Predator Opening Day see's over 100 fish caught! - 4 10 2009

PREDATOR FISHING NOW IN FULL SWING!

The fishery currently opens around 7.00am week days and at approximately 6.30am at weekends and bank holidays. Current closing time is approximately 7.00pm. Boats in by 6.15pm sharp

Open 7 days a week, 363 days a year, when you need it!

Check out Bury Hill’s tackle and bait shop here and our Christmas/New Year specials:

Also our online shop here:

A very good week weather wise, with plenty of sun and little rain, as such water temperatures remained much the same as last week at 14.6 degree’s, however whilst oxygen levels have generally remained high on all lakes, owing to the overnight rain levels had dropped slightly to 40%.

Outlook for the week ahead is again mainly dry with temperatures sitting around the mid teens.

The main focus this week was on the predator fishing which started on Thursday, and what a day it turned out to be, despite bright sunshine over 100 zander were reported, yes 100 which included numerous doubles with dozens of pike to mid doubles also being caught by both bank and boat anglers.

The general fishing also continued well as we head further into the autumn with plenty of bream showing on the Old Lake along with a few tench and the odd carp. Bonds and Milton Lakes also fished a lot better now that we have flushed the system through with mixed bags to 40lb being reported on Milton whilst a number of anglers on Bonds reported some pretty good action from the carp with bags to 80lb reported.

Following the recent action on Temple, it was a quieter week generally with just one thirty caught and a handful of twenties.

The first day of the predator season can only be described as ‘INCREDIBLE’. With warmer than average temperatures, the zander fed intensely throughout the day despite bright sunshine with dozens of anglers, both bank and boat reporting bumper catches which included numerous doubles to 13lb plus and in some cases bags of up to a dozen fish. Whilst conditions favored the zander, a good number of pike were also caught, the best a fish of around 16lb.

With the shallow water areas clearly being the favorite areas to target, it was not surprising that float and ledger tactics worked best with both freshwater and sea baits both catching. Saying that, a few boat anglers also caught on plugs and spinners with a couple of fish also falling to the fly! Whilst small roach and trout both caught well the pike and larger zander fell to smaller sea baits such as smelt and mackerel tails.

Fast and furious sport!

Fishing a small ledgered road dead bait, predator regular Steve Hazeldine ended the first day with the best fish of the day and a new PB in the shape of a 13lb 12oz zed. Fishing the front bank, the fish was in superb condition and was caught late in the day at 5.15pm as the light was coming off the water.

Bill Dowding from Loughton, Essex was also rewarded for his efforts catching 9 zander to 11lb 14oz. Fishing the top end of the long bank on peg 46, Bill fished small roach dead baits with a small float set up catching steadily throughout the day.

Another angler to catch a double was Fred Ashman, another Bury Hill predator regular. Also fishing the shallow water pegs at the top end of the long bank, Fred fished small roach dead baits catching three fish to 11lb.

Brothers Graham and Mark Taylor were also rewarded for their drive up from Eastbourne catching close to 30 fish between them. Also opting to fish the top end of the long bank, the pair ledgered small mackerel baits to the open water with Graham catching the best fish of the day, a cracking 10lb’er and a new PB.

Opting to fish the early pegs along the long bank, Lewis Clark managed 10 fish during his day just failing to nail a double with a nice 8lb 8oz fish being his best fish.

After 5 years of trying and a disastrous season last year owing to an accident, which curtailed her predator fishing, Linda Billington finally caught her first zander on opening day of the 2009 predator season, a lively 6lb fish. Linda said, “I know at 6lb it's not your biggest zander, but it will always be my best zander as it was so long a quest”. Well-done Linda.

Whilst it was clearly the zander that showed in the larger numbers, quite a few pike were also caught. Goachern Shervil from Tonbridge managed a couple of fish during his visit which included a pretty 11lb 12oz fish. Goachern caught on small sea baits which he ledgered to the open water.

Steve Barnes also managed a reasonable pike during his day, fishing the middle section of the front bank, Steve float fished small roach catching 3 zander to 7lb and two pike, the best a cracking 16lb 8oz specimen.

Other anglers to catch were Paul Emblin who caught a couple of small pike on float fished roach dead baits and Chase Sellers who caught pike to 6lb. Boat anglers also had a bumper start to the season with a number of boats reporting good catches. Cameron Craigs was one such angler catching 11 fish on his visit. Choosing to fish half a mackerel using a small float set up, Cameron caught zander to 6lb, pike to 5lb and a bonus perch around the pound which along with one of the zander fell to a fly!

With the mild weather continuing, it was no surprise to see the bream continue to feed well with a number of anglers reporting bags of up to a 20 fish. With fish showing along both the front and long bank pegs, the middle and early pegs are the swims to head for.

The ‘In Method’ for bank anglers continues to be a small feeder or cage feeder with hair rigged or lassoed 8mm or 10mm pellet on a size 14 or 12 barbless hook. It is also important to remember to ping out a few pellets around your feeder little and often as this does make a very big difference to the catches. Saying that, pole and float tactics are also catching with pellet still being the best bait by far.

Boat anglers are also continued to find some excellent sport from the open water and jungle with bream again making up the target species from the open water whilst anglers targeting the jungle are finding a few late season tench and the odd carp.

Regular Colin Martin had a very good day along the front bank catching 21 bream to 6lb on both the pole and feeder. Starting his session off on a 12m pole, Colin kept pinging a few pellets out to the feeder line. With a few fish caught on the pole, Colin saw a couple of fish role over his feed which prompted him to chuck out a small feeder packed with Marine Halibut ground bait baited with an 8mm pellet on a lasso rig, Colins first fish on the feeder came within minutes.

Following a couple of really good weeks, the carp fishing on both the Old Lake and Temple Lake slowed a touch this week with just one thirty from Temple, a cracking 34lb 12oz mirror along with a few twenties whilst the Old Lake produced a reasonable number of doubles as well as a few twenties.

As we edge ever closer to the Temples magical “100 thirties” caught in 2009, this weeks thirty brings the total to 98, which is quite amazing when you think that Temple is only 5 years old. Whilst previous weeks has seen the back bank producing the best sport, this week the fish have come from all areas although popped up corn is still the main bait.

Despite mixed temperatures, the Old Lake also continued its autumn run of fish with anglers reporting some reasonable catches. Whilst tactics and baits remain much the same as in previous weeks, Icelandic Red boilies are fishing well as are KG1, Activ 8, Maple 8 and Cell boilies. Whilst most good quality baits will catch, it is also worth trying pop ups and popped up corn.

John Carson caught his first thirty from Temple of the year catching a 34lb 12oz mirror on popped up corn. Bucking the trend and choosing to fish swim 5 along the road bank, john caught his fish from the island margins over a bed of loose fed corn.

Grabbing a short session on Temple this week, Rob Wright from South Norwood fished peg 11 along the back bank catching a stunning 21lb common on popped up corn, which he fished close to the island margins.

Tim Styner from Knaphill fished peg 36 on the Old Lake catching a 22lb common and mirrors weighing 18lb and 16lb. With new PB’s under his belt for both commons and mirrors, Tim caught on Icelandic Red baits, which he fished over Halibut pellet tight to the island margins.

Another angler to do well on the Old Lake was Ben Laverton from London. Fishing a day session on peg 2, Bed fished KG1 baits to the open water catching a cracking leather weighing 21lb as well as a 19lb linear and commons weighing 17lb, 15lb 4oz and 15lb.

John Neil from Burnham-on -Crouch fished the Old Lake catching 3 carp. Fishing peg 31, John fished 15mm Cell boilies over corn tight to the island margins catching two mirrors weighing 20lb and 17lb as well as a 14lb common.

Following last weeks flush through, Bonds fished a lot better this week with some bumper hauls reported. Saying that, it is important to get the tactics right and three youngsters did just that catching well over 200lb of fish between them in the week.

With all methods working, a small feeder is still the best method. Key baits remain pellet and mini boilies with maggot also catching, indeed if you ask in the tackle shop, you can get a leaflet describing the ‘in’ method on Bonds, which will certainly help to increase your catches.

After seeking advice from tackle shop manager Russ Evans, John and Bradley Gibbons had a carp bonanza on Bonds Lake in the week catching 35 to 40 mirrors and commons all over the 6lbs mark with the biggest weighing 9lbs 12oz. Fishing pegs 5 and 6 and casting a small cage feeder over to the island margins plugged with green swimstim groundbait and pinging 8mm carp pellets over the top, the fish kept coming after a slow start. Using the middy lassoo size 14 rigs and attaching 8mm pellets John and Bradley had a day to remember. Accompanying Bradley and his Dad John was his young friend Jonathan Woodman who although a novice angler also managed to catch 5 nice carp beating his personal best fish which was just a humble gudgeon.

Another angler to bag up on Bonds this week was Steve Nicholls from Streatham, fishing peg 13, Steve fished a small Tutti Fruity boilie catching 17 fish to 9lb. Andrew Bryant from Redhill also had a good day catching 12 carp to 12lb. All over 5lb, Andrew fished pole and pellet catching on soft pellet from peg 6.

Milton Lake also benefited from the recent flush through of water with anglers also reporting some excellent mixed bags.

With tench and crucian still showing, it was the silver fish which started to show in good numbers with anglers starting to report bags to 40lb. With all areas producing a few fish, the margins are still the best bet for a few tench and crucian whilst the float and pole line is the best area to target for the roach, rudd and carp. Regarding baits, hard drilled and soft pellet and corn over small pellet are catching, with the roach, rudd and perch showing well to maggot, caster and worm.

Terry Maddox had a good day on Milton in the week catching a mixed bag of tench, carp, crucian, roach and rudd. Fishing peg 23, Terry fished a pole at 10mts with soft pellet over micro pellet.