Managed to get out today down to my local Border Fisheries, i haven't been able to get out for a proper session for a week or so now because of college work and college commitments, which was a shame but with all the coursework in i did get out
Aim of the day was to try a couple of CV flavours that i had been advised to try by forum members, specially for the colder months, so last night i made some expanders in 4mm and 6mm low oil the CV expanders are great for this because they take on flavour really well almost like a time bomb so when they are under water the flavour slowly gets released into the water. so i pumped them with flavour and put them in a small food bag and put a tiny drop of the flavour into the bag and blew air into it and tied a knot, whacked them into the fridge and got them the next morning, by now the pellets have firmed up good for the waggler and pole alike.
TIP: if your going to use the pellets for the pole you can afford to have the pellets a bit softer so, put a bit more liquid into the bag before you put them in the fridge nicely coated pellets, nice a soft and more appealing to the fish.
So i arrived at the lake at 10.00am, and it looked like the sea at Blackpool, massive waves on the water which wasn't going to aid things, but i walked around the back of the lake to find a nice corner where there was bushed behind me (nice cover), i set my MAP pole with a power kit 14-16 drennan pink carp bungee elastic, which was set soft because there are lots of skimmers in this lake, more than carp, i plumed up at 3 meters out, i couldn't go any further due to the wind blowing the pole everywhere, i put mu pole cup onto the pole tip, i decided to use this today due to the cold weather just over 10oC at it's best, the wind wasn't helping cooling alot of things down and the reeds around the outside have just started to die back and leaves are slowly but surely falling of the trees around the lake all the signs of winter creeping in.
I then went off to speak to a local on the lake that i have spoke to before, and he was saying that he had a few bream and 1 carp but it snapped him, he was on caster and said that the lake has slowed right down. There was another 12 anglers on the lake with hoods up and watching a quiver, but didn't seem to get many bites and when they did they were only small fish due to the weather.
My feed today was normal micro pellet low oil, no flavours just a simple feed so i put a couple of small pole pots in, wasn't sure ehat to expect so i fed cautiously, my rig was set up at 4ft deep to fish an inch over depth with a 4lb mainline and a 4x12 Chianti pole float (one of my favourite all round pole floats) tied to a PR28 size 18 hook. First was the seetcorn pellets and i put on a 4mm pellet, and straight away i had a small roach, after this it went dead for an hour so i changed to a 6mm pellet stilll sweetcorn, and i had a bream just that little change in pellet size brung a bite just shows you how important these things are. I stepped up my feed and a picked off another skimmer, nice just under a 1lb and then i changed to a pineapple flavoured 6mm pellet, and the float dipped and then dissappered a carp of about 3lb, i could tell it was cold due to how slow the float was going under and how slow they were fighting.
So after slipping the fish back i had some dinner and threw a few pellets in to keep them there,after dinner i was into the skimmer again all on pineapple flavouring 6mm pellets. It went quiet and the wind picked up once again and the floated slipped away and i was into anothe carp a bigger fish this time a real chunk, about 6lb or just under a good fish due to the weather, it put up a real scrap aswell testing the line i was on.
As you can see a nice fish by all means, i then had another carp at about 3lb but on pineapple again 6mm pellet. By now bites had started to dry up again so i changed to a 4mm pellet and i hooked a carp that shot off, but the hook pulled but that is why it is called fishing .
So overall i had a great day 3 carp and 1 lost, lots of skimmers and 1 roach. Since i have been with Carp Vader my catches have definatly improved and just by changing a pellet size or flavour, you can reep the rewards . Pineapple out fished Sweetcorn flavouring today but another day i think sweetcorn flavouring might out fish something else, but these two liquids will be in my bait bag this winter, that is for sure!!!
I will make a feature on "How to Make the Perfect Expander"
My nickname is the "Pellet Guru" by a few of the locals.
Regards
Michael