Have booked on to Billingford in Norfolk in the next few weeks but very little info available on the place...Any pointers, things to watch out for, favoured baits....Any info would be great?

There are literally thousands of crays in most of the lakes, some monsters too.
Put a little bait close in the margins and have a look at night, I couldn't believe how many there was.
The bayliff came round and we said about it so he opened up the back of his jeep to show us a create full of crays he just caught from the traps.
He also said he has removed about 5thousand a month ago but that made little impact.

In reply to Post #2
Guessing it ruined your session or were you able to overcome them?

I just wrapped the hook bait in shrink wrap and also used fake corn and kept re-casting every 1.5hours during the day to check the bait.
There are lots of ways to get round the crays.
Have a general search

In reply to Post #4
Did you have any luck? Do you fish there much? Do you know what the stock levels are like?

In reply to Post #5
If you pop onto the bait section , there's a thread running at the moment on using flavoured wooden balls to defeat ronnie and reggie. Invaluable advice from Uncle Ken. I'd defo have a read.

In reply to Post #6
Lack of catch info online is a bit of a worry ....Has anyone caught from here or aware of stock levels?

In reply to Post #1
I like the look of this place and it seems to have a lot going for it, BUT when you talk to the anglers they all moan about the crays and lack of carp (due to the crays???) and many of the first timers said that they will not be going back. I walk around the lakes quite often but I have never seen a carp on the bank (have seen plenty topping)all I have heard is rumours of atleast 1 or 2 30's in each water. If it wasn't for the crays I would love to give it a go but as my fishing time is limited I would rather go some where (and in Norfolk there is plenty of lakes) where I feel I would not be wasting my time and don't need the hassle of crays.

In reply to Post #8
fished the "front lake" for the first time a couple of weeks ago. just done a 24hr session, had one at around 11-12lb and lost another which felt a bit better. crays do tweak the alarms fairly often but both runs came to hardened hookbaits tipped with plastic corn and an extender-stop. fished over particle spod-mix wouldnt bother with pellet or boilie whatsoever as it just attracts more crays

In reply to Post #9
Anyone got any up to date info on this place? Are the crays still abundant??

Any recent info greatly received.

Cheers

In reply to Post #10
I would still be interested in knowing more about the cray situation at this place.

Anyone fished it recently?

Cheers

In reply to Post #11
I know of lads catching plenty of fish from there this season and last season, I've also got all the photos 😉

In reply to Post #12
That's interesting to hear, which lake were they fishing?

In reply to Post #13
Hi, anyone been here recently please?? Thinking of visiting when away in may.... TIA X

In reply to Post #14
Responding to this old thread as have recently moved to the area and this is one of my closest fisheries so have been giving it a bash. Probably done 10 sessions (mix of 24 hour and days only sessions) from the mid summer 2020 until now. 4 winter sessions.
The only fish I've landed in that time was a 4lb Tench on a float when I had my daughter with me and she had her little float rod out. The only other fish I've even seen come out in that time was one common at around 33lb from the second lake.
Nice fish but chatting with the member in the swim next to me he advised sticking to the front lake as the second lake would "fry my brain". He very much seemed to know what he was doing (could be wrong) but he said he was on a 10 night blank himself. Obviously this is no runs water.
Admittedly half of my time on the lakes has been over the winter but even so, I think I will be looking for somewhere new.
Also it was absolutely rammed for all of the times I was there in the summer.

Another thought. The bailiff is a nice enough guy in his way but despite my asking for a bit of guidance he was giving absolutely nothing away. Isn't part of the bailiff's job to try and help put customers on the fish so that they keep coming back? Wouldn't make any suggestions at all as to location, bait or rigs that are working. I don't want him to do all the work but I would have thought a bit of help to a fairly new boy that's getting a bit despondent wouldn't go amiss.

In reply to Post #15
Hi - Anymore up to date news/views on these lakes?
I'm probably going in a couple of weeks.

Any information on the cray situation?
cheers Matt

In reply to Post #16
I'm told the crays are much better this year but have no first hand experience myself.

Hi all, has anyone fished recently or fishes billingford regurlarly able to give any details about the venue?

Has anyone fished this lake recently. I will be working in that area come the end of Oct and wondered are the crays still as bad as the first reports suggest and whats the stock of the larger lakes on the complex ?
I am planning on 24hr sessions and worried about crays so will take nuts and plastic. Just wanted an update.

In reply to Post #19
No crays to worry about at all. I've not had a single bait touched by them in the 15-20 nights I've done this year.
Stock wise, there's loads in there, I couldn't tell you exact numbers but there's plenty.
They aren't as easy as you'd think though considering the stock, far from difficult but don't expect to just pub chuck them and catch loads.

In reply to Post #20
Have you caught any tench from the great lake?
I know cygnet lake is prolific, but heard the bigger tench are in great lake. Tia.

In reply to Post #21
No I've not caught any myself. I've also heard that the bigger ones are in the Great Lake. See plenty rolling at first light every time I'm there. A tench angler I was talking to told me he'd had them to 9lb.

In reply to Post #20
cheers Dekay, thats good news and a relief.