Since switching from NuttaS to S7 in the later part of spring this year my season had gone from strength to strength. It could be because it has resulted in a new personal best, or the fact that every fish I have had this year from the syndicate has fallen to it but what ever it was this bait has given me a huge confidence boost. The confidence was up well and truly until a recent, quick over night session....
I have so many projects on the go at the moment and so much flying around my brain that I made a monumental mistake. One of the projects I've got is a lake promo video for Selby Three Lakes Day Ticket and I managed to get some good footage just walking around the lake but decided that it would be better to grab some footage while I was fishing. So I rang the lad that runs the lake, Bullet, and got booked on for a Monday night after work.
Now here is where I messed up. For the past few sessions on my syndicate I had been doing the same thing and it had been working for me. Finding a nice little spot I know fish visit and baiting it with half and whole S7 and fishing solid bags over the top. Anyway I decided to take a bait to Three lakes that I had never used before. On to a venue that, to be frank, I had struggled my ass off on. And I know exactly what most of you are thinking, why you retard?! I don't really know, maybe I was thinking of using something that the fish may not have seen on this particular water. Something that isn't known for attracting the bream and tench. But anyway the deed was done and that was all I took with me.
So armed with a new bait I'd never used and my overnight gear I headed to the lake and went for a wonder around. Unfortunately the pegs on the majority of fish were taken and I decided to drop in to a swim called The Old Gate as I had fished it before. It was also the peg I had my first ever Three Lakes carp from so I decided to fish it more for nostalgic reasons than anything else, but as I was setting up a fish rolled on the pads straight out in front of me, that would do, I thought.
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| Pads Lining The Old Gate Swim |
Anyway from the get go, even after seeing that fish roll, I was never really confident. I just felt I was missing something. I was happy with my rigs, the spots and conditions and seeing fish in the area was even better. But the bait was just not doing me any favours, it may not have been the bait, the fish may not have visited the spot and I may have still blanked on S7 but I would have had my confidence with me. I'm not going to rubbish the other bait at all as I spoke to the guys who produce it and they seemed to think that it would work on that particular water. Anyway the inevitable happened and I ended up packing away the next morning to a stunning sun rise caught on film but nothing else.
I took a valuable lesson away from this experience. If you want to try something new then don't go all or nothing! What I should have done is taken what I was confident in and another bait if that was what was recommended, or I should have just not bothered with the other bait at all and trusted myself and my bait. It was a harsh lesson learnt. From now on I will only take what I am confident in. Whether it be mixed with particle to create a large bed of food items that will keep them guessing.....................................................
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| A Banquet Of Food Items |
Or on its own, which if I'm 100% honest in my opinion is the best way to fish with DNA's S7. From the sessions I've done recently the boilie approach certainly has done me well. All but one of my syndicate fish have come from a standard whole and halved bait strategy and now looking back at past mistakes and failures, I can see where I have gone wrong when I have not implemented it. I suppose that is another great thing about this sport, I am forever learning and that is what keeps me coming back for more!
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| S7 Capture From My Syndicate |
I have locked my faith in a bright high visual hookbait at the moment, I feel matches my feed baits really well, but wonder if I am missing out on bonus fish by not having a food bait attached to my rig. I guess that will be a test for my next outing. Fishing two rigs as close as I can with the two different hookbait options and see how well I do. I am really looking forward to getting out and putting all my ideas to the test. And not just the hookbait colour but type as well! I love a wafter or pop up so will be giving the new Evo hookbait system an outing soon as well.
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| Confidence, Will Improve My Chances Next Time |
Anyway I have just finished a batch of off-white pop up S7 hookers which I need to sort and stuff in to an air drying bag to harden before the next outing, just in-case the pink doesn't do anything for me ;) so until then I will leave you with my over-boosted DNA post and get back to doing what I do best, not much.
Later Folks
Matt.
