Groundbait?

[*Ant*]

5 minutes ago, gozzer said:

You've missed the most potent of all carp baits Phone, it's the one that always seems to attract them.

It's any bait that that is on my hook when I've been fishing for a much more worthy quarry, such as roach, perch, bream, tench, even pike! In fact anything but a bloody carp. 

John.

That did make me laugh. 

[ayjay]

On 2/1/2020 at 10:25 PM, chesters1 said:

Potemeg? (Sp?)

Pomenteg.

 

Developed by Richard Walker and Fred J Taylor,  and marketed and sold by Efgeeco,  rumour has it that it was mostly made from WW2 surplus powdered egg and potato.

Edited February 4, 2020 by ayjay

[Cameraman]

1 hour ago, ayjay said:

Pomenteg.

 

Developed by Richard Walker and Fred J Taylor,  and marketed and sold by Efgeeco,  rumour has it that it was mostly made from WW2 surplus powdered egg and potato.

That sounds about right, I remember my Grandad telling me the bait for Carp was par boiled potatoes.

Strange really when his main bait was lob worm wherever we went.

[gozzer]

13 hours ago, *Ant* said:

That did make me laugh. 

Although that was posted with slight 'tongue in cheek', Phone knows that I rarely laugh where carp are concerned Ant, it wasn't always like that though.

From my first real 'monster' carp, that I stalked for several summer months back in my early teens, (all 8lb of it), to the late 80s and early 90s, I thought of them a 'mystical', almost 'magical', special fish.

 I was working on a job down south about 92/93, we had just finished the job, and my boss, also a keen angler, suggested that we stop on our way home, and have a look at the lakes Billy Makin had built. I wasn't too impressed with the look of them, or the lay-out. I realised that they were newly dug and needed time to mature, and 'naturalise'. What I didn't realise was the stock levels of these so called fisheries, this was brought home to me during several trips to similar waters over the coming few years. Even as a match angler back then, the whole concept disgusted me. As some of my club mates drifted towards them, and more of our matches were booked on them, it was the final nail in the coffin regarding match fishing, I just packed it in, after nearly thirty years. Now they are like a disease, spreading right through the whole of the UK. Overstocked in waters dug on flood plains, and stocked into waters with direct access to rivers. My stillwater fishing has almost stopped, because of lack of choice, through idiotic stocking practices. There are few, if any, rivers in my native Yorkshire that don't have carp in them, and now the same stupid actions of water owners, clubs, and anglers alike, are responsible for the emergence of catfish in the same rivers. I'm glad that I lived through what I see as the best years of angling, that's even including blank sessions! It was a time when there was a big improvement in tackle, but not the merchandising on the scale it is now. When angling wasn't considered an 'industry', and anglers weren't targeted as the 'bad guys', but thought of as being slightly eccentric, and maybe a little mad. I've always said that if the overstocked 'catching ponds', were the only thing available, then I would hang up my rods for good, and I've been very close to that a few times.

Wow, it's a while since I've had a good rant about the pollution of our waters by carp on here, it feels pretty good to get it off my chest again, even if the soap box seems a little higher, and at my age I get a little dizzy standing on it. 

John.

[*Ant*]

11 minutes ago, gozzer said:

Although that was posted with slight 'tongue in cheek', Phone knows that I rarely laugh where carp are concerned Ant, it wasn't always like that though.

From my first real 'monster' carp, that I stalked for several summer months back in my early teens, (all 8lb of it), to the late 80s and early 90s, I thought of them a 'mystical', almost 'magical', special fish.

 I was working on a job down south about 92/93, we had just finished the job, and my boss, also a keen angler, suggested that we stop on our way home, and have a look at the lakes Billy Makin had built. I wasn't too impressed with the look of them, or the lay-out. I realised that they were newly dug and needed time to mature, and 'naturalise'. What I didn't realise was the stock levels of these so called fisheries, this was brought home to me during several trips to similar waters over the coming few years. Even as a match angler back then, the whole concept disgusted me. As some of my club mates drifted towards them, and more of our matches were booked on them, it was the final nail in the coffin regarding match fishing, I just packed it in, after nearly thirty years. Now they are like a disease, spreading right through the whole of the UK. Overstocked in waters dug on flood plains, and stocked into waters with direct access to rivers. My stillwater fishing has almost stopped, because of lack of choice, through idiotic stocking practices. There are few, if any, rivers in my native Yorkshire that don't have carp in them, and now the same stupid actions of water owners, clubs, and anglers alike, are responsible for the emergence of catfish in the same rivers. I'm glad that I lived through what I see as the best years of angling, that's even including blank sessions! It was a time when there was a big improvement in tackle, but not the merchandising on the scale it is now. When angling wasn't considered an 'industry', and anglers weren't targeted as the 'bad guys', but thought of as being slightly eccentric, and maybe a little mad. I've always said that if the overstocked 'catching ponds', were the only thing available, then I would hang up my rods for good, and I've been very close to that a few times.

Wow, it's a while since I've had a good rant about the pollution of our waters by carp on here, it feels pretty good to get it off my chest again, even if the soap box seems a little higher, and at my age I get a little dizzy standing on it. 

John.

You go for it John, rant away fella. I can understand your thoughts as i've never really been a fan of commercial pools myself. Big old estate lakes can be great places, but a collection of small muddy puddles in an open field are not my idea of angling nirvana. 

[Phone]

All,

See what you've gone and done now Ant?  It will take me weeks - if not months to calm and soothe Gozzer down.

Phone

[*Ant*]

36 minutes ago, Phone said:

All,

See what you've gone and done now Ant?  It will take me weeks - if not months to calm and soothe Gozzer down.

Phone

[gozzer]

1 hour ago, Phone said:

All,

See what you've gone and done now Ant?  It will take me weeks - if not months to calm and soothe Gozzer down.

Phone

Weeks? Months? Try years phone, it must be a few since I went on a good rant about your beloved crap.  Now I’ve got the bit between my teeth it could be like another ‘Cod on Brexit’ thread. 

John

[Cameraman]

4 hours ago, gozzer said:

Although that was posted with slight 'tongue in cheek', Phone knows that I rarely laugh where carp are concerned Ant, it wasn't always like that though.

From my first real 'monster' carp, that I stalked for several summer months back in my early teens, (all 8lb of it), to the late 80s and early 90s, I thought of them a 'mystical', almost 'magical', special fish.

 I was working on a job down south about 92/93, we had just finished the job, and my boss, also a keen angler, suggested that we stop on our way home, and have a look at the lakes Billy Makin had built. I wasn't too impressed with the look of them, or the lay-out. I realised that they were newly dug and needed time to mature, and 'naturalise'. What I didn't realise was the stock levels of these so called fisheries, this was brought home to me during several trips to similar waters over the coming few years. Even as a match angler back then, the whole concept disgusted me. As some of my club mates drifted towards them, and more of our matches were booked on them, it was the final nail in the coffin regarding match fishing, I just packed it in, after nearly thirty years. Now they are like a disease, spreading right through the whole of the UK. Overstocked in waters dug on flood plains, and stocked into waters with direct access to rivers. My stillwater fishing has almost stopped, because of lack of choice, through idiotic stocking practices. There are few, if any, rivers in my native Yorkshire that don't have carp in them, and now the same stupid actions of water owners, clubs, and anglers alike, are responsible for the emergence of catfish in the same rivers. I'm glad that I lived through what I see as the best years of angling, that's even including blank sessions! It was a time when there was a big improvement in tackle, but not the merchandising on the scale it is now. When angling wasn't considered an 'industry', and anglers weren't targeted as the 'bad guys', but thought of as being slightly eccentric, and maybe a little mad. I've always said that if the overstocked 'catching ponds', were the only thing available, then I would hang up my rods for good, and I've been very close to that a few times.

Wow, it's a while since I've had a good rant about the pollution of our waters by carp on here, it feels pretty good to get it off my chest again, even if the soap box seems a little higher, and at my age I get a little dizzy standing on it. 

John.

Whilst I agree with a lot or rather most of what you posted, it's much harder to blank these days. The fishy puddles have their place. 

When I take my grandkids, I want them to catch not struggle as we did. Many of my friends gave up because waters were too hard. I persevered with stillwaters and rivers and eventually I started to get things right.

Kids nowadays expect everything on a plate or it's back to the x station and whatever is the latest game.

Starting on a "false" water gives them confidence and hope.

My local ponds are full of blue signal crayfish or tiny stunted perch and sticklebacks. The local rivers are generally unsafe for me, never mind the nippers. My local reservoir whilst rewarding when you catch is vast and notoriously difficult doesn't contain carp and more blank than catch.

Yet for the same price as the above I can drive maybe 20 mins and almost guarantee the kids will be happy and want to go again.

Once they start catching they move onto other waters and learn properly but by then they're hooked. 

Even the kids realise that they're over stocked and rely on anglers baits but you have to catch to keep the nippers interested.

Totally different when you fish on your own.

[gozzer]

41 minutes ago, Cameraman said:

Whilst I agree with a lot or rather most of what you posted, it's much harder to blank these days. The fishy puddles have their place. 

When I take my grandkids, I want them to catch not struggle as we did. Many of my friends gave up because waters were too hard. I persevered with stillwaters and rivers and eventually I started to get things right.

Kids nowadays expect everything on a plate or it's back to the x station and whatever is the latest game.

Starting on a "false" water gives them confidence and hope.

My local ponds are full of blue signal crayfish or tiny stunted perch and sticklebacks. The local rivers are generally unsafe for me, never mind the nippers. My local reservoir whilst rewarding when you catch is vast and notoriously difficult doesn't contain carp and more blank than catch.

Yet for the same price as the above I can drive maybe 20 mins and almost guarantee the kids will be happy and want to go again.

Once they start catching they move onto other waters and learn properly but by then they're hooked. 

Even the kids realise that they're over stocked and rely on anglers baits but you have to catch to keep the nippers interested.

Totally different when you fish on your own.

I can see your point about safety, and almost guaranteed to catch, but it's the obsession with carp, and other exotics that are not indigenous that really angers me. I see them as just an ego boost for those who need to catch, and of course a cash cow for those who provide them. The level of stock in some of these waters is obscene, often over 10 times a naturally sustainable level. I have used an analogy on here before, and I believe it still holds true. If someone wanted to make football 'more interesting', would it be ok to double or even treble the size of the goal? Would the same apply to increasing the number of stumps in cricket to 5 or 7, or trebling the size of a dart board, or the size of the holes on a golf course? The best strikers of a ball, would still score more goals, the best bowlers take the most wickets, the best darts players the most 180s, and golfers more successful putts, but it would give the less able more chance of achieving something. Angling is the only 'sport', as some like to call it, where it is made easier, and lauded as a great achievement if you win. Every one I asked agreed that if those changes were made, then it wouldn't be football, or cricket etc, but accepted it in angling. There have always been waters where there was a glut of stunted fish, but nature would eventually balance it with an increase in preds. Now it's all artificial, even to fishing indoors!  I feel it's only time before those who would try to ban angling, see this as the perfect opportunity, to show that angling cares more about the anglers, than the fish, or the flora and fauna that surrounds it. I made the point about these waters causing the spread of non indigenous species into new waters, in the earlier thread. I see this as a real problem that can only get worse, you can rid a small Stillwater of a nuisance species much easier than you can a river, especially when it's the angers themselves that cause the problem, then refuse to aid any cull that might help. It's ok to 'cull/kill' anything with fur or feathers that might feed on fish, and help  maintain a healthy balance though.  The Environment agency are also a major player, they have failed in their main purpose, to protect the water and wildlife of this country. 

My grandson who's 5 in a couple of months is nattering for me to take him fishing, I've bought a 6metre whip to start him off, but I'm struggling to think of where to take him, it will probably be a stretch of canal that hasn't yet fully been polluted by carp.

Sorry for the rambling, it's always been a problem of mine.

John.