Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 01/11/2025

Big Ol Carps 

Well November has truly kicked into its tricky form, but still plenty to be had. With the number of anglers dropping down to 10 throughout November it gives everyone room to move if needs be and it certainly paid off for one lucky angler. 25 fish came out in total but 20 of them came to Turtles Corner. The fish are very active at night at the moment and things can get a bit frustrating when the bites don’t follow. The fish seem to be holding up in the T1/T2/Shingles/Turtles are in the day but at night they spread out to every corner of the pond and with it being night bites only, it gives everyone great opportunity to catch a few. 

Now starting of with the biggest fish off the week that came to Jordan Webster fishing from Brambles. Jorden spent all week in Double Boards but a last minute decision to move on the final evening defiantly paid off! Jordan opted to fish 3 solid bags with no bait around them at three different ranges, one at 19 wraps, one at 18 wraps and the third at 14 wraps into the deeper water. Early hours Saturday morning the 14 wrapper was away and on the end was a mighty Mable at 66lb, not just a P.B but also Mables biggest weight to date. Little yellow wafters in small solid bags with a squirt of goo and a drop of oil was all that was needed. A great move and proof that’s it never over until that last rod is reeled in.

Then we move on to top rod Paul Esherwood who was fishing from Turtles Corner, Paul ended the week on 20 fish but although it sounds a lot, most of them came from early on in the week, in fact 11 fish were caught on the first night. Majority being the smaller stamp of fish but he did manage a couple of nicer ones, one The Prince Of Darkness at 36lb 8oz and the biggest being Fleaur at 42lb. The fish were holding up in this area most of the week and with his early success early on it just proves the fish didn’t want to feed the later the week went on. Majority of his fish came from the 21 wrap spot towards the dot island, feeding mainly hemp with a dash of boilie. But he did also catch a couple to his right into open water with a solid bag on its own. 

Craig Beardsley next door in Shingles manages a couple for himself, the fish seemed to hold up more to his left but he done well to catch a couple of stragglers. Biggest being Mr Shady at 43lb 8oz, Craig fished the normal go to spot at 18 wraps and fed steady there all week with hemp and boilie, but his fish actually came from a single way off the spot, little yellow pop up on a spinner was the rig of choice. 

Trevor Coming in Bachiliars manged one on his very first night, a very nice big plated mirror at 36lb. The fish were in the swim most of the week but majority were just passed the maker poles in the out of bounds area, he tried his best all week to draw them out but to no joy. 14 wraps is where he caught his fish from towards the church spire, a very productive spot of late. Spinners with match the hatch wafters over a spread of home made boilies.

Myself I dropped into Goo for a few nights and managed one and dropped one but thankfully the one I did land was Stubby at a new top weight 59lb 12oz. Over the years of fishing the road lake this time of year I’ve always found solid bags on their own roaming the swim works very well for the bigger fish, so that’s just what I did, the spod rod stayed in the bag and I flicked 3 bags out at 3 different ranges. 10,12 and 14 wraps, it was the 12 wrapper that done me stubby and the 14 wrapper was the one I lost. Little yellow wafters in the bags with a bit of honey goo and a smidge of oil.  

That’s all for this weeks folks, if your are coming in the next coming weeks think about bait, I wouldn’t be bringing any fishmeal or high fat boilie. Little bait with solid bags is all that’s needed. 

Until Next time 

Tight Lines 

Ben ( Welsh Wizard)