Catch Reports
Mission accomplished!!
Posted in Catch Reports on 12th July 2012UK commons really don't get any better than this immaculate 48lb 2oz specimen recently caught by Jamie Robb from a notoriously difficult 'Northern Park Lake'. Jamie pre-baited the venue for several weeks on the 'Black' version of our Shellfish B5 boilies before his assault and managed to tempt the awesome looking creature on just his third day!!
This is not only one of the biggest commons in the UK but one of the nicest looking as well. Well done Jamie from everyone at team Essential, that's an incredible achievement from the north-west where big fish are few and far between.
Footnote: 'Black B5' is a custom rolled bait and only available direct from Essential Baits.
Hard Hook Baits (Mike's view)
There are often times throughout the season when I find myself having to use hard hook baits. There’s nothing worse than reeling in after you’ve seen a frenzied amount of fishing activity over your baited area, only to find that your hook baits have been nibbled away by nuisance fish! Some venues are obviously more prone to nuisance fish activity than others, but it’s not just nuisance fish that can be a problem. Diving birds or even pick ups from swans will often result in ‘missing hook baits’!
Hard hook baits will alleviate this problem, in fact, I actually think it’s advantageous when a diving bird picks up my hard hook bait. It gives me confidence that my presentation is good, and as the bird drops the rig, I actually believe it straightens everything out and gives me a better presentation that I can achieve via casting. I can remember fishing at Frampton some years ago, when the only time I could seemingly get a bite, was after a coot had picked up and dropped my hard hook bait!
Top Tip
After you’ve made a batch of hard hookers, leave them out on a towel to air dry for at least ten days, preferably in a warm dry place. Once they have sufficiently dried out, put them in a polythene bag and add a small amount of ‘Boilie Glug’ or ‘Liquid Food’ and shake well. For extra convenience transfer them to an empty pop-up jar or similar before placing them in the fridge or the freezer until needed. If keeping in the fridge, make sure you give them a good shake every few days and top up the liquid if and as required.
