Pike are still the dominant species being targeted by anglers at Basildon's Aquatels fishery.

Season ticket holder Dean Robertson has taken numerous predators throughout the week culminating with fish of 12lb 8oz and 13lb 4oz.

Dean has been fishing the Quays bay and the time he has putting in has certainly been paying dividends.

Also wetting a line in the bay is Paul Sharman, a regular visitor from Dartford.

Paul's method of small roach livebaits has been rewarding him with double figure fish virtually every visit.

Last time out, Paul landed four jacks and two doubles of 14lb 8oz and 14lb exactly.

Bailiff Andy Wright also managed a couple of jacks while waiting for the carp to start feeding.

Season ticket holder Ray Lumley has been back on the pole for some frantic roach sport.

His morning session saw 70-80 fish being brought to bank, although most of the fish were small.

However, some of Ray's fish tipped 10oz and he also had the bonus of some perch gracing his net.

The carp scene is still slow at the Cranes Farm fishery, but they are starting to show. Small groups of fish have been seen in the bays and it shouldn't be too long before the indicators are getting some action.

Trevor Clarke displays a 10lb 10oz predator landed on Aquatels' beach section

Double diary date for Basildon Park anglers

There will be an open pike match at Northlands Park on Sunday.

Anglers should meet at the car park from 7am for a 7.30am walk off. Fishing time will be 8am till 3pm. Baits will be restricted to sea dead baits and artificial lures.

Competitors may use one or two rods. In this match the prizes will be awarded by total weight rather than the biggest individual fish. No competitor can take more than one prize.

Entry will cost £5 with the usual day ticket payable on the bank.

There will also be an open match at Gloucester Park this Sunday, with anglers meeting at the western end of the lake at 7.15am for an 7.30am draw and walk off. Fishing time will be 8.30am till 2.30pm. Entry will cost £6, (100 per cent payout), with the usual day ticket payable on the bank.

The event will be a walkoff and will not affect pleasure anglers at the venue.

For more information on either match ring Mick Toomer on 01268 282317.

Vic Law shows one of his Lake Meadows match winning fish.

Pike rules John out of match

Matchman John Whitehead didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he slid his net under a near 7lb fish at Sunday's Lake Meadows Open. For the fish was a pike, which do not count in normal coarse fishing matches!

John was fishing alongside the Lake Meadows sluice when the pike snatched his worm bait presented on pole gear and a tiny size 20 hook.

Had the fish been any other species it would have rewarded John with a clear win in the match. To add insult to injury the pike gave him his only bite of the day!

John's misfortune was to the benefit of fellow matchman Vic Law who was declared the match winner with two bream totalling 3lb 14oz.

On a day when the fish just did not want to know, Vic had two bites on his float ledger gear. Fortunately he converted both of the bites to fish in the net to finish the clear winner.

The rest of the field found the fish equally reluctant to play their part.

Steve Daniels had just one bite to take second place with a perch of 1lb 4oz.

Stuart Edhouse was fourth with a skimmer bream of 13oz, whilst John Bell took fifth place with a bream of 8oz, again his only bite of the event.

The fish had switched off so thoroughly in the changeable conditions that the competitors did not weigh in a single roach between them, despite scaling down to the finest of tackle.

However there were no shortage of roach in the water, with one of the competitors suffering a double indignity.

As he packed up after failing to catch a single roach a grebe moved into his just vacated swim. Within a couple of minutes the grebe had ducked under three times and come up with three roach!

Denied - John Whitehead with his invalid pike

Thorpe Bay Open date

Thorpe Bay Angling Association, in conjunction with Southend Angling Centre, are staging their annual Open beach competition on Sunday, March 25.

Fishing times are from 11.30am to 4.30pm with some big cash payouts from the £5 entry fee up for grabs.

Entry forms can be obtained from all of Southend's main tackle shops.

Cliff has the edge

Some cracking trout have graced anglers nets at Billericay's Greenoaks fishery over the past week.

Thurrock's Cliff Andrews made the trip to the Potash Road lake to be rewarded with five fish - his best scaling 8lb 8oz.

Stan Monks, from Southend, just broke into double figure territory when he caught a 10lb 1oz specimen as part of his brace.

Even better was to come for Greenoaks regular Paul Daniels. Paul managed a superb 12lb 8oz monster in his three fish bag.

Romford fly angler Mark Fuller used a buzzer to bank his five fish, with his best specimen weighing 6lb 7oz.

Anybody seeking further information on Greenoaks can contact fishery manager, John, on 07719 854753.

Golden Graham's tasty at Hadleigh

Considering the time of year and the recent weather conditions, the latest matches held at Hockley Angling Club again produced some respectable weights.

The first, held by Essex Police, saw Graham Garnham take the spoils with a tremendous bag of carp for 61lb 4oz.

Second place Len Bickford took second with 27lb 7oz. Dave 'Woofy' Smith third with 17lb 6oz.

The next match saw Peter Rue take the honours with 20lb 4oz. Peter's catch was mostly roach and a couple of small carp. Dave Gowers was 2nd with ll1b 4oz and Len Mason third with an all roach catch of 10lb 4oz.

The third match of the week was won by Billy Walker with an outstanding bag of roach for 21lb 14oz.

Paul Connell was second, again with an all roach bag, for 15lb 15oz.

Bob Cheeseman was third with 11lb 8oz.

In the same match, Alan Stoches landed a specimen perch for 2lb 14oz.

The week's final match, fished in torrential rain, saw Les Lavotha claim first place with 10lb 1oz of roach.

Del Smee was runner up with 9lb 1oz. Neil Payne took third with 8lb exactly.

Jim Hodges was fourth with a catch that also included a perch of 2lb 9oz.

By Stuart Hillis

Reporter's e-mail: stuart.hillis@notes.newsquest.co.uk

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