Getting the Most from a Physically Demanding Session..

On this blog I am revisiting a very prolific venue Drayton Reservoir, last time I fished this lake I had a good bag of fish ranging from 10lb-17lb all on zigs fished up in the layers. To get constant bites throughout the day, I concocted a sloppy Spod mix which really did increase the action, although saying that at times I didn't even put any bait out over the top and the rods were still ripping off. 

One of the First Fish of the Session.

This time I have gone more armed up more than I had before with more Spod mix which I may put spods out every so often, or even see if I can keep a constant flow over the top of the zigs, in this situation I seem to catch more fish than using single zigs casting them around, this is partly because of the dense stocking of this very large reservoir. 

The Spod mix I am using before I start on the other side of fishing is, Rice Pudding, Condensed Milk, White Crumb and Brown Crumb Groundbait, Velocity Baits V-Cloud and a good liberal helping of corn. Last time using yellow foam on the zigs did really well specially with corn constantly streaming through the swim, this helped so much all I had to do was put the rods back on the area and I was either getting bites on the drop, or even when I left the rod tip in the margin allowing the line to sink.. The rod just uprights itself and that's a good sign of a pick up.

When the action hots up, all I'm looking for is for the line to tighten, I'm fishing a 2 inch drop on the bobbin as soon as the bobbin even starts to rise, I know that I have a bite, I am 99.9% certain that it isn't a liner. 

A Nice Broken Linear, Good Colourations!

So far as the business of the rig I am using, 14ft of Nash NXT Zig Flo in 10lb, a Saftey Bolt Bead with the matching tail rubber, this is coupled with a very important 3oz tournament casting lead. With this size lead and also the shape allows me to hit the clip quite firmly, if I don't hit the clip or the rod doesn't land in the right place, I reel it in and re-do it until I get it bang on the money. 

I am set up on the dam wall, this has always been the flier for me and where I have mainly done well, with the stage stands it makes in 10x easier to get the peg sorted out giving you an adequate amount of space in the swim. 

Same Fish As Below, Look at the Width of It!

Onto the session... 

We rock up to the gate nice and early to see about 6 cars queuing to get in.. We drive a quarter of the way along the bank and see a shoal of fish showing at a comfortable distance in front. 

I didn't hang about getting the rods rigged up and sorted, as I'm fishing zigs, I make a powerful cast the showing fish with a Spod as I know it won't spook them at all, all I do to clip the rods up is leave the spod where I have cast it and cast bot rods just past it so I know by the time the line has dropped back, I am fishing in the right place, accuracy is key to keep the bites coming.

Bit Bright as the Sun Appeared in the Evening. 17lb Mirror.

2 rods are soon punched out to within a six pence of each other to pick up bites a lot quicker, it took all of about 15 minutes and the first rod ripped off and ended up with getting 3 bites in half an hour 2 on yellow foam and one on yellow and black foam.

I had tested the sloppy mix in the margins a few times just to make sure everything was working as it was suppose to. the action came slow and steady for an few hours until it slowed up, I kept on plugging away spodding bait over the zigs then stopped for 30 mins, then the bites kicked in, as soon as I had a fish in the net and before taking pics, I'd leave the fish wallowing in the net and put 5 more spods out and put the zigs back out, by which time I had taken the pictures there was another take.

The Last Few Casts Had a Liberal
Glugging of the Berry V-Cloud. They
Couldn't Resist it!

Overall throughout the session, with persisting to spod over the zigs, I managed to catch 20 fish to 17lb, of which was the last fish of the session, as I look around there were a few people catching but not quite in the quantity that I was. I love this sort of fishing as it keeps you active, rather than setting up and kicking back, it must be said sometimes it is nice to kick back with a tinny or two and soak up the settings but on sessions like these, it simply isn't worth it, don't get me wrong I love relaxing just as much as going out somewhere with the aim of smashing it up, the physical aspect is another I love as well, I may be aching and moaning but the more I do it, the more I can strive to do better the next time.

 

zigs are one of my favoured methods, I was using the most unexpected hook for zig fishing, a Size 8 Fang Twister hook with a Fox Zig Aligna on the hook, I have to admit I love the zig bugs but for 1 bite at a time tactics, the Zig Alignas really did allow the hook to nail the fish every time, the fish was hook so well it allowed me to apply a bit more pressure to get the fish out of harms way and from wiping out other peoples rods and allow it to race around in the margins as they do in Drayton, apart from the one I hooked seconds after casting stripping my spool leaving about 20 yards of line on the spool.

 

This Setup Nailed the Fish Every Time! Size 8 Fang Twister,
Yellow Zig Aligna and 10lb Nash NXT Zig Flo.

I hope there is something you can take away from this, I learned a lot of things, and that is to keep the mix going in throughout the day, because my god you wont regret it when the fish move in towards the evening!

 

Be Lucky, Ross. 

Finally It All Comes Good

This month couldn't get any better for me some great opportunities and some brilliant people I have become friends with, topped off by a session at one of the top venues in the country, Linear Fisheries on Brasenose 1.


After putting a bit of time into a small but HEAVILY pressured lake a short drive from me, only catching a Tench and losing a fish half way through the fight, I am joined by young dynamo Liam Morgan. 

Our aim - we are both using contrasting methods, this will show the wide range of baits you can use to try and keep the fish coming, rather than everyone using the same baits as what's being processed in the magazines, not saying you can't use them it just allows you to keep your options open. I have made the long drive nearly 2 hours in fact to a great complex that I haven't unfortunately fished as much as I'd like to. Last time I fished this complex was when I got myself a qualifying position to get into the BYCAC final back in 2011, getting through to the final has been one of my greatest achievements, albeit coming 25th.  

A lot of bait, rigs and approaches of all areas will definitely be shown throughout this blog. I'm also hoping to put at least one fish on the bank live for the cameras by using all of the top range that has just been released by Velocity Baits, I have no one better to help me than Liam Morgan who came 3rd in last year’s BYCAC. 



Liam Had a Steady Flow of Action

Liam had text me on my way down saying he'd had a 15lb Mirror off of one of his spots at 110 yards, this helps me more to know there are fish in the area, hitting the distance shouldn't be a problem.  

The spod mix I am using consists of - 25kg of Bird Seed, 2kg of Corn, 3kg of NV-R and NV-G Boilies with some ZUB-O Dumbells in to keep the fish guessing for as long as possible, also I will be adding some small 3mm Gremlin Pellets and some of the V-Cloud. The problem is I have 5 tubs of the V-Cloud so choosing which one I want to use isn't easy, a coin toss will decide! To apply the bait to the swim I will be using my favourite method of bait delivery being the old faithful Spod, if I need to deliver a lot more bait then no hesitation that I will use a Spomb to get a better volume of bait over both rods.  

Liam Spodding to His Rods At Range

There isn't necessarily one method I have decided on at the moment, I have a mixed bag of tactics in mind and for me keeping the options open is key. I rarely go on a session with any less than 3 different methods.  

Let’s move onto the session in hand:-  

The peg I am set in is next to one of the double swims just up from the point on Brasenose 1; I have a quick lead around to find a solid drop. Once I had found it I clipped up all the rods, 20 turns round the bank sticks and set about putting some bait out. I put out roughly half a ground bait bucket of bait out and put the rigs out and trickled in some fresh bait in every hour or so.  

Zigs were cast out to 1ft under the surface, and solid bags. I managed to work the swim but the weather was overwhelmingly hot! Liam managed to snare a few fish from his spots, 20 yards further than where I was fishing.  
I persisted with the spot I was fishing and took it upon me to chuck my rods long to the middle area of water, chod rigs and a zig to see if anything would happen.

Liam's grandad managed to catch 2 fish, one being over 22lb and one being a brute of a 30lb mirror what a result!  

30lb Cracker, Taken on a Velocity Baits Shellfish Pop-up in a
Solid Bag

Both of the Fish Paul Had, 2 Awesome Fish!

The session drew on and a very good night’s sleep on the first night and the second night is quickly upon us, Liam had landed a fish and after he had released it my rod goes into meltdown, a decision was taken to recast and put a solid bag on before the take and that was the rod which took off!  

The Fish Started Showing, Something Had to Kick off!

A short solid battle and a 16lb 8oz mirror lays in the folds of the landing net, a few trophy shots taken and another bag was chucked back out to the baited spot. As the night drew on an odd occurrence had happened.  

16lb 8oz Mirror Opened the Account for the Evening!

The right rod signalled a big drop back, I stood an contemplated all of about 5milliseconds and picked up the rod, I wound down 20 turns and it's game on, I stumbled out of the Titan without grabbing my head torch so I was netting the fish blind! I jumped in the margin up to my knees and managed to draw the fish over the net chord. 

 

I was frantically trying to do a self-take as I thought it was a low double, all the tripod set up and I go to lift the fish out of the margins but it was bigger than I first thought!  

I rushed off and awoke Liam's dad Wayne, he gave me a hand getting the fish sorted, I hoisted her into the weigh sling and she spun the dial round to 23lb 6oz. I cradled her whilst Wayne took some pictures. I held her in the margin and got some water shots and let her recover and off she went. 

23lb 6oz Mirror, Taken on the Solid Bag Method Explained Below!

I had the fish on a very good solid bag mix I have used at a few different venues and it had got me 2 bites in the end to save a blank. It consisted of an inline drop off method with 4 inches of 15lb Missing link with a pop-up/incredibly balanced set up on the business end. The bait consisted of NV-R Stick Mix, C2-R Pellet, The M&M’s pellet with a Pear Drop Pop-up on the hair, the fish was nailed in the bottom lip which was a god send, I had changed the rig from my previously used solid bag rig being a bog standard pop-up rig and this nailed both of the fish I proceeded on to catch.  

The Components of the Bag, The Rig Did the Business, Small
Solid Bags Were The Option for This Session.

What a high to end the session on I used a lot of bait and really did take the strange firing a Spomb endlessly to put the bait out!

Keep your eyes peeled for the rest of the year for some exciting things to come! 

 

 

Cradling Her in the Water Before I Let Her Go, What A Lump!