I’ve just picked up my first open win with the newest arrival in the Sonu Baits groundbait range, Sonu Chocolate Fish.

The venue was Furnace Lakes and I drew permanent peg 38, which I had fished a couple of weeks earlier. That day I had caught 27lb of skimmers and felt that I had not got the feeding right, believing that my approach of feeding quite a bit but with big intervals had encouraged the fish to come off the bottom.

This time I was determined to feed more regularly, in smaller amounts, and drive the fish down to the bottom and keep them there.

I mixed the Chocolate Fish groundbait at home on the eve of the match and I overwetted it so that it could set. Chocolate Fish Groundbait sets very stiff, even when initially overwetted, but you can squeeze a ball and it is firm enough to carry particles like dead maggots, casters and dead pinkies, and go straight to the bottom before breaking up.

I Fished at 13 metres and primed two pegs. The first was fed with two balls of groundbait at the start while I fed four balls in the second swim.

I set up two rigs, both featuring Preston PB Inter 3s, in 4 x 16 size. One was a very positive double bulk rig with a bulk of number eight shots some 18 inches from the hook and a second bulk of three number nine shots six inches from the hook, which was a size 18 Preston PR490. Elastics were original number five Preston slip elastics (blue) in both top three kits.

The other rig carried the same float but with a bulk 18 inches from the hook with two number nine droppers spread out below. Both rigs were set to fish an inch-and-a-half to two inches overdepth.

I started on the two-ball peg and after 10 minutes caught a skimmer. I continued to catch for 20 minutes before sensing it was slowing down, so I fed a golf ball-sized piece of groundbait and moved to my big peg where I had nothing for four or five minutes, so went back to my smaller peg where I caught again immediately.

I caught and then it slowed so I re-fed it with another golf ball-sized lump and moved to the big peg where I caught one immediately. I then had four or five fish before switching back to the other peg where I caught, then dropped a tangerine-sized ball in before switching back to the bigger peg. And from there I swapped between the two pegs, topping up as I went, to finish with 35 fish for a weight of 46lb 12oz.

I caught for three hours steadily once the two swims started to produce properly and I have now had four or five pick-ups using Chocolate Fish groundbait.

It’s available in all Sonu stockists from the end of March, retailing at £5.99 per two- kilo bag. If you like catching skimmers and bream it has to be added to your arsenal. They love it.