round 9 Messingham Sands Tripp lake 23-3-2024

[Leo Martin]

Final round Aquastim Big Bash winter League Messinngham Sands Tripp Avenue 23.3 2024

The days are now drawing out, birds chirping and pairing up, spring flowers in bloom and the Big Bash Angling Club moves to the last Winter League match of the 23-24 season. The venue is Tripp Lake and a favourite of the Bashers and with one or two absences guests still made up the numbers to 12 and we were sharing the lake with another club so had peg numbers10 to 25.

Following a few warm days,  the weather dipped again with cold temperatures over night and a very cold blustery wind blowing right to left and into the corner. The day iself was a total mixture, sunshine, clouds, a little rain, heavy blustery wind and peeriods of calm. The water surface generally was towing right to left and at times had 6 inch waves on it making presentation very difficult to say the least

Peg 23 was delivered to yours truly, Jasper to my right on 22, Scott ( Big Bash Coach) on 24 and Jacko  on 25 in the corner. This area of Tripp being the narrows approx. 6 feet deep at 2+2 however the margins were at best 12 inch up to brambles.

Another park behind the peg venue for everyone and scaffolding platform about 5m into the lake. Float only so I set maggot and pellet lines at 2+2, margin lies both sides however preferred left one so as not fighting the wind. Baits maggots ( the in bait), pellets 6, 8 and micros) corn and meat, Aquastim dark ground bait.
Everyone was set up early and the usual mixing, mingling and exchange of banter taking place of the bashers. Up walks Codders with his new patented sunglasses which had a left hand side dark lense in and no lense at all in the right hand side. I am sure Preston or Guru will be looking to design some of these for when the sun is shining at one side of your peg.

All in from Glen and being Tripp lake, no feeders so poles went out to fight the wind. Jasper with pressure on needing a section win or second for the league was quickly into small fish. Then Scott and also Jacko. After about 10 minutes my float dipped and a small crucian was in the net falling to double maggot. The bites were coming fast at times and then some lean spells. It was a catch anything that swims day with roach, skimmers, F1's, goldfish, small carp and Gudgeon. The stamp small bar from a surprize 2lb carp. I was feeding some Aqastim dark ground bait, micros and about 3 pints of maggots. Bait was maggots, double, triple and even 4 maggots with the fish definitely preferring white than reds. I did try pellets, corn and meat but no bites all time.
I loaded my left hand margin micros, ground bait and meat around 13:45 and tried it several times for no bites. During a very quiet period and noting Jasper catching short in his side I went in to locate a larger F1 , small roach and a small F1. I did loose a couple and come back with a scale which was to cost me when it came to the weigh in. The margin fish again were on a bunch of maggots. 23lb 1 and thank for coming, but there is more to catching fish than fishing.

Jasper fished a great match and under pressure for the title caught throughout on 2+2, top 2 and inn his side peg fisting towards me level with his platform where he settled on a deeper 2 foot of water instead of going in the edge. The fish frm here were proper carp and helped in his final weight. Heavy feeding of Aquastim Green groundbait, micros, maggots and using 6mm expanders and maggots as his most successful hook baits. 106-1 for match and section win.

Jacko fished 2 + 2, short pole, margins and even had a chuck with his waggler towards the end bank. The last 30 minutes saw him find some creatures in his margin helping lift his weight to 45-1 and a section win. Well done.

Coach Scott on peg 24 gave me a good battle throughout the match. Another one on top 2+2 lines, short line and side line although Scott didn't try his margins as log as the rest of us in the final section. Again bites and fish coming back to back combined with some gaps of no bites. When both of us were having a lean spell toward the end of the match, Scott persevered on his 2+2 line and increased his loose fed maggots for a late run to pip me with 24-1 for second in section. My decision to go for carp or bust in the margins cost me but that's how it works out sometimes. Well done coach.

Section 1 saw Joe on peg 11 and he plundered 95-1 8 for a section win. Second in section was Richard Cooke on peg 14 with 71-15. Hope your cut finger heals okay mate and well done to you both.
Section 2 saw Big Glen on peg 21 take 88-2 to the scales. 20 odd pounds of silvers , some carp  including a large angry munter. Second in section was Glens good friend John Lanelly on peg 19 weigh in 68-10, well done sir.

Special Chinese wine was the last in section prize  for our last match which went to chef Indian, Codders and yours truly. I am saying wine but its 55% proof and from a distillery not a winery. Special thanks to Fiona and Jasper for this kind gesture.

So the end of the seasons winter league match ended and the final league standings were
1st Jasper 13pts 305lbs-10
2nd Steve Curtis 14pts 197lbs 2
3rd Richard Cooke 16 pts 200lbs 12
4th John Lanelly 16 pts 185-5.
Very close finish, well done guys.

The league has had its usual ups and downs, I can say it hasn't been as cold this year for us and ice breakers not in as much use as previously. Some good weights and consistent venues and stinkers which will go unmentioned but are noted.

We have had tremendous support at all matches throughout, thank you everyone. Many guests have also attended with a couple of summer lads coming out of hibernation, good to see you.

The hardcore winter lads are now sporting more and more heater attire be it waistcoats, jackets and even socks as they look to fight the cold.

Special mention to some of our lads who are recovering from various meical issues, take care, our thoughts are with you and get well soon.

Massive thanks to Jasper for all he does, Steve for weighing in and Glen for clock watching and puffing his whistle.

We will go again in November for much more of the same.

Summer league starts on 6th April at the inform Newcastle lake at springvale. Memberships and match fees are due. I have it on good authority it will be tee shirt weather for the Big Bash angling club to show off its new club attire.
 

[jasper31]

My write up for the Aquastim Promo team

Well Saturday was the last round of the Big Bash A.C 2023 Winter league, to be held on the fantastic Messingham Sands - Tripp lake.

Tripp is a no method feeder lake so knew it was an all out pole day and not one I'm best at. The league was tight at the top with just a point keeping me at the top but easily over taken if I fished rubbish - which I do sometimes. I needed a section win to make sure sompressure was on.

Pegs 10-25 were offered to us and knowing the lake a low one was the favoured pegs - well peg 22 it was 😴😴. On arrival the peg was about 25m and at the end of the arm but a strong left to right wind blowing into the corner where a great angler in Stephen Jackson was waiting in peg 25.
Long pole was out of the question in this wind and knowing it was full of smaller F1's, crucians and skimmer I decided on simple tactics, top 2 was going to be maggots and 2+2 expanders over micros and a margin line where instead of going tight came out a meter and found a good 2.5ft of water on a level patch.
Started the match by feeding 2 cups of crushed expander pellet and a few maggots short with intention of loose feeding maggots over the top. On the longer line feed 250ml of micros which had been soaked in water and the black magic stim syrup (love this stuff) also few a few soaked 4mm pellets. I started on this line using a 6mm expander which had also had a dowse of the syrup. Straight away I was into small crucians and F1's, the wind was hacking down the arm and was a struggle at times to get presentation correct, so wasn't long before moving on to my top kit line, feeding maggots by hand and fishing double red fish were coming in pretty regular, if the wind dropped a little I would go back out long and fish expander as it did give the odd better fish.
With a couple of hrs to go it was close and I could see the other lads to my left in my section were catching well. Knowing a few big bream and skimmers tend to live down this end and carp normally up the lower pegs I decided to go heavy with the ground bait, on my margin line i fed 3 large pots of the new green method mix and a nearly a full tin of corn. I left it 30 minutes before dropping in with a full worm and size 12hook...after a couple of minutes a bite and a big F1 was in the bag... another pot of groundbait and more corn, this time the float moved and I foul hooked a large carp which gutted me knowing larger fish would be the difference.... So another pot but this time I used 4 dead reds on the hook, the float only settle a few seconds and whallop - a carp of around 7/8lb was landed... over the moon with that. For the next hour I fed and fished this was and had some decent carp and a few skimmers to really boost the weight.
At the all out I had 57lb of carp and 49lb of bits....and not only won the section but the match too.
So overjoyed to win the winter league this year and I truly believe the various products i have used from Aquastim has been the difference and thank you to them for the support given.
Only 2 weeks to the start of the summer league so t-shirts and sun cream ready ☀️