Back In The Groove... Rob Shanks

This entry was posted on 20th May, 2013

Back In The Groove...

Over the last few weeks my fishing has resumed normal service and by that I mean short overnighters, the family and work commitments putting pay to any sessions. I had a great day out with Dan Wildbore doing some promotion work for sticky baits for the Angling Press which was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and fingers crossed it may well lead to a few more opportunities in the future.

The weather for the end of April beginning of May was fantastic and warm days had the fish visiting the margins and surface layers which makes location so much easier. The lake however was extremely busy so the problem was getting a swim where you could actually get on some fish. Ideally I wanted to start getting the surface gear out but the winds had just been too strong and on this particular venue, it’s the kiss of death, they love it flat calm. I decided the best chance would come by targeting swims where I could fish shallow water and with and the shallow margins of the big island where the obvious ambushing point. I was lucky on one overnighter to arrive just in time to get in one of the main spring swims on the lake, The Point (every lake has one) and I positioned one rod close to one of the islands overhanging willows and two in the margins and the bottom of the drop off’s, one near an overflow pipe where river runs in from the nearby river.

I decided because I was now targeting the harder shallow areas to make the change and ditch the chod rigs for a simple ESP striptease / Curve Shanks set up. Hook bait’s were Sticky baits Krill 16mm wafters fished on the deck, and each spot was baited with a fair amount of Sticky Baits 16mm boilies. I’d been soaking them in a bucket with water and Sticky’s awesome pure krill liquid and they smelt absolutely putrid, full of instant attraction but also had the advantage of looking slightly washed out.

After a busy day at work I sat watching the evening draw out into darkness on the bedchair. I put the Trakker Cayman up just on dark as I never like to commit myself too early incase the fish start showing but some heavy liners on dark gave me the confidence I was on fish. At around 11pm  I had a blistering take on the rod fished to the willow and when I struck into the fish it was doing it’s best to gain sanctuary in the underwater branches but by applying steady pressure the fish turned and swam towards me. The fish was powerful in the margins and we had a ten minute tussle trying to get the fish up the marginal shelf but eventually I slid him over my sniper net cord and instantly recognised him as a upper 20lb mirror I caught the year before and on the scales she went 28.14, a few quick self takes and I slipped her from the Trakker retention sling back into her watery home.



That was the only action I received that night and I packed away on a lovely sunny morning, full of beans to go to work, I quickly spread some bait around the spots I fished before hitting the road. On an overnighter I’m more than happy with one fish. Over the next few weeks I was lucky enough to get back in the swim and the bait was clearly doing the job as I took another four fish in 2 overnighter and a day session, 17.04 common, a pretty 19.10 ghostie and mirrors of 22.10, 22.12 mirror 28.02, the bigger being a fish I dearer wanted to catch with big plated scales on one of it’s shoulders.



The fish have been getting extremely confident on the Krill and the free bait I’ve been putting in when I leave has been paying dividends.

My daughter’s birthday and being extremely busy at work has kept me off the banks for the last few weeks but I’m absolutely gagging to get back down, even though the weathers gone cold again with April showers in May. It won’t be long before I’m back down with a big old carp in the net, I hope.



Robs Tackle Box:

Daiwa Basia QD Trakker Cayman Bivvy ESP Stiff Rigger Hooks Trakker Armo Retention Sling ESP Bulk Leadcore