Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 22/07/2023

CLARKY TAKES CLARKY’S!

Saturday soon comes round fast and it was time to take on the new group, 9 fresh anglers for the main with 3 staying on from the week previous we had strong winds an stormy like conditions coming are way was it going to be this week we see one of are big girls grace the bank?

I think it’s only right we kick the week of with Gigantica regular Chris Clarke, after staying on for a double header and being in Baxter’s the previous week when he was using it as a recky trip he said… so coming out 4^th in the draw and Big southerly being available and a swim that’s done him he some big fish over the past years it was his go to swim. Wasting no time at all straight to work out in front using his all time go to solid bag approach it was only a matter of nights he managed to slip the net under another one of these Gigantica beast’s ‘Clarky’s’ at a massive 72lb!! Chris being  over the moon he’s ticked another A teamer of his list. As the heavy winds came his way for the next couple of days it certainly looked good for another chunk and of course in true clarky style there's always a chance of another gooden and this time it was ‘Rob’s Rig’ at 49lb… as the week drawn to a close one finally bite and it was ‘Ed’ Lamp’ 31lb to round out the week, Bait works and DNA boilies with house particles used all week with solid bags to slip these carp up once again, top angling mate.

This week we welcomed  Darren proctor on his annual week to Gigantica and he’s been visiting the complex since 2014 when he made his first trip to us, doing his homework leading up to the trip reading catch reports taking my advice it didn’t take him long to get that first bend in the rod, going in lightly with the bait the opening night just 10 spombs over each spot 19.5 wraps to the scary tree and then 15.5 to the right of Alamo he did manage to land his first take being a 30lb stocky. The following day after there being a lot of fish activity during the night out in front of him short he decided to go in heavy on the bait and really get them going hard on the munch so 60 spomb across his two spots consisting of chopped and whole mainline cell with a little scattering of house maize and pellet through the mix certainly helped him land a 13 fish haul, Darren’s go to as always like he said you don’t need to change something that works IQ-D Rigs with banoffee wafters tipped with SSM used all week rewarded him with , ‘The Dustbin’ 54lb ‘Buttercorn’50lb 4oz ‘The Resident’ 42lb 4oz and ‘Two Scale’45lb 12oz and that’s just to name a few! Was a pleasure this week mate see you next year.

Another familiar face and all round nice guy Stuart Minney opted for Alcatraz for the week ahead and it didn’t take him long to have ‘ Long Common’  sulking in the retainer sling. Night shots well under way and plenty of fishing still showing out there over his spot at 27.5 wraps towards the scary tree it was certainly looking good for another bite. Unfortunately the fish moved out for the next couple of days an it wasn’t till Thursday he was back amongst them, this time with ‘Looking Busy’ at 33lb both fish caught using spinners sat on the deck with wafters corn toppers bait used was 25kg of sticky krill 10kg house maize and 5kg of pellet.

Dan cartwright’s 1^st trip to France and was off to a flyer in Big Girls landing a 30lber a day 3 days on the bounce fishing the gravel bar 26wraps towards the right of stock pond, baiting from his margin meaning no spombing at all was certainly an edge for him leading on to catching 10 fish in total breaking his PB multiple times with Pick of the bunch being ‘Slaphead’ 40lb all bites falling to solid bags with SSM feeding link boilies and house particles.

It was also good to have my good pal Chris Irving on for a 2^nd week fishing Bob’s Beach the week previous he had a good view of what was happening all over the lake, it came to that time again the dreaded draw where luckily he drew ball 1 for the 1^st time an put himself in the famous Co’s point. Following on from Greg the week before he was clipped up to 29 wrapsto the old tits with all 3 rods using standard hair rigs with royal marine bottom baits feeding only royal marine glugged in liquid fish, slow start to the week but with plenty of fish showing over him for the 1^st few days it was only a matter of time before he was rewarded with ‘Half Moonscale’ at 38lb and also ‘The Rocke’ 41lb witch I’m sure is going to be a beast one day!

Aaron Metcalf left it late on Friday night before realising there was a space available this week and without even thinking about he had the van loaded and was on the 6am euro tunnel Saturday morning, coming out mid way in the draw he went with Stink with the mindset of it throwing a big one up from time time. Straight to work on the 30 wraps at the beach heavy winds crashing at him most of the week didn’t hold him back at all he did get 4 takes on the 1^st night and unbelievably lost all 4!.. the week was soon nearly over when his luck struck one last time and with a slow heavy sluggish battle it was the ‘Lippy Common’ at 67lb 10oz for the 1^st time this year that he had sulking in the net. Mainline link boilies fished over the top with IQD-Rig with match the hatch wafters.

Stephen Harrison’s 2^nd trip of 2023 and coming out 10^th in the draw could you believe he manged to get in the Alamo, having a done his last trip late spring when the fish was spawning and the week kind of being a write of he was well fire up for this one… he went for the short spot towards the clubhouse at 17wraps and got straight into one our stockies ‘Smackers’ 19lb 6oz, once again the days soon passed and at the death the bobbin pulled up this time he had ‘The Bean’ 48lb 10oz, Mainline link doing it once again with plenty of sweetcorn fished with spinners over the top.

Last but not least we also had another Gigantica regular on Gavin Middlebrook staying on for another week and his 1^st time on the main after fishing the road lake for a few years, he had a bad draw but he still manged to get into Baxter’s fishing the usual spot at the marker pole 25.5 wraps he had a really slow week but it did pay off in the end of the final morning with the very rare visitor the bank ‘ Buzz’s Kamo’ at 41lb, used house maze and mainline boilies all week.

Another great week on the main lake this week with plenty of fish coming from all over the lake and some of the bigger residents making an appearance to.

But for now,

All the best

Joe.