Angler Comments

Welcome back Gentlemen, to this week’s Gigantica weekly report.

Well, a mixed group but all generally had a good idea of what they were trying to achieve.

A few of the lads were Foreign regulars having fished abroad for years, a few had only been fishing for a several seasons worth but, given their limited bank time, they knew what it was they were trying to achieve from the very beginning.

All the lads had enough bait to see them through the week, which, unfortunately, not having enough is a very common mistake when travelling to these big fish, weekly fished holiday venues.

Here at Gigantica, as well as all the better holiday venues I know in the area respond very well to heavy baiting. Turning up with a 5kilo bag of bait and expecting to catch huge numbers of big fish, is, unfeasible.

These holiday venues are very pressured. Generally, all the swims are fished week in week out with varying degrees of skill, the main leveler throughout is the bait used through the week.

Now I’m not saying you have to mass bait all the time, certainly, when the fish aren’t in front of you, baiting for baiting sake is obviously counterproductive. But, when the shoals move in front of you, having enough bait available to hold them while you pick em off, is what it’s all about!

When the fish move in front of you but you don’t bait, either because your limited in what you have or you have a poor quality – a bait they don’t generally like – you may nick a couple and then they move off to the next baited area. On the other hand, should you have sufficient, good quality bait, and after each and every fish, you bait up with enough bait too keep the shoal feeding, that’s when your red letter days happen.

And its them red letter days were all coming to France for……..as did a few of the lads last week.

I’ll report on the swims as I always do so first up was Julian. He picked the ‘Stock pond’ swim in the draw, with the weather very heavy with rain and a blustery NW wind, Julian was in perfect place to make the most of some of the best weather here at Gigantica weve experienced in quite a while.

Julien managed to bank 4 fish early in the week, all 20z with 2 x 28b fish topping his week. Mainline Cell doing the damage as ever.

Mark in ‘Pole position’ next too Julien, didn’t do too badly either. Again, Mainline Cell fished double bait snowman style catching a few for Mark…..including a double, 2 x twenties a 30 and the elusive German fish at a new high, and another new 60 for Gigantica at 62.04lb !! Awesome being the only word for such an impressive fish. The German, having last been put on the bank, early on when Gigantica first took over the venue. A full 22 months she’s managed to avoid capture…..just how they manage it, is almost unbelievable but, as part of my job, I see various fish throughout the year that have not been caught for the same periods of time, and even more unbelievably I see fish each year, which I recognize throughout the year – especially during spawning – which I’ve seen regularly but we have no photos of those fish at all ! I get asked if there are uncaught monsters here at Gigantica………..Monsters, no, of that I’m sure but big fish – 50lb+ that haven’t been caught during our time, yeah, for sure but, until such time their banked and their mug shots in the album……there just ghosts…….unfortunately.

Next up was ‘Split’ in ‘Alcatraz”. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Andy was unlucky in that swim the whole week, proving that, holiday venues aint a push over.

Next up, well, what can I say about the next two anglers…..When they first visited, Dave & Ian didn’t catch and due to a freak occurrence, were invited back as our guests. Dave, using can what can only be described as, honestly, the longest deepest darkest ‘bivvy’ known to the human race !

This time though, Dave left his mobile tunnel at home but brought with him, his new improved pike angling set up ! ( private joke )

Dave and Ian ended up doubling up in the ‘beach’ and even though thay had fish over their areas on more than one occasion, Ian did break his duck and bank his very first Gigantica fish, all 26lb of it !

Round on Co’s, Nigel got straight in amongst them from the very start. Being an ol’hand at European angling, steady well applied Mainline Cell and decent but sensible rigs caught Nige a succession of fish. 2 x 20z, 2 x 30z and 2 forties at 43 with ‘Spencer’ at 46 !

Our first French angler, Manu, suffered a blank week in ‘Big southerly’ unfortunately ?

However, Derek in ‘Stink’ didn’t follow in Manu’s foot steps. Steadily appling Cell, Derek managed a 28 and a 32+. Derek also lost a fish unfortunately.

In ‘Alamo’ Nick & Stuart just couldn’t get on em for whatever reason but hard work and shear determination saved the blank, with Nick losing one but banking a 31 mirror, with unfortunately for Stuart, losing the only fish he hooked.

Now too the star of the week. With the brisk NW that brought Julien his fish, Rob was on the end of the weather and he really made the most of the situation. Again, a heavy, steady application of the ever consistent Mainline baits, Rob went on to bank an amazing 9 fish. With 2 x 20z, 5 x 30z to 37lb, a 41mirror  and too top it all, the Giant at an amazing 76LB…..a new lake record!  On the mat, the big fish was passing, what was clearly Dave & Ians bait ! The yellow seed mix, clearly the dirty duos bait. Proving the fish had been feeding hard in there area without giving them any indication at all, proving just how adept these fish are !

This fish, a male has been slowly gaining weight since we took over the venue and we have photos from about high 30z – low 40z so its consistently growing, which is a great thing for us. Just how big will he get ? only time will tell but on his current weight gains, Im hoping, should nothing drastic happen between now and next winter, He may even make the heady heights and move into what, globablly is the measure of a BIG carp – the 80lb bracket ? Lets keep our fingers crossed.

With such thoughts, I’ll be back next week to supply you all the information of this weeks occurrences.

As usual, be safe, be lucky.

Danny