Huge catches inc 14lb zander, 20lb pike, 34lb carp - 1 03 2009

FISHERY REPORTS
WEEK ENDING SUNDAY, 1st March 2009
 
PREDATOR & TENCH STOCKING
The planned predator and tench stocking has started with around 50 plus small pike and 100 odd tench between 2lb and 5lb being stocked in the Old Lake with a further 100 tench between 1lb and 2lb stocked into Milton Lake. A second stocking of larger fish should arrive at the end of this week.
 
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WATER TEMPERATURES
WOW what a week that was, air temperatures hit 12 degree’s, which in turn forced water temperatures up to 7.3 degree’s, which is over double what they were 10 days ago whilst Oxygen levels remained constant at around 30%.
Outlook for the week ahead is a little unsettled, the start of the week will be much the same but rain and sleet is possible by Wednesday.

THIS WEEKS FISHING!
An incredible week which saw some phenomenal sport on all the lakes, with 20lb pike and loads of big zander reported to 14lb zander on the Old Lake along with a 200lb bag of tench and bream and a good number of carp to 20lb whilst Temple threw up yet another thirty and a stonking 27lb mirror.  
Sport on Bonds and Milton was also very good with 50lb bags of carp reported on Bonds whilst Milton saw some great nets of roach and perch to 30lb along with a few tench and even the odd crucian.
OLD BURY HILL LAKE – PREDATOR FISHING
Simply an amazing week for the predators with ten double figure zander caught with the best topping 14lb as well as a large female pike weighing 20lb and lots of smaller pike.
Please note that both the pike and zander are getting ready to spawn, so please handle all fish with great care returning to the water as quickly as possible to the water.
Whilst all banks have been producing a few fish, the top end of the long bank seems to be where most of the action is particularly for the big zander and pike. Tactics remain much the same as in previous weeks with small baits definitely working better than larger baits with diagonal head and tail sections of both sea and freshwater baits working well, although interestingly sea baits have accounted for a lot of the big zeds. Single hook rigs are also taking a few more fish with hair rigs also making hooking easier and safer. These tactics, will not only catch pike and zander, but will improve takes and moreover help to avoid a deep hooked fish.
Ian Welch’s pages in the Anglers Mail recently featured Zander fishing at Bury Hill, see link below.
http://www.buryhillfisheries.co.uk/press/
Don’t forget that the predator session ends on the 14th March.
This weeks catches
Under the watchful eye of Bury Hill's BIG FISH tutor Eric Bailey, young Bradley Gibbons aged 11 caught the fish of a lifetime yesterday, a stonking 13lb 12oz zander. Catching his first ever zander, Bradley was fishing with his dad John. Fishing swims 46 and 47 Eric tackled the pair up with a light ledger rig and single size 4 hooks and following recent successes opted to fish a Mackerel fillet to the lily beds, the pair also caught 3 smaller fish but also lost 2 or 3 as the fish were in a finicky mood.


Another young lad to catch a fish of a lifetime was Sam Dodd, Sam fished peg 38 along the long bank catching a cracking 12lb 3oz zander on a ledgered mackerel tail, which he popped up just off the bottom.


Regular Anthony Townsey also had a blinding day with the zed’s catching a brace of doubles. Fishing peg 39 Anthony ledgered a small roach dead bait over the dead lilies catching zed’s weighing 10lb and 14lb 4oz.
Another angler to catch a double figure zander was Chris Roots, having returned to angling after a big operation 2 years ago, Chris was delighted to catch a 10lb 4oz zed. Fishing peg 42, Chris fished a mackerel section laced with Nash Lobster oil mounted on a size 10 single hook rig which he fished half way across the lake.


Gary Newman from the Anglers Mail also grabbed a quick session in the week catching 6 zander, which included a 12lb 15oz specimen. Gary fished a sea dead bait on a single size 4 hook 10mts out to a snag tree.


Our Big Fish private tuitions always prove popular and this week saw some very happy anglers catching some great fish with the help of Big Fish tutor Eric Bailey. Last week saw two private tuitions, the with Clive and Bob Clarke who caught 3 pike to 10lb and an 8lb zander. The pair fished peg 40/41 catching on  mackerel, smelt and sprat dead baits which they ledgered to the back of the dead lilies.



The other pair to catch was young Bradley Gibbons and his father John. Bradley caught a stonking zed weighing 13lb 12oz (see catch report above) beating dad who managed just a 4lb’er.
Last weeks ACA saw 8 anglers catch 8 fish. Eric Bailey won the day with two fish for 16lb 12oz, Andy Booth was second with 2 pike for 15lb whilst John Wright was third also with 2 pike for 11lb 2oz.


OLD BURY HILL LAKE – GENERAL & BOAT FISHING
As water temperatures soared, the general fishing on the Old Lake went into overdrive with one angler bagging over 200lb of tench and bream in the week. Whilst the early swims along the front and long banks have been fishing well, it has been the thirties along the long bank that have been producing the really big weights this past week.
Whilst feeder tactics have been catching a lot of fish over the last week or two with small open-end groundbait feeder working particularly well, pole tactics have been the winning method this week with maggot, caster and worm all catching, although larger baits such as corn, hair rigged punched meat and banded pellet are also working, particularly for the bigger fish.
This weeks catches
Local angler Haydon Woods was the man to beat this week catching a huge bag of tench and bream for over 200lb. Fishing peg 29, Haydon fished a 12m pole cupping in SwimStim green 3mm pellet with double maggot on the hook. A fish a chuck at one point, Hayden caught over 20 tench to 6lb and 20 bream to 5lb.

OLD BURY HILL & TEMPLE LAKE - CARP
Another cracking week for the carp boys with another two thirties out of Temple together with half a dozen or so twenties as well as quite a few fish out of the Old Lake topped by a couple of 20 pounders.
On Temple it has been small baits, which have again proved most successful with small broken sections of cream pop ups working particularly well although any good bait will work. However the secret is not to over do the feeding. Thinking out of the box also works on Temple.
Baits on the Old Lake remain pretty much the same as in previous weeks with Icelandic Red, Fusion, KG1 and Cell boilies all worth a go!
This weeks catches
It will come as no surprise that Temple regular Sean Howard had another cracking session catching 4 fish to 33lb 11oz. Fishing peg 13, Sean fished a small piece of white cream pop up to the both the bank and island margins catching Italian 1 at 33lb 11oz (see picture) as well as a 27lb common (see picture), and two smaller Temple residents, the Parrot at 19lb 12oz and a small common at 18lb 8oz.


Robin Ellis also bagged a Temple thirty, this time a plump 31lb mirror (see pict. Fishing a very similar method to that of Sean Howard, Robin fished small pieces of chopped up white pop up to the open water in front of peg 10 with no loose feed catching his first Temple fish of the year around mid afternoon. Carrying tag number 141609, this stunning fish, which is also at a record weight was last caught in May 2008 weighing just over 30lb, but at the time was full of spawn. Returning two days later and fishing similar tactics and baits, Robin, caught one of Temple’s prettiest fish, ‘Raspberry’ weighing 27lb.


Another angler to catch was Wayne Thompson who caught his first Temple carp, a 21lb mirror. Fishing swim 6, Wayne fished a Shellfish 35 bait over Cell pellet catching from the point of the right hand island.
Whilst the Old Lake has seen some reasonable multi action this past week, most of the fish have been mid to upper doubles with just a couple of twenties reported.
Please Note!
Temple Lake can only be fished by Specimen Carp Members who are also able to night fish the Old Lake. With membership numbers strictly limited to anglers with some experience of catching bigger fish, membership includes Old Bury Hill Lake and Temple Lake, our new specimen carp lake. Following recent stockings, Temple currently holds just under a 100 fish to upper thirties, which now includes 35 known thirties, the average size is close to 29lb. To date there has been a waiting list to join, however there is a small number of places available for 2009 which will be available on a first come first served basis, anyone interested should contact David or Jane on 01306 877540, or download an application form from our website.
To view the latest carp catches and pictures click the following link:
http://www.buryhillfisheries.co.uk/carp-catches/
 
BONDS LAKE
Generally a good week on Bonds Lake with a number of anglers reporting bags of carp to 40lb. With all methods working, float and feeder tactics are both working well, particularly to the margins with smaller baits such as maggot catching well.
This weeks catches
Tom Butler had a good day in the week catching 10 carp for 23lb. Fishing peg p, Tom float fished double maggot to the margins catching steadily throughout the day.



MILTON LAKE
The increasing water temperatures certainly helped the sport on Milton this week, with anglers reporting mixed bags of roach, perch, tench and crucian to 30lb plus. With all methods working, the best action has been coming to pole and feeder tactics with maggot, caster and worm catching. 
This weeks catches
Steve Tilling had a good session catching a dozen or so roach to 1lb 12oz, 6 perch to 2lb and 3 tench. Steve fished peg 27 catching all his fish from the left hand margin on small soft pellet.