Big Carp At Boddington

I had a nice day on the Boddington Classic qualifier yesterday. Finally got out of the dreaded mid-100s where I’d drawn on my last two visits and into the 90s which is usually the best zone.

Had a nice match, catching 64.95kg (143lb). Had 10 on the teabag and the rest late on the bomb. That was 3rd in the match but also 3rd in the zone. Lee Carver to my left on peg 98 had some huge fish in his 78kg and to his left was the Boddington master Bogdan on 97 who had an incredible 143kg! Think he had four in the first 20 minutes and just never stopped catching all day, ending up with 32 carp. The man is a machine!

Elsewhere the fishing was extremely patchy, so it was nice to draw the best zone. I don’t do this style of fishing too much, so plenty of scope for improvement and I’ll take a 3rd behind two Boddington experts. Forecast said rain and potential thunderstorms, but that thankfully never materialised and my PVA bags stayed dry!

Used my trusty 12ft and 13ft Horizon Pro X Distance rods with 0.23 Soft Steel hooklengths to a 12 Matrix X7 circle hook. When you’re waiting for bites I’m ultra confident in a boosted pink Sonubaits Bandum Fluoro Wafter; 8mm on the bag and 10mm on the bomb. They’re just the right consistency and shape to stay on without worrying if the hordes of roach have snaffled them.

Day at home today trying to get on top of jobs before a busy week’s coaching. I’ve just popped another Live Match on my main channel, paste, margin and shallow fishing at Ivy House. ‘Slightly’ smaller carp than the Boddington beasties!