Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 11/10/2025

The King of the lake Returns

Lets get straight into this weeks catch report with Rich Nicholls. Over the moon landing ball 1 in the draw rich opted to head over to Tea Party 2 with majority of the stock holding up in this area over the previous couple of months. Starting the week off fishing 20 wraps towards the scary tree. The rig choice for the session was a Multi Combi D rig size 2 curve shank. Rich’s baiting approach would be house maize, hemp with plenty of free offerings of 15 and 18mm fishmeal boilie. No bites were coming from the 20 wrap spot. It was time for a change of plan. With fish showing longer it was time to get the rods and bait applied longer after having a chat with rich he decided to change his game plan. Throwing stick 18mm Cell, fishing 24-26 wraps . What a tactic this turned out to be and massively changed his whole session. A consistent spread with the throwing stick finally pushed the fish down. Landing his first bite with ‘ The Chinky’ 35lb also backing that up with ‘Zero Alpha’ 27lb 4oz. It was a tough week in Tea party 2 with a lot of the stock coming from Turtles Corner. However we do like too think the big old carps stay away from the pack. Just after a belly full of gammon on Thursday evening it was time to send the rods out it really was Big Fish Thursday. The alarm ripped off on the middle rod. Trying to kite towards the boulders it was a crazy battle, after being cut off once already rich wasn’t going to let this happen again. A massive relief it was in the net , an absolute unit. With myself over the other side of the lake I shot round. Looking into the net he had the big one, the king of the lake ‘Hanson’ 69lb. Wow! It took a while for it to sink. Fish of a live time for Rich and a mega new PB to go home to Wales with.  Rich backed this up with a couple of mid 20s and a upper double, finishing the week on 6 Fish landed. Congratulations on your PB mate see you back next year!

Over the other side of the pond we have Sam Eaton, after previous trips to Gigantica sam was looking for a better draw, Ball 3 happy days! Again with Turtles producing so well in weeks gone by it was a no brainer to slot himself in one of the top swims. Fishing straight out in front of the swim at 21 wraps at the dot island and slight right would be the tactic. Plenty of bait was the plan. Feeding a good mixture of bait, House Partical with a 25kg sack of house pellet and a fish meal boilie. 3 Solid bags out with single grains of corn were the rigs to start with. Regular and consistent baiting was the key. With 38 bites landed for the week for Sam. With Multiple 20s and 30s caught including a stunning scaly in ‘Jackson’ 25lb along with ‘Cooky’ 32lb 8oz. It was time for a rig change to speed the process up and fish more of a match fishing style. Spinners fished with Yellow pops. The fish were still there in numbers. Landing ‘Long John’ 32lb along with ‘Ron Dog’ 38lb which sam got to name. Playing the numbers game it was a change of tactic. Feeding just boilie to try and pick off some of the larger carp in the lake with 18mm Cell. Landing ‘Gelato’ 40lb being the biggest of the week for sam, and another high 30 with ‘Willthur’ 39lb 4oz. Top angling this week mate, 38 bites landed, really unlucky not to get into any of the big one’s! See you back in the future. 

Next up we have Steve Wright coming out 5th in the draw and opting to go into Bacheliers. The Plan was to fish short and allow the fish some breathing space in the out of bounds. 14.5 wraps fishing 3 rods from the red roof to the church spire. 16mm and 20mm of sticky krill would be the bait using the throwing stick. A good spread of 3 kg was sent out on the first night. Using solid bags with a single orange slow sinking maize. With this swim only producing during the night recently Steve decided to pull the rods in during the day time and getting them back out after dinner to give himself the best chance during bite time. Well it was a wise decision. Landing 3 fish for the week. First being ‘Tom’s Fish’ 44lb on the first evening. With a few days gone by Steve wasn’t panicking, Knowing this swim wasn’t going to haul. He stuck to his guns where others may not and managed two more bites for the week all coming at night with ‘ Bully’ 36lb and his biggest fish of the week and what a stunner in ‘God Knows’ 47lb 14oz. Steve only baited in the day times and when he only had fish, topping up with a couple of KG on the throwing stick. Well sat out Steve, Tidy angling, see you next time to go one better ? 

Just a few swims next door we have Chris Onions friend of Steve. Coming out 4th in the draw Chris decided to go in The Poo with the thinking process of trying to get as close as possible to the pack of fish. Fishing 1 rod out towards turtles with House Partical, pellet and a mixture of 12-18mm fish meal boilie. His 2nd rod 14 wraps and Double Boards and his third rod 14 wraps at the red roof. Both of these rods were baited with boilie with the throwing stick. The Baited area at Turtles `corner was away come Monday with a mid 20 common. Topping up the spot he was away again with ‘Deep Contact’ 22lb. Patiently waiting it out seeing turtles catch lots of fish it was Chris’s turn for a bigger one in ‘Andy’s Common’ 46lb 14oz an absolutely stunning common! Coming from the red roof at 14 wraps. Solid bag was the tactic using a 12mm yellow dumbell wafter as the hook bait. The Bags doing it again! This was it for the week for chris. Well done on the bites. The key most likely was resting the swim during the days

We also had Eddie Gaunt patiently wait it out in the goo, wasn’t until early hours Saturday morning at last knockings eddy landed ‘Inky’ 42lb 4oz with a single sent out at 10.5 wraps. Dave Nicholls brother of rich started of in The Birches landed ‘Ace Ventura’ 25lb. Also landing another 3 in Billys on a last night move upto 28lb.

Thats your lot for this week on the road lake, Some good numbers out with 62 carps Landed and not to forget the King of the lake Hanson. Well done all on a great week, Until next time

Tight Lines 

Tom 

Team Gigantica