Three Options 2-2-14

I was having a dilemma where to go today,option 1 go to water no 1,option 2 go drop shot,jigging for perch on the  canal,and the final option was an invite from the St. Helens crew to fish an old haunt. I decided on water no 1 with a slight twist,I could do a bit of jigging while waiting for the float to go.

I arrived at the water just before first light,I ended up in a totally different peg ,was going to fish the opposite bank ,but favoured the bay with a left to right sw wind and a nice chop on the water.

When I've fished here before I haven't really tried out sardine or mackerel .I plumbed up and had 8 ft on the sardine rod, one rod length from the bank,the mackerel rod I fished 4 lengths out in 13 foot of water.
Time for a coffee and take in the scenery,the robin joined me for a bit.At 8-40 my mackerel tail rod slid under,struck pike in the net.I didn't weigh it and would guess it was short of a double.
A quick self take and slipped her back.

It wasn't long before the sardine float slipped away,I struck and nothing,I reeled in and the bait had been mauled around the head,a finicky bite no 1.

It wasn't long before the same thing happened again on the mackerel rod,chewed below the bottom hook.

I moved the sardine rod in to within a few feet of the bank as I'd seen a couple of swirls in front of the peg earlier,chucked a bit of choppy in around my float and waited.

About an hour later  the float rose ,lay flat and slid away,I struck and this time I was robbed lol.

In between all the action I was chucking various fox 7cm mini fry with a 5g jig head,it wasn't until I changed to a fire tiger pattern an bang,fish on,wasn't a perch,a small jack,rod christened.

Mackeral Tail,not a great shot,id been messing with my camera earlier and wasnt set correct......

Took a Fox Rage Fire Tiger 7cm mini fry,on my new drop shot rod,thats another blog.Tight Lines