Catching carp off the surface has to be one of the most exciting ways of tempting them and at times most frustrating. Watching the carps approach to a bait is riveting and the sight of a big pair of lips closing on the bait extremely pleasing. Shelley Gordon had a terrific session on day ticket venue Jennetts reservoir near Bideford (North Devon) on Friday 24th June landing four carp all off the surface using dog biscuits and bread. The commons weighed 14lb 10oz, 16lb 1oz, 18lb 4oz and a new PB of 22lb 7oz.
South West Lakes Trust Coarse fisheries Jennetts Reservoir and Lower Tamar Lakes are both producing fine carp of over twenty pounds. Barry and Liam Lonsdale had a cracking session at Lower Tamar landing fourteen carp using sticky baits Manilla Boilies. Biggest was a 23lb 2oz common carp to Liam. Barry best was a stunning 21lb fully scaled mirror carp.
Barry Lonsdale
Chad Savage has been hauling the 20’s from Jennetts in the last couple of months. This 22lb 3oz common is one of fourteen different 20lb+ fish that he has banked in just eight short sessions.
Chad Savage
The coming weekend sees South West Lakes Trust host a carp fishing pairs competition running from Friday to Sunday see home page events for full details.
Chrissy Waring and husband Geoff Waring 2 of the ‘Carp busters’ landed 50 fish up to 30lb 6oz in 48 hours ! They used the ever popular frozen mainline cell from the beach swim on Stafford Moor’s Beattie’s Lake. The cooler damp weather should ensure good sport over the coming days.
Zyg Gregorek continued his winning streak at his own water and sent me this report… Our June 5’C’S Syndicate match held on the match lake saw my creaky split cane tackle called into action once again catching this nice 14lb 12ozs Mirror Carp. The winnings were once again donated to charity. A different fish smaller than the last one, you can see from the marks the fish had been engaged in amorous activities (that’s why it lost some weight) so I had to give it a kiss before putting it back.
Stafford Moor is undoubtedly one of the areas most prolific carp fisheries with a steady stream of twenty pound plus fish reported each week. The latest reports from Joanne Coombes come with plenty of images of captors and their carp.
Richard Mason
Richard Mason had a successful session using Whealy fishy baits boilie’s landing 12 fish to 27lb 15oz.
Gareth Simpson
Gareth Simpson landed several carp to 26lb using home made boilie’s.
Donna Blythe PB 19lb 8oz
Donna Blythe and her husband enjoyed success using Sticky baits boilie’s. Donna landing a personal best mirror carp of 19lb 8oz. Her husband Chris landed a carp of 25lb.
Adam Hilton fished the summerhouse swim on Beattie’s lake using home made boilies to land this fine mirror of 23lb 10oz.
Anglers Paradise is well known as one of the countries top angling holiday destinations attracting anglers and their families from far and wide. The lake also has extensive opportunities for the day ticket angler with some of North Devon’s biggest carp. The Kracking carp lake is not an easy water but its resident carp are well worth the effort holding specimens to over fifty pound. The latest reports for the fishery indicate some superb results.
Mick Whitfield with his 45lb 2oz mirror carp
5C’s Member, Mick Whitfield, 45 from Exwick had a Red Letter Session on the Kracking Carp Lake catching a personal best 36lb Common followed by a personal best Mirror of 45lbs 2oz!! This was Mick’s 1st ever session on the Kracking carp lake, he fished Peg 3 and pre-baited with Paradise Pellet and a Kilo of Cell Boilies using a White Pop Up on a New Rum Rig from Custom Made Carp Rigs. Mick caught the 36lb Common at 2.30am during a very misty night, Mick carried on fishing into his 2nd Night and prayed his luck would continue, and it did because at 4.30am as the sun started coming up his right hand rod slowly went off again, Mick hooked into the Fish and knew it was Big as it gave him a good fight, as soon as Mick saw the Fish he knew it was another PB, a Huge Mirror and it weighed in at 45lb 2oz.
Mick Said – “Another PB, I smashed it with my common at 36lb but smashed it again and have now joined the 40 club, just turned 45 Years Old and now I have a Stunning PB 45lb 2oz Mirror to match! It was a memorable session a double red letter day, that I still haven’t stopped smiling from!”
Jacob Wise 26lb 4oz Common carp
Jacob Wise, 36 from Gloucestershire, caught this Stunner of a Common at 26lbs 4oz, from the Day Ticket Xanadu Lake and as you can see, he was one VERY happy Man! Jacob caught the Common on a Paradise Baits Pink Stink Wafter, dropped in the margins after spotting a fish, with a small handful of maggots over the top for good luck. Jacob said “We’ll be down for a week in 2 weeks time so hopefully my luck will continue…”
Mick Whitfield with his 36lb common carp
There are always surprises in fishing even in a relatively small lake like Kracking as Carl Loftus discovered as reported below by Anglers Paradise
11lb 8oz Kio
Carl Loftus, 51, from Stockport who caught an amazing Personal Best and also a BIG SURPRISE 11lb 8oz Koi from the Kracking Carp Lake, a Fish that we are all puzzled by as to how it got in there but what a fish!!
Carl’s Story –
“On Saturday I fished the Kracking Carp Lake with my wife and friend Maggot Mick. Saturday was fishless for me but on Sunday, I noticed the Lilly pads moving so I put some mixers and watched, then to my surprise, I saw a BIG Koi taking off the top, so I brought one of my rods in and set up my stalking rod.
The Koi spooked but I watched it for an hour or so, when it returned it took a mixer so I placed my oily floater next to where it had taken from and it took it straight away!!
It gave me a 5 minute fight and I couldn’t believe when it weighed in at 11lbs 8oz happy days!!”
Jason and Leanne Mcevoy have been warming up for the £3500 Pallatrax carp Open at Upper Tamar on 1-3 July with a fine run of form at the venue. They managed 9 carp in their last session to just under 20lb with a new PB for Leanne and they are currently in mid session and Leanne has gone and done it again! This stunning 25lb Mirror falling to Leanne’s Future baits boilie from the Lookout Tower Swim on the Cornwall bank. So far they have banked 7 fish with Jason landing a cracking 21lb common.
