Pike Blog All Seasons - 2011/12 - 2012/13 - 2014/15 - 2015/16 - 2016/17 - 2017/18 - 2018/19 - 2019/20 - Pike Blog  

Scorecard: 2011/2012

16 Jun (8) Night
0lb 12oz B 0lb 12oz B 0lb 10oz D
0lb 10oz B 0lb 14oz B 1lb 4oz D
2lb 1oz B 2lb 3oz B 9lb 2oz 8
18 Jun (0) Day
Blank   ---   --- --
20 Jun (3) Night
1lb 0oz D 3lb 0oz B 0lb 8oz B
    + 4lb 8oz   13lb 10oz 11
23 Jun (0) Day
Chub / Eel   ---   --- --
24 Jun (1) Night
3lb 1oz* B + 3lb 1oz   16lb 11oz 12
27 Jun (4) Night
2lb 4oz* B 3lb 0oz* B 1lb 0oz D
4lb 2oz* B + 10lb 6oz   27lb 1oz 16
29 Jun (1) Night
9lb 12oz B + 9lb 12oz   36lb 13oz 17
1 Jul (0) Day
Blank   ---   --- --
2 Jul (0) Day
Blank   ---   --- --
4 Jul (0) Night
Chub / Eels   ---   --- --
7 Jul (2) Day
1lb 0oz D 1lb 8oz D    
    + 2lb 8oz   39lb 5oz 19
8 Jul (3) Day / Night
1lb 8oz* B 1lb 8oz D 1lb 4oz D
    + 4lb 4oz   43lb 9oz 22
11 Jul (1) Night
5lb 9oz* B + 5lb 9oz   49lb 2oz 23
12 Jul (1) Night
6lb 11oz* B + 6lb 11oz   54lb 13oz 24
13 Jul (0) Night
Blank   ---   --- --
14 Jul (0) Day (D) / Night (B)
Chub   ---   --- --
15 Jul (0) Day
Chub   ---   --- --
16 Jul (5) Night
0lb 12oz B 0lb 12oz D 1lb 0oz D
0lb 8oz D 3lb 8oz D    
    + 6lb 8oz   61lb 5oz 29
17 Jul (0) Day
Blank   ---   --- --
21 Jul (3) Night
1lb 14oz B 2lb 0oz D 1lb 5oz D
    + 5lb 3oz   66lb 8oz 32
22 Jul (0) Night
Blank   ---   --- --
25 Jul (0) Night
Chub   ---   --- --
28 Jul (0) Night
Eels   ---   --- --
3 Aug (1) Day
0lb 10oz* B + 0lb 10oz   67lb 2oz 33
4 Aug (3) Night
1lb 11oz* B 2lb 4oz D 1lb 0oz B
    + 4lb 15oz   72lb 1oz 36
6 Aug (2) Day
2lb 1oz** B 0lb 3oz** B    
    + 2lb 4oz   74lb 5oz 38
9 Aug (2) Day
7lb 0oz B 7lb 4oz B    
    + 14lb 4oz   88lb 9oz 40
11 Aug (0) Day
Eel   ---   --- --
18 Aug (2) Day
6lb 7oz B 9lb 7oz B    
    + 15lb 14oz   104lb 7oz 42
19 Aug (0) Day
Blank   ---   --- --
20 Aug (0) Day
Eels   ---   --- --
24 Aug (0) Day
Blank   ---   --- --
31 Aug (1) Night
6lb 15oz B + 6lb 15oz   111lb 6oz 43
7 Sept (1) Day
4lb 0oz† B + 4lb 0oz   115lb 6oz 44
8 Sept (1) Night
3lb 9oz† B + 3lb 9oz   118lb 15oz 45
9 Sept (1) Day
8lb 1oz† B + 8lb 1oz   127lb 0oz 46
15 Sept (1) Day
0lb 10oz** B + 0lb 10oz   127lb 10oz 47
16 Sept (1) Night
3lb 14oz D + 3lb 14oz   131lb 8oz 48
17 Sept (0) Day
Blank   ---   --- --
20 Sept (1) Night
4lb 0oz B + 4lb 0oz   135lb 8oz 49
21 Sept (1) Day
0lb 6oz** B + 0lb 6oz   135lb 14oz 50
22 Sept (1) Night
10lb 2oz D + 10lb 2oz   146lb 0oz 51
29 Sept (1) Day
0lb 6oz** B + 0lb 6oz   146lb 6oz 52
30 Sept (1) Night
5lb 4oz† B + 5lb 4oz   151lb 10oz 53
4 Oct (0) Night
Blank   ---   --- --
6 Oct (1) Night
9lb 2oz† D + 9lb 2oz   160lb 12oz 54
7 Oct (0) Night
Chub   ---   --- --
11 Oct (0) Day
Blank   ---   --- --
13 Oct (0) Night
Blank   ---   --- --
14 Oct (0) Day
Blank   ---   --- --
18 Oct (0) Night
Chub / Eel   ---   --- --
20 Oct (0) Night
Blank   ---   --- --
10 Nov (0) Night
Blank   ---   --- --
17 Nov (0) Day
Roach/Eel   ---   --- --
22 Nov (0) Night
Lost fish   ---   --- --
17 Dec (0) Day/Night
Blank   ---   --- --
8 Jan (0) Day/Night
Eel   ---   --- --
19 Jan (1) Night
4lb 0oz* B + 4lb 0oz   164lb 12oz 55
20 Jan (0) Day/Night
Blank   ---   --- --
27 Jan (0) Night
Blank   ---   --- --
23 Feb (0) Night
Blank   ---   --- --
25 Feb (1) Day
6lb 10oz B + 6lb 10oz   171lb 6oz 56
1 Mar (0) Day
Blank   ---   --- --
3 Mar (0) Day
Chub   ---   --- --
7 Mar (1) Day
7lb 0oz B + 7lb 0oz   178lb 6oz 57
8 Mar (3) Day/Night
8lb 1oz B 7lb 12oz B 4lb 13oz B
    + 20lb 10oz   199lb 0oz 60
10 Mar (1) Day
4lb 10oz B + 4lb 10oz   203lb 10oz 61
13 Mar (0) Night
Eel   ---   --- --
14 Mar (1) Day
4lb 9oz B + 4lb 9oz   208lb 3oz 62

All barbel caught on luncheon meat (42 fish) unless marked.
* Halibut pellet (10 fish)
** Maggot (5 fish)
† Testbait A (5 fish)
†† Testbait B (0 fish)

What?

The Barbel Challenge ran from the 16 June 2011 to the 14 March 2012 exclusively on the a small South London river. The target was to catch 100lb of barbel over the course of the river season. Two of us took part in the challenge, myself and Dan.

Summary (Last update 14 March)
16 June 2011 - 14 March 2012

Total weight: 208lb 3oz
Number of fish: 62
Average size: 3lb 4oz
Biggest barbel: 10lb 2oz
3lb plus: 29
5lb plus: 16
7lb plus: 10
Doubles: 1
Total sessions: 69 (Mostly 2 Fishing)
Blanks: 35 (Mostly 2 Fishing)

Barbel/Size

No                        
15 -                      
14 -                      
13 -                    
12 -                    
11 -                    
10 -                    
9 -                    
8 -                    
7 -                  
6 -              
5 -              
4 -          
3 -        
2 -    
1 -
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ lb

Dan v's Brian

  No Total Best
Dan 18 43lb 9oz 10lb 2oz, 9lb 2oz, 3lb 14oz
Brian 44 164lb 10oz 9lb 12oz, 9lb 7oz, 8lb 1oz

Times of day/night (3lb+)

Date Weight Time Sunset D/N  
20 June 3lb 0oz 00:17 21:21 N W
24 June 3lb 1oz 22:17 21:22 N 38
27 June 3lb 0oz -- 21:22 N H
27 June 4lb 2oz 01:05 21:22 N SC
29 June 9lb 12oz 23:05 21:21 N MW
11 July 5lb 9oz 22:12 21:15 N DT
12 July 6lb 11oz 22:35 21:14 N DT
16 July 3lb 8oz 00:53 21:11 N SC
9 August 7lb 0oz 17:05 20:33 D MW
9 August 7lb 4oz 18:51 20:33 D MW
18 August 6lb 7oz 12:08 20:17 D 3H
18 August 9lb 7oz 13:38 20:17 D PS
31 August 6lb 15oz 20:32 19:47 N PS
7 September 4lb 0oz 15:21 19:33 D T
8 September 3lb 9oz 21:47 19:29 N MW
9 September 8lb 1oz 17:41 19:27 D T
16 September 3lb 14oz 22:28 19:10 N WB
20 September 4lb 0oz 21:21 19:01 N WB
22 September 10lb 2oz 21:17 18:57 N MW
30 September 5lb 4oz 20:56 18:38 N MW
6 October 9lb 2oz 20:11 18:25 N MW
19 January 4lb 0oz 18:06 16:28 N T
25 February 6lb 10oz 17:12 17:40 D MW
7 March 7lb 0oz 16:43 17:54 D MW
8 March 8lb 1oz 15:53 17:56 D MW
8 March 7lb 12oz 18:38 17:56 N MW
8 March 4lb 13oz 19:49 17:56 N T
10 March 4lb 10oz 19:51 17:59 N T
14 March 4lb 9oz 18:13 18:05 D MW

Location: Sworn to secrecy - Sorry!

Sessions/Blanks

No                        
16 -                    
15 -                    
14 -                    
13 -                    
12 -                    
11 -                  
10 -                
9 -                
8 -              
7 -            
6 -            
5 -            
4 -          
3 -        
2 -      
1 -
J J A S O N D J F M    

Average Weight

  No Total Average
June 17 36lb 13oz 2lb 2oz
July 15 29lb 11oz 1lb 15oz
August 11 44lb 14oz 4lb 1oz
September 10 40lb 4oz 4lb 0oz
October 1 9lb 2oz 9lb 2oz
November -- -- --
December -- -- --
January 1 4lb 0oz 4lb 0oz
February 1 6lb 10oz 6lb 10oz
March 6 36lb 13oz 6lb 2oz

Barbel/Month (3lb+ dark green)

No                        
17 -                      
16 -                      
15 -                    
14 -                    
13 -                    
12 -                    
11 -                  
10 -                
9 -                
8 -                
7 -                
6 -              
5 -              
4 -              
3 -              
2 -              
1 -
J J A S O N D J F M    

Chub: 2lb 7oz (B), 3lb 3oz (B), 3lb 0oz (B), 1lb 8oz (D), 3lb 1oz (D), 4lb 8oz (B), 2lb 0oz (B), 3lb 7oz (D), 3lb 10oz (D), 3lb 12oz (B), 3lb 0oz (B) 4lb 6oz (D), 3lb 8oz (D), 3lb 0oz (B), 2lb 8oz (B), 1lb 0oz (B) Total: 45lb 6oz (13)

Species: Barbel, Chub, Dace, Eel, Goldfish (Brown), Gudgeon, Koi, Minnow, Roach, Stone Loach (10)

Mitten Crabs: IIIII II

For blog and photos click here.

 

Initial Conclusions:

  • We achieved our target of 100lb of barbel on the 18 August 2011.
  • We doubled our target on 10 March 2012.
  • Smaller barbel are more prevalent than larger specimens / smaller barbel are easier to catch.
  • We seem to catch more barbel (and bigger barbel) at night.
  • Barbel feed most actively between June - September.
  • Between October - January the barbel become difficult to catch.
  • From the end of Febuary the barbel seem to come back on the feed.
  • We had a fantastic time catching them!

Notes:

  • From the end of June both myself and Dan began to focus on catching bigger barbel, resulting in fewer fish than if we'd just been after large numbers of fish.
  • We fished fewer sessions in the colder months.
  • This was our second season on fishing the river and have only just begun to locate the fish.
  • We only concentrated on a few stretches of the river.

Future Data:

  • River levels
  • Water temperature
  • Weather