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April Summary – The weather has changed to a more stable pattern now and with the increased water temperature comes the CARP!!!The more complicated methods to attract the fish to your bait is not such a problem as with the colder months. The fish are starting to enter the breeding cycle now, the carp are frothing and the barbel are getting blood spots on their bellies. Hot Spots – The carp are everywhere, go tempt them into your swim that’s the key. As always, don’t complicate your swim or give to many free offerings, just enough to get them there and keep them interested. Most successful baits – They seem to be on the boil now, pellets are working well but so are boilies; so take your pick. Cocktails do seem to work better than a single boliy though. Have a gudden!!!! The great news is – The fish are now moving around freely and expending energy. Their feeding habits have changed to suit and they are now seeking out larger, high protein foods such as boilies and pellets. Most successful baits now are: Monster Crab or Hot & Spicy boilies and Halibut Pellets.Best areas of water are: Almost anywhere with the exception of shallower sections. Best Rigs – Bolt Rig: 7lb line with 1.5oz gripper bomb (in windy conditions) with size 10 raptor hooks April 2008Sunday 27th April 2008 Fishing Milo from 8:00 – 19:45I wanted to get onto Avoca, but all of the bivvy’s were up and the best spots had been taken. Fair play, I must get up earlier!! Milo was also quite full, but no one had grabbed the corner at the top end of the pool. I know this is one of the best positions so I grabbed it quickly. All pools have certain places where you know the fish will congregate and keep returning to and this is one of them. The top end nearest Avoca has a wide corner that is deep; it has the current flowing in that direction bring a lot of food into the corner. What more could you ask for, a beautiful sunny day, a fantastic swim, good food from the café and best of all, loads and loads of carp!!. Between George (my eldest lad) and myself we had a meg session 9of 18 beautiful carp (and 3 chub). The largest of the day was a 14lb mirror, caught no more than 3 yards off the bank. The season has started and the carp are everywhere and taking well.My son George and myself over the next few weeks in March are planning to try all baits – whether we consider them to be good or bad in an attempt to identify which baits are successful and which areas of water are fishing well Saturday 26th April 2008Fishing TaraThought I’d have a bash on Tara for a change. For me, the best section is between the island and the dead tree. There is a bowl which all year round harbours shoals of carp. They may not be as big as Avoca, but the fish are constant and if you use the right baits you’ll be on all day. I was again using method with crushed pellet and 2 pellets on a hair. 16 fish were hauled by the end of the day. Ok the largest was about 6lb, but hey, when that alarm, screams and the rod twists you know you’re into a good’un. I caught my PB barbel in Tara today, a beauty just under 6lb and that did take some getting in. 13 carp, 3 barbel – now that’s a great day. Friday 25th April 2008(Evening Session)A short stint of 3 hours (5.30 – 8.30). The hot weather has certainly bought the fish out now and I couldn’t wait for the weekend. How brilliant to have a pool all to yourself. 1 on the bottom and 1 on the top with bread and a dog bicky (with the tip). The method with paste and pellet is the old favourite and it wasn’t too long before I hooked in. This is the prime time for me, just throw it into one of the areas we know they will be and away you go. The dog biscuit was more difficult; they’d certainly have a look but were a bit shy about taking them. This short trip got me 4 nice carp 2 chub and 1 barbel Sunday 20th April 2008 The weather is bringing on the fish at a rate of knots. Loads of match fishermen are filling their nets and the sound of alarms from the carp men are starting to bring a familiar feel back to Cuddy. A few weeks ago, I was loving the barbel, now they are stealing anything you throw in!!! I want carp, the alarm screams, the rod bends and guess, what it’s a barbel. I know a lot of fisherman say a fish is a fish, but the barbel at the moment are like mozzy’s on a summer evening. I’ve tried every bait I can think of that wont attract barbel but the take it any way. It’s time to move onto Avoca soon to start taking on the big boys. The biggest I’ve seen out this year is a 24lber but that won’t last long. I was talking to a couple of old mates from Preston who regularly come to Cuddy and they claim the night sessions are brilliant at the moment. Out of 7 fish caught in the night session, only 2 were not doubles. Well done mate and see you next time your over.Saturday - Sunday 12th & 13th April 2008 (overnighter) Fishing Milo Again the weather was a little bit confusing with blustery winds, rain and then spells of sunshine. The boilies are still working but method is taking over the top bait at the moment. Cudmore’s own crushed pellet mixed into a paste with 2 pellets on a hair rig seems to be working well. The only problem is that the barbel seem to get there first. Early morning and especially evening are the normal crazy periods for feeding. The night session reaped rewards for the carp though with 2 very good fish. The first was a 12lb common, hooked into at about 2 am and was well worth climbing out of the warm bivvy for, The second was fish of the session so far, a 14.5 lb common caught just as the sun was breaking through. This was taken on a cocktail of quench and white chocolate (smaller pop up snowman) boilies on a long hair. The amount of activity on the bottom of the pool was evident by patches of bubbles everywhere. It wasn’t worth going back to sleep and that was the right decision. 4 more carp were caught before breakfast (9.30ish), all lovely fish but smaller than the previous lumps. Ok these aren’t the big lumps that can be found in Avoca, but Milo is a couple of weeks ahead of Avoca at this time and I’m here to catch carp. Sunday 6th April 2008 Fishing Milo 8.30 – 17:30The days are getting longer and the fishing is getting better. The barbel are well and truly starting to spawn and are eating anything laid down for the carp. Although I predominantly fish for carp, I like Milo at this time of year because you can battle with some fantastic barbel in quite large numbers. Hemp and crushed pellet laid in the swim will hold a shoal for some time. I managed to claim 8 barbel of reasonable size, all with the notorious tug where they try to get to the bottom. However, as mentioned in previous updates, the carp are feeding well now and can be caught anywhere. The largest fish of the day was an 11lb mirror in pristine condition. It was shaped like a dustbin lid and as broad as your arm, it produced one of the best fights I’ve had in a good while – from take to finish. Total catch for the day – 8 barbel, 4 carp. Saturday 5th April 2008 Fishing Avoca 8.30 – 16:00Again more blustery weather but the water temperature was moderate. I spoke to a few people (on Tara, Milo and Avoca) who all said that the night fishing was fairly good with several doubles being caught early morning. As mentioned before, the fish are moving freely now and the emphasis for takes seems to be boilies or large baits. My son George and me were using tooti-fruiti and halibut pellets and it wasn’t long before I had a small common (about 5lb). The fishing was very slow. March Summary – The weather has been extreme at times from sunshine to snow to hail to rain and gales– all within the same day (nothing a good breakfast at the café didn’t sort out though!) From our experiences and from talking to others – at the beginning of the month, the best baits were small particulates. Results were had by feeding the water lightly and often and not over-complicating the swim by overloading it with complex mixtures of ground bait. Fruit flavoured baits and large boilies / pellets were initially having very little success and lighter line and smaller hooks seem to improve things. The Great News is –The fish are now moving around freely and expending energy. Their feeding habits have changed to suit and they are now seeking out larger, high protein foods such as boilies and pellets. Most successful baits now are - Monster Crab or Hot & Spicy boilies and Halibut Pellets. Best areas of water are - Almost anywhere with the exception of shallower sections. Best Rigs – Bolt Rig, 7lb line with 1˝oz gripper bomb (in windy conditions) with size 10 raptor hooks March 2008Monday 24th March 2008 (Easter Bank Holiday)Fishing on MiloThe coldest day of the bank holiday break. The biting north easterly winds were harsh and the water resembled the sea more than a lake. Again fishing the centre section of the water using boilies (monster crab) and it was only minutes before we had our first hit. Takes were a lot less frequent than our previous sessions but this was a particularly cold day and the choppy water made it difficult. Although we only had 5 carp between us, I think this was a good result considering. It’s that time of year again where you can expect to start catching high numbers of fish and I can’t wait until the weekend. Sunday 23rd March 2008Fishing on MiloAgain, appalling mixed weather. We decided to try Milo as it’s slightly more sheltered than Avoca and we wanted to see if the carp are moving as freely as they are on Avoca and I can say - Yes they are! We also used a mix of boilies and pellets and had a spectacular day for the time of year. As there weren’t many souls braving the miserable weather, we had the opportunity to spread out across the pool. No area was more successful than the other (with the exception of the car park end). Carp and barbel were taking frequently throughout the day despite the varied conditions and cold water. Don’t let the cold weather fool you into thinking they won’t take, because they will. We are still using lighter tackle and the fish aren’t up to the rate you will get in the summer months, but they are moving and they are feeding well. All in all we had a great session, with 11 carp and 5 barbel being taken. Saturday 22nd March 2008Fishing on AvocaThe weather was mixed with snow, rain, hail and a bitter north easterly wind. In amongst this mad weather pattern were spells of really warm sunshine. The carp are now on the move and they are no longer holding up in certain areas of the pool. When the carp become active, they expend energy and need to feed and this reflected in the noticeable change in their feeding habits. I’ve spoken to several people and it now appears that boilies and pellets are the choice baits. Decca and Wayne (from Longton), spent 2 nights on Avoca and had a very productive session. Decca had a 23lb mirror and Wayne had about 9 carp averaging about 8-9lbs. Particulate baits are still being taken but the high protein baits definitely have the edge now. There were several other people fishing off the bar who were also having regular hits and the alarms are screaming!!! Sunday 16th March 2008Fishing on Milo.We fished the area surrounding the aerator and well using a variety of baits and mixes. The start was a late one, fishing from 10:50 until 6:30. The wind had picked up and was extremely cool. This made the fishing extremely difficult. 2 people from Wales were on the next pegs and they claimed that they found it quite slow going although they did have several nice barbel and some skimmers. Although we had a couple of skimmers and a small carp, our success came during late afternoon. The carp had moved into the corner just before the point. We had quite a lot of tentative bites and drop backs, but when they did take off they went like stink. This was the best day so far, a lowsey, slow start but an explosive end to the day Milo Hot Spots –Pegs adjacent to the aerator and the well are pretty slow in the day, but late afternoon / evening time it becomes a hot spot!!!The Barbel also move into the area during the evening time. Baits to use are – definitely small particulate baits, such as hemp, pellets and maggots. Worms work well for the Barbel and red and white maggots on size 12 hooks seem to do the best job for the carp. Large baits don’t seem to work as well at this time of the year.Thursday 6th Friday 7th March 2008 (Night Fish)Fishing on Milo.
We had the pool more or less to ourselves. Fished the middle section (double peg). The rods were set out with 7.5lb line and pellets. Me and my lad (George) had 1 rod set with large halibut pellets and the other with the normal 10mm pellets from the shop. My youngest lad Charlie was using small snowman pop-ups about 6 inches off bottom. The weather was moderate and the water temperature was warmer than it had been for a while. Within 20 minutes the bite alarm squealed and Charlie was into a lump (see photo). A beautiful carp just under 20lb took the pop-up and wallowed its way around the pool. The remainder of the evening and night was as good as it gets this time of year and we had several good fish. During the early hours of the morning I landed a lovely ghosty. Friday was as good and it is evident that the carp and Barbel are starting to move.
Milo Hot Spots – for carp, again at the top section of the pool in deeper water. The Barbel tend to favor the deeper water during the day but move around the margins and islands at night. Baits to use are – small particulate baits, such as hemp, pellets and maggots. Pop-ups caught the largest fish but only 2 fish were taken on them February 2008Sunday 23rd February 2008 Fishing on Milo from 9:30am until 4.30pm
The weather was mixed with cool breeze and showers. The water temperature was slightly warmer, and plenty of people had come to catch fish. The great thing about fishing is getting to know new people and discussing successes and failures. Another father and son (Darren and Daryl from Silverdale) were fishing at the bottom section of Milo using maggot. I thought the bottom section was to shallow for the carp to be in at this time of year, but hats off to them, they scored 3 beautiful carp and also lost a couple but they did fantastic. We were trying for Chub off the first island using punched bread and maggots. Apart from several small skimmers and a couple of Chub, the day was poor. However, walking along the footpath, we spoke to several anglers who had a brilliant day - so we won’t be trying the bottom end again until later on in the season!
Milo Hot Spots - are at the top section of the pool in deeper water and again off the islands. Baits to use are – small particulate baits, such as hemp, pellets and maggots Saturday 15th February 2008Fishing on Milo from 8:30am until 4.00pm We initially wanted to have another go on Avoca but it was frozen solid as was Tara. Milo was clear in most areas but there were big patches of ice. Bait of the day was particulates including maggot, hemp and dry crumb in a feeder with maggot on the hook. Spools were swapped down to 4lb and hooks were size 12 raptors. Although the weather was quite warm, the water temperature was still very cold. We weren’t expecting any great shakes as regards catching many (if any) fish but results were had. As much as I don’t particularly like bream (slimy and give up like Mr Bean v Tyson), I was pleased to see the tip start swinging. Best of all was the barbel. Towards the end of the day the barbel started taking and although they lacked there normal fight to the end mentality, it made a cold, difficult day worth every minute. In all, we had 7 bream and 4 barbel (and several skimmers). Milo Hot Spots - are at the top section of the pool in deeper water and again off the islands. Baits to use are – small particulate baits, such as hemp, pellets and maggots Saturday 8th to Sunday 9th February 2008 (overnight)Fishing on Avoca from 7:30am until 4.00pm. Extremely cold with sunny intervals. What a time to choose an overnight session. Temperatures in the night plummeted to minus 9 degrees C and it was very uncomfortable. Hats off to all those who endured the whole night, but to be honest I had to retreat to the warmth of the car at about 3.00am! A lad and dad combination in the next swim were rewarded for their bravery as the son landed a 17lb carp As mentioned we were still attempting to remain with the baits we had set out for the day which were – boilies (monster crab and tutti fruitti) and bread about a foot off the bottom on zig rig. From previous sessions over the winter, it is clear that the bottom end of Avoca (tree side – towards the road) is fishing best of all. My session was very frustrating, a solitary Chub was taken on bread and one lost carp made the day a misery. But hey, that’s what we set out to do, was to do ‘Hot Spots and Not Spots’ and Bites and Baits’. Avoca Hot Spots - are definitely off the islands at the bottom end of the pool towards the car park. Baits to use are - are not large boilies!! – Successes (by others) were had on 10mm & 15mm halibut pellets and maggots January 2008Sunday January 10th 2008Fishing on Milo from 8:30am until 4.45pm.
Mixed weather, breezy with sunny intervals. The water is still very cool and the fishing is fairly slow (as to be expected at this time of year). The rods (tip and carp) were set up with paste and pellet and the other with a maggot clip and feeder with crumb and squats. The cold water definitely makes it more difficult to get the fish feeding. Careful spodding (small and often) did eventually stir the fish into action but it takes patience and quick reactions. The tip defiantly proved more successful as the bites are very finicky and any runs were dropped before a strike could be made. Too many mixes and free offerings can spoil a swim, so I always keep it simple and put down just enough to keep the fish interested. The swim we were on was based at the to end of Milo adjacent to Avoca (on the corner section. Although the weights and number of fish weren’t outstanding, the day was enjoyable. The total number of fish I caught was 11 comprising bream, several reasonable roach and 2 barbel
July 2007 Sunday July 29th 2007Fishing from 7:40am until 9:45pm. A hot sunny day does make a change to the way fish behave. It was difficult to get the carp feeding but spodding (small and often) did eventually stir them into action. Too many mixes and free offerings can spoil a swim, so I always keep it simple and put down just enough to keep the fish interested. The second rod was again set up with a surface bait. The fishing was not as consistent as previous days as it switched off for a long period over lunch time but came on again at around 4pm. The total number of fish caught was 14 ranging from 5lb to 13.5lb. Total weight 81lb Saturday July 21st 2007Fishing on Avoca from 9:30am until 9:00pm. As with the majority of July, the weather forecast was very poor for holiday makers but fantastic for anglers. Intermittent rain offered the perfect opportunity to fish the surface. Avoca, Milo and Tara are all fishing well both on the top and bottom. Although many carp anglers don’t have the patience to surface fish, I find it fascinating to watch the carp play about with Chum mixers or a lump of bread before smashing it under and screaming off. My second rod was set up with my usual combination of paste (over a pellet) and broken dog biscuits. This gives an added attraction to get the fish on the take. Most of the takes in the morning were from the bottom, however just before after the showers the top was the place to be. The total number of fish caught was 18 and the largest was a 12lb mirror. The most amazing fact about this catch is a common that has a distinctive mark which I caught twice in the same day, which I’ve never done before. Total weight 117 lb Friday July 20th 2007Fishing on Avoca from 8:40am until 9.30pm Another day of showers which most people hate, however intermittent showers (without strong wind) usually means excellent fishing. Even before I’d set up the carp were milling around and taking off the surface. Both rods were set up to fish from the top, and within minutes of the first cast a dog biscuit was taken. Only a pastie but a fish is a fish. Bite alarms were screaming all over Avoca, so it didn’t particularly matter whether you were fishing on the bottom, the top or even what bait, the carp were taking anything offered. A couple of lads from Preston had been fishing on an over-night and said that they hadn’t had any sleep as they were on the go constantly. I was told that a lad fishing just of one of the islands landed a common just under 28lb at about 5.30 am. The fishing was constant and didn’t switch off all day. The total number of fish caught was a staggering 31 carp with an average weight of 7.8lbs, the largest being 18.2lb. Total weight 242 lb!! Tuesday July 17th 2007Fishing on Avoca from 7:30am until 8.30pm Persistent showers were on and off all day. 1 rod was set with a method feeder with paste and dead maggot and the other was set up with a maggot feeder. Unlike the previous session, although there was persistent showers, there was only a light breeze and the temperature was quite warm. The fishing was steady and again the bites were more prevalent during downpours or when it was just drizzling. The paste was significantly more successful than the maggot feeder and so the second rod was also set up with paste. Later in the afternoon floating dog biscuits were used with a controller float. 11 carp were taken using the dog biscuits but were nearly all under the magic double figure. The larger fish were all taken with the paste including a real nice mirror weighing 18lbs, the markings were magnificent. I always like a challenge to discover what will make the fish come on to the feed and today was no exception. The total catch was 14 carp and 4 tench.Total weight 102 lb Sunday July 15th 2007Fishing on Milo from 9.0am until 7.30pm The weather was bright and clear in the morning and quite warm during the day. A lot of people I speak to underestimate Milo and think it’s only for those who wish to catch barbel and silvers with the odd small carp. I can assure anyone who believes this that they’re totally wrong. My youngest son who is 12 had a phenomenal day with a 20lber (see photo) caught on double halibut pellets from the shop. I can always bag-up on Milo any where on the top end of the pool. It’s deep and with the aerator and right conditions is one of the most prolific waters anywhere. I kept one rod with a float bait and the second with a method feeder cast out into the deeper water. The method feeder was loaded with a moist paste packed on the outside with green mussel ground bait (quite dry so it clouds) and broken dog biscuits. The hook bait was paste over pellet. As mentioned, Milo is a mad water for carp and although I wasn’t particularly fishing for barbel, I hit a shoal and had amazing fun. The float baits came into their own again during the quiet period around lunch time. The catch comprised 9 barbel averaging 3lb, 2 chub about 1lb each and a staggering 22 carp in quite a short session. I would also add that make sure you put your bait runners on as on several occasions both rods were going at the same time and mine nearly entered the pool.Total weight 211 lb Tuesday July 10th 2007Fishing on Avoca from 8:20am until 6.30pm The weather started off quite mild although the forecast gave out heavy showers. To do something different I decided to use feeder rods. The bait was a combination of paste, dog biscuit and corn. After about an hour, although there were a few knocks, nothing seemed to be taking. I continued with 1 on the bottom but changed bait to halibut pellets, the other I changed to a floating rig with bread on the line and 2 dog biscuits banded onto the hook. The halibut pellets worked after moderate spodding and the surface baits were taken during intervals between showers. The fishing was made even more difficult later on when the wind started to pick up. The largest carp of the day weighed just over 9lbs and only 11 fish were caught. Total – not recorded Sunday July 8th 2007Fishing on Avoca from 6:50am until 9.00pm The weather was dull but still with bright intervals. Fishing with Walter an old hand at Cudmore who knows more about the history of the pools and the hidden features below the water line than you could shake a stick at. The day was prolific from start to finish with a total of 29 carp ranging from 4.5lb to 19.5 lb. I was only beaten by a friend of Walter’s who managed to bag 30 in the day (although he started at 5.30am as he was on an overnight session). The fish were taken on both method feeder and float baits. The method feeder was baited with paste and broken dog biscuit with casters. The hook bait was either paste on a hair rig or the large strawberry sweet corn purchased at the shop. The majority of the carp were taken on the corn however the fish were taking of the top in the afternoon. Total weight 217.5lb Saturday July 7th 2007Fishing on Avoca from 6.55am until 9.00pm The weather was excellent for carp, light breeze, slightly overcast with sunny intervals and showers. Cudmore as with most pools, fishes best with a varied range of conditions providing it’s not extreme. Avoca’s fishing brilliantly at the moment and we haven’t even reached the peak of the season yet. I noticed a lot of movement and rises at the top so both rods were set up with float baits. Although I had a couple of fish early on they were just nosing the bait and very difficult get takes. This prompted a change to fishing the bottom with a sliding rig so that I could fish to the far side of the sunken islands. This was a successful move and after doing some moderate spodding, the fish were soon on the feed. The hook bait was again paste with broken dog biscuit and casters. This method is usually successful and had takes within minutes. The giant strawberry sweet corn also proved a hit with the biggest fish I have had to date from Cudmore being a common just under 23 lb. As most carp anglers know, sometimes big carp just wallow around and although they put up a fight you can get more fun from a good lower double. However, this common went like a train and had certainly learnt its trade in how to try and evade the landing net! The total number caught (24) was down from yesterday as the mid day was very quiet but the number of doubles was almost 50 % of the catch. Total weight 229 lb Sunday July 1st 2007Fishing on Avoca from 7:30am until 8.00pm The weather was overcast with heavy rain the night before so the water level was high. Although there was a light breeze across the top of the water it was light enough to try one rod with a float bait and the second with a method feeder (paste with hemp and broken dog biscuit). The fishing was constant with the first take around 20 minutes – 8lb mirror carp. Total catch was 18 fish comprising 14 carp ranging from 5lb to 17.5 lb (6 being double figures) and the remainder being tench up to 3lb. The majority of the fish caught up until mid afternoon were taken on the method feeder. From about 3:00pm the carp started take from the surface. Total weight 131 lb |
