Thursday 14 April 2016

Pre-Season 2016/17


A new piece of David Miller art dropped through the letterbox a couple of weeks ago signalling a new season is coming. And although I haven't wet a line for the past month my campaign is kind of already underway.

Instead of accumulative target weights of fish I am planning on spending the next season (or two) trying to improve my rather average Personal Best list. Research has begun on where I can find my target species - and the aim is to improve on 10 of them this year.

Below is my current PBs, along with the record for the species and my percentage of the record - this highlights the softer targets - bloody bream! The eventual aim as to get as many over 50% as I can, but any improvement is a win.

Species PB Record %
Barbel 12lb 4oz 21lb 1oz 58%
Bream (Bronze) 5lb 3oz 22lb 11oz 22%
Carp (King) 20lb 2oz 51lb 8oz 39%
Carp (Crucian) 2lb 9oz 4lb 10oz 55%
Chub 5lb 2oz 9lb 5oz 55%
Dace 0lb 10oz 4dr 1lb 5oz 2dr 47%
Eel 2lb 11oz 11lb 2oz 24%
Gudgeon 0lb 2oz 11dr 0lb 5oz 54%
Perch 2lb 4oz 6lb 3oz 36%
Pike 25lb 4oz 46lb 13oz 53%
Pike (Stillwater) 17lb 0oz -- --
Pike (Canal) 15lb 0oz -- --
Roach 1lb 12oz 4lb 4oz 41%
Rudd 1lb 1oz 4lb 10oz 22%
Ruffe 0lb 2oz 0lb 5oz 40%
Tench 6lb 4oz 15lb 3oz 41%
Zander 9lb 1oz 21lb 5oz 43%
Grayling 2lb 1oz 8dr 4lb 4oz 48%
Trout (Brown) 4lb 15oz -- --
Trout (Rainbow) 4lb 0oz -- --

I will still do any opportunistic fishing that presents itself - can resist a bit of barbel bashing. I have a couple of trips planned with my Dad & brother, the first targeting perch, the second targeting sharks. And me and James are praying to the Weather Gods for the good winter river season that we missed out on last time...

Difficult challenge this season - can't wait to get cracking!