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Perseverance pays off for Paddy

Posted in Catch Reports on 19th July 2010

We absolutely love this story of success. We recently had a call from Paddy Knapper from Stoke on Trent who had packed in carp fishing some 9-years ago, but in 2009 he got the ‘bug’ back again. He wanted to target a big common from a local lake and decided to have a go for it. After reading about the track record the B5 has got for nailing the bigger fish he decided to purchase some in his quest to catch his target fish. After catching several of the lake’s residents he then suffered the heartache of losing the big common just half an hour after setting up but his bad luck didn’t end there. Disaster struck again some time later when he had his garage broken into and all his gear stolen!

However, this wasn’t going to deter him and he eventually managed to get his new kit sorted out ready for the summer and on July 20th he awoke early to find fish bubbling all over his baited area but unfortunately had to leave for work. However, before leaving he topped up the swim with 2.5kg of 16mm B5’s. He returned 48 hours later for an overnighter between work and had a 19lb mirror at first light. Just one hour later he was doing battle once again, but this time it was a much bigger fish!

After a spirited fight the big fish eventually succumbed to Paddy’s waiting net, and yes, it was the big common at a weight of 41lbs exactly! Well done that man and what a great story of perseverance. Paddy left us with this comment: “I have decided to pursue a new target fish and I shall be confidently using the B5 to do it all again” Well we don’t think anyone can blame you for that Paddy!

The benefits of Pellets

Team Essential member Lee Carpenter with one of his many big fish. Underwater attraction and stimulation plays a big role in Lee's success and pellets are one of the best ways to achieve this.

The use of pellets as a carp fishing bait has been well documented over the years, but their success isn’t surprising when you begin to consider just how many young carp have been fed on them during their early years. Most carp will instantly recognise pellets as a viable food source, and the fact that they break down quicker than boilies means that they release their food signals more efficiently. This will usually encourage smaller fish into the area first, but will often trigger a feeding response from the carp shortly afterwards.

Pellets are also an extremely versatile bait, that can be introduced in a variety of different ways. One of the best methods is to use them inside mini PVA bags with a few crushed boilies. The full package is no bigger than a tea bag, but leaves a nice little pile of food perfectly presented and difficult for the carp to ignore!

Larger beds of pellets can also be very effective, particularly on heavier stocked venues when trying to create competition for food. On lower stocked venues however, a few pouch loads of pellets sparsely scattered around your baited rig will undoubtedly increase attraction and keep the carp searching for food. This method will always keep a food trace in the area and increase the chances of pulling fish into the baited zone.