Jester rig nets stunning 38-pounder

Last week Mat Woods was featured on our website extolling the virtues of his ‘Jester Rig’. Days later he caught a new personal best on that exact setup.

The Korum brand manager banked this stunning 38-pounder from Quarry Pool at Staffordshire’s Baden Hall on the maggot-topped foam rig.

Fishing a clear spot among the weed, Mat Spombed out a bucket of bait and put two rods on the spot.

After an uneventful evening, Mat was awoken by a dropback bite. He explained: “I wound down to the fish and played it in quite easily. Then, as I woke up a little, I remembered being told the big common doesn't really fight. My legs instantly started shaking. As I came into better contact with the fish, I knew it was a chunk. There's something about the way bigger fish move through the water and the way it feels through the rod, it's so obvious.

“After a tense tussle I saw my first glimpse. It was quite clearly a massive common carp! As I led the fish towards the net, I lifted the handle and the huge bar of gold was mine.”

Mat, who said the lake’s even bigger common crashed out as he was celebrating the capture, rounded off his session with a 22lb mirror.