Jon "Shoes" Jones - Nash Tackle Off The Hook Podcast - S2 Episode 52
This week joining Hassan in the podcast studio is a real carp fishing character, Birmingham’s finest and a man who has carved out an incredible media career in the industry which started way back in the 1990’s, its none other than Jon “Shoes” Jones.
We all know carp fishing is full of characters and nothing goes to prove that more than this podcast. From his early years fishing the likes of Patshull Church Pool and Yateley Car Park Lake through to his modern day thoughts on media and rig safety, this podcast covers a huge spectrum of carp fishing and gives you a fascinating peak into the mind of “Shoes”.
Starting his angling based in the West Midlands which was and still is home for Jon, he instantly found a real affinity for catching carp. Early highlights included catching “The Pet” from Farlow’s the lakes biggest resident as well as capturing “The Baby Orange” from the iconic Yateley Car Park lake. Jon fondly recalls memories of sharing the banks with carp fishing legends such as Rob Maylin, Ritchie MacDonald and Terry Hearn. He also tells a number of tales about the “antics” which went on away from the lake including some seriously funny stories about a certain pub scene at the time.
Jon talks about his introduction to working in the carp fishing industry which came from Rob Hughes. He worked with Rob producing photography and video as well as appearing on tv with him. This time was an incredible time for growth in the industry and as Jon’s network grew his coverage and presence on the carp fishing scene was cemented. This led to him later talking up various freelance roles providing various forms of media content for leading companies in the industry. Jon recalls stories of his times away and at home fishing and working with the likes of Steve Briggs, Ian Russell and Simon Crow to name but a few. It’s a great look at how far he himself and the industry has come.
Always know for thinking outside the box Jon shares his thoughts on carp fishing including experimentation and rig thoughts. He talks a great deal about being a responsible angler and rig safety which he feels isn’t always of paramount importance in the modern scene. There’s a very interesting look at his use of washed out baits and how this led him to great success on the infamous Birchgrove.
Finally, Jon talks about modern day media and how the industry has changes especially for someone wanting to work within the industry. The podcast is an eye opening look at carp fishing from both inside and outside the industry. Whether you are after product development insight, baiting strategies or reminiscing about historic captures Jon packs it all in this podcast and all in his own quirky insightful manner.