Big Bash Winter league round 3 Grange Park Heron Lake 29.11.2025
Round 3 saw the 3rd different venue of this years winter league and a trip to Grange Park for Heron Lake. Grange Park also boasts one of the Bashers favourite Breakfast venues with a bite to eat café to satisfy the Breakfast clubs hunger and set them up for the day.
Weather on the change again, supposedly slightly warmer than the mid-week frosts which resulted in the lakes having lids on. It did however bring an amber rain warning for the area and overnight rain was to continue throughout the day. The wind blowing from the North (towards the café) also meant it was still very cold. Thermals were donned along with loads of other layers and the Gortex to keep dry. Majority choosing also to put brolley's up to try reduce impact of the rain as well.
Grange Park was to be full again, we had 10 pegs on the Heron Lake so loads of room for everyone. 10 names on the Friday spinning wheel, 2 sections of 5 to sort out so easy on that front. 8 League members and 2 welcome guests went on the wheel.
All set up so an early start at 9:45 to squeeze a few extra minutes out of the fishing. John Lanelly was the first fish catcher this week as he chose a maggot approach on short pole.
Peg 3 Gavin Cooper fished sweetcorn on his hook bait on several lines, short and long pole also rods to catch a decent net of fish for 31-12 and a section win
Peg 6 Dave Fox spent most of his day on short pole and maggot's bait of choice. Lot of bites, lots of fish to push Gavin close with 30-11 and 2nd in section.
Peg 8 Kevin Webster joined us and started on his feeder before going on a pole approach. Alternating across lines he had a lot of small fish made up with a few carp on bomb and corn to weigh in 17-9.
Peg 11 Leo Martin. Started on method for first 30 minutes then switched to bomb alternating bread and corn. 3 bites and 3 lost fish so not doing too well. I had primed 2 x maggot lines and was contemplating changing my approach as I could see lots of small fish being caught and I was dropping further and further behind. Then I connected with one on my bomb rod and a 3lb carp graced my net. Game on. Between 11 and 12 I caught 2 more and had 10lb on the clicker, so maggot on pole was never going to happen. I chose to stick on the bomb rod out alternating 3 discs of bread and corn. Chucking across to short of island initially and I had also primed a corn line at 11 o'clock midway across. Between 12 and 1pm, several more carp graced my net with the mid point line on corn being more productive. The bites started very iffy and in a couple of cases the tip just dropped back, some pulled it round but very few violently until the afternoon when they picked up the pace. A good spell of fish started to come to the net after 13:30 but there was still nothing consistent. You had to keep feeding and casting on average every 4 minutes. Stamp of fish were from a pound to 5 with only a few below the pound weight. I think I had a couple of bread the rest on corn. The bread bites were not very positive at all and once the fish were on corn, I stayed on it except in long gaps between fish. Probably 8 fish came from chucking across, the rest from the mid point line which was by far more succesful. I had primed a second midpoint line to my right however I never had a bite of this line. 40lb on my clicker and I weighed in 39-4 and a match win.
Peg 17 John Lanelly who spent most of his match fishing short pole on a maggot and 4mm pellet approach. John struggled with the stamp of fish and no decent carp showed up resulting in 22-2 for the weigh in.
Section 2
Peg 19 Steve Jackson weighed in 21 -7 and a second in section with a close fight battle to his neighbour Tracey. Short pole resulted in smaller fish. A feeder chuck with pellet resulted in carp however the stamp was again small and bites not consistent enough for Steve to stay on it.
Peg 21 Tracey Benson who adopted his favoured pole approach and again caught a netful of small fish. Fishing both sides and out in front to just pip Steve next door for a section win. Another consistent performance from Tracey.
Peg 26 Nigel Cooke and a DNW. I think the cold wet weather got the better of Nigel and his poorly hand. The prospect of catching small fish in the heavy rain compared to a warm fire, pint and his beloved football team on TV. No competition. Hope they fix your hand soon mate.
Peg 29 Richard Cooke 18-14 and another close battle with his neighbour Mark. All small fish caught on feeder on pellet
Peg 31 Mark Radford 19-3 to win Rich and Mark who was facing the brunt of the weather caught on his usual maggot approach
So everyone had plenty of bites however the fish were not as ravenous and the celebrities on TV in the jungle. Lots of small fish caught and I was the only one to catch decent carp . Not sure if it was because I had a little more room to fish into or that I chose an out and out Carp approach. A few days earlier in the week, maggot was the in bait on Osprey, and carp were caught on it. I guess that's why they call it fishing and not "catching" and everyday is a learning day.
Thanks to John Lanelly for his timekeeping duties and extra special thanks to Steve Curtis for weighing in for me. He had popped over from fishing the open on Curlew to see us, and then picked up the scales and bag to help out. What a star.
Everyone and their gear got a good soaking, well done to all for sticking it out.
Next match is back at Grange next week (6th December) however its on Curlew Lake which will be slightly different fishing to Heron. The open match today resulted in lots of bites for everyone, lets hope the rain has gone away. There is still a place available so please be in touch if you want to join us.
results
League table after round 3