Hi guys.havent been on here for a while as it seems abit toxic at times but i have a question for the more older,experienced carpers like me.
Have you seen a difference in what boilies seem to work best in certain types of lakes?
For example,are fishmeals more productive in deep lakes or shallow and if so why?
Do nut baits work better in weedy lakes,get my drift?
Im sure weve all had a favourite bait over the years that catches on most places then on a certain type of lake you cant get a sniff,coincidence maybe?
There's alot of boilie choice out there today from the basic stuff up to the quality stuff,they all work on their day but im guessing the quality ones like Daves at Rollin and Kennys at Asylum will prevail regardless as the carp knows whats good for it but im curious if anyone has found a pattern with catch rates using different bait make ups.
I presume the thinking brains of Frank Warwick and JB would have certain views on this,like i say 'just curious'....

In reply to Post #13
Hiya,not sure about travelling dates as Covid may have a say on that.i used to go for long weekends,Harwich-Hook of Holland overnight thursday sailing then have 3 days-only fishing,head to Amsterdam for final day for shops,bars etc..rounded the trip off nicely.like i said i havent been over since 1990 ish so lots must have changed,been fishing other countries in search of hippos,Holland was really enjoyable,non stop action but nothing big,high 20s was best i had,just like the tranquillity,rawness and unknown of the canals,could be 12lb or 40lb and they fight like hell.id love to go this year sometime but no dates as yet.btw the dutch guys i met whilst over there were fabulous lads,good english and happy to show us other venues,you wouldnt get that in the UK,very sad how carp fishing has gone over here,no morals or etiquette anymore,just sad loners with huge egos trying to get the next consultancy deal at any cost.

In reply to Post #10
I couldnt agree more,most places flood each year and yes you take your chances buying tickets hoping Single Scale or Gertie hasnt disappeared especially if your chosen venue isnt fenced very well,if its prone to flooding then i think most peoples minds would naturally turn to the question of whether their prized target will still be attainable in the coming months.having toyed with joining the complex this year my initial thought was to enquire on this forum and with Gordy whether any current members had a St Ives sit-rep post flooding thats all,i fish all over the Cambs area and for years one of the first questions i ask concerns whether the stock im hoping to catch and pay big fees for are still in the lake,its not meant to sound cheeky but seems the common sense thing to do to me when joining expensive syndicates,you just hope the owner or bailiffs give you their honest opinion.on the fenced fisheries its not a worry but places like Ferry,Far Fen etc...its very possible it could turn into a long,expensive blank if you dont enquire with people on the ground.

In reply to Post #9
Woh,ok 'fireblade',calm the hell down.
Unless im mistaken i thought the whole point of a Forum is to ask questions to the masses hoping someone in the know has the answers.no good jumping on your high horse and shouting down on people.
If im spending £500 plus on a ticket to a venue im not familiar with which regularly floods then anyone with half a brain cell would ask the obvious......'are the fish still in there',its perfectly normal.
Im sure people joined Savay in the 80s hoping to catch Sally only to find out she may have gone on holiday down the River Colne at some stage never to be seen again,id rather ask the right questions first before parting with my dollar so in future please produce an informative reply based on hard facts,im sure this would be much appreciated by all concerned.
Btw like i said in my earlier post nobody including you will know for sure what remains and whats gone each year after seasonal flooding because unless everywhere is fenced 20ft high im afraid theyre curious animals and often go walkies.all we have to go on is catch reports and the odd sighting in the warmer months,for example how often in a season is Mutleys seen swimming around in 30 acre Long Reach?,hardly ever is the answer but we know its there because it gets caught confirming its existance,i rest my case.
People need to calm down in life in general guys,theres way too much aggression around,especially on forums and social media,after the period weve had with Covid think of Captain Tom and what he stood for.'just be nice' to people he said,great life lesson.help out abit more when people are struggling,that way when you finally slip the net under your target fish everyone will be happy for you and share the moment with you,lets appreciate our fabulous sport and the like minded anglers who pursue our legendary carp rather than being the grumpy,sad loner who hides himself away,doesnt talk to anyone and only cares about his ego and selfish targets,come on guys shape up......its only a bit of fishing

In reply to Post #7
Hi Calabro,you seem clued up on the Twente canal,i fished it alot late 80s early 90s,mainly Delden,Hengelo hot water stretch like the masses did and the Zwaaikom campsite area made famous by RH RIP.
Loved every trip and caught loads,great memories,are those areas still worth trying as i want to return and give it another go,also fished a lovely lake called Bleiswijk? and a lake near Nieuwkoop?
Any up to date info for a potential road trip would be great............please!!

In reply to Post #2
Hi guys,i know Gordys a busy man and hard to get hold of but has anyone heard on the grapevine from current members regarding any fish losses at the complex due to the floods?
I know people who are now wary of joining/parting with their money until theyre sure the complex hasnt lost fish,in reality we wont know until the autumn i suppose when the seasons captures have been analysed

In reply to Post #9
Hi Nojoakes,yeah i would defo give it a go,Shaun the owner will sort you some samples im sure,he doesnt shout too loud about how good his bait is,he doesnt have to as results speak for themselves,you wont find him go mad with adverts either trying to hook the angler into believing the hype,he's just a sound,hardworking guy producing good quality bait that works!!
He has another bait called The Max on test but the fact he only produces 2/3 baits tells you everything,its all you need really,a good fishmeal and a nut/carbohydrate type mix,,look at companies like Essential and Baitworks,small range but high quality baits that catch carp not the angler,both run by great people too.

In reply to Post #7
Hi guys,ive used both baits from Xcel.they are both very good catchers,well constructed and thought out,Shaun who runs it is a top bloke,plenty of experience and knowledge.
I particularly like and have best results on the VNF,incredibly moorish to smell and taste,good enough to eat.
First time out a few years ago i took 1kg to a tricky little estate lake in January on a day session,no prebaiting,the lake in question had done very few bites since the autumn,being silty i fished two chods with matching VNF pop ups on and scattered 100 or so dumbells around the area,i caught within the hour and the swivel on the chod was on the carps lip where the hook normally is and looking on the mat it was covered in creamy VNF slush that the carp was crapping out.
I had another carp that day both 20lb plus commons and the 3 other lads on who were bivvied up all blanked.i had 28 carp in 14 days-only fishing from Jan until mid March when i went to my main syndicate in Cambs where the good run continued.
Well orth a try,not advertised much compared to some but if youre in the Manilla,Cell etc....nut mix market then i would speak to Shaun and get on it,very underrated stuff.
Havent done much with the KSC but again very nutritious and works well,a friend emptied Northey Park using it.

In reply to Post #82
Like ADW sais earlier it was defo JB who passed the original to Rod,the company who made up the liquid was based near Croydon and it worked on the reaction of milk lactones via a dairy connection.
The closest today will either be Kennys supply or JBs Toppex and Milky1
Always remember in life and in fishing nothing lasts forever so if theres something you wish to do,go fish or try do it now........and have no regrets

In reply to Post #61
I met Hutchy in Leslies around 88-89 and we got discussing his flavours.
The mention of Scope-X is bang on as it attracted all species,those were his words.
a close friend of mine who fished Savay with him said the original combo was rancid cream,blackcurrant and strawberry,not sure if they were esters,palatants or flavours though.i took ithis as accurate as of his close friendship to Rod at the time but only Rod would have have the true story of course,RIP.
The copied version of todays scopex in its various forms,even the Scopex No.1 sold by Nash who bought Catchum 88 from Rod is a very poor relation but obviously still works.