PAUL Leaper proved that you don’t have to bivvy up for days on end to catch the biggest fish in the lake when he landed a common weighing an ounce over 50lb.
Despite bank time being limited to quick overnight sessions in between work, Paul had already taken 35 fish from the undisclosed Norfolk lake this year – including six thirties and two forties – since joining in April. He capped his campaign with the new venue record common.
He fished a spot by a weedbed at 80 yards, baiting with a generous helping of Monster Particles’ hemp and maples, mixed in with chopped and whole Mainline Cell boilies. Over the top he offered a snowman presentation, fished blowback style.
IAN Bailey banked his second UK sixty when he bagged this 61lb 12oz mirror on a weekend at Grenville Lake, Cambs. Targeting deep water at 140 yards, he baited up on the back of the wind with a large spread of 10mm and 15mm Mainline Cell boilies, before offering a simple knotless knot rig over the top with a slow-sinking hookbait.
He got the run from the sixty at first light, signalling the start of a brutal tug of war. “I was fishing an open water area, and when I got the bite I didn’t give the fish any line at all. Its power was immense – it was like hooking a huge catfish!” said Ian, who also landed five other fish including three thirties to 34lb 1oz. He made his rigs from Korda Kamakura hooks and Hybrid Stiff coated braid.
The catch comes just a month after Ian caught a 65lb 12oz mirror from the bang in-form 72-acre gravel pit.
ALEX Scamp landed this character of 26lb on an overnighter at his local club water after it picked up his Solar Baits Candy Floss pop-up, fished over Solar Club Mix Corn.
30lb
SIX fish to 30lb 8oz was Chris Cox’s weekend tally from the Carp Society’s Horseshoe Lake, Glos. He used Baitworks Royal Marine boilies over Monster Particles hemp.
CASTING a solid PVA bag to a rolling fish resulted in this pretty 25lb 4oz mirror from the day-ticket Farlows Lake, Bucks, for Dave Rowe. His hookbait was a Mainline IB wafter.
AN overnighter at The Sanctuary in Essex produced a 28lb 4oz mirror for Lee Nobbs, who baited with 2kg of Mainline Essential Cell and used a matching pop-up hookbait.
MARK Gray (59) spent a week at Lac Des Lesmont, in France, where he was rewarded with this arm-aching 73lb 2oz mirror. It fell for a 15mm Nash Stawberry Crush pop-up.
LEE Tompkins’ storm-swept visit to Grenville Lake, Cambs, was capped by a 39lb 8oz mirror which took a Bait-Tech Krill & Tuna pop-up, pre-soaked in matching oil.
ON his first-ever trip to Linear St John’s, Jen Garrett caught a brace of twenties to 29lb. Sticky Krill pop-ups presented over boilies, hemp and maize was the winning combination.
ASHLEY James targeted the top of a gravel bar at a Ringwood DAA water to bank two twenties to 27lb 14oz. Both fell to Dynamite Baits White Chocolate and Coconut pop-ups.
USING a baiting pole to position his Solar Squid pop-up under an overhanging bush at Burghfield Blue
Pool, Berks, resulted in this fine 33lb mirror for Matthew Nuttall.
DAMIAN Davies braved the frosts at White Springs, in Wales, to be rewarded with this 22lb 3oz common, which took a Mainline Cell cork dust wafter on a German rig.
PAUL Palmer launched a zig rig at showing fish just before dark on the Bayeswater syndicate, Essex, to catch this scaly 39-pounder – his first-ever carp caught using the tactic.
DENNIS Davies fished at the ancient Raby Mere, on the Wirrall, to catch this 21lb mirror. The Birkenhead rod used a 16mm Sticky Krill pop-up on a Ronnie rig.
ROB Saunders has banked loads of big commons from Farriers Lake, Glos, this season, his latest being this 48lb 12oz giant. He used a Multi rig baited with a Mainline Cell pop-up.
TOM Loraine continues to make hay on the Essex Manor, catching a brace of thirties to 37lb 10oz. He baited his spots heavily with Sticky Krill boilies glugged in Tuna liquid.
THIS cracking Cornish common of 26lb 4oz fell to the rods of Ralph Walton during a session at Argal Reservoir. It took a Mainline Activ-8 boilie, alongside a small stringer.
TERRY Bell lowered his Mainline Link hookbait just off his rod tip at his Hampshire syndicate to catch this gorgeous 33lb 8oz mirror, which is known as The Choclolate Fish.