St Ives Shallow Pit record broken

Steve Bull broke the St Ives Lake Shallow Lagoon record with this chunky 47lb 15oz mirror.

It was the first time the 38-year-old St Neots-based rod had fished the Cambridgeshire venue since the beginning of summer and was rewarded with his second forty of the year which broke his old personal best by 2lb.

After doing a lap of the lake on arrival he spotted a group of carp showing around an island.

“My plan was to try and intercept the fish as they moved away from the feature” said Steve. “I knew there was bar which came off the island at about 40 yards, so I cast just over the back of it in to an area of silt.

“Nothing happened during the night, but in the early hours of the morning I was woken by a slow and steady take. As I lifted into it the fish steamed off and I could tell it was one of the lake’s bigger carp. It then weeded me up, but by keeping the pressure on I soon had the whole lot coming towards me. My mate helped me net it, and on the bank, once we’d torn away all the weed, we were met by the sight of the lake’s most sought after resident – Colin.”

Steve used a Denham Bait Innovation The Element hookbait over half a kilo of matching boilies and prototype pellets.

This was mounted on a Nash Fang Twister hook and a Korda Hybrid coated braid hooklink. A 2oz lead and 15lb Korda SUBline mainline completed his setup.