THE PERFECT STORM
11th March 2022
Dan Davies takes advantage of prior knowledge and capitalises with a 21-fish his across two sessions!
Carp are very much creatures of habit and it’s often the anglers that figure out their trends in behaviour that tend to capitalise more than others. This could be anything from specific patrol routes to something as simple as the weather conditions and how this relates to the fish’s location and mood. The latter is what Dan Davies used to his advantage this winter, having previously seen success on his syndicate lake in periods of stormy weather, he knew where to be and boy did it pay off!
The Bait Spray range has been designed as an alternative attractor to supplement the liquids already in each range.
Dan told Sticky:
“I’ve always enjoyed winter and early spring fishing, with quieter banks and more importantly a quieter work schedule it enables me to be more selective with my sessions and fish in a nomadic way. With that in mind I keep a sharp eye on the weather and make sure that I can spend time at the lake when I feel like a bite is on the cards.
“Over the previous few years, I’ve kept some pretty detailed records of my fishing trips and time at the lake and with some big storms pending, I was certain that the conditions were going to be perfect shortly after the storm passed! Looking back through my diary it was clear the conditions matched that of a red-letter session nearly a year to the day, it was a no brainer!
“I had previously located some pretty dense weed and bloodworm beds at long range that were clearly a huge carp magnet throughout the colder months! With the carp so preoccupied it can often be difficult to get a bite but using short zigs over the area soaked in the sweet tasting Mulbz, the fish seemed to be more than obliging and it was enough to pull them out of the weed.
“With that in mind it was a case of keeping an eye on the air pressure waiting for that big drop. I’ve found on this particular lake that the key time isn’t in the eye of the storm but shortly after the worst of the weather has passed. The fish are often quick to react to a wind, but I’ve found that within 24 hours of taking a battering they are more than happy to back off the wind and sit in the central areas of the lake.
“My first session based around the storm resulted in six bites with five landed including three over 30lb topped by two 35lb stunners. I was over the moon and didn’t think in the winter I could ask for much more! But then… along came Storm Eunice, the conditions suited the lake even better than previously. With a method I knew would work and the fish seeming even closer to waking up for the spring, I felt sure more bites weren’t too far away.
“To cut a long story short, and in any case it’s mostly a blur! My first bite came shortly after the lead had hit the bottom and what was to follow can only be described as carnage, with multiple double takes and fish stacked up in numbers over the area it looked like the odds were stacked in my favour! Over the next day or so I managed 19 bites with 16 landed, it really was a session to remember.”
