Shiplate Farm (Squirle Pool)

After spending the day car booting with the wife yesterday I was looking forward to getting back on the bank, Only a knock-up with nine of us fishing but usually once this lake has warmed up a bit you get plenty of bites from generally small carp & Goldfish with the odd bonus carp thrown in' It was already a glorious morning with the sun out from the minute we got there, I had the wife in tow for a few hours who wanted to make the most of the sun". I fancied a draw on the low numbers today below the footbridge but ended up on peg 9 again which I just happened to draw last time I was here but it was a lot cooler then. Its just over 12mts to the far side so first up was a rig to fish at the bottom of the far side shelf as its quite uneven the closer you get to the bank, Being a 0.2g AS1 float on 0.15-0.11 & a 16 F1 Pellet hook where I found around 3ft of water. Next up was a small 4x12 float on 0.15 & a 16 B911 hook to fish in just over a 1ft of water tighter to the bank between two clumps of bull rushes off to my right, A rig to fish the track again a 0.2g AS1 on the same line/hook where I had around 4ft of water & finally a 4x12 rube to fish down each edge in 3ft of water.

My plan today was mainly soft pellet on the hook over micros, 4mms & G/Bait, & meat down the edge. I stared the day feeding a ball of G/bait with 4mms added down the track, Feed a handful of 4mms down my right edge at 6mts & began the day across on 4mm expanders over cad-potted micros & 4mms in the deeper water at the bottom shelf, It didn't take long to get my first fish being a 6oz carp, & a run of smaller fish after was interrupted when I had a bonus 3lb fish soon followed by another around 2lb' I had a good first 30mins & had around 10lb in the net before things slowed up a little, I was still getting odd fish including some chunky 6-8oz goldfish so was happy to keep putting the odd fish in the net at this stage.

I had a couple of carp just over a 1lb off this line along with some smaller fish for the first few hours & on the halfway mark thought I had a round 28lb in the net, I hadn't seen that much being caught above me around the island pegs but didn't know if they were catching down on the lower pegs. At this stage Simon Ryall who was struggling on the peg below me had switched to fishing the shallower water across with corn on the hook & had netted a few decent stamp fish. With things slowing up I followed suit fishing corn in the shallower water tight to the bank, I had a carp around 8oz then foul hooked a fish but it wasn't really happening, I tried meat across shallow against the reeds to my left which got me another 1lb carp & a 6oz chub but that was it, I had a look down the edges but no signs here & to be honest the 4th hour was wasted trying to chase fish around the peg looking for so bonus fish. I switched back to fishing the bottom of the far shelf again on soft pellet just adding anything to the net I could catch, I had to keep tweaking the depth & the amounts I was feeding but one thing I did notice was I had to feed something every put-in to induce bites, This was it for pretty much the rest off the match, I did keep trying the shallow water across & added a couple more small carp before taking two 2lb plus fish in the last two dob-ins, Simon had managed a few more better sized carp but was having to wait a bit longer for bites as the day went on so felt I still had enough to beat him? I ended with 46lb on the clicker but it went a bit to pot after struggling for an hour so thought I may have 50lb odd? I helped with the scales doing the board & first to weigh was Ray Wickham on end peg 14 who finished with 14lb odd as did Paul Faires on peg 13 so harder over that side today, Steve Howell did well on peg 12 in the top corner of are bank to finish with 40lb odd before Titch on peg 11 had 20lb odd, My turn & I was a bit out finishing with 67lb odd after two weighs, A Good days fishing with plenty of bites, Simon finished with 44lb then Dave White had 49lb next to the bridge on peg 6, last to weigh on peg 2 was Golly Jones who did well to end up with 59lb.

So back at the results & I picked up £50 for winning the day, A great little lake for plenty of bites in most areas & a lake you have to work hard at to keep bites coming, I used the white Mosella Ozone elastic for the first time today & found it perfect for this stamp of fish & plenty enough for the odd bonus. I was only 3lb odd off breaking the lake record today which would of been another bonus of £100 but don't think I could of had much more so not to worry & sure they'll be another chance. Another great day weather wise, long may it continue'?

Full Results -

1st Dom Sullivan (Mosella UK) peg 9, 67lb 12oz.

2nd Golly Jones (Shiplate) peg 2, 59lb.

3rd Dave White (Bait-Tech Viaduct) peg 6, 49lb 4oz.

4th Simon Ryall (Shiplate) 44lb.

5th Steve Howell (Shiplate) peg 12, 40lb 4oz.