Fake maggots fool pb tench
Two artificial maggots proved to be the downfall of this personal best 11lb 4oz tench caught by Alf Wise from an 80-acre south east gravel pit.
The specimen was the biggest of eight fish landed by the 65-year-old Waltham Abbey-based rod, all of which were taken from a gravel bar at 40yds range which he had baited with dead maggots and hemp.
He said: “Most of the fish I was catching had already spawned and felt empty, but the double still had a bit in it even though it’s quite late in the season for them. As soon as I lifted into it I knew it was bigger than the others I’d hooked.”
Alf’s winning presentation consisted of a short Preston Innovations Reflo Powerline hooklink and a size 14 hook in conjunction with a Drennan maggot feeder.
Run of blanks ends with 11lb 2oz tench
This 11lb 2oz tench brought a welcome end to a run of blank sessions for Ben Corfield and topped a four fish catch from a southern gravel pit.
His haul, which also included two other doubles of 10lb 12oz and 10lb 4oz, were taken from a spot tight to a reed bed at 10yds range which the 33-year-old Shropshire-based civil engineer had raked and baited with hemp and casters along with a small amount of groundbait.
“I’d blanked for the last five weekends so it was a relief to finally get some fish on the bank again,” he said. “The bites came regularly throughout the daylight hours over a 24 hour period before the weather changed and the action dried up.”
Ben used three fake hair-rigged casters on size 11 Drennan Super Specialist Barbel hooks and 12lb Drennan Carp Dacron hooklinks.
Fake maggots fool double figure tench
Three fake maggots proved to be the downfall of this 10lb 1oz tench caught from the Bawburgh Lakes complex in Norfolk by Justin Grapes.
The 38-year-old local marine engineer fished over a gallon of red maggots with a large PVA bag of freebies to fool his biggest example of the species so far this year.
He said: “It’s been a slow start to the tench season, so I was pleased to get a double under my belt.”
His winning rig consisted of a size 12 Korda Mixa hook and a 15lb Korda Supernatural hooklink with a 1.5oz inline lead on a two foot ESP leadcore leader.
Double figure tench netted at Bawburgh Lakes
Three fake maggots proved to be the downfall of this 10lb 1oz tench, caught from the Bawburgh Lakes complex in Norfolk by Justin Grapes.
The 38-year-old marine engineer, from nearby Frettenham, presented his rig over a gallon of red maggots with a large PVA bag of freebies nicked onto the hook. It is the biggest example of the species that all-rounder Julian has landed so far this year.
Julian’s winning rig consisted of a size 12 Korda Mixa hook and a 15lb Korda Supernatural hooklink with a 1.5oz inline lead on a two foot ESP leadcore leader.
Fluorescent maggots fool double figure tench
After struggling to locate the tench at his local venue for almost a month, Herts-based rod Ken Brown’s was finally rewarded for his efforts when he banked this 10lb 4oz fish last week.
It formed part of a three-fish catch for Ken, who baited his chosen spot with a pint of mixed maggots and presented helicopter rigs over the top.
Ken’s rig was constructed with 8lb mainline, a 6lb hooklength and a size 14 hook baited with two real maggots and one imitation grub.
“I’ve found that it’s really effective if you introduce red and white maggots mixed with a few fluorescent ones. It gets the fish working the area,” said Ken
Tench and bream bests broken in same session
A self-confessed river fishing fanatic who only began targeting tench and bream for the first time this season was given double reason to celebrate this week after he smashed his personal bests for both species.
For the last 20 years Steve Fenton has focussed on catching specimen barbel and chub from his local River Lea, but he’s admitted to becoming ‘addicted to the challenge of stillwater fishing’ after banking bream to 13lb 8oz and a 10lb 8oz tench.
The 59-year-old, from Hertford, used simple inline maggot feeders presented over a bed of loosefeed to catch 14 bream, eight of which were into double figures, and his impressive tench, during two short day sessions.
“Many anglers are of the opinion that big bream are a boring fish that just doesn’t fight very hard, but I’ve loved every minute of targeting them since I decided to give stillwater fishing a proper go a few months ago,” said Steve.
Lake record tench caught by carper
This lake record 10lb tench was caught by Greg Waite while targeting the carp during a 24 hour session on a Yateley syndicate water.
The 16-year-old fished towards a small gravel patch close to a sprouting reed bed with a trimmed down FiveStarBaits pop-up tipped with a piece of fake corn inside a solid PVA bag filled with crushed boilies and bloodworm pellets.
He said: “At 5am I had couple of bleeps on my alarm which turned in to a full on run five minutes later. The fish fought so hard that I honestly thought it was a decent sized carp.”
Greg also landed tench of 9lb and 6lb 7oz as well as a 15lb 3oz mirror during the productive trip.
Fake casters fool double figure tench
This clonking great male tench weighing 10lb 3oz might not win any beauty contests, but captor Chris Taylor wasn’t complaining after banking the fish during a three-day session last week at a Kent pit.
The early season whacker fell to hair-rigged rubber casters, which Chris presented on a helicopter rig made from a 3in hooklink of 10lb Drennan Sinkbraid, a size 12 Kamasan B980 hook and an open end feeder. This was cast over a bed of hemp, wheat, casters, dead maggots and pellets.
“It might not be the prettiest fish, but I was over the moon to catch it after only six nights tench fishing this spring,” said an elated Chris, whose previous personal best male tench weighed 8lb 6oz.
