what a differnce a bait makes
Posted 16-11-2010 at 22:23 by gary sheridan
Back on the blog again from some very encouraging words from fellow anglers on the forums. well its all a learning curve for me on here .
Just recently i have been chatting with a lovely man we all know and adore for his talent in fishing shaun harrison from quest baits shaun owns and runs the company and is a superb angler in every aspect of the word. vats knowledge of all things fishing .
we got onto the subject of baits and the new chilli chocolate bait which i had heard from the grapevine was doing the bussines on a few waters. well i had to try it. a long chat with shaun and before you know it he had arrnaged for me to get hold of a few kilos fo the elusive bait . well like everything in fishing i was like a kid in a candy store. the bait was arrnged from a chap called gordon who owns and runs blackfish.es here in spain and distributes fishing tackle for all of spain.
And the story goes something like this
A years fishing and I’m now coming to the end of my guiding for the year after what can only be described as a fantastic last month through October having landed so many big carp with an incredible 45 of them over 40.00lb commons up to 49.05 and yes three 50’s to 54.05 – what more could I want?
Well I wanted to go fishing for me, to see what I can do on my own and to relax a bit. After all I have worked so hard all year and believe it or not this was only my second trip this year for myself. My first venture out was back in March was with another guide Gareth where we had a crazy night with 15 x 30’s 6 x 40’s to 47.04lbs and I had a new PB of 52.05!
So the trip was on I contacted a couple of friends of mine Carlos Sassot and friend Trunko as we like to call him Jose.
The plan was to fish all through from Saturday morning to Sunday Evening.
I had contacted Shaun Harrison – Owner of Quest Baits, someone who I have been chatting with for some time now and asked for the magic Chili Chocolate.
Shaun told me there was some in Spain and I managed to get hold of three kilos plus a tub of juicy Chili Chocolate pop ups kindly sent to me by Gordon who runs Blackfish and distributes Quest Baits in Spain.
friday night waiting for my wife to come home. I had a thought, instead of just sleeping for the next 6 hours before I pack the car why not go tonight after the wife gets home? That did not go down to well with the wife but anyway off I went 1.00am me and my friend Simba that’s my dog for those that don’t know by now. She’s the one that keeps nicking my bed.
We arrived at the same location I had caught had caught all the 40s and 50s. Now I did not take my boat this time don’t ask me why I just don’t know. The river was calm and looked so inviting and just as I was starting to unpack the car, crash a huge carp launched itself close to the far bank. Superb, I thought rubbing my hands with glee.
It certainly makes you rush when you hear those lumps crashing out. All the time I was unpacking I could hear carp all over. From one side, of the river to the other – I was certainly on some fish.
Bivvy set up, The first rod finally in. Rigs for this session were simple with the line aligner rig and a well balanced pop up from Quest Baits. What a superb feeling you get from the texture and smell plus the ingredients simply magical.
Although I say it myself an excellent cast of some 150m out right on the spot. I only put two rods as that is the legal limit here on the Ebro. Finally sliding into the snug Trakker sleeping bag and man it is so warm in there.
First of all though I had to get rid of Simba amongst a couple of growl’s and got her tucked up into a lovely fleece cover with waterproof outer like the throw over’s you have for bivys. Once in she was snoring as usual.
Not 15 minutes had passed and I was tired but a slow pull on the alarms three slow bleeps then slowly faster. I slid (well fell actually) out of the sleeping bag with Simba running past me thinking some fox was there as she likes to chase them off
Tripping over theedge of the cooker numpty.
Who the hell put that there only me for miles around whilst simba was running round as if to say what where is it? Bouncing like a mad rabbit on fire.
She finally realised there was nothing there but during that time I had struck into something solid but it didn’t feel like a fish – first thoughts ‘oh no catfish’ but seconds later, I knew it was not carp, nor catfish but dam weed.
Not good I told myself. Whilst winding the rod in, the second now sliding off the pod bending like mad I thought the worst had happened.
Not me not now I did not deserve this.
simba by now had nicked my bed yet again and was snoring.
Cast back out. Yet again the weed got the better of me getting on for 4.00am. Weary eyed and sick of weed I decide to wind them in, and get up a few hours later.
A few hours sleep and feeling hungry I had risen to a superb sunrise you always get them over the eastern facing lengths of the Ebro.
Feeling a little cold and hungry first order of the day coffee followed by newly baited rods and oh yes breakfast for simba as well. Sausages.
I was now wishing I had bought my boat for some odd reason I always do but still able to cast over to the far bank I just thought silly – why?
Anyway with the rods pre baited I cast them to a nice shingle bank one of two that run along in front of me for some 300mts. It’s an odd feature here as it’s the only place along this stretch where they are like that. Up river deep water and in front of me and down river the shingle banks and shallower water still with the option if I walked some 50mts up river I can fish or at least cast into deeper water without having to move the camp.
Both rods back out. And it soon became very aware to me that the river was on the rise. You don’t really feel that when your half asleep and its mid morning. But I was also aware that the weed was along the bottom . Maybe they were cutting it, or opening the dams from the upper regions, there had been no rain in the last few days.
Anyway in situations like this you just have to make the best of them. No way was I going home or giving up . It was my time and I had to beat my PB for that year a new 50+ common. I had already lost what was estimated to be a near 60 twice from this spot. So I knew they were there.
The morning passed and I received a call from Carlos saying he would be a little later than planned but I assured him no worries mate you’re not losing out I’ve not had a fish yet .
A murmur came from his end as if to say but normally you’ve caught by now which we both knew was true. Ok mate bye for now.
The day continued to be the same weed for which did slow down at times but I did have a couple of what could have been runs very slow which most of them are but different from the slow pulling of line when you have weed dragging it down river.
14.00hrs Carlos and Trunko arrived smiles on there face.
So come on then what have you caught. I smiled back and replied nothing mate not a fish yet.
He looked twice at me and thought I was joking, no serious Carlos nothing at all ok .
Not good you could see Carlos; his face was not saying I am not happy at all. If you know Carlos he says nothing when he’s not happy or when he’s thinking of rigs to use. some fish did start to crash again this did put smiles on all our faces. Plus the fact Carlos had his boat me pumping the boat ready to get the baits out as tight as possible to the far bank.
First two rods out on the far side not good by the time I had got back the river had tricked us it was pulling through a lot faster than I could ever imagined ripping the rods right round even with 8oz of lead on. Looking at each other the decision was made for me to shoot off to have at look at the beach swims.
On my arrival there was nobody in sight, but the river was pulling through the same there as it was up river.
All afternoon it became hard work rowing the baits out persistently trying to pull fish from the far bank. The rod pods now as high as possible and looking like some beach fishing competition.
Now 17.00hrs I had a slow pull not like weed similar to the other couple of bites I had.
I left it and watched the rod slowly bounce round I said that has to be fish surely.
Winding down and a strike into what I thought was yet again weed.
It wasn’t until I got the hook some 10mts from the shore I realized that weed doesn’t swim up river and now with big smile against all these odds I had caught how big was another factor the supreme Chili Chocolate has done it for me. cheers shaun
Coming to the surface with a fair set of shoulders on her a lovely common. Carlos grabbed the net and first take she was in. Smiles all round and I have to admit we all thought we were not going to land anything due to the weedy and fast river conditions.
Onto the weigh station the scales went round. Carlos called it 31.00lbs no hang on 32.00lbs dead weigh. Pat on the back from Carlos and José smiles from me job done – superb!
I have to say that night we al decided to give up after it became so apparent that the weed was winning and it was getting colder damper. Absolute mental river conditions and the combination of all three decision made, beers out and a good old chat of what we had caught.
what i would like to add is this and a very simple factor behind the heading of this story if you have a swim that produces all the time for you, and you find yourselfs in a tricky an what can only be described as a dificult situation in conditons like that the bait wil make all the difference i wish to say a big thank you to shaun harrison and i can only say if it was not for his baits well you know whats coming ... we would have caught nothing at all.
Just recently i have been chatting with a lovely man we all know and adore for his talent in fishing shaun harrison from quest baits shaun owns and runs the company and is a superb angler in every aspect of the word. vats knowledge of all things fishing .
we got onto the subject of baits and the new chilli chocolate bait which i had heard from the grapevine was doing the bussines on a few waters. well i had to try it. a long chat with shaun and before you know it he had arrnaged for me to get hold of a few kilos fo the elusive bait . well like everything in fishing i was like a kid in a candy store. the bait was arrnged from a chap called gordon who owns and runs blackfish.es here in spain and distributes fishing tackle for all of spain.
And the story goes something like this
A years fishing and I’m now coming to the end of my guiding for the year after what can only be described as a fantastic last month through October having landed so many big carp with an incredible 45 of them over 40.00lb commons up to 49.05 and yes three 50’s to 54.05 – what more could I want?
Well I wanted to go fishing for me, to see what I can do on my own and to relax a bit. After all I have worked so hard all year and believe it or not this was only my second trip this year for myself. My first venture out was back in March was with another guide Gareth where we had a crazy night with 15 x 30’s 6 x 40’s to 47.04lbs and I had a new PB of 52.05!
So the trip was on I contacted a couple of friends of mine Carlos Sassot and friend Trunko as we like to call him Jose.
The plan was to fish all through from Saturday morning to Sunday Evening.
I had contacted Shaun Harrison – Owner of Quest Baits, someone who I have been chatting with for some time now and asked for the magic Chili Chocolate.
Shaun told me there was some in Spain and I managed to get hold of three kilos plus a tub of juicy Chili Chocolate pop ups kindly sent to me by Gordon who runs Blackfish and distributes Quest Baits in Spain.
friday night waiting for my wife to come home. I had a thought, instead of just sleeping for the next 6 hours before I pack the car why not go tonight after the wife gets home? That did not go down to well with the wife but anyway off I went 1.00am me and my friend Simba that’s my dog for those that don’t know by now. She’s the one that keeps nicking my bed.
We arrived at the same location I had caught had caught all the 40s and 50s. Now I did not take my boat this time don’t ask me why I just don’t know. The river was calm and looked so inviting and just as I was starting to unpack the car, crash a huge carp launched itself close to the far bank. Superb, I thought rubbing my hands with glee.
It certainly makes you rush when you hear those lumps crashing out. All the time I was unpacking I could hear carp all over. From one side, of the river to the other – I was certainly on some fish.
Bivvy set up, The first rod finally in. Rigs for this session were simple with the line aligner rig and a well balanced pop up from Quest Baits. What a superb feeling you get from the texture and smell plus the ingredients simply magical.
Although I say it myself an excellent cast of some 150m out right on the spot. I only put two rods as that is the legal limit here on the Ebro. Finally sliding into the snug Trakker sleeping bag and man it is so warm in there.
First of all though I had to get rid of Simba amongst a couple of growl’s and got her tucked up into a lovely fleece cover with waterproof outer like the throw over’s you have for bivys. Once in she was snoring as usual.
Not 15 minutes had passed and I was tired but a slow pull on the alarms three slow bleeps then slowly faster. I slid (well fell actually) out of the sleeping bag with Simba running past me thinking some fox was there as she likes to chase them off
Tripping over theedge of the cooker numpty.
Who the hell put that there only me for miles around whilst simba was running round as if to say what where is it? Bouncing like a mad rabbit on fire.
She finally realised there was nothing there but during that time I had struck into something solid but it didn’t feel like a fish – first thoughts ‘oh no catfish’ but seconds later, I knew it was not carp, nor catfish but dam weed.
Not good I told myself. Whilst winding the rod in, the second now sliding off the pod bending like mad I thought the worst had happened.
Not me not now I did not deserve this.
simba by now had nicked my bed yet again and was snoring.
Cast back out. Yet again the weed got the better of me getting on for 4.00am. Weary eyed and sick of weed I decide to wind them in, and get up a few hours later.
A few hours sleep and feeling hungry I had risen to a superb sunrise you always get them over the eastern facing lengths of the Ebro.
Feeling a little cold and hungry first order of the day coffee followed by newly baited rods and oh yes breakfast for simba as well. Sausages.
I was now wishing I had bought my boat for some odd reason I always do but still able to cast over to the far bank I just thought silly – why?
Anyway with the rods pre baited I cast them to a nice shingle bank one of two that run along in front of me for some 300mts. It’s an odd feature here as it’s the only place along this stretch where they are like that. Up river deep water and in front of me and down river the shingle banks and shallower water still with the option if I walked some 50mts up river I can fish or at least cast into deeper water without having to move the camp.
Both rods back out. And it soon became very aware to me that the river was on the rise. You don’t really feel that when your half asleep and its mid morning. But I was also aware that the weed was along the bottom . Maybe they were cutting it, or opening the dams from the upper regions, there had been no rain in the last few days.
Anyway in situations like this you just have to make the best of them. No way was I going home or giving up . It was my time and I had to beat my PB for that year a new 50+ common. I had already lost what was estimated to be a near 60 twice from this spot. So I knew they were there.
The morning passed and I received a call from Carlos saying he would be a little later than planned but I assured him no worries mate you’re not losing out I’ve not had a fish yet .
A murmur came from his end as if to say but normally you’ve caught by now which we both knew was true. Ok mate bye for now.
The day continued to be the same weed for which did slow down at times but I did have a couple of what could have been runs very slow which most of them are but different from the slow pulling of line when you have weed dragging it down river.
14.00hrs Carlos and Trunko arrived smiles on there face.
So come on then what have you caught. I smiled back and replied nothing mate not a fish yet.
He looked twice at me and thought I was joking, no serious Carlos nothing at all ok .
Not good you could see Carlos; his face was not saying I am not happy at all. If you know Carlos he says nothing when he’s not happy or when he’s thinking of rigs to use. some fish did start to crash again this did put smiles on all our faces. Plus the fact Carlos had his boat me pumping the boat ready to get the baits out as tight as possible to the far bank.
First two rods out on the far side not good by the time I had got back the river had tricked us it was pulling through a lot faster than I could ever imagined ripping the rods right round even with 8oz of lead on. Looking at each other the decision was made for me to shoot off to have at look at the beach swims.
On my arrival there was nobody in sight, but the river was pulling through the same there as it was up river.
All afternoon it became hard work rowing the baits out persistently trying to pull fish from the far bank. The rod pods now as high as possible and looking like some beach fishing competition.
Now 17.00hrs I had a slow pull not like weed similar to the other couple of bites I had.
I left it and watched the rod slowly bounce round I said that has to be fish surely.
Winding down and a strike into what I thought was yet again weed.
It wasn’t until I got the hook some 10mts from the shore I realized that weed doesn’t swim up river and now with big smile against all these odds I had caught how big was another factor the supreme Chili Chocolate has done it for me. cheers shaun
Coming to the surface with a fair set of shoulders on her a lovely common. Carlos grabbed the net and first take she was in. Smiles all round and I have to admit we all thought we were not going to land anything due to the weedy and fast river conditions.
Onto the weigh station the scales went round. Carlos called it 31.00lbs no hang on 32.00lbs dead weigh. Pat on the back from Carlos and José smiles from me job done – superb!
I have to say that night we al decided to give up after it became so apparent that the weed was winning and it was getting colder damper. Absolute mental river conditions and the combination of all three decision made, beers out and a good old chat of what we had caught.
what i would like to add is this and a very simple factor behind the heading of this story if you have a swim that produces all the time for you, and you find yourselfs in a tricky an what can only be described as a dificult situation in conditons like that the bait wil make all the difference i wish to say a big thank you to shaun harrison and i can only say if it was not for his baits well you know whats coming ... we would have caught nothing at all.
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