Carp Trip - The Method

Mike and I decided to try a decent baiting approach on our local pond, heavier than we usually do, but more in keeping with what all the experts say, (constant method feeder going in every 20 mins), so I mixed up a batch of Halibut Method Mix from Dragon Carp Direct. This was a 2kg bucket.

However..... I got the distinct impression all was not well. I could see an awful lot of straw and hay and 'bits' in there, and it didn't really smell of anything. Certainly not halibut!

I riddled it, and guess what I found? A huge amount of small plasticy bits, and two 3inch chunks of fiberboard, and it turns out the bits were fragments of formica chipboard surface. Basically, the bucket contained 2 kilos of floor sweepings and dust.

The problem was, I had already added to it a kilo of top quality high oil Dynamite pellets, so I was about to lose more money if I binned it all now, so I ploughed on trying to rescue this bucket of crap.

I added some chili powder and salt, and 3 tins of sardines to try and give it some fish flakes, flavor, and ability to bind together. It didn't work, even with the correct amount of water mixed, and left to soak, it was just like trying to bind sand.

I called mike and got him to bring something along to help bind it all.

We arrived at the lake at 3pm.

Mike had half a bag of decent ground bait, so we mixed that into the bucket, plus the starchy liquid from a tin of sweetcorn. Finally, after about an hour, it 'just' about bound together to be serviceable, but we were NOT happy as our fishing time and money is precious. Ill certainly be asking Dragon Carp some questions and letting Angling times know.

(update on this GB issue here)

Mike focused on setting traps in the margins, and had a 9lb 4oz (on plastic corn) and this 10lb 14oz carp (on double 10mm spicy shrimp).

I settled on regular feeding and fishing towards the back island on the submerged slope.

I had a very small 3lb carp (on corn) that was a perfect common and a couple bream of about 2lb (on spam)

I also had four carp (all on corn). Two about 8lb....

...this lovely leather of about 7lb.

...and this 10lb 4oz

I actually bothered to clip up as I cast to the island, which is something I never usually do, and it worked a treat, allowing me to keep casting till midnight in pitch black, and the carp kept feeding. I had a few missed bites, and a couple lost on the way in, but it was a cracking session.

In the last hour, I tried double plastic corn, (one sinking pink, and one floating glow in the dark, both having been soaked for two years in talin - super sweet liquid). I charged the glow one up and it looked brilliant. I had an aborted take on it, but Ill be trying that again!

Ironically, by the time it got to midnight, the ground bait was FINALLY beginning to bind properly, but that's no good.

Ill report back with the results of my contacting Dragon Carp and Angling Times.