Great Lake – Lets get things started

Over the last couple of months The Great Lake on the Goncourt complex has been attracting lots of attention. I have had numerous calls about the lake regarding its size, how hard it is to fish, what methods to use etc,etc. So having fished the complex over the last 6 years I hope to shed a little light on what is probably the jewel in the crown of the Goncourt complex.
Firstly the size. Well, yes it is big but don’t be put off by its 50 plus acres because when you fish the lake it will soon become apparent that the lake can be split into smaller lakes. The islands and arms that stretch out into the lake help breakdown the lakes size thus giving you lots more confidence and helping you catch fish easier by not worrying about the size of the lake.










Looking from the gravel works arm

Secondly is what tactics to use on this water and once again it a case of keeping it simple. I always use the same rigs as I do on my English waters with the only difference being an increase in hook and lead size. The most important thing on The Great Lake is getting the rig in the right place. I always use the boat the first day to find some areas to fish, which are marked and baited lightly.
I use the boat as little as possible, but the first day is generally the best day to use it because it is change over day and the boat has probably been used to extract marker floats from the previous weeks anglers using the lake. After this I keep the boat use to a minimum. The lake is very clear and the fish are easily spooked so try to keep the boat out of the water as much as possible.
The lake is also weedy in parts so try to find holes or clear areas close to weed beds but remember to bait lightly. All the fish I have caught on this lake have come from a couple of handfuls of Peach and Pepper boilies per rod with half a kilo of mixed pellet.
The rig is simple and I use a normal snowman set up consisting of a Peach and Pepper bottom bait, topped with a Scopex Squid pop up. I then use a five or six bait stringer and mesh bag over the hook to finish off the rig. I always like to cast to marked areas if possible to keep disturbance to a minimum but sometimes I have to use a bait boat.

The Rig and The finished Rig

Lastly, I would like to tell everyone who has been to Pascales’ Goncourt complex and has seen The Great Lake, not to be daunted by it. It is only as difficult as you make it and I can tell you that this lake has fish in it to make your dreams come true. This does not only mean purely the size of the fish even though they grow to over 60lb in the lake but the sheer beauty of the fish which you find nowhere else in France. These hard fighting big scaled mirrors are one hell of a prize to have in your album.
If you want hard fighting fish, don’t forget the stock of sturgeon that are in The Great Lake too. There are sturgeon to over 100lb in there and fight like a run away train with a head start on you. These fish will test you and your tackle to the extreme and then fight some more when closer to the net. One thing to remember with these fish is that they fight to the end so please return them quickly to the lake and nurse them until they swim off strongly.

30lb Mirror and a 50lb plus Sturgeon

Oh, I forgot to mention Pascale, not that she needs any introduction. Wherever you fish on the Goncourt complex Pascale will know where the best fishing areas and how to fish them. She spends every day of the season looking after her customers and supplying them with her world famous pies. If you want up to date information speak to her on your arrival, you will not be disappointed. She also catches a few fish too but is always too shy to admit this, so here is her first 30lb fish from The Great Lake. Sorry Pascale.

Pascales 30lb Great Lake fish