Hillview lakes – 3/6/2009

This was a Wednesday open and they are usually ace matches to fish. The weather was looking very good but very hot. It may be difficult if the fish just decide to bask in the heat. After a nice breakfast I was in for an early draw with 18 fishing. I pulled out peg 3 and to say I was happy is an understatement. Peg 3 is an end peg on the bank closest to the café, next to an aerator. It had been throwing up good weights for weeks and I was really looking forward to it. My good mate Gary had drawn peg 1 and would be difficult to beat from there (even more so as I sorted him out with the tactics!).

Getting to my peg I didn’t know what to do as there were fish showing absolutely everywhere but the main bulk of them being on the top just splashing about. My margin also looked solid though next to a cut in, in the reeds. My plan for the day was to start short fishing paste for a couple of mug fish, feeding my shallow line and then drop down the edge later on in the match.

So with the plan of attack sorted my first rig to plumb up was a 4x14 Durafloat on 0.20 Silstar to a size 12 PR36 hook matched with doubled number 8 elastic. My rig for the edge was beefy and was taking no chances as it was a ‘messy’ edge peg it consisted of a Ackoo margin mugger on 0.22 straight through to a number 4 Tubertini 175 hook matched with double number 10. Finally I set up 3 rigs for fishing shallow using Malman Thickos 4x10 and 4x12 on 0.16 to 0.14 Silstar hook lengths and 16 B911’s with a hair rigged band, on doubled number 6 set soft. My bait was simple, paste, 2 pints of 6mm pellets for shallow, 2 pints of 4mm pellets for down the edge and paste lines and 3 tins of corn for feeding down the edge.

At the all in I put a full pot of pellet and corn to my right edge on my top 2 + 1 section, then put half a pot of 4mm pellets at 4m on my paste line. Before I put some hook bait on my paste rig I started to ping a few 6mm’s on my shallow line I continued to do this, feeding 4 pellets every minute or so. After 10 minutes I missed my first proper bite on paste so guessing there were some fish in the peg I put a bigger piece of paste on before the float had settled properly it was taken by a big fish that shot off to the middle of the lake, as I held it on my 2 sections, the fish turned and a big 8lb fish was in the net and I was off to the perfect start. I managed to put another 3 decent carp in the net in the first 45 minutes until it went dead. Gary was struggling fishing shallow and only had 1 carp so I decided to try my edge. I lowered in a small piece of paste and my float flew away and a small stockie was in the net, next drop the same happened, and next cast, and next. . . It was solid with the new fish that had been put in the lake. This was good as I was catching but the fish were quite small and I was hoping for bigger fish. At the halfway stage after fishing the 2 lines I had about 30lb, I finally decided to try shallow as my margin line was slowing.

I banded a 6mm pellet and set my rig to just 1 foot. I fed some pellet and shipped my pole to 11m, slapped the rig on the water and my pole literally ripped out my hands before I could feed again, I guided the fish back to 7 metres and then fed the peg with some more pellet to line the next fish up. The last part of the match was great regularly putting plump 2lb fish in the net with the occasional lump.

At the all out I thought I had about 75lb I knew Gary would be close to me but didn’t no a lot else that had been caught. I weighed in 81lb 10oz then Gary weighed 81lb 6oz, he was gutted! But I was then beaten by a 89lb, balls! Oh well a great day fishing in the sun and some more coin!