Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 18/04/2026

Taxi’s home and Pb’s in the Net!

With the weather brightening up and a warm wind in place how would the 12 new anglers fair on the road this week?

Starting off the week with Dan Nelson, on his third trip to the road lake. His previous trip on the road was a great one, Landing over 30 fish in The Beach.  Coming out ball Three dan decided to slow himself into Tea Party 1 for the week, with plenty of fish showing in the main bowl area it turned out to be a wise decision! All three road out to the 21-wrap spot right of turtles to the bigger tree root of the two. The bait tactic was nice a simple. 5kg of House maize, along with the throwing stick consisting of 15mm and 18mm Cell and Essential cell. His rig choice would be match the hatch 15mm cell wafter on dan’s faithful multi combi rig, Wide gape size 6. Knowing this swim can take a while to get into full swing dan applied bait little and often with the stick to pull the carp down. Oh, didn’t this work! early Monday morning he had a big mirror in the net! ‘Box Mirror’ 59lb and a new PB for dan. Congratulations! Mega bit of carp. Topping up the spot with more house maize and boilie he was into another big girl! ‘Samo’s’ 53lb and a new top weight for this carp. They really are stacking the lb’s on! With the left rod not producing much at all. Dan decided to pull it in and go two out on the spot and have the other rod clipped up ready to go! All hell broke loose takes after takes for 20s and 30s along with ‘The Supervisor’ 38lb. What came next was unreal and one of the best commons in the lake ‘The Jackal’ 64lb. Another PB for dan and a good soaking along with it! Not to mention another top weight for this carp. Dan was really in the groove now the throwing stick yet again targeting the big girls! A double take just before dinner on Friday with ‘Walkers’ 44lb along with another 50! ‘The Grey’ 58lb another top weight for this fish! Is this just going to be dan on the wall in the club house? 20 fish landed for the week Top Top angling mate! Congratulations on the PB’s and we shall see you back out again this year to break the PB again?

Next up across the pond we have Josh Ratford. After a tough draw last year his luck was better out this time. Landing ball one and setting the gear up in Turtles Corner for the week. On the walk round in was evident that the 23-wrap margin spot was stacked with fish. Two rods at the 23-spot right of the blue bag and one out in the open water at 21-Wraps. It was the 23-wrap spot that started kicking off. 3 bites before the dinner run on the first day biggest being ‘FHM’ 34lb. With the bites coming thick and fast josh changed from the solid bag approach over to Spinners, 15mm mainline yellow pop ups soaked in isotonic goo topping the spots up with house hemp, maize 10mm and 15mm mainline cell whole and crushed. What a change in tactic this was Monday midday was a double take. 2 monsters in the net! The first being ‘The Wedge’ 56lb 8oz with a new PB! However, what was in the sling  seemed bigger and it was hitting the scales at 60lb 8oz ‘ Korda Social Common’ Two Pb’s in on a double take WOW! Congratulations mate TOP work! Another carp hitting its top weight and josh getting himself up on the wall! Keeping with the same tactics josh had a few more lower 20s and upper 20s. 16 bites came from the margin spot along with ‘Eddy’ 50lb 4oz! 3 bites came from the open water 21 spot. But it was the margin spot really rocking this week! Congratulations mate! Great week! Watching the Rods while josh was having a shower was George Parkin as a guest with josh and his dad Garry. George managed a PB ‘God Know’s’ 44lb 8oz. A well-deserved bucket after playing caddy all week!

Coming out ball 11 in the draw was Lewis Thomas out on his first trip to Gigantica slotting himself into a Dunkerque. The draw wasn’t kind to lewis however he made the most out of this swim. Explaining to Lewis less is more with the bait in this swim can be a devastating tactic. Lewis did his homework with me and listened, where others may have not. This certainly payed off. Two rods out at 13.5 to the dot island and one rod towards decoy at 9 wraps. Fishing on the firmer spots rather than the gravel. Throwing stick was the bait tactic 18mm cell using no more than 3kg. Spinners with a size 4 krank with pva mesh with around 4/5 baits. His hookbait choice was Match the hatch boilie with half a yellow mainline Pop up. Lewis ended up on 9 fish for the week and an impressive session. Setting his stall out on the evening, resting the swim in the day and catching them when coming out of the holding areas on the evenings. Two fish at the 9 wraps Spot with upper and lower 20s. 7 coming from the 13.5 spot. His biggest for the week was ‘Patch’41lb. Another 40lb common last knocks which he did self takes along with and ‘Half Lin’ 34lb. Fished in perfectly this week mate, only negative was you were really unlucky not to get into some of the larger residents on the lake. Well done this week be a pleasure to have you back again in the future!

Over in The Goo we had Geoff Hilton at the young age of 76 on his birthday trip! The draw wasn’t kind to Geoff one bit coming out ball 12 but we didn’t care one bit he was over the moon fishing at Gigantica. I bumped into Geoff at the show at Doncaster and he couldn’t ask me enough about the lake, his dream was the catch a big girl. Giving him as much information as possible I told him the larger carp hang around The Goo and Poo using just solid bags. It was a tough couple days for Geoff but I told him to sit tight and be patient and keep his eyes peeled for any showing carp into dark. Micro Pellet 4inch super natual section 18lb, wide gape hook size with a mainline 12mm yellow barrell wafter was the solid bag set up! Tuesday evening Geoff saw a few shows around the 14 wrap mark at the church spire. Bag Straight on it! Into darkness he was away landing an absolute chunk in the Net with ‘Rons’ 64lb 8oz. He was gob smacked he couldn’t believe it! A new PB for Geoff and a trip of a lifetime complete. Oh, by the way he held it like an absolute champ! Capped off with a 20lb scaley mirror on Thursday! Congratulations on your PB a trip of a lifetime. Well done Sir!

Next door in The Poo we have David Jones coming out ball 3 David could have chosen one of the flyers of late however he decided on having a social with his good friend Geoff next Door. Essential Cell and Mainline cell with the stick was the bait tactic for the week. Solid bags with Essential cell barrel wafters trimmed down as the hook bait. Again, knowing this wasn’t a swim that usually does lots of bites David wanted a PB. His first bite came from 19 wraps to the Church spire with a mid 20 Mirror. Sticking to the baiting tactic little and often is really working outside of the main areas of late. Like ive just mentioned both Geoff and David came for PB’s. David was in again and this seemed a lot bigger to his first bite, with the scales tipping to 44lb with ‘Barrow’ coming from the 9 wrap spot to the right boundary . A new PB congratulations Sir! That was it for the week for David, but he was made up getting that new personal best! Great having you both here this week and hope to see you guys out again!

 Coming out 10^th in the draw we had Road Lake Regular Garry Parkin. Deciding to set up in The birches for the week. Baiting out on the longer spot at 21 wraps in the shallow water of 14ft. His bait tactic for the week consisted of house maize and a fish meal 15 and 18mm boilie. The rigs, Solid bags with Slow sinking maize as the hook baits. After a slow start Garry was into one on Monday ‘Kaena’ 31lb. Great to be off the mark after a tough trip last year. With a lot of fish show to his left it was time for a change up, a dozen spots out towards the Dot island at 14.5. Still staying on the solid bags. Thursday evening, he was away with ‘Kulture Klub’ 49lb. Another PB in the net for the week and a good soaking for Garry! Congratulation mate! Well done. This was it for the week for Garry! Some great laughs with you mate, Look forward to having you back next year!!

Next up we have young Freddie Bellinger opting to go into The Shingles after coming out ball 9! Freddie was contemplating on getting a taxi home after the draw! However we got his head back on his shoulders and got him fishing. First night fishing over last week’s bait 15 wraps straight out to the tallest tree savage tactic with a mesh Pva with 5 baits in on a Spinner with a Pink pop up.  He was in on the first night with ‘Flying Dutchman’ 53lb what a way to start the week! Link 15mm boilie done the damage! Top angling mate! Freddie stayed on this spot all week but it didn’t really get going. Time for a change up. 21 wraps to the dot island with two rods on it. Feeding 15mm link and corn. It was a tough session for Freddie, but he made the most of what he could. Landing ‘Dion’ 21lb and a 34lb Common on the last morning. Well done with sticking to it mate, maybe you will go one better next time you’re out! 

On his first trip to Gigantica we had Scott Mckinnon coming out ball 5 setting up in Bacheliers. On the walk round I could see Scott was listening to me about every last bit of information on this swim. With it not doing a lot of bites lately it was a change of tactic with a lot of anglers putting all 3 rods out to the max in this swim. Allow the fish to come in on the bait without pressuring them long and only fishing the nights. 14 wraps on the left rod, 18 ft zig out at 23 wraps and one toward the left corner at 24 wraps. There was only two nights where Scott didn’t have a take. The 14-wrap spot to the red roof produced 2x 40s with the biggest and a stunning Common in ‘Andy’s Common’ 44lb. This spot has really got a name for itself now landing 40s it crazy! The zig at 18ft done 2 bites for the wee being some of the smaller residents of the pond and his left rod over a little bit of bait done 2 smaller commons. The bait tactic for the week was nice and steady, just enough for a bite. Through the week Scott went through around 14kg, throwing stick on the short spot with the new mainline nut 15mm with boilie and maize on the left rod out at 24wraps. Solid bags did the damage with pink almond goo with match the hatch book baits tipped with one grain of slow sinking maize! Black foam and a black kicker did the bites on the zigs! 6 fish landed for the week. Really well fished mate. Just unlucky not to get into some of the chunks! 

We also had Bob Bellinger in Tea Party 2 playing caddy to his mate Dan next door! The carp just didn’t seem to be getting down enough this week in this swim. However, Bob did manage to get himself into 3 with the pick of the bunch being ‘The Dutch’ 33lb. Fishing out at the 26.5 wrap spot. Spinners for the week with Essential cell wafters, feeding house maize, sweetcorn and 15mm essential cell boilie. A real tough session for Bob after coming out 2^nd in the draw. You stuck at it all week mate and that’s all you could do. Thanks for all you help with the matt! See you again in the future!

Well 57 fish landed for the week! Plenty of PB’s going off around the lake, these fish are really stacking on the weight! Lets hope next week is just as good!

Tight Lines,

Tom 

Team Gigantica