What a start to the year: 3 x 50s in the same night

The show at Pacific Peche in Metz with team mate Christian Zimmermann, alias 'Big Z', went really well. I've been to this show every year for the last 10 years and Big Carp is well known in the area, so we always get lots of interest. I had been asked to make a presentation in the evening and I decided to change from my usual presentation format and try a different approach. Rather than a slide show type presentation, I prepared several topics that I would present and then invite questions, hoping that it would turn into a debate. I was pleased to see that over 100 anglers had turned up and predictably, the subject of bait and attraction got the juices flowing and it turned into a lively and interesting discussion. It's definitely a format that I will be using again.

After the show I headed towards Macon to meet with Team member Thierry Seon. We had planned 3 days fishing together at a 50 acre lake near his home and I was really looking foward to a few quiet days by the water. Apart from a single night at JBs lake a couple of weeks before when I caught a nice 14lb mirror, this would be my first carp fishing trip this year.

Thierry Séon, Team Big Carp France

Weather conditions were awful. Cold north easterly and bright and sunny with high pressure. The forecast was for the wind to change to the south west on wednesday bringing low pressure, cloud and milder conditions - perfect fishing conditions - only trouble was, that was the day I was ging home. How often does that happen !

Only good news, Thierry told me the water temperature was 10 degrees, which is a good temperature for the carp to feed. The carp wouldn't be really actively munching yet but they wold be feeding regularly. In low water temperatures, the ideal base mix has a low protein content and is high in carbohydrates and fats. I combined my Winter Winner mix, which is a creamy birdfood, high energy mix, with JBs Bio Shellfish mix. To this I added a low level of JBs Plum and AlaSalar which is a fantastic flavour combination that will catch carp anywhere.

There is no night fishing on the lake we were going to fish, so we planned to fish dawn to dusk for the 3 days. By sunrise on the monday morning we were at the lake. We chose the north bank with the strong cold northerly wind behind us and an area of calm water protected from the wind in front of us. In front of us was a large gravel plateau about 3-4 feet deep, an area where Thierry had caught well in early spring the previous year.

The sun was bright and out of the wind it felt quite warm, but with the cold northerly I wasn't convinced that the carp would come up on the shallower water, certainly not in numbers. I whacked the marker well out to about 120yds and found the back of the plateau where it dropped down to about 6 feet with a hard bottom that felt like sand. That felt more like it and I spread 1kg of 20mm baits around the area and along the drop off with the throwing stick. Two rods went there and the 3rd went in slightly deeper water where I found the first signs of fresh weed.

The day was quiet with no signs of fish. I was surprised that we had seen nothing at all, not even the odd bream or roach, and I wondered if the fish were active at night. We packed everything away early evening, just leaving the rods until the very last moment, planning to wind in at 7.30, so that we could be off the lakewithin the rules by 8 o'clock. As if to confirm my thoughts, 7.25 and a slow take on my middle rod at the back of the bar. The fish was really powerful and after a long fight a beautiful mirror slipped over the net - 48lbs...

First fish of the session this fantastic 48lb mirror. Yessssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We quickly packed the rods away and I sticked out 2kg of boilies to the area.

That evening, after a nice hot shower, we discussed our plans over a lovely casserole and a bottle of wine. If the carp were feeding at night, then that's when we would have to fish. So we planned to stay the next night, camouflaged up and hidden in the bushes. Not even a brolly and we would simply sleep by the rods. The temperatue was to drop below zero but there was no rain forecast. The lake is patrolled by guards at night so there would be no torches and we would have to be really quiet.

The next day was like the first. The lake appeared dead with no signs of life. Soon after dark, at around 8.30, the middle rod was away and again it was a whacker, another 48lb mirror. 50yds down the bank Thierry was also into a fish, a lovely mirror of 35lbs.

Action continued regularly throughout the night with a take roughly every hour and a half. What a night! The size of these fish was incredible. I ended up that night with carp of 50.4lb, 50.8lb, 48lb, 36lb and 52lb. It was an amazing night's fishing.

Beautiful mirrors of 50.4lb and 50.8lb

Two more beauties of 52lb and 48lb

Most takes came from the back of the bar. The line would catch in the gravel and stones on the shallow plateau and grate horribly, sawing back and forth as the fish took line, sometimes for several minutes before I was able to gain line and draw the fish a bit closer in. The line would grate over the stones and I was more than pleased with the performance of our new fluorocarbon mainline. Not only does it cast well for a fluorocarbon but it's abrasion resistance is fantastic. I'm sure that a nylon would have cut off very quickly with that abuse but the extra abrasion resistance really made a difference. I did have to pull off and lose 30yds or so of line twice during the night as it had become really chafed by the abuse but the important thing was that it didn't break. Retackling and retying the rigs in the dark without a torch - that's fun !

We packed up once the sun was up on the wednesday, after the most tiring photo session I've ever had ! I still had nearly 600 miles drive to get home. It was good to get away early but I wouldn't actually get home until nearly midnight, extremely knackered but very happy

It was a fabulous catch and what a great way to start the year.

Bye for now.

Cheers.

John

Carp shows in France and Belgium in March

With John Baker and the Italian Big Carp Team at the end of the Carpitaly show .

The beginning of the year is a really important period for us. It's the period when there are the big trade shows and lots of shops have open days. All the Big Carp Team are involved and are available to show new products and answer questions about how to get the best from our products. I went to the big Carpitaly show in Italy a few weeks ago with John Baker. There were over 10,000 visitors over the two days and our stand was mobbed continually.


John talking about bait - wherever you go in europe carp anglers love to talk about bait.



It was hard work but very enjoyable and a great opportunity to talk to the italian anglers.

Two weeks ago I was at another big show, this time in Belgium. This was with the shop Hainault Peche and I was helped by my two Belgian Team members Arnaud and Benoit. Again, a very busy worthwhile weekend.

The show at Hainaut Peche in Belgium. Our stand was mobbed for the whole weekend.

With Belgium Big Carp Team members Benoit Bruneau and Arnaud Minsart

Yesterday I was in northern France at a show called Bourbourg. It was at a venue only 30 minutes from Calais so I was able to do make it a day trip. I left home at 03.00 in the morning and was at the venue by 08.00! This time I as on a stand with a big shop called Outreman and it was a very busy day. The show closed at 19.00 and I just made it to my train through the tunnel at 20.30. I was home by 10.30. It was a very successful but VERY tiring day.

This week I'll be concentrating on completing orders but there's a couple of weeks left before the end of the season and I'm dsperate to get out and do a bit of fishing. I'll definitely set aside some time to have a go for some barbel. Next weekend Terry Edmonds is coming over for a couple of nights fishing for carp on a local water, so I'm really looking forward to that. That will be my first rip out for carp this year!

The next show is on the 20th March in Metz on the eastern side of France and I'm panning to stay on in France for 3 or 4 days fishing, so that's something to really look forward to. Hopefully the weather will be a bit more spring like by then.