Shiplate Farm, Sunday 30th October 2011

A full house today at this obviously popular venue, the two canal style lakes were in and I fancied drawing Westpool again, after winning the silvers in the last two matches. I'd prepared a couple of rigs and a skimmer mix groundbait, so wasn't too upset when Westpool 10 stuck to my hand. It does have carp form, rather than skimmers, but at least I should catch a few fish. So glad I spent the time blending the groundbait, as when I got to the peg I realised it was still on the garage floor. The fishery owners kindly brought a choice of groundbait over to my peg when I enquired if they sold it, what service!!

I had maggots, casters and worms, with a tin of corn as a swap bait, I set up 4 rigs, a sensas pencil on 0.14 to 0.12 and a 18 for topkit to hand, a Carpa Chimp to fish the deepest part of the peg (11m) on the same lines and hook. A MW slim power on 0.16 with 0.13 and a 18B911 for over and down to the end bank, but as the depth was so variable, I had to set up another, to be able to fish several lines. I also set up a waggler, but that didn't produce a bite either.

At the all-in, I cupped 3 small balls of g/bait at 11m and 1 small ball on the topkit to hand line - no more mention of this, I had 80lb of skimmers over the last two matches on this - not a bite today. I fed the far bank and the end bank with maggot via a catapult, this proved an initial waste of time, as the carper on the main lake who was on my far bank, proceeded to pack away his bivvy and walk around skylining my far bank.

I caught from 2 lines, one to the far bank (a couple of hours after the carper had gone) and one to a ridge on the end bank, it was a bit of a grind, taking a fish or two, then having to swap lines, single maggot being the only bait I could get bites on, 4 skimmers and 12 carp went 47.12 for second on the lake, fourth overall and a section win. The match was won by Dean Malin on Westpool peg 1 with a new venue record of 141.14, well done Dean.

1) Dean Malin 141.14 Westpool 1
2) Andy France 87.08 Hawthorn 1
3) Tony Rixon 53.04 Hawthorn 13
4) Chris Fox 47.12 Westpool 10
5) Pete Sivell 44.14 Westpool 7
6) John Dursley 40.10 Hawthorn 10

Silvers

1) John Bradford  14.07 Westpool 6