Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 01/03/2025

Has Spring Finally Sprung?

Nice to be back at the Big G, what is even better is that it feels like winter is now almost behind us and spring is starting to show itself.  Having temperatures near to the twenty-degree mark feels nice on the body and not having to layer up so much, fresh buds all on the trees and bushes plus the songbirds being more active certainly puts a nicer feel on everything.

Having eight anglers on now each week, gives them plenty of options come draw time.  Read on to see how they faired.

First time visitor to the Main Lake at Gigantica was Jay Caunter.  Jay managed a very good draw pulling out ball number one and being his first time could not give up the chance to drop straight into Co’s Point.  And to be fair it is also a swim that has been doing a few fish over the last few weeks.

Jay started off where the previous angler had caught a few, as you would expect to do, and fished out towards the “tits”.  But after about 24 hours felt it wasn’t the spot to be so switched a rod over towards the “flat oaks” at 28 wraps and didn’t take him to long to bank his first fish from that location.  Okay, so it wasn’t a monster in Gigantica standards but with one in the net weighing 26lb, named “The Slime” and another half an hour later, “Shawshank” at 16lb 12oz it was good to know that the rigs, bait and new spot was working.

On the Monday steady action continued in Co’s, another couple of afternoon fish “Pearl” at 22lb 8oz and his first over 30lb, “Stitch” weighing 30lb 4oz.  These falling to the new spot again, so the decision was made concentrate more rods in that direction from here forward.  And this kept plenty more bites coming Jay’s way.

A hectic Tuesday came along, with four fish being landed in a two-hour period at breakfast time, the biggest of this bunch being a 25lb mirror known as “Stinker”.  Two more fish in the afternoon gave him five of our freshly stocked fish from December in one day.

A slight switch on the hookbait choice on Tuesday night fishing into Wednesday, going from a yellow Isotonic pop-up with a corn topper to just two grains of slow sinking corn gave Jay another five fish in quick succession around breakfast time, but compared to yesterday a better average of fish.  Two doubles, a twenty and two more over 30lb’s up to 33lb 14oz with this one being “Savage News”.

Action slowed a little and with a switch back to the Isotonic pop-ups with the corn topper would lead to Jay banking his biggest of the week “Mooney” at 47lb 14oz and a new personal best for him, so very well done on that fish.  This was just before dinner time and his only bite of the day.

Jay finished the week as he began with two more of our freshly stocked babies, with “Ernie” being the biggest of the two.

In total Jay managed to bank 20 fish during the week, plus with a handful lost during this time, it was a good week not just for him but for the lake as well. 

Other than a couple of bait changes everything else stayed the same throughout the week.  Spinner rigs (5.5”) fished on Dark Matter Heli Safe leaders over a baiting approach that consisted of Cell boilie, whole chopped and crushed, mixed with some corn and Mainline Zig Soup to create a cloud effect around the bait and this was also mixed with a peanut flavoured liquid attractant.  Jay would bait up after every fish with 4-6 Spombs and a little in the morning at first light to ‘ring the dinner bell’ that would start the action for him.

Well done this week you worked hard for it and got the rewards.

Jay came here with his brother Gary Caunter, both first time visitors to us, and Gary manged to get himself positioned into The Alamo.

It’s not a swim that has been on form of late, but it does command a great central area of the lake, and this as we all know is a good holding area for the fish.

Gary persevered fishing long at his boundary to the left of Bob’s Beach as he looked and managed his first bite on Tuesday night.  Just like his brother he managed to catch one of our fresh stockies, “Hugo” 10lb 8oz.

But another couple of nice fish would come his way over the next couple of days.  Firstly, on the Wednesday just after lunch time he landed his second fish, “Kaizen” 30lb 2oz.  This is the first time this fish has broken the 30lb barrier so is always nice to see our fish growing on and moving up a category on the website.

He followed this up at the end of the week with a cracking looking stocky of ours, “Chavvy” weighing 42lb 4oz and at a similar time also managed to lose another fish during the fight.  So, all in all for a swim that has been out of form for most of the winter four bites from here was good going in my eyes.

His baiting approach was almost identical to his brothers in Co’s.  Cell boilie, corn, zig mix powder and liquid attractor in the form of some Smart liquid and hemp oil.  Also like Jay’s rigs Gary’s were also spinners, using Isotonic hook baits with corn toppers.

Gary kept himself occupied during the week having a go for the Perch and managed a handful of nice ones over two pounds for his efforts.

Very well done again this week, you kept your head and kept at it.

Fishing next to Gary this week in The Stink we had Aaron Mead.  And just as I have mentioned above Aaron fished well all week, kept at it and again didn’t let the tough conditions get to him and was rewarded on the Wednesday with what turned out to be his only fish of the week.  Just after lunch time and after having a phone call from him I went around to see what he had got in the net.  It looked over forty to me and that it was when we weighed it, 44lb 8oz and another new personal best for one of our anglers.  This fish is called “Buster” and is one of our fish that is starting to grow very nicely.

Aaron fished most of the week short and this is exactly where this one came.  16 wraps towards Alcatraz to be exact. 

Aaron fed a combination of Cell, Essential Cell and Link boilie combined with maize and smart liquid.

Hook bait and rig of choice was a very neatly tied IQ D rig, which he informed me he had perfected after watching DF’s videos of how to tie them, with a Cell bottom bait and Mystic Spice infused pop up as a topper to complete the snowman set up.

Very well-done Aaron, we hope to see you back here one day for another go at them.

First fish of the week and first night success fell to Dan Reed who positioned himself in Big Southerly to start the week and fished out the known area “the hump” at 26 wraps and this is where his first, and second, bit of action came from.  

A lovely mirror full of little starburst scales all over its body was his reward, and at first glance I said it could have been one called “Cosmos” as I had named this fish some years ago, and it turned out that it was, and it weighed a very healthy 41lb’s.  A cracking start to the week for Dan.

The second night sadly Dan did mange another bite but lost the fish during the fight to a hook pull.  A few frustrating days followed but he did keep on his toes, trying out Oblivion and Tree Line to finish the week.

Well done on the fish you did manage to land Dan, and again hope to see you back soon.

Dan travelled out with his Dad, Richard Reed, who started off in Oblivion but after seeing some fish on the opposite bank to him made an early switch to the vacant Bob’s Beach.

Monday evening Richard managed another of our fresh ones and then having another quick bite just before first light on the Tuesday it seemed like the move was going to lead to many more bites for Richard.  But sadly, it didn’t materialise.  The biggest of Richards duo was “Pump” weighing 27lb 12oz.

Both bites coming from more of the right-hand side of his boundary, 24 wraps towards Oblivion.

Combi rigs was the choice for Richard, and these were baited with yellow pineapple wafters and his free offerings consisted of Cell boilie (chopped), hemp, corn and maize.

Again, as with everyone here, let’s hope to see you back with us soon.

A great week on the company front this week, it was a delight to spend the time with you all.  And landing 27 fish between you all I think it was a good week considering the transitional period we are in from Winter to Spring.

Hope that you all hand a delightful time and a safe journey home.

I think with the weather and daylight starting to swing now things are going to be on the up from now on, so let’s see what next week brings our way.

Tight lines all, wherever you are fishing.

Gareth “Gino”