Predator hunters are out in force

THE new year has got off to a great start for the Sandhills Predator mob, including Worksop rod Roger Green who took a a fine 14lb pike, and duly returned it to fight another day.

Another one of the predator crew Nick Waller has shared an article with us called ‘Getting started’ from pikeangler.co.uk which is a must for all budding predator anglers.

It covers not only approach and techniques but also all aspects of the safe handling of the species and general watercraft and we would highly recommend it.

On the coastal front there has been little activity due in main to the spring tides and adverse winds, with Treeton rod Colin Roscoe being restricted to Bridlington South wall on a recent trip.

Colin reports that there is now a drilling rig positioned only a few hundred yards off Easington/Dimlington.

This may be something to do with the proposed wind farms but those of us with reasonably long memories will remember how beach sport was disrupted when the gas survey rigs were in operation.

We will update further in the coming weeks’ columns.

With the holiday season behind us things are slowly starting to return to normal and with this in mind we will be continuing our series of profiling local fisheries starting next week hopefully with Lodge Farm and then possibly on to the Trent, Sandhills Lake or a venue that is suggested by you.

We have had some positive feedback on the previous profiling and also some suggestions that we have possibly missed a certain peg or method, but as we have said this is from a personal perspective and aimed at the pleasure anglers amongst us.

However if you have any favourite peg or specialist knowledge of Lodge then email us and we will see if we can include it in next week’s column.

Rob Allen of Worksop United would like us to pass on that the club’s AGM will take place on Monday 16th January at Manton Athletic Club on Retford Road with a 7.15pm start.

The Worksop Juniors recently held a silver fish only match on the split pond at Aston Park Fishery.

Best weight on the day fell to young Ryan Wilton with 5lb 4oz ahead of Chelsey Jeffcoate, who netted 4lb 11oz and Tom Potter who netted 3lb 11oz.

Special thanks must go to Neal Nicolson, Dave Frost, Alex Mitchell and the team at the complex for their hospitality.

Unfortunatly at the time of writing we are unable to confirm the proposed dates for the sea fishing trips from Yarmouth, as we haven’t received the detailed tide tables for June yet.

Hopefully we will be able to confirm over the next few weeks and Roger will contact those who have provisionally booked

COMMERCIAL ROUND-UP

Starting at Diawa Hallcroft Fishery near Retford on the moat pool, poled fished maggot over a bed of ground bait or micro pellet has been producing nets of skimmer bream and carp.

The pellet feeder with a corn or pellet upbait, cast tight to any feature or far bank platform on milder days has been responsible for match nets in excess of 80lb.

Also pellet fished on the long pole has been tempting skimmers in excess of 2lb as well as the occasional carp.

On the croft pool, caster over groundbait has been taking nets of silver fish in excess of 37lb in competitions with the small pellet feeder proving reliable for small carp to 5lb.

On the canal pool pleasure anglers have been enjoying nets of small carp on numerous methods with pole fished expander pellet or maggot proving to be the most productive.

Over at Lodge Farm at Scrooby Top in Tuesday 20th December’s open on the long island and lily pond, Dave Evans put together a winning net of 88lb 1oz from peg 100 waggler fishing meat.

Simon Short was a distant second with 45lb 4oz fishing the pellet feeder on peg 98.

On Wednesday 21st the over 50s fished their match on the signal pond with Len Squires running out the winner on peg 5 with 29lb 14oz, ahead of Reg Turner on peg 3 and Andy Hill on peg 8 with 15lb 7oz.

Thursday 22nd saw them on the long island and lily pond again were Jamie Wilde weighed 77lb 10oz fishing the groundbait feeder on peg 87.

Andy Fantom fished the wag and mag on peg 96 for 40lb 2oz.

Christmas Eve saw them fishing on the field pond where Dave Powell recorded a win on peg 36 employing the pellet feeder for 36lb 3oz ahead of Jimmy Naylor with 30lb 3oz off peg 8.

Tuesday 27th’s open was competed on the field pond where Dave Evans put a fine net together of 92lb 9oz waggler fishing meat on peg 14.

Our old friend Keith Morris claimed the runners-up position on peg 2 bomb fishing meat for 67lb 8oz.

In Wednesday’s veterans event on the signal pond Andy Hill triumphed with 38lb 9oz on peg 35 ahead of Colin Day on peg 38 weighing 29lb 1oz.

Thursday 29th December saw the competition move to the lily and long island ponds with the inform Dave Evans bagging an incredible 192lb 11oz on peg 78 fishing bomb and meat, finishing well clear of Jamie Wilde in the runners-up position on peg 69 with a net of 51lb 7oz.

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