In reply to Post #2
It’s d printed - so comes with some limitations I’m afraid - it’s not dishwasher safe and if you flood baits with glug I think it would find a way out. I never do but don’t even in leakproof pots, rather give them a bit of a spray if ever I coat them. I also use a ‘beer mat’ cut to size in the lid with a little flavour soaked in on this and my pva tubes, only to prevent foreign stalls rather than introduce new ones. Thanks for the reply.

As many of you know I have mucked about with tackle innovation and ideas for over 20 years – only ever hobby based and mostly for fun. We (Carp-Tart) did the early Essex shows and last had a stand pre-covid, but now only supply certain products direct to The Tackle Box, who have been such a brilliant support partner, not just for us but for many other small companies looking to share their wares. I can not speak highly enough of the impact The Tackle Box have had on Kent angling, it’s anglers and the sport in general.

The reason for the post – is that I am looking at a side hustle with a difference – Carp-Tart via the Box will stay as is, the three of us that run it will still fish together and do anything needed to support the products the Box wants to see – but we grew bored of being copied, bored of the cheap tackle stands at the shows and the same old same old re-badged stuff – our stuff was all UK made, blooming expensive to produce and allowing for shop margins (or postage) eventually put us in a place where it wasn’t worth it to keep innovating – we were the FIRST EVER producer of distance sticks (we didn’t invent their use, but we replaced the old bank sticks with smooth topped designated sticks-supplied to team England) and many other mainly tarty bits – we are for the few, not for the many and that’s OK.

My new ‘exploit’ will be limited edition stuff – sell out and then move on to the next idea. They will be the bits of stuff I have used, had made or tested that a few others over the years have been interested in – I will care not about the copies, nor the negativity that comes with blind social trolls. I will be upfront and honest about margins, how much it costs to make and how much it costs to pattern and prototype – before either the product is deemed useless / unsold, or it is copied and faked or reinvented by the usual suspects. Getting the first product launched is something I had made pre-covid and have now found someone that can produce them – this is NOT a sales ad and I won’t have the products in my hand until another 2 weeks or so – but this post is for a couple of reasons.

I don’t want anyone nicking it before I’ve had a chance to show
This is the final version; I have worked out internal capacity – how to identify contents and colour etc.
I want to gauge interest – please, please, keep it kind they will retail at £16 and take a full tub of hook baits in every section

Like I say it’s not for the masses but for the few. A very limited run and had it made because I only really use one hookbait, in pop-ups, wafters or hard situation dependent.

I would look at the ideal spot I’d fish without boats and I’d come 3ft off and pult or stick baits. Boat waters are advantageous to non boat users in my opinion. Don’t ever go pva bags or anything that could be confused as a boat trap. Regular casting and inaccurate baiting is my way forward - the opposite of what I do when they are banned. There isn’t a bait boat user around that drops singles short with no other bait - I actually love the innovative of bait spreaders for bait boats that tells you all you need to know…

With the ridiculous drought we’ve had I have been taking as many photos as possible for the days when they fill back up. It’s been absolutely amazing to see lakes minus 3 foot of water, here’s an island on a little water I fish, so tight was never really that tight with this undercut (please don’t name venue if you know)

Get out there and get snapping away - this is an opportunity that may pay dividends for years

I only ever take a small percentage out the water let alone weigh them, but I will weigh certain fish from certain venues - but and this really winds me up - I will only ever weigh after doing photos and then not overly accurately and I never share weights with anyone but close friends and even the. It will be just over xxlb or just under xxlb. I unhook in the net and if I want a pic, sling under net, mat, photo whilst getting rid of net, lay back on sling zip up weigh and return, takes no time at all. Everyone on every lake I fish, says don’t you want to weigh it first - why? I may be ounces over or under when I weigh the sling after release. Digital photography is free so I’m not wasting film. I would rather it be 39.14 than 40.04 if really doesn’t matter does it?

In reply to Post #7
Absolutely- I will pay and also send old boxes I go through them

In reply to Post #3
I hear you - but have never found this to be th case in the deep waters I have fished. The trouble with depths and seeing fish is the distance they are away from your hookbait - I fished a bloody hole in the ground years ago and didn’t see anyone catch anything further than a Rod length out, and the lake was fairly easy and doubles and singles.

THe one lake I fish now with near 40ft depth is a gravel pit and so has enough depth change to work out where they may feed after the deep water aerobatics. Absolutely no help at all but without any significant depth changes I wouldn’t have a clue. Logic says that they are obviously feeding as they have no choice so can only go off other anglers or I would go for light light leads and naked chods with the top bead set way up in the weed.

The trouble with Deep lakes for me is the pure volume of water and in my head acreage and water volume present the same challenges -

The world changes - mobile phones, information, innovation and attitudes. If you took up fishing more than 50 years ago you would have started at a day ticket Hooking perch deep throat and asking the man next door to unhook. For a good couple of decades carp fishing has been entry level because the world and information mean people want big from the word go - that’s not a fishing problem.

Looking back to the glory days - we rarely caught and would spend days camping for the odd double or occasionally a 20. These days I can get my fix by daytime angling and back home for dinner. I almost admire the 48 hour crew, that they still get that buzz at 2am for fish that aren’t gonna rock the world, fair play - I don’t do nights anymore because the alternative is better - my house, my family and my bed.

Carp fishing used to be a badge of honour, I now cringe when my Mrs introduces me to someone at work who ‘carp fishes too and has one of those boats that takes the hook out’. I cringe at the word pond, bosh, and the under the willow cast has become 4 and a quarter wraps.

But and this is the rub, it’s a hobby, enjoyable sometimes a bit addictive, you always lose more times than you win and if you sat outdoors making tea and enjoying all the countryside has to offer without rods you’d be a pervert. I take so much gear and wonder how we ever used to manage pre barrows - but the reason that I can’t carry my stuff anymore is more down to fishery rules regards mats and slings rather than a pull out sofa bed that weighs more than a mini metro.

Fishing is unlike anything else I know - and f you don’t go because you want to, why? To fill up social media? To have more than the other people? To get out of the house?

The best thing about most of our fishing - is that it’s a hobby, enjoyment and relaxation - I often cut short a session by just thinking, would I rather be somewhere else? Would I rather be doing something different - if the answer is yes I go, no longer staying and thinking that endurance is the answer - life’s too short - it’s just a stinking fat fish.

As a weekend day angler I go back to Jim gibbinsons writing - I go when the waters wobbly, meaning it it ain’t frozen and he panned to go - he went.

I find it the most pointless of theories in my own personal fishing - air pressure I think we can make better choices at the lake, as with weather and wind speeds but moon phases - just don’t work for me and reminded me of my commuter days when everyone said get the train line app - my trains ran every 20 mins, so knowing I was gonna miss one by 5 mins or knowing I had a 20 min wait was actually useless information to me. I don’t want to run off 2 mins early or stay another 10 - I just want to do what I do. It’s not that I don’t believe in moon phases or other things it’s just that I can’t really optimise any learnings without filling my head it’s more confidence sapping stuff.

Fishing when the waters wobbly sounds good to me

In reply to Post #13
Just the Korda ones matey