2019 kicks off in style for UK's specimen hunters

Barbel - Jamie Coley, 17lb 10oz

Jamie Coley fished the famous Gunthorpe stretch on the river Trent when this 17lb 10oz barbel, a new personal best, devoured his hookbait, a 15mm Mad Baits boilie. This barbel also sets a new record for the stretch.

Chub - Tony Gibson, 7lb 2oz 

This clonking 7lb 2oz 5dr chub topped a three-fish Great Ouse haul for Tony Gibson who primed multiple swims with 12mm Dynamite Baits CompleX-T boilies. The same boilies, tipped with Enterprise Tackle’s artificial      pop-up corn and wrapped in matching paste were the hookbait.

Pike - Graham Mabey, 26lb

This fat personal best 26lb pike made Graham Mabey’s five-hour drive from Hampshire to Devon worthwhile. Fishing the Top Lake at Simpsons Valley Coarse Fishery, he presented a trout bait under a 40g Clearwater Slider Float.

Zander - Ian Wilson 14lb 11oz & 15lb 1oz brace

Zander expert Ian Wilson took advantage of rising water on the River Trent to land an incredible brace of zander.

He said: “They came from a swim that produced a brace of smaller doubles for me three years ago. I had a big brace last season and to do it again is a dream come true.”

Ian caught the toothy predators on small roach mounted on size 10 trebles to a 20lb Drennan Trace with 50lb Whiplash braid mainline.

Perch - Sam Edmonds, 4lb 1oz 

Fox Rage-backed lure ace Sam Edmonds caught this belting 4lb 1oz perch while testing new Fox Rage lure rods with his Dad.

The giant stripey took an 8cm marble patterned Fox Rage Pro Grub fished on an offset jighead.  

Roach - Rich Wilby 2lb 10oz roach (plus others over 2lb)

Airfield Lakes Fishery owner Rich Wilby has been enjoying some incredible sport from big roach with his most recent session producing a stunning 15lb bag – topped by this 2lb 10oz specimen. 

Rich cast 30-40 yards on a undisclosed Midlands gravel pit and alternated between maggot and boilie hookbaits to tempt the roach. He told Angling Times: “They were very finicky and I had to alternate between fluorocarbon and braided hooklinks to ensure my presentation was perfect. 

“In the feeder I also used a fine, dark fishmeal groundbait and mixed my maggots with krill powder to give them extra flavour. 

“l ended up with five roach over 2lb and all others well over 1lb.”