This seasons plans

What's everyone's plans for the coming months ?

New venues ? Different baits , methods ,?

This year I am planning on taking my 7 year old for his first proper winter chasing pike .
Really looking forward to it and spending some quality time with the little dude. Too much work not enough time with the kids this year

Venue wise . Again a change to one easier water than I was on last year. Usually jack central but hoping for a few runs for Noah.

And gonna keep having the odd sesh on the usual big waters hoping for a momma ( she always manages to avoid me )

Just bought myself 2 new shimmy reels which will be loaded up with power pro . Again another change as I haven't used braid on my bait rods. So a lot going off

Getting excited :-)

Paul

paul_sheff wrote:What's everyone's plans for the coming months ?

New venues ? Different baits , methods ,?

This year I am planning on taking my 7 year old for his first proper winter chasing pike .
Really looking forward to it and spending some quality time with the little dude. Too much work not enough time with the kids this year

Venue wise . Again a change to one easier water than I was on last year. Usually jack central but hoping for a few runs for Noah.

And gonna keep having the odd sesh on the usual big waters hoping for a momma ( she always manages to avoid me )

Just bought myself 2 new shimmy reels which will be loaded up with power pro . Again another change as I haven't used braid on my bait rods. So a lot going off

Getting excited :-)

Paul

waits for the fish keep dropping off moment, remember DONT strike  

what have you gone for with the lad?

mine has two 9 ft spinflex ready to go i thought 12 foot may be a bit much

here he is with his 7 foot one, the little girl has her 'pinkress' set up as she calls it

Got my lad 10'6 xs boat rods in 2.75 tc he's having my old 5500 okuma reels and I just bought myself some 8000re shimmys :-)

Can't wait

baits arrived, 2kg of sardine, 8 packs of trout and 10 packs of large smelt.  

all rods are setup  

Visited my new piking venue last night, met with the owner (family friend), privately owned through their family generation which turns out to be a 300 year old estate lake. Only 1 other guy fishes it  

hitting the drains this weekend to start off with.

this season i have the chance of beating my PB which is not going to be easy (30lb 14oz) but my main target is more 20+ fish

roll on this weekend

For me, I'll be concentrating on two northern rivers; the tees and the swale. I'm going to concentrate on those areas with more flow this season, seeking out the slack water amongst the fast. Excited!

I am still feeling my way around the local area, I am fairly close to the Seven and Avon, and have started again after 40 years, but previously only fished big pits and still water, so rivers are a new challenge.

My M.O. at the moment is to use one rod with lures, and one deadbait if I take two rods. I prefer to travel light and use one rod with lures normally however. I have caught near a dozen fish from 5-13 pounds in the last 4 weeks on various lures, mostly on big old norwich spoons, but a couple on plugs, and one on a Fox "Big Jim" jointed plug, and the smaller jacks on large Ondex spinners.

I have blanked on deadbait, only having one good bite on floated pikepack dace, which felt like a decent fish, but was away and off after only about 3 seconds, obviously the hooks had not set, as I prefer not to wait around for the float to disappear downstream underwater, and the chance of deep hooking.

I normally reel in the deadbait rod whilst trying lures for a spell, and tend to get bored after an hour or so in the same spot, I know this may be not the most productive strategy, so I may also try a two rod combo of floated and ledgered daitbait, at least on a river float fishing gives you something to do, even in the slack areas, compared to the same in still water!

I have tried freeline deadbaiting, and wobbled as well, and hopefully today, (I normally get to go out on Mondays as I have reduced my working hours to care for a relative) I am going to try one rod with popped up deadbait as a promising swim I tried previously was showing weed on retrieved hooks when I ledgered there last time.

I would love to try a day at Chew, or one of the waters with bigger fish, or even go down to South Cerney again after 40 years to see the difference, I have stopped there in the last few years whilst passing by at a walking store and the place has changed out of all recognition in places, with luxury gated wooden lodges now around the lake I used to fish, instead of gravel plant and nutters bombing around in old foden gravel tippers, like a scene from "Helldrivers"....showing my age now!

ATB, Ed

this seasons plan is to fish more than i did last season and catch lots of big beasties...... 

Hopefully on Thursday I will be using some larger lures to around 100g, as opposed to my usual armory of sub 30g lures. I'm still waiting for that double figure fish and I do hope I can beat that target before the new year.

 One Happy bunny..   .. Freezer loaded up... Sardines....  Ready for the week-end... weather looking good ,
2 days hard at it....Can't wait

giving the new backbiters a run out on saturday/sunday. let's hope you've sent me a lucky pair.

Well last weekend 2 of my customers both landed 20s on their first outings so there's always a chance the fairy dust was still wafting round lol

I ain't planning in getting out till it cools down and settles

Paul