JJ & Leigh - The Specimen Hunters

https://youtube.com/shorts/kkUYO3UUfw0?si=y3Rn3IqiYnhaphHw

Love The Rain

What a crazy year!
We really haven’t done much fishing at all this year, but the highlights have been:

1. A targeted 3lb + Roach for Leigh
2. A decent Scottish Codling on lures for Mags
3. My first ever Ling, caught from the shore to boot.

We had a great day out on our mate Robin’s boat BIF1, a few after-work sessions chasing Bass on lures, and I managed a decent number of Carp from the park lake for the few occasions that I fished it.

Mags and I moved to Eastbourne a couple of weeks ago. This’ll make fishing with Leigh a little trickier, but i’m sure we’ll still squeeze in a few sessions.
It also means that Mags and I are close to the coast, and we have some new and interesting venues nearby to investigate.

I took the decision to change the name of our YouTube channel to ‘The Specimen Hunters’.
This is because although Leigh and are obviously LEGENDS (😂) our little group has always been a family thing.
Brian, Chris, Nick, Dean, Mags, and even my old mate John from the Kent days are all vital parts of what make our fishing so enjoyable, so we hope to share more of their captures moving forward.

With the weather being absolutely sh*te of late it’s unlikely we’ll be doing much before the new year, but we’ll be back out there doing it very soon.

In the meantime thanks to everyone that follows, you’re all hugely appreciated.

Best wishes to you all for Xmas and new year, and we hope to bring you much more content soon.

Tight Lines,

JJ

two years ago i landed a very big roach of 2lb 14oz from my local water. Thinking there might be something a bit special living in its depths i have been trying to figure out a way to target them. Summer fishing was a lottery, loads and loads of 8 to 12oz roach plus the bream and tench made it imposible but once the water cools the chances increase. last week i hooked and unfortunatly lost what im sure was a very good roach so toady, with almost perfect conditions i gave it another go. After half a dozen bream to 6lb the swim went a little quiet. Then i got a solid drop back and conected with a good fish that was giving plenty of head shakes, something the bream dont do so much. As i got it close it came to the surface and i could see it was a huge roach. In the net at the first atempt and i could see this was something very special. not just its size but the it was chunky too. A quick txt to my bud that lives just over the road and I had my prize weighed and witnesed at 3lb 4oz.
Over the moon is an understatment.

Well the unconditional offer is finally in hand, so I can announce that I’ll be starting a new job as a Resuscitation Officer at Eastbourne hospital in January 🙂.
Maggie Flower and I have the final paperwork going through on our new home, and we’ll be moving 1st December.
I’ve had some great times at East Surrey, and they helped develop me from a wide-eyed student in 2016 to where I am now.
It’s time to move on though, and this is not only a great role but a nicer house and a better town for quality of life.
Bring on the future!

Had a tubby little 14lb Common for my troubles, in amongst the hoard of big old Bream.

I’d forgotten how much of a pain in the arse Carp fishing can be.
I forgot one piece of kit, and despite having enough crap on my barrow to supply a Commando unit, I coudn’t fish without it. The legend Maggie Flower came to my rescue, and the rods are finally on the spot.
I miss the days of only needing a few lures in my pocket and single rod that folds down smaller than a rounders bat!
That said, this can be a great time of year for tempting a biggun. Calm conditions aren’t ideal, but the air pressure’s low and the moon is full(ish).
There’s been a few out lately from the other end of the lake, but there’s a big old Carp that seems to like this area.
Had one inevitable Bream for my troubles so far, but it really is a lovely night just to be out.
Let’s see what happens…🎣

Bass Fishing Sussex A day out with our buddy Fishy Rob - www.brightoninshorefishing.co.uk

Accidentally posted the draft earlier, but here’s the finshed video. Give us like and subscribe on YouTube would ya? We won’t forget you when we’re famous 😂

Bass Fishing Sussex A day out with our buddy Fishy Rob - www.brightoninshorefishing.co.uk

Maggie Flower searching for that 5lb + lure Bass. One day…

For those of you that might not be aware, we’ve got a YouTube channel, that has a fair few videos ready for watching.
We’ve not done as much filming of late, but we’re going to make a point of doing more this year, maybe including a few instructional videos for how to target certain species?
It would mean the world to us if you could subscribe to our YouTube channel, and it’ll help motivate us to get back on the filming horse.
We’re far from professional videographers, but those that watch the vids seem to enjoy them.
Please check us out, leave a like/dislike and subscribe if you can 🙂

River Carp Fishing Challenge - Episode 4 The challenge? To catch a 20lb+ Carp from all of the county's rivers.With time running out til the end of the season, it was time to apply maximum effort. Fr...

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Hey fish fans!
So, it was Brian’s birthday on Wednesday, Happy Birthday Brian!
We’re having a celebratory social session on a busy day ticket water.
Brian arrived yesterday, and managed a small Carp for his troubles. I joined him at around 9 this morning for the second and final night.
It had been a grueller of a day with nothing to show for our efforts, then we both managed a small Carp late afternoon.
In the last hour or so we’ve each had a better one, and although the lake is pretty rammed we’re optimistic of another chance before we leave in the morning.
Watch this space….

So Maggie and I had an impromptu trip to the shore last night, armed with some frozen mackerel & squid, and whatever bits of tackle I could rustle up.
Maggie is a very competent caster with a lure rod and lighter coarse rods, but has never had to really punch a lead out there. With that in mind she used a simple 3.25lb tc carp rod, and was sending out a 3oz grip lead more than far enough in very short order.
First stop was the marina, which was closed. Doh!
The next mark I could think of was a couple of miles west, and when we arrived there were a fair few anglers about (usually a good sign).
Slotting in just at the top if the tide, we dispatched single, small mack & squid cocktail baits on simple running ledger rigs, the hooklength being around 3ft of 25lb flourocarbon.
It’s not the greatest time of year for shore fishing, with the winter species leaving and the summer species not inshore in numbers yet, but it was just fun to be out.
Maggie’s goal was to catch her first Dogfish, and with the baits we had at our disposal there was a fair chance we’d get one if there were any about.
Not 2mins after the first cast I had a solid bite, a Doggy! But could we get one for Mags?
As I was returning my fish Mags had a rattle on her rod tip, resulting in a Whiting. A new species for Mags 🙂
On the next cast she got her wish, and was soon cradling her first Dogfish.
Some see these as a pest species, but I love them. In fact I remember travelling a fair few miles trying to target one when I first started shore fishing! They really are fascinating little creatures, and give a pretty good fight on balanced tackle.
We fished the outgoing tide from 9pm until just after midnight, with the final scores being 2 Doggies and 4 Whiting for Mags, 2 Doggies and 2 Whiting for me.
We had the beach to ourselves for the most part, the other anglers seemingly packing up after high water had passed. Strange, as I’ve had many good sessions fishing well into the ebb 🤷‍♂️.
You hardly need any kit, and if you own a Carp rod i’d highly recommend getting out there and giving it a go, particularly if you’re tired of staring at a circle of bivvies!
A lovely way to spend a few hours by the sea.

I see we’ve gained a few new followers lately. Welcome everyone!
Leigh and Debbie are away on an epic trip soon, and i’ve got to have an operation so things may be a little quiet in the coming weeks.
Don’t worry though, once we’re back on track we’ll be going full throttle to provide as much content as we can.
If there’s anything you’d like to see, please comment below.
We’re very much all-rounders, so if there’s a style or species you’re interested in pursuing and would like a little video guide then we’ll happily oblige.
We’re also always up for a challenge, so if you can think of anything you’d like to see us try then please let us know.
For now, Maggie and I have some Mackerel and Squid in the freezer that needs using, so we’re off down the beach to have a cast ot two.
Not expecting much, but watch this space…

Heres a differnt version of the weekends dawn timelaps.

tilgate sunrise short 1 After every chilly night theres a dawn. This dawn was a stunner. Specimen Hunters https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy5NMrzDwBX1hms6lokdOVw

Like a good friend of ours said about this particular lake, “catch the first one, and the rest will fall like dominoes”.
This water had been a very difficult one for me in years gone by, and it seemed that no matter what I did I just couldn’t get connected to a Carp.
Things finally came good for me last November, when I broke the long-standing duck with a lovely fish of 22lb, Leigh adding another of 23lb shortly after.
Sure enough, when I returned a week later for an overnighter I had another.
Leigh and I fished 48hrs on here last week, and with overnight temperatures below freezing the first night we knew it was going to be a challenge.
Turns out we needn’t have worried too much, as I ended up having FOUR in a hectic short spell of action.
Due to other commitments, this’ll be our last adventure until the spring is well underway. But this was a lovely way to end the season, toasting the lake with a beer or two, and swapping all the good old stories.
Long live the park lakes!

Everything was frozen solid this morning, but it looked lovely. Just after 0700, this one rattled off! Chuffed with that, and we’ve still got time for another 🙂

Good morning all.

early january campbells lake tilgate got its first stocking of tench in many many years. Heres a short video we made of this very special occasion. If you like it give it a thumbs up, a like and if you want a comment.

Tilgate Park Tench restocking 2023 In the past, campbells lake in tilgate park was a very good Tench fishery but after years of neglect Tench numbers have dwindled. Now in 2023 Tilgate park fi...

A couple of weeks ago Maggie, Leigh and I treated ourselves to a day out on a beautiful stretch of the River Test. I achieved a long-time ambition of catching a nice Grayling while long-trotting with a centrepin. The three of us caught absolutely stacks of fish, with brownies, sea trout, rainbows, Grayling, Roach, and a last-knockings bonus Chub gracing our nets.
A wonderful day out. Roll on next winter so we can do it all again!

Everyone has THAT water…
That one water that no matter how hard you try, you never seem to get a result. I must have racked up well in excess of 50 blanks on this particular water. An old park lake that Leigh has fished for as long as he can remember, and an old stomping ground of Chris Yates and Dave Lane.
A couple of weeks ago I finally managed that all-too-important first Carp, followed by another on the very next trip.
I’m back on here tonight, and despite it getting steadily colder it’s still pretty mild, so there’s always a chance.
I have to admit that I quickly grow tired of busy waters like this; the attitudes of some of the other anglers (thankfully a minority), the endless Bream, the ’yoofs’ tearing around and setting off fireworks, the last orders wanderers, the drone of traffic from the nearby town and motorway, the police helicopters doing circuits above the bivvy at 3 a.m, but…maybe that’s actually the charm of it?
Let’s face it, nowadays anyone can pay their money and turn up to a venue with an actual HEATED BUILDING for a bivvy, net/scales/slings/bait supplied, clip on a ready-tied rig, and catch a 50 pounder.
Maybe there’s something to be said for those venues where you’ve got to work that little bit harder for your prizes, those that hold one or two good fish, but still an element of the unknown? Maybe as I get older I realise that I’ll miss venues like this when the inevitable ‘pay your money and reel them in’ waters flood the area, often out-pricing those of us on modest incomes.
Each angler has their own journey to make, and as I sit here I realise that mine has come full-circle.
If I close my eyes i’m 6yrs old, sat on a park lake in Folkestone in the dark, desperate for the float that I can barely see to slide under one last time before I run back to my grandparents and think up an excuse for being home so late.
Back then if I caught a Bream I’d be ecstatic; marvelling at the peculiar shape of it for as long as I safely could, then spending the next week at school daydreaming about how I could catch another one.
10 minutes ago I unhooked a large Bream in the edge without turning my torch on or giving it a second thought, because, “it’s not what i’m fishing for”. Doesn’t that seem wrong somehow?
As I type this I can look up and see headtorches and reflective vests bouncing along the path on the horizon, and hear someone blowing a whistle every few seconds. Who’s more daft, them for keeping fit, or me for sleeping under a bit of nylon on a winter’s night trying to catch a fish or two?
Though our reasons for being here might be different, we’re all connected by this big old park lake, shimmering away in the reflected light.
There’s a fair chance I’ll go home tomorrow cold, damp, and without a Carp for my troubles, but I can guarantee that within a day or two I’ll be staring out of a window, wondering when I can next get down for a night on the park lake…

Be lucky.

JJ

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Carp Fishing, release. #shorts #carpfishing #carp #fishing