14lb zander from River Severn

The smallest baits can sometimes fool the biggest fish as Barry McConnell found out when he took this 14lb 11oz zander from the River Severn.

After selecting to target a renowned stretch on the lower part of the waterway, the Derbyshire-based predator fanatic rigged up a semi-bolt rig with two double hooks and used bleak deadbaits.

Action was almost instant with a steady stream of fish to just over 8lb coming to the net but he had to wait until later in the day for his biggest of the season so far to turn up.
“I’d cast to a shallower area of the river as I was confident the fish would be held up there. I have now caught 124 zander this season and I’ll certainly be trying to catch an even bigger specimen in the coming weeks,” explained Barry.