Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 29/08/2020

Its no laughing matter when THE GIGGLER returns…………………

Well, just how do you follow last weeks 78 fish haul!!! One things for certain the lads were going to give it a go!!! The sun was shining with gentle winds a blowing and it was certainly looked good for it, but with only 5 anglers on due to the current situation there was obviously going to be lots of water that the fish could have a good swim away and hide if they wanted. A week of regulars that didn’t want a walk around they were so eager to get straight to the draw, it was done, they were ready…………steady………….GO !!!!!!!!!!

Lets commence this report in “The Alamo” where “Gaz Harrison” had opted to stay on for a second week and he had high hopes to beat the 48lber from the previous week. Gaz is literally a machine, watching him fish at 31 wraps with such precision is awesome to watch. Gaz was using Sticky Krill and Cremino boilies mixed with maize as his loose feed and regularly baited. It took a full 24hrs for the fish to start taking an interest but when they started they started. It did seem however that Gaz was attracting allot of the smaller stockies into his swim but in true machine mode he said Phil the big ones will come. Having said that up until the final evening this plan didn’t seem to be working. The biggest up until this point was a 35lb plus mirror that made a jump for freedom out of Gaz’s landing net. Then this happened…………picture the scene…………..Bailiff Phil is in the water doing a water shot of a 50lb plus fish over in Beach and his phone is going off constantly on the bank. The call was from Mr Harrison and as the call was returned the words that came over the phone was “Phil I’m pretty sure I’ve got the Giggler, its f**kin massive” well……on that note I was straight round. Sure enough there she was, you may as well put a saddle on her she’s so wide!!! Lucky for us Roy and Geoff were on hand to help in setting the lighting and matt to assist for the photos. She spun the scales round to 78lb 8oz just……..wow what a fish. I think this absolutely is proof to stick to your spot. Bait and they will come, Gaz never lost faith all week and waded through the smaller ones for that penultimate finish, congratulations my friend see you soon………..

Over to Mr Dean Cullen who attempted to break me, he does like to get bites just when I try to drift off dreaming of cuddling big carp. Dean fished steady and accurately out “Baxters” the rods were aiming out to “Stink” at 25 wraps. The approach was similar to the week before using Mainline Link and maize mixed, its such a deadly combo and the action started on the second evening. The bite times were like clockwork as Dean started catching a few of the midsized stockies into their 30s. It was the Tuesday before a true lump came for its photo taken and a big kiss, all 49lb 12oz of her, she was so so close to that 50lb mark but she just wasn’t quite there. 2C’s was her name and looked mighty awesome if I do say so myself. It was the very next day when there was a familiar bend in the rod, could this be bigger!!!!! The call was made (AGAIN) and the words you may need your waders, it’s a chunk!!!! Oh I love those words in the early hours of the morning pfffffffft. So up on the scales she went and sure enough she was a 50, 50lb 12oz to be precise a fish named “Well Hung” (do you ever wonder the mindset of some of the people when naming the fish lol), all jokes aside she was a stunner well in pal those IB wafters doing the trick once again………

Co’s Point saw John Allen take residence for the week, Johns approach was to fish beds of crushed maize and hemp with fake maize hookbaits on a I-QD rig. John started out fishing 25 wraps and baiting an area shorter to his right at only 6 wraps. It was slow going until Wednesday when his long spot rod ripped into life, a 22lb stocky was the results but that gave him hope that fish were finding his hookbait. John did do another fish this week and its quite a special one. “La Boheme” decided to grace his net, not only is she an impressive 42lb 8oz in weight but she is the biggest common of the original stockies that were introduced in 2016. Well………that we know!!, there is still a few that are uncaught. Well done john……..

Now if you were fishing two weeks on the main Lake back to back here at where dreams come true who would love to do that in the same swim especially if you had had a load of big girls the week before. When Barry Edwards came first out of the draw on his second week that’s exactly what he did in "Big Southerly", he may as well have just left his bivvy up lol. Now on the previous week Bazza caught at the start and the end of the week. Guess what it fished exactly the same but not quite as many fish, only 2 in fact. But…………they weren’t just any old fish. Fish number 1 = “Spences” 69lb 8oz, and that was on the Saturday evening, the very first evening!!!!! I secretly think he didn’t put any bait on all week so he could spend plenty of time in the “Gravel Bar” drinks like a fish this guy hahaha. Barry had to wait till Thursday for his second and last bite of the week, “Soft Focus” that scaly warrior came for a cuddle weighing in at 47lb 8oz. Fishing at 25.5 wraps to Alcatraz using CCmore Specific Tuna and carp freak popups doing the business once again. It was a pleasure and cheers for the knickname “one handed phil” (I still don’t get it)……….

Chris Clarke, the legend that is!!...... He was in Alcatraz this week and fishing out towards the wonky tree at 28 wraps, Good old Sticky Krill and Baitworks Cremino boilies mixed with maize and fishing krill wafters over the top drew in early results. It was a week of two half’s really the bites seem to dry up but not after fish had bagged himself 6 fish including “Bilbo Baggins” at 30lb 12oz and the very impressive “Mammut” at a clonking 50lb 4oz. Its always a pleasure having Chris here at Gigantica a regular hauler :D………….

Last but by no means least we have the man that is Mr Richard Winters, Richard was fishing out of “Bobs Beach” and had a session to remember, he banked some amazing fish during his week including a PB mirror of 57lb 8oz in a fish named “The Survivor” Sharing this moment was amazing as Richard is a right character, oh and thanks for the spomb station :D, but its missing a lid off one of the buckets hahaha. Richard also had a rare old common named “Time Lapse” weighing 55lb 4oz on the final evening and this was the fish I was photographing whilst I got the call about “The Giggler” being caught in Alamo. Fishing all 3 rods out at 25 wraps towards stink brought all the action, baiting with Mainline Link, Essential Cell and maize using D rigs with Link wafters did the business, congratulations mate………..

All in all a good steady week with 55 fish banked including a few lumps, not bad for a lake only half full well done lads!!......

Till next time guys n gals, be lucky and bag a chunk

Phil