Baits @ Whitevane Sussex

[Ralph Abbott]

Has anyone fished Whitevane Lake Sussex recently?

My first visit in March landed 3x 2-3lb Bream on popped up sweetcorn with vitalin and pellet method, ok I did not blank.

May as well have thrown the Active 8 pop ups in the bin(recommended by local shop)

Looking to land good double figure carp or large bream.

Please help as father in law normally out-fishes me!

 

[Andy Thatcher]

Ralph stick with the Activ8 ! The guy in the shop must have recommended it as there are other anglers using the bait. Once fish get onto it it is a cracker.

 

[Jake Lewis]

Ralph, White Vane is a lake that I know extremely well,though I haven't been there for a while. In my experience it is worth trying to make a bit of your own bait if you have the time. The carp seem to love anything new, or unusual flavour combinations that they haven't seen before.Forget the active 8,I started using it on there long before it was on the market.It did not perform brilliantly then,and it is still not one of their preferred baits to this day.(though I dare say you will catch the odd carp on it.) My catch rates improved drastically the moment I started using home made maple/milky toffee birdfood boilies.By the end of my time on there I had spent 18 months scratching for three twenties on the active 8, then in the next 18 months I caught nearly all the big fish in the lake on the new bait,including a 30+ mirror and common.I have a feeling that if you went on there with something really unusual,you would be in with a chance of a few big fish.(and there are a hell of a lot of carp in there.Our surface caught record was something like 76 fish-two days-one rod.)
If you haven't got the time or gear to make your own bait,the other bait that stood out on there and still catches is "Antbait" Liver mix which is on sale in lots of local tackle shops.(e.g. Jack Frost in Crawley). Don't buy small baits unless you want to catch bream all day.
The other thing you need on there is a large dose of luck.The place is crawling with doubles(and singles for that matter!) so at times it can be a bit of a numbers game trying to connect with a proper biggie,but stick with it,they'll come to you in the end,they did for me. I hope you manage to get a bigger one than your father in-law next time mate.Good luck. Jake.
p.s. I heard that active 8 mixed with Nash whisky has been doing the job on there recently.-Strange but true.

 

[Ralph Abbott]

Jake
Many thanks for help, I shall try the ant bait liver.

Does you know if pellet luncheon meet or Hydra paste are any good when the waters warm. These both blanked last time, but I have bagged up on before at other venues.

???? best pegs or sides ie lodge bank, dam bank, forest bank or boat house bank.

 

[Jake Lewis]

Hi,Ralph. Avoid pellet hookbaits.Skimmers love them.Avoid the bay behind the island on the lodge bank.Avoid the deep water(up to 19ft)in front of pegs 9-12.There is a constant huge patch of bubbles here but it is mostly a waste of time for carp. Avoid the corners unless you have no choice.Now and again these do produce but not as a rule. If you are fishing days only,I would suggest the pads to the left of the boathouse.Beware in this swim because you MUST sit on your rods and use strong tackle and big hooks or you will end up losing and/or damaging more fish than you catch.Cast as tight to the pads as you dare and be prepared to hit any knocks on the rod tip instantly. You cannot afford to give them an inch of line.This swim is where I would expect the most action on a typical day,but it is not the easiest to land fish from.
If you fancy less action but a greater chance of landing the fish,then I would suggest peg 13, pegs 25,26 and 27 or maybe the oak tree further along. In these swims,Fish the open water within baiting range. Stringer and a couple of pouches of bait should do it. Keep your eyes open for any unusual boilies in the shops(e.g. squid and banana, anything wierd you can find)and fish them on one rod with the liver on the other.Or you could even try using a fruity or fishy dip with the liver.Anything different is well worth trying on White Vane,it is an odd lake where logic does not seem to apply. Anyway,be lucky and feel free to e-mail me or continue this thread if you want any more advice.
Cheers, Jake.

 

[Ralph Abbott]

Thanks again Jake.

I actually fished peg 26 last visit, but to the right of the small island, tried to the left but got snagged a few times as the lillies had not surfaced!

I am visiting later this week, I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[Jake Lewis]

Yes, very snaggy there,even when you can see the pads.The open water either side and beyond the island is a good bet because at least you stand a chance of landing the buggers when you hook them. Best of luck,looking forward to hearing how you get on.
Cheers, Jake.