VENUE FILE
SOUTH LAKE – MESSINGHAM SANDS
Location: Newstead Farm, Black Bank, Susworth, N.Lincs, DN173AX
Contact: (01724) 763647Website: www.messinghamsands.co.uk/day%20ticket%20lakes.htm
OVERVIEW: SOUTH LAKE – MESSINGHAM SANDS
Location: Newstead Farm, Black Bank, Susworth, N.Lincs, DN173AX
Contact: (01724) 763647Website: www.messinghamsands.co.uk/day%20ticket%20lakes.htm
The South day ticket lake is always in great form producing quality fish for visiting anglers. It has 25 well spaced pegs and is well suited to the natural angler, this lake tends to be overlooked with many anglers preferring to fish the Oak Tree lake instead but this lake holds many specimen sized fish which can be caught quite easily on a wide variation of methods and baits, If you are happy catching quality Roach all day then this is the place to fish with individual fish weighing in at more than 2lbs and many other fish attaining specimen proportions, the Carp can be caught on a wide variation of methods including on the surface and up in the water but the better fish are normally caught on more traditional bomb or feeder rigs using bigger baits that the smaller fish cannot get to, if you are a bit of a purist angler and enjoy fishing for fighting fit fish then this is the lake for you.
I had arrived at the South Lake at Messingham Sands to find the lake almost completely frozen; there were only 2 pegs which were ice free! I had about 13m to the ice directly in front of me, and about 9m to it at my right, with a slight bit of clear water to my left. Due to being restricted for distance, the pole was the only real option. I plumbed up both at 9m and 13m, with the depths being identical at 14ft deep.
Due to a high bank behind the peg I opted to start on the 9m line – The tactics that I had in mind was to feed small nuggets of groundbait through a kinder pot with a few pinkies in the mix, and fish maggot over the top. I had also set up a slider rod, and a waggler rod. I had a planned to fish the waggler half depth on the same line as the slider, and loose feed maggots over the top once the ice had melted enough. I started on the 9m line, and it only took about a minute for the first bite, and a pristine roach of 6oz hit the net. I had a couple more bites before re-feeding, and the trend continued; until I fed for a third time, when the bites grounded to a halt. I left it for about 10 mins, and the bites returned, so I fished until the bites slowed right down before re-feeding again; which did the trick! Bites increased immediately after feeding with roach & skimmers nearly every put-in.