Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 28/09/2024

The Korda Social

This week we welcomed a group of some of the employees from Korda UK for their annual social trip to us, here at Gigantica.

Only one place to start this week and that is over in Alcatraz with Calum Sharp, who certainly had a week to remember. Calum spent the week fishing two spots, one 30 wraps to the left of The Stink and one 30 wraps towards Big Southerly using a mixture of a fishmeal boilie along with house pellet and particle, fishing a snowman with a white garlic topper on a spinner rig using a lead clip system. Calum didn’t have to wait long for his first fish of the week landing one of the rare sought after original scalies known as ‘The Peach’ at 47lb 14oz, which hadn’t been out for a year coming off his left-hand spot where he also lost one the same night, a great start for the Ipswich fan. The action carried on from there with him landing a couple of 30’s Monday night ‘Double Gill’ at 34lb 12oz and ‘Rising Star’ at 33lb 12oz but it was Tuesday it really livened up when Calum managed 8 fish the first 6 being smaller residents of the Main Lake but rounded the day off with a brace of 50’s in the shape of ‘The Centurian’ at 52lb 4oz after dinner and one on dark ‘Buttercorn’ at 52lb 12oz. No less than 24 hours later Calum had managed another 3, this time a brace of 70’s and mid 60, landing the incredible ‘Lippy Common’ at 70lb 2oz and ‘Danish Bacon’ at a new top weight of 75lb, one for the wall. The next one was special to us at Gigantica with it being ‘Lashes’ at 65lb a fish we have reared on site that we stocked into the lake in 2016 at 6lb 8oz. After not seeing it for over a year it was great to see it had put on an impressive 9lb. There was no stopping him now, getting the majority of his bites on the left-hand spot Calum spent most of the week just fishing two rods with one on each, when on Thursday he had another 6 fish with the biggest being ‘2 C’s’ at 53lb 8oz and ‘Matrix’ at 43lb 6oz. An unforgettable week for Calum, one I’m sure he will struggle to top but who knows there’s always next year… Blue Army!

Next up we have the coach himself Rob Burgess who plotted up in Co’s Point for this week after getting ball 5 in the draw. Rob started his week off fishing 28 wraps towards “The Tits” over a bed of house particle with double slow sinking pink IB corn on Slip D combi rigs over the top using the revamped shot on the hook method. First night Rob managed one of the A team landing ‘Spotty Leather’ at 68lb 4oz another great start. Topping up the bait and going again saw Rob land another cracker with an early morning wakeup call being the golden ‘Le Boheme’ at 53lb. After seeing the fish starting to show just past his spot Rob then decided to push out to 30 wraps, still aiming at the tits and decided to add some boilie to his mix, going for an ISOFish and hemp mix which certainly did the trick as he then had 7 fish his next night and a consistent 2/3 a night thereafter but it wasn’t until the last night/early morning when Rob landed his biggest of the trip being the powerhouse that is ‘Shoulders’ at a new top weight of 71lb 12oz and what a way to end your session.

Over in Alamo this week saw Jay Willis who after a good lead about Saturday opted to fish two spots one to the left of beach at 26 wraps and the other aiming at the clubhouse at 15.5 wraps and was straight in on the action catching one off each on the first night having ‘The Dustbin’ at 64lb from his right-hand spot and ‘Sammy’ at 48lb 4oz off his left. Both coming off a fishmeal boilie and hemp mix fishing spinners over the top using boilie with pink toppers. Monday saw the action continue for Jay as he managed his second 60 of the week with ‘The Clean Fish’ at 65lb 8oz along with ‘White Lines’ at 58lb one that hasn’t been seen in almost 2 years and also ‘The Kreature’ at 40lb. Jays last fish came on the Tuesday landing ‘Linzeeee Woooo’ at 30lb 4oz as they just seemed to have moved off him with the change in weather but he was made up with his weeks results already.

In The Treeline this week we had Dave Vergeer who opted to fish it at 12 wraps using just boilie, made by himself, with 3 spinners over the top and putting a good spread all up the treeline on his spot and way past it in attempt to get the fish feeding comfortably and draw them in. The Tactic worked for Dave as come Monday he managed his first Gigantica carp and a great one at that ‘Buzzin Fish’ at 64lb 4oz. Although this was Daves only fish for the week I think anyone would settle for a mid 60 before they came. 

Next up is John Wilkes who found himself in Big Southerly this week a swim known to do big fish and can produce all year round but especially at this time of year. John chose to fish the going spots in this swim fishing towards the snags to his left at 14 wraps towards The Alamo and 26 wraps towards Alcatraz. Fishing with a fishmeal boilie he has confidence in along with some of our house particle, he fished spinners with snowmen topped with match the hatch pop ups over an out the bag bottom bait. John managed two fish this week being 2 50 pounders both coming on the Sunday night landing ‘Paw Print’ at 56lb 4oz and ‘Tank’ at 52lb 4oz. Unfortunately, these were his only two fish of the week but what a couple of fish to go home with under your belt.

Next door in The Stink we had Jordan Dericott who was only with us for a few days but he sure made good use of his time. Jordan spent his time fishing 30 wraps towards the left of Baxter’s Hole fishing a fishmeal boilie mixed with house hemp and spinner rigs over the top, using a mixture of pink or yellow toppers. Jordan was another one who managed to get his first fish of the trip on his first night, also being his first Gigantica carp in the shape of ‘Jason’s’ at 36lb 10oz. The action picked up the next night with him managing to land 4 more breaking his PB twice that night, with the two biggest being ‘Tennant’ at 40lb 7oz and ‘The Heart Tail Common’ at 49lb 8oz, these backed up by two of our scaley stockies; ‘Kenny’ at 31lb 12oz and ‘Holger Dansk’ at 21lb 3oz. 

Over in The Beach was Danny Fairbrass who started the week off fishing shorter at 18 wraps between Alamo and Stink but after seeing them long moved out to 29 a few days in. With his mix consisting of fishmeal boilie and house particle Dan was fishing spinners over the top with white squid and garlic toppers. The week started off slow for Dan it wasn’t until he went out long, he managed his first fish of the week on the Wednesday night, a fish known as ‘Dicky Doos’ at 25lb. Dan then had to wait until the early hours of Saturday morning for his next and final fish, one he stocked himself back in 2016 and was chuffed to catch it all these years later and at over 50lb this being the ‘Pearly Linear’ at 50lb 4oz.

Tom Dove opted to fish Pole Position this week after being in there a few weeks prior and doing well. Targeting the same spots, he fished two rods out at 30 wraps towards The Stink and one rod at 19 wraps towards the scary tree. Tom was using a mixture of fishmeal boilie and house particle with his trusty spinner rigs over the top with the yellow isotonic topped snowmen. Tom managed his first fish on the Monday and then went on to get steady bites throughout the week and didn’t seem to have a specific bite time window, picking them up at various times of the day/night. Tom’s biggest fish of the week was one known as ‘Maker’s Mark’ at 47lb also having a lovely 42lb common and a big framed stockie called ‘AJ’s’ at 32lb 8oz. 

Next door in Stock Pond we had the head of morale himself Spencer Chun who was only 48 steps from the fridge. Spencer fished the 17.5 wrap spot at Oblivion with one rod and two rods up the treeline one at 17.5 and the other at 26 towards the corner using again a mixture of fishmeal boilie and house particle fishing spinners over the top. Spencer managed his first fish the Sunday night being one of our recent stockies which he got to name and there was only one name it could be ‘Flair’s’ at 26lb. it then went quiet for a few days for Spencer but then just in to the hours of darkness on Thursday he managed his second of the trip being ‘Cheesey Quaver’ at 36lb a very unique shaped mirror. Other than his new PB branch that was it for Spencer for this trip.

Neil Spooner was in Baxter’s Hole this week and opted to fish the 26-wrap spot at the red tower, again fishing with a fishmeal boilie with house particle in his mix and using spinner rigs over the top. Neil managed a good few fish this week including ‘Patch Lin’ at 29lb 1oz and ‘Maddie’ at 32lb 8oz but unfortunately didn’t manage to get amongst some of the real big ones we have here at Gigantica but did manage one of the original scalies on the last morning one known as ‘Shredder’ at 34lb 8oz which hadn’t been out in over two years.

Tucked up in Scotties Corner we had Gareth ‘Gino’ Radley who came out last in the draw. Gino started fishing just two rods targeting the weed bed towards Co’s Point but after seeing them in open water decided to put one out 15 wraps to his left in the deeper open water and this is where he had his first fish from being the lovely fully scaled ‘Bel Bambino’ at 35lb 8oz. Gino was as well using a fishmeal boilie but keeping the baiting to a minimum, a preferred tactic in Scotties Corner. Gino was then on the move into The Stink, once it became available, and fished the same spot as Jordan where he managed one his first night in there being ‘Strap on Sally’ at 33lb 12oz. Unfortunately, that was it for Gino this week.

Last but not least we have Jack Smith who went in Oblivion this week and fished two spots the 9-wrap margin spot to his right and 15 at The Beach. Again, going with a fishmeal boilie and house particle Jack was fishing solid bags over the top with matching wafters. First night Jack got his first fish an unnamed stocked fish now known as ‘Barrows Baby, at 28lb 2oz. Unfortunately, that was his only carp of the week but he also went away with a new PB Perch under his belt.

So that’s it for this week some of our amazing carp gracing the bank and a thoroughly enjoyable week for all involved.

Roll on next week.

Tight Lines,

Greg

Team Gigantica.