Record winter crucian brace

This is the biggest-ever winter brace of crucians, topping the scales at 4lb 4oz and 3lb 12oz.
They are usually associated with the summer, but specimen ace Mike Lyddon became yet another angler to make the most of the mild winter when he set a new personal best for the species.
But it wasn’t plain sailing for Mike, as his session at Godalming Angling Club’s Marsh Farm Fishery coincided with the tail end of a storm, followed by a cold overnight snap.
Gale-force winds, torrential rain and plummeting overnight temperatures didn’t dampen his spirits, as he followed in 10 spodfuls of krill groundbait with a small Method feeder baited with artificial casters on a size 16 hook.
“I had originally planned to go zander fishing on the River Severn, but it was across the fields, so the trip to Johnson’s Lake was last minute to say the least,” said Mike.
“It had been so mild, but all hell broke loose in the aftermath of storm Frank and it was so cold in the night that my landing net froze to the ground. Despite this, I persevered and I’m so glad I did.
“The session started with a few smaller crucians, but then just after midnight I had a new personal best, closely followed by the 3lb 12oz fish.”
The Woking specialist’s Method feeder tactics also produced a 7lb 8oz tench. All Mike’s fish came from a deeper area of the lake that he found with the use of a marker float.
“Most anglers think that you can’t catch these fish when it’s cold, but they hole up in the deeper areas, so the key is to do your homework and find them,” Mike continued.
“Along with the marker float I also used an old map of the venue that shows the make-up of the lakebed.”