SOUTH LAKE - MESSINGHAM SANDS

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:
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.


FISHING:
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.

While I had been fishing the pole the stiff breeze from right to left had melted the ice sufficiently for me to try the slider. I started feeding with loose fed maggots at around 20m, and gave it 15 mins before trying it. The response was instant; I was once again catching roach on a regular basis. For the last hour of the day I decided to give the half depth waggler a try – This was UNBELIEVABLE, the bites were instant, and with roach to 2lb!. The last hour seemed like only 5 minutes…….Gutted!!! I had caught about 40lb; and with a few roach over 2lb it was an amazing days fishing for a cold December day!!!