Big Lakes The Steak hit's the bank during match for good cause.
Boreham Wood angler Mick Richards made his first ever visit to Kent’s Darenth Big Lake count last weekend, taking this 46lb 14oz specimen during a two-day stint on the water.

Known as The Steak, the carp provided the only action for the angler during a charity match at the venue, falling to Mick’s approach of spodding mixed particles over the back of a gravel bar.

“I was targeting a gravel bar and didn’t have a touch, but then the bailiff said that over the back of the bar there was a silty gully where the carp are often found so I targeted that,” Mick told Total Carp. “A couple of hours later I was playing this fish.”

Mick spodded 4kg of pellet, hemp, corn and crushed boilies to his target zone before presenting Cell 16mm bottom bait with a pineapple pop-up over the top. An approach that brought him his new English PB after smashing his previous best of 37lb 4oz.

“I couldn’t believe it, it’s not the biggest weight that it’s ever been caught at as it’s done over 50lb before but I was very happy to have her as a new pb,” continued Mick. “I’ve had 59lb French carp before, but this was something very special.”

Mick beat his prize using a size Gardner Mugga hook to 15lb Jelly-Wire hooklink with a semi fixed lead and 10lb mainline.