This weeks Lure sessions

Fished the 6 acre pit on Tuesday, only one pike on the bank, about 5 or so "realised at distance"

Taken on a 3"orange Relax Kopyto Shad,  with a size 1, 7 gm barbarian jig head

This fish was followed in to the net by another one that was a fair bit bigger,
The landed fish was a really awkward  so and so,
and got me, the trace ,braid and forceps in a right 2 & 8.
By the time that I had got everything sorted out, and could get back to lure chucking the bigger fish was long gone :(

Wednesdays' session was started on the smallest, weed choked pit , skimming shads across, in the top one foot of water ,I caught 4 small jacks, and lost a couple more . And must of had about a dozen or so that did not hook up at all .
As you can see they were pretty small, but they hit the lure with some venom, launching themselves clean out of the water on occasions!
I was using a 3" white Relax Kopyto Shad on a size 1, 7 gm jig head .

I then went to the 6 pit , and caught 2 fish, in 2 casts, from the same swim that I had caught from  the day before, on the trusty 3" white kopyto shad.

The second fish was a tail walking expert, and gave the carp angler in the next swim a good show, he could  not believe how I had caught two fish out of the same swim, in just my first two casts.
I was a bit dumbfounded myself , but that's lure chucking for you !

I have started to use a new set up ,when using shads and grub baits, I have dispensed with the swivel, and the snap link to the jig. I feel that the swivel is pretty well redundant when using a shad as there is no spin ,so I tie the braid directly to the trace material using an Albright knot.
Also I have found that the only time that I need a snap link to secure the jig head ,is when I might want to add a spinner blade attachment in coloured water,in those conditions I will use a snap link.
Now I simply tie the trace to the jig head with a two and a half turn blood knot, then spin the tag end tight with the forceps, and trim off any excess.
The positives that I have found from this set up is that I can free most of the weed that might get attached with a good firm jerk of the rod tip, as there is much less for it to catch on.
I also feel that I can impart a better action into the lure on a slow retrieve, and especially when just hopping a lure along the bottom.

I then caught another fish from a reedy bank, I had to pull it through the reeds as my Spro net was not quite long enough to reach it, just as I had beached it on a raft of reeds, the hook pulled out and the fish was just laying there , I reversed the net, and pushed it carefully back in to the water, so I am going to count that as a capture with a near to distant release, it was a fish of about 5 lb or so.

I worked my way around the lake until I was opposite where I had  started, and then managed to do it again- 2 fish in 2 casts , with the carp angler watching,and cheering from the far bank, these fish were a bit bigger, the last one possibly a near double,
They were both taken on a, white, black , and red Mikado Fishunter lure.

All in all a good session , the best for a long while, < o {{{{{{{{==-<