Luke revealed:

“With me getting into a routine each week, picking up the habits of what the fish liked to be doing, I knew with the abundance of weed and the angling situation, it would suit my style of angling with Krill boilies and Chods.

“My first port of call was a very reactive approach, if I saw any opportunities present themselves then I could flick a Chod onto it and see if anything materialised. Over time, I started building a larger picture and looked at specific areas where the majority of the activity seemed to be. I then introduced some bait in the area, that way I always had a spot to fall back on if nothing looked good enough to move onto.

“Bait wise, I’ve been washing my baits out and boosting them with L030-T which is something I love to do, not only to gain a washed-out look, but it also makes the boilies heavier and super-soft too, which helps with baiting using the catapult. Using a catapult in comparison with a Spomb also keeps the disturbance down to a minimum, especially when getting rods into position for the evening, ready for the morning period. I’d actually got down during the week unexpectedly due to different reasons and found myself in an area which I fancied. I’d already given them a decent hit of bait during my previous trip, both in the form of Krill Active and washed-out Krill from the end of the session, so confidence was high, and the weather felt bang on for it. I was due to be joined by Tom Rossiter, and it was a good job in fairness as what happened next was nothing short of ridiculous!

“Fishing slack lines, you soon see the fluorocarbon picking up from the water when a bite occurs, and this was no different. The fight was heavy from the beginning, kiting on a tight line and once I caught a glimpse of the fish, I knew it was one of the gems. As soon as it went in the net, I recognised it as a fish called The Carving, one of the best commons you’re likely to set your eyes on and a 40+lb fish too, just to make the moment even sweeter.

“We were lucky enough to capture it on film too which was great, and everyone involved in the moment shared the buzz of the capture. All the watching, reacting and keeping in tune with the lake has certainly paid off, and with only two more of the carp that I’d love to catch to go, I’m in high hopes for the coming weeks, especially with the recent weather change!”