Fish A Maniac

[TF_Steve Lockett]

Well done Adrian Marshall, better off by £2k today at Stafford Moor. See a picture of Adrian on the news page of coarsefish-torbay.co.uk.
194lb from peg 18, despite the brambles, wrong floats, too much chat from Simon Jones etc, etc!

[TF_JEFFERS15]

well done adrian, a brilliant result. i was gutted yesterday to come 3rd on pines, from peg 16, just missed out on a final place.

[TF_Steve Lockett]

I ran to Tanners 32 yesterday, so confident I would get into my first Maniac final.
Never mind, perhaps on the Silvers…

[TF_whatsaroach]

Do silvers eat paste then Steve ?

Well done Adi

[TF_Steve Lockett]

My 12lb that picked up £30 today did! Oh, no, I had two skimmers on an 11m pellet on the bomb, so 11lb 8oz of them did. lol

I’m not a one-trick-pony you know. I would rather fish the waggler for the carp.
See you soon Dave…

[TF_JEFFERS15]

what postition in your section where you steve? 12lb for £30 aint bad!!

[TF_Steve Lockett]

I had 43lb and got my section by triple default! That earned me £50. 12lb of it was silvers and he paid 1st and 2nd overall for silvers and I got 2nd.
Seems no one else bothered about targeting silvers, the winner only had 16lb.

Andy paid top 5, top 2 in silvers and 4 sections, not bad pay out for a 48 pegger.

Still would have preferred to have made the final.

[TF_JohnH]

Steve, do you know how Adrian fished it?
I had the peg on the Tuesday open last week and struggled for 70lb. The previous Sunday open I was on peg 20 and watched Dave B on 18. He caught slowly all over the place to weigh 86lb off it as the wind was pushing hard towards the other end of the lake, as it was all week.
I found if I fished 16m to my right under the tree roots I could hit them but they were in the snags in no time. Not enjoyable when it was raining hard most of the match.

[TF_carpcruncherParticipant]

@whatsaroach wrote:

Do silvers eat paste then Steve ?

Well done Adi

Yeah they do actually.

[TF_JohnH]

I should have added Steve I had 34 in the residents match, I think Steve Mayo drew it Saturday, and it fished hard. I tried to fish long to the island and fed hallibuts which on the day was wrong. The drop in temperatures meant coase pellet was best but I discovered this too late. To compound my misery I had fed the pole line heavily as I had found all week the fish reponded to feed.
Still had a fantastic week with a 28 carp haul on peg 9 my best day, what a fishery Andy has created down there. Proper carp as well none of the 2lb F1s you seem to get everywhere else.

[TF_Gary]

F1s are frustratingly tedious compared to catching proper hard-fighting Westcountry carp!

[TF_Steve Lockett]

You’re right about the silvers Lee, especially when they are 1-2lb crucians, tench and skimmers!

John, I think you need to just keep plugging away on most methods at the minute and they will get their heads down properly in the last one to two hours. I’ve had a great week fishing paste, thanks to advice from Andy, but caught most of my fish in the last hour.
Those fishing the waggler have been catching late, and plenty of people have done a ton in the last two hours on the bomb. Like Bill Dent did yesterday on 25.

Adrian fished the waggler for most of the day and just kept picking them off. Feeding very tight and sparingly, using a 2SSG Drake float, as he thought a Styro wasn’t showing the bites properly. That makes me think I am on the right lines when I use a Puddlechucker.
He also had two fish on the bomb across to the aerator and two round the corner on the pole.

Most people get drawn in to fishing around the side on the pole and end up losing more than they land. I’ve done it myself about three years ago, gave up after losing the twentieth fish using 8lb Maxima straight through and a pole float on my power waggler rod. I swapped to fishing the wag to the island and won my section with 80lb in the last hour.

When Rory won the Fish A Maniac on it two years ago, he fished the bomb across all day. You just cast under the branches halfway to peg 19 or under the aerator if it is there.

I think what made the difference for Adrian yesterday is: first, he is a very, very good angler and knows the fishery well. Adrian is one of those top flight anglers who never gets the press he deserves and yesterday he was given a sniff and nailed it.
Second, the nearest pegs to him were 13 and 25, so he had no one on 20 pulling fish back round the island.
We all know the fish are smaller at that end, so he had to put a lot of them in the net. Biggest surprise was that there were so many there when it was flat calm and the wind has been blowing down to peg 1 for two weeks.

Hey Gary, I know some places with bigger, harder fighting carp than Andy’s…catch them on the wag, too…

[TF_dave brittain]

Steve I’ve drawn peg 18 two times in three visits with the wind blowing down the other end.

Although it fished poorly both times I won my section off it the first time and was third on the lake last week I struggled to catch against the island as on both occasions peg 20 was feeding one side of the island and I was feeding the other.

On both occasions apart from the odd fish from the island, aireator the majority of my fish came 6ins from the bank to the right of the tree on the straight lead, (you can fish the pole but you’re 2ft off and you will suffer from foul hookers). I did get done a few times as the bank is undercut and even though Andy did clear the peg out the roots are still there.

Adrian has fished a superb match, (congratulations), to win from there and it will be interesting to see how it fishes over the next few weeks.

[TF_Steve Lockett]

I’m sure the lack of competition at that end of the lake was a factor yesterday, but you can’t take it away from Adrian.
Whenever he visits (about four or five times a year I would guess), he is always there or thereabouts. Carp or silvers, top angler.

See you’re back now Dave, bump into you soon, I’m sure, and have a natter…

[TF_JohnH]

Dave, I was on 20 last Sunday when you had 18. I drew 18 on the Tuesday match but the guy who drew 20 started feeding and fishing my side of the island on the wag. He only had the odd fish but when I went over there it killed it completely. 16m to my right under the tree was solid but I could not get them out.
I caught in front on paste mostly in the last hour. I never felt this area was 200lb material but obviously with a very good angler and no one on 20 it helped.
Peg 14 had won on Tuesday and Friday so the fish were not far away. The wind was much cooler late in the week so maybe the fish migrated up to 18 where the water may have been warmer.
Some great information BTW last week, everyone it seems wants to help out down there.
Just need to work out what to do when it goes quiet.

[TF_Steve Lockett]

@JohnH wrote:

everyone it seems wants to help out down there.

No point having visitors going away scratching their heads. ~naughty

@JohnH wrote:

Just need to work out what to do when it goes quiet.

I’m still working that one out as well. I reckon it’s a case of head down on the paste (or banded pellet on the deck like Dave does) for skimmers and keep feeding, feeding until the carp turn up.

.

[TF_dave brittain]

John

I honestly think the venue is going through a transition stage as the fish haven’t been getting caught on the pegs that are normally the hot areas. They don’t seem to be as shoaled up as they can be and it will be interesting to see what happens in the festival when there will be a lot of anglers who will do their own thing rather than try and compete with the locals.

Perry Stone and Adrian Marshal are always two to watch and because I’ve hardly fished there in the last two years I’m looking forward to it.

[TF_JohnH]

Steve, you might be onto something with the pellet wag floats you mention. I had a session with Giles for charity and his thoughts on the PW were very revealing. He thinks it is all wrong and anglers would catch more fishing 13/14 foot rods and standard Drennan crystals and lightish gear.
Just as we used to do with wag and mag.
I tried it at SM with 6mm pellets but with only having a week it was hard to draw any firm conclusions but I am sure Giles is correct.
It is always harder of course when all around are banging large pellets out and chucking 8g floats 12 inch deep out to go against the trend as lots of these guys are catching huge weights.
Practice is called for me thinks.

[TF_Gary]

It seems silly saying this given that it is basically noddy fishing, but I could not believe how much I learned during the week about fishing the straight lead. Type of pellets, size of pellets, size of lead, rod choice, rig and set-up, length of hooklength, hook pattern, length of hair, where to cast…. all of these different things to consider, and that’s before you even start worrying about feeding!

[TF_JohnH]

Dave, do you think one of the factors maybe the ammount of bait being fed on pegs 1-14 compared to other areas. The holiday makers seem to opt for the nearer pegs to the lodges and its no coincidence that thats were most of the big weights were.
I know weights came from other areas but whilst we were there there were most tons off 1-14.
The islands tend to be closer as well especially compared to other hot areas like the 30 pegs where they are a huge chuck and beyond feeding by catty.

[TF_Steve Lockett]

I think you’ll find the biggest weights often come from pegs 30-36 when they are really having it on the waggler. Much bigger fish there most of the time. Certainly most of the locals (wag lads not leadheads) will run to pegs 32, 34 and 35.
I see what you’re saying, I always go to pegs 25-30 when I’m pleasure fishing, as no one else bothers walking round there.

Pic of Adrian up on my news page on coarsefish-torbay now.

[TF_dave brittain]

John.

The better pegs are usually 1-5 and 32-36 however if the wind is blowing the other way 14, 16 and 18 can be very good. 9 and 11 are also very consistent.

Lately peg 14 and 25 have had an awful lot of fish infront of them. I’m getting a bit paranoid since I’ve come back because I’ve drawn both 14 and 18 with the wind blowing the other way, won the section or come close and then a week or so later somebody has won a match off them.

Last year when I came back in August I drew peg 26 which used to be an out and out flier but it had been fished the day before by Steve Lockett and despite Andy’s optism that I’d empty it I couldn’t get a bite on the waggler and four hours into the match I had three carp.

In an effort to catch a few fish, (John Green had put 50lbs of skimmers in the net on the next peg), I decided to fish the pole for the last few hours as I’d just bought anew pole and wanted to try it out. Unbelievably I put 80lbs of carp in the net in the last hour and a half to come second.

I honestly believe that not only are the fish shying away from the PW, (it may be the blue styro, hence Adrians choice to use a pale green algae coloured float), but also that many anglers are still feeding too much. One other point regarding floats is that a standard straight crystal waggler will not work because the floats are simply too long and would dive too much ans would also be too sensitive.

I am surprised that Drennan haven’t got off their backsides and done a crystal PW so if Gary Barkley is reading see if you could look into it because on some established venues the fish have wised up and crystal could be the way to go.

Admittely conditions haven’t been ideal with a spell of northerly winds followed by red hot and flat and then inconsistent weather however there may be more to it.

Even on Woodpecker the best pegs 32 and 36 have not been themselves and Dave Dowtons 176 lbs caught on the pole on paste off 34 on Woodpecker shows that there are fish there but it’s catching them.

Once the National is over I’ll be spending quite a bit of time on the lakes to work something out for the festival. I have my thoughts and some people may be surprised by my approach but until I’ve had a few more matches and got back into the swing of it I don’t know if i’ll be right or wrong, however I do think that there’s a lot more fish to be caught than some think.

[TF_Simon P]

“I am surprised that Drennan haven’t got off their backsides and done a crystal PW so if Gary Barkley is reading see if you could look into it because on some established venues the fish have wised up and crystal could be the way to go”

Drennan have had crystal pellet wagglers out for a while, in a translucent brown colour based on their loaded crystal wagglers of old but wider in diameter…. they are spot on!!!!

[TF_Steve Lockett]

Yes, I’ve seen them Si and was going to post the same.
I’ve been using the 2SSG & 3SSG Puddlechuckers. They sit OK, pop up well, have a thinner tip than any of the pellet wags, are short crystals, but cast dreadfully.

A lot of people have caught on the wag at depth this weekend (and foulhooked loads as you would expect). Some have been fishing the pellet wag 3′ deep and catching.
But the fish are up. If you feed they will swirl for it and if you are fishing the bomb onto a bar they will wave their tails at you.
Not that they are any easier to catch.
I’ve had plenty of fish trying to eat the float as well, so they aren’t shy of the float. More like they are shy of the pellets on the hook.
Just have to accept that you only need 15 bites on the pellet wag to do a ton, I reckon. No point fretting about it, just work it. Perhaps a few tweaks to get those extra bites that turn a dozen fish into 15.

[TF_Steve Lockett]

I notice that Hainsey strikes if he has any idea that a fish may have taken the pellet. If he sees a swirl by the float, he strikes.

But…I saw a chap on T30 three weeks ago chucking a big loaded Preston splasher 20 yards, lashing bait over it and waiting for the tip to go round. And it did!
Not enough times, but what if they were those extra five fish to go with a dozen on the wag proper?

Anyone for spinning heads?

[TF_dave brittain]

Steve you are right that the Puddle chuckers are dreadful for casting and i’ll let you know my thoughts about why the PW isn’t as effective as it has been in previous years but I need a few more sessions to confirm my theories.

In the last few weeks Mal King has drawn peg one on Tanners with the wind blowing into it and peg 36 on Woodpecker and hasn struggled to make the PW work.

I understand what you are saying about the fish eating the float however just because you have the odd daft fish it doesn’t mean that the majority haven’t wised up.

Viaduct has been exactly the same and I honestly believe that the fish have wised up otherwise we are all doing something fundamentally wrong.

I’ll have it sussed before the festival however you’ll probably find that with the warm weather we’ve had the fish will feed up for winter with a vengence and everybody who comes down for the festival will wonder what I’m on about ~think as the fish will probably start hanging themselves.

I don’t have to worry about the lead as I have that sussed as chuck it and chance it is dead easy ~sick

[TF_Steve Lockett]

@dave brittain wrote:

I don’t have to worry about the lead as I have that sussed as chuck it and chance it is dead easy ~sick

Oh, don’t torment me. I was catching loads on the bomb over the last two years and now I can’t make it work.
Fished 6 matches there this year and had 4 carp on it so far. I’ve fished the whole of the first hour on it in all but the last three matches. Picked up section or framing money in four of those six, so I’m doing something right. Just my confidence shot on that method.
Went to a different venue today and had loads on it, so I know I can fish it.
I think I’m feeding it completely wrong on the bomb up there. Probably not getting my head down on it, either.
My thoughts are, for what they’re worth, you have to pick the method you are confident fishing and do it front to back, expecting the fish to come in the last hour. If you can find another method to pick off a few mid-match while keeping building your main line, that would be a bonus.

[TF_JohnH]

Interesting thoughts on fish wising up to the wag. Just looking at W/A results and it seems similar patterns are emerging, method feeder won just about everything last year and whilst its still doing the biz other methods are very much in play now.
I will look out for some Drennan crystal wags but based on what limited knowledge I have of SM I would definately set up a crystal at depth with no shot down. Most of the fish I caught were within 5 seconds of the float hitting the water so if the crystal does dive the hook bait 6 foot or so away will not. They also cast very well, I was chucking them well beyond where I could feed. I am sure this caught me a few bonus fish.

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