Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 23/03/2024

Oops Zigs did it again!!

With Spring seemingly on its way, this week zigs were the tactic doing most of the bites across the Main Lake this week.

Alex Leslie in Stink is first. Alex was here with us for his birthday this week and the lake rewarded him with a lovely present in the shape of ‘Parker’ at 55lb 14oz. Alex was fishing 15 wraps towards the poplars to the right of Treeline using solid bags and slow sinking maize, choosing to bait up with house pellet and particle and Atlantic Heat boilie. Although this was Alex’s only fish this week, he went away happy and him and Josh chose to rebook the week of the New Year with us, so we’ll see you then.

Next up, old bailiff and friend Buzz and his partner Elaine. Buzz came out early in the draw and got into the famous Co’s Point. Fishing 30 wraps at ‘The Tits’ Buzz was soon off the mark with a fish know as ‘Sammy’s’ weighing 48lb 2oz falling to a triple slow sinking maize hookbait on a spinner rig fished helicopter style. With fish coming out around the lake on zigs, Buzz decided to give one a try just off his spot fishing 9’ off the bottom with black foam and a red zig aligner and it wasn’t long before he had one in the net, this time it was ‘The Chinese’ at 38lb 2oz. Elaine was next on the rods, and it was the bottom bait rod again on the triple slow sinking maize, ‘The Power’ at 26lb 8oz, a lovely old scaley. This wasn’t Elaine’s only fish of the week as she also managed ‘Savage News’ at 32lb which was also a new PB. Buzz wasn’t finished either as on Friday morning, another on the 9’ zig was ‘Willow’ at 39lb and a new top weight!

Josh Scoble was up next in The Alamo. Upon arriving Josh had a feeling the fish were off the bottom and in the upper layers, but just had to find out where and that’s exactly what he did. Spending most of his first day presenting his zig through various depths, Josh settled on 9’ off the bottom after picking off two on the first evening ‘Partner’ at 23lb and ‘Bobby Dazzler’ also 23lb. Josh’s bites mainly came after dinner or in the early morning. Red aligner and black foam did all of Josh’s bites this week having 9 fish in total, including ‘Cosmos’ being his biggest at 41lb and ‘The Richmond Fish’ at 32lb 10oz. All fish coming from 30 wraps at the ‘Christmas Tree’ to the left-hand side of The Beach. 

Tim ‘Britney’ Baillie is up next who came out in the third in the draw and decided to jump in Stock Pond due to its recent form. Tim was off the mark Sunday night and managed two fish being ‘Baby Orange Spot’ at 21lb 8oz and one now known as ‘Dicky Doos’ at 22lb 8oz. Concentrating on the tree line, Tim was fishing solid bags using Creamino stick mix and slow sinking maize hookbaits IB in the 9 wrap spot to his right, 17.5 wraps half way up the treeline and 26 wraps into the far corner at the pipes, then feeding house maize and Essential Cell boilie. Tim’s bites came steady throughout the week including ‘Cheesy Quaver’ at 39lb and ‘Clover’ at 26lb 8oz and all came on his solid bags. 

Ryan Bonner came out late in the draw this time round but still somehow found himself in Big Girls. After last week’s form in this swim, Ryan fished towards the pipes at 18 wraps then 23 wraps towards the spit, feeding corn and Cell boilie. Ryan was another angler this week who had to wait less than 24 hours to catch their first fish of the week and his was an old mirror known as ‘The Runt’ at 37lb 4oz. Early hours of Monday morning was Ryan’s next bite, having a cracking mirror known as ‘The Roach’ at 32lb 8oz. Unfortunately, it slowed up after that as the fish seemed to have moved out but at last knockings Ryan managed another on Saturday morning while packing up, ‘The Immortal’ at 31lb 1oz. Ryan fished a Combi rig with a plastic maggot topped wafter all week in a variety of colours. 

Sam Smith in Oblivion next. Sam unfortunately had a slow start to the week fishing 25.5 wraps at beach and 10 wraps towards Scottie’s Corner and lost one in the days before landing his first. After a few days, Sam switched one rod over to a zig using black foam on a red aligner and fished it towards any showing fish. It wasn’t long after Sam made the change, he landed two fish in quick succession one being a golden common at 34lb 15oz and another now known as ‘Ziggy’ at 22lb 8oz. Unfortunately, that was all for Sam, but we will see you next year for more.

Into Bob’s Beach where we had Gareth who came out to see us with his uncle Andy. Gareth came out mid draw and was fishing 15.5 wraps out towards Stink with two of his rods fishing over a bed of Cell and Link Boilie along with house pellet while fishing the other in his right-hand margin. After having no action on his bottom bait rods Gareth decided to put a zig out over his spot later in the week which is when he had his first and only carp being a fish named earlier in the week as ‘Dicky Doos’ at 22lb 4oz Friday morning.

Now to Treeline where we had Richard who had a tough week with only the odd show here and there, they just didn’t get in there in numbers.  Richard didn’t give up though solid bag fishing throughout the week and also trying a zig, it wasn’t until the Friday Richard managed to catch his first Gigantica carp, one known as ‘Ninebot’ at 17lb 8oz. 

Finally, a Gigantica regular Matt Jenkins. Matt opted for Big Southerly this trip fishing 25.5 wraps at Alcatraz with two of his rods and 14 wraps towards the snags to his left, aiming at The Alamo. Same story for Matt after working his swim throughout the week he managed to slip one up using a 9’ zig to the left of his spot out in front catching an unnamed fish at 17lb 8oz. Hopefully he has better luck next time, see you in June.

So, all in all a very tough week for some but a good week for others, along with a lot of laughs and a bit of a sing song. Zigs just seemed to be doing the bites, but will they continue?

Roll on next week,

Tight lines,

Greg.

Team Gigantica.