different than if i was just after catching.

My reasons and approach will be revealed very soon, cant say much at the mo tho!! just watch this space.... cuckoo!

chris b

Cracking little write up jay,I'm sure were going to see some fishy pictures soon.

NOSEY WIFE

cracking write up jay shame you havent had a fish yet not long hey

cool pics

well down to rob with that corker of a fish

bigkipper

good read jay, hope you get one soon fella.

Mark Mann

Thats what makes it a good write up what goes into the fishing before it happens!!

and it will....... happen that is just a matter of time

Theres all to much today on:

" i turned up at 10 cast out and one hour later a 40 in the net and off home i went"

carpmanjay

to be honest when i fist started back on there it was only a bit of fun, but now its starting to get to me a bit, its certainly changed a whole lot since my days on there, one of the fish that evaded me is nudging 40lb so my approach is more for that particular fish.

as luck would have it the fish which is called 4.3(scale pattern) hasnt been out yet so who knows!!!!

still im confident that when the carp do start moving about ill soon spot her, and learn a little about her habits!

some of you maynot be to impressed by my antics in sneaking around the back, however i wouldnt dream of fishing from there as its regarded as a spot where the carp go to get away from the pressure
a refuge if you like. im a beleaver in having an area like this, the carp know its save in there, you can tell by the way they are so blatent!! still nothing wrong with having a peek tho!!

carpmanjay

And mark that is true, im very fortunate to have fished some lakes with a few known anglers, and just watching there approach and the effort that goes in is amazing.

a lot of the time there just isnt enough room in an artical to exlain the thoughts and processes, all the time walking around and observing, baiting up, all the miles of driving.

people like terry hearn may well catch the biggie or target in 3 nights, its not luck or magic, its a reward for all the effort put in before fishing, tel may well spend months walking a particular venue, to and from other lakes, each time he is learning, watching, getting into the fishes head. waiting for the right conditions etc so when he does fish, all that knowledge is all ready in his head. although he is still a bloody good angler!!!!