So the day after the UK Pole Champs saw a bright and early start at 5 o’clock! I was already knackered from the day before so I knew it would be a long old slug today! I knew for one thing I didn’t want to draw on the racetrack as it was peggy as hell, but one thing I was up for was to catch a catfish which happen to be residents in this lake. Last year on the same match I drew the racetrack but drew a corner peg and won my section easily enough so I knew if I drew crap I would be out of it.
We arrived far too early so I walked round the lakes with Zac Brown and Peter Upperton while they pegged it. Walking round racetrack up the far end on the right side they said this is one area I wouldn’t want to be in, but what did I do?! Chuffing well drew a peg right in that area, what number I can’t remember but I knew it was crap!
The Game Plan
So I based my match around catching tight over, or catching through the middle on paste. Tight over I set up two rigs; both were a new Preston Durafloat pattern, little black one with a spring eye. One was a 4×10 for off the bottom and one was a 4×12 for dead depth. They were both on 0.13mm Powerline to a size 16 B911 hook. They consisted of a small bulk of Preston stotz just below half way from the hook to the float. This rig was tied to a 13H Preston hollo elastic. The paste rig was a 4×12 Big ‘H’ slimline paste float. It was tied on 0.21 Preston Powerline (Tow Rope) to a size 12 PR21, the elastic was a Preston 15H and was fitted through a power kit. As you can tell I was pretty geared up for the cats, not half as much as some of the lads, fishing 20lb braid hooklengths with size 8 raptor hooks!
This rig was also used to fish tight to a bush coming off of the far bank, and also for down the edge. So at the start I fed a few bits of meat and corn tight over, two balls of pellet based groundbait on the paste line, and four balls tight to the bush. I figured that catfish like a lot of bait so I gave them a lot! Down the edge I fed a pot of 6mm pellets with around 20 grains of corn mixed it.
The Match
So I decided to start tight over fishing a piece of meat on the hook, feeding around 5-10 bits every chuck with a kinder pot. I was surprised to get loads of liners, so I whipped out the shallow rig and it just sat there! Strange I know, so I went back on the bottom rig and was soon into a small 3lb carp. 5 minutes later he was safely in the net and back out I went. By constantly lifting and dropping I was getting plenty of indications, but not connecting with anything. So I decided to start feeding a bit of groundbait, and soon caught another small carp of similar size, but once again they backed off. So after an hour I had 2 fish in the net, great I’m thinking. I was beating either side so it’s not all bad. Paste time I thought. So I went on my paste line at 8 metres with a golf ball size lump of paste. I was rewarded with liners, yet again. Oh great. So I stuck there, missed a few, then soon leant into something, the heart starts going but then when you feel that shaking of the head you know it’s a carp great, not what I wanted, but it put me up there.
The match then went very quiet the next two hours being slow, so I set up a pellet rig and was soon catching a few skimmers over my paste line. I tried re-feeding, changing tactics, and loose feeding tight over like the people who were catching. But to no reward. So with half an hour to go I decided to sprinkle half a pot of 8mm pellets, two metres off the bank to try and catch a last gasp catfish. I let the pellets settle for fifteen minutes while I tried my other line.
I wrapped the biggest piece of paste I have ever fished around my hook and shipped it out. I dropped it in the water and let the float settle. I patiently waited for around a minute, when the float suddenly slowly dipped under. Screw this I thought, and I struck as hard as I could, I knew what it was as it didn’t move at all! So I got the pole behind me while I had the chance and played the fish out. I managed to break down to my top four and played the fish for around twenty minutes. It was stuck to the bottom, and kept going for the edges, but all I was concerned in was those rubber pads breaking the line! So as soon as I got it on the surface I added a little more pressure and scooped it in tail first. It weren’t a monster but I over the moon. The reason it hadn’t broke me was it was hooked in the scissors, how lucky was I eh?!
The Result
So I’d caught my first cat fish!! YESSSSSSS! Just what I wanted, there weren’t loads caught, and mine was probably the smallest at around 8 lb. But it boosted my weight to 19lb and earned me a fairly respectable 5th in my 16 peg section. Not a bad result off a crap peg! And it added to not a bad team result, with both Trabucco Southeast teams being in the top 8. Keep checking and I’ll upload a photo of my cat soon, when I get the time that is! I had a few weeks break after this double header and my next outing was this weekend on the London Youth games, so stay tuned to see how we did. Ever heard of someone breaking three records in one match? Well you may be about to find out if you keep checking my blog! Tight lines guys!!
I would like to welcome Jake to the Trabucco SE team. Pleased he’s joined us and he’s a fantastic addition to the team.
More importantly good luck Jake in the England youth trials and lets hope you do the business and get in the team.
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Tom
