Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 30/03/2024

Birthday darts and dreamers.

This week we welcomed a great group of old friends who were here celebrating a 40^thbirthday along with others who’d been dreaming about this trip for months.

There’s only one place to start this week and its back in The Beach with the dreamer himself and all-round nice guy, James Gotts. Upon arrival prior to the walk round, James was telling me about his build up to the trip and how he’d been having dreams of the draw and he couldn’t believe the day was finally here, after months of waiting. After the nightmare draw was over James found himself in The Beach where he had an amazing first 24 hours, netting a 30, a 40 known as ‘Minky’, a 50 known as ‘JB’s’ AND a 60 in the shape of ‘The Nose’ what a start! Fishing 24 wraps towards the corner of the bund, and 23 to the centre, James was using spinner rigs with either slow sinking IB maize or yellow isotonic pop-ups, while baiting up off the bund with house maize and Cell boilie. Each day at first light throughout the week James was baiting up with “Bite time” being at first and last light and topping up after fish. This tactic worked well as James had steady bites throughout the week also catching ‘The Grey’ at 53lb and ‘Toploader’ at 48lb 3oz and ending with a total of 12 fish.

Now for the birthday boy, James Cook. James started the week in The Goo and after only the first night moved down in to Bacheliers after seeing the fish tight in the corner. A great move this turned out to be as after only one night in there he managed his first fish ‘Broken Tail’ at 53lb 4oz a new top weight, meaning he made the wall and even though just shy of his PB by 2oz his mates gave him a bucket anyway. Fishing 28.5 wraps towards the far-left hand corner James was baiting light with crumb boilie and house maize using white pop-ups on spinner rigs. Unfortunately, this was James’ only fish of the week but what better way to spend your birthday than with your old mates, a few beers and playing darts lakeside. 

Up next, we have annual visitor Joe Clements who managed to get in his first choice, Turtles corner. Fishing 22 wraps towards the dot island and again using the trusty spinner rigs with yellow isotonic pop-ups, Joe was baiting up with a mixture of tinned sweetcorn, Creamino boilie with a dashing of house pellet. Joe was off to a great start with 2 fish on his first night to 30lb 11oz and kept it going all week, topping his spot up with 5 spombs after each fish. Joe said he would be happy with a 40lber at the start of his trip but managed 3, one being just shy of the 50-mark named ‘Twin Patch’ at 49lb 7oz and ‘The Archer’ at 47lb 5oz along with ‘The Norfolk Common’ at 40lb 3oz. Joe ended his week on a total of 29 fish rounding the week off with two scalies, ‘The Fully’ at 28lb 7oz and ‘Hung like a Wasp’ at 26lb 8oz. See you in May Joe.

John Marklew was up next fishing out of Dunkerque, colleague and friend of James Gotts. Johns’ week started off tough fishing 9 wraps towards Decoy and 16 out in front towards the life buoy, but kept at it throughout the week and managed to catch himself a new PB in the shape of ‘Ringo’ at 48lb smashing his old PB. John was fishing a mixture of Cell boilie in chops along with house maize and kept the bait going in little and often over the course of the week and managed to catch ‘Ringo’ on a yellow wafter using a spinner rig.

Andrew Cook found himself in Tea Party 2 this week, coming out high in the draw. Fishing 9 wraps towards the dotted island and 2 rods at 21 up the treeline Andrew managed to land a total of 4 fish, his biggest being one named ‘Tom’s Fish’ at 41lb 10oz which was a new PB. Andrew was fishing a mixture of boilie and house maize with snowmen over the top to get his bites this week.

Russel Bates is up next who started his week off in Shingles but was on the move into Decoy as soon as it became available come Wednesday after having no luck in Shingles. After moving into Decoy Russ chose to fish two rods down towards the bund at 16 wraps and one out in front at 18 towards The Cage. Russ managed to land himself 3 fish one being a smaller resident at 19lb, an un named 2017 stocked fish and also ‘Hobnob’ at 48lb so it turned out to be a great move for Russ and just goes to show if you put the effort in the rewards are there to be had! Russ was using a mix of house particle and a Creamino, Atlantic Heat boilie mix catching his fish on scent from hell wafters presented on spinner rigs.

Jake Holt was occupying Tea Party 1 this week fishing the go to spot at 21 wraps towards Turtles corner and baiting 16 wraps at the church spire as a second spot. Using house maize and pellet along with boilie chops in his spod mix Jake fished solid bags over the top with a range of wafters and the old faithful IB slow sinking maize. Jake also managed 4 fish out this week two being smaller residents at 22lb and 21lb 10oz along with ‘Fanta’ at 32lb 1oz and ‘Mr Mison’ 36lb 8oz two cracking looking mirrors. 

Last but not least we have David Collier who started his week off plotted up in Billy’s but it was a tough week in there for David. Hearing the odd show throughout the week in the night time David didn’t manage to get a bite even though he kept at it all week. David then got the word that James was moving out of the beach and made the decision to move straight in on the Friday, which turned out to be a great decision as he managed to land himself a lovely common known as ‘Warburton’ at 31lb using Isotonic wafters on a combi rig over a bed of Cell and Sweetcorn.

That’s it for this week and a great week it was over on the road lake. A great bunch of guys and from catching 60’s to digging darts out of the stock pond all had an enjoyable week with some hoping to return one day.

Roll on next week,

Tight lines. 

Greg

Team Gigantica.