Closed Season Zander Quest Pt.32 – Sidetracked

4 year old Sam went from his balance bike to his pedal bike without stabilisers within an hour or so…

After his first knee grazing tank slapper I said “Sam, stop being so cocky”

“What’s being cocky mean Dad”

Well Son…

Shame the fishing session I had yesterday hadn’t happened before, as it was the classic case of being cocky.

I’d spotted two big Carp last time at the Tefal Head so armed with a carp sleeper rod I’d fish for my usual Zander quarry and hopefully catch one of them. 

The good weather meant more boat traffic throughout the day and the water was coloured with little or no visibility. You certainly wouldn’t know there was Carp there in the thick cover. I didn’t really until one accidentally showed itself. One was a big’un too, the width of its back suggested maybe even a 20 lber.

Three pieces of extra large corn fixed with a white corn stop were positioned in a gap between the cover, the drag tightened and a snag rest added.

It was a lovely day and for an hour and a half the float remained motionless as did the bobbin, but then when the sun went down and the temperature changed notably a pack of schoolies moved in.

Within ½ an hour I had at least 6 schoolies the biggest around 3lb, I thought I was going to run out of deadbait as they were properly on it.

Then it all went tit’s up….

As I was landing another ravenous Zed, the bite alarm sounds and a Carp had hooked itself via the weight of the lead and was off on a run. I could already see the impending disaster playing out in my mind before I even got to the rod.

Yeap,too late.

It had buried itself right under the cover and stuck fast. A lifting of the rod a whole 6 foot section of the thicket moved up and down.

The fish was still on as I could feel it when thumbing the line. Arhhhhhhhhhhhhh

My own fault for being cocky but despite rigging up an extremely strong set-up the inevitable happened and the fish shook himself loose.

It needs to be one of the other, in-fact if I do catch a double figure Zander then a canal twenty may be another challenge I’d like to get fully in to.