Gloucester Park regular Mark Acton enjoyed an action packed session when he included fifteen carp in a 70lb plus mixed bag.

Mark fished the Gloucester Park cockle bank where he used feeder tactics and his own special homemade groundbait.

The majority of his fish fell to treble maggot baits, and despite using 6lb line, fed straight through, he was broken up more than a dozen times!

Stan Howard is celebrating his return to Basildon with a string of big catches at Gloucester Park.

Former Gloucester Park regular Stan moved from Basildon to Norfolk last year, but couldn't settle in the new location.

A few weeks ago he moved back to Basildon, and wasted no time in getting back to the lake at Gloucester Park.

Since then he has taken a number of 50lb plus bags, with his latest haul, a net of over 60lbs, coming from the little bay.

Using pole tactics Stan landed three double figure carp, numerous tench, plus a few bream and crucians.

Brian Clark fished just twenty yards from Stan to take his own 60lb catch from the start of the big bay.

Brian, who also fished pole tactics, included 24 tench in his mixed bag.

Pole angler Dave Ashford included a superb 2lb 5oz roach in the first of two cracking mixed hauls taken at the cockle bank.

The big roach was part of a 44lb haul which also included small carp, tench, and bream.

Pleased with his haul Dave returned to the lake two days later to land a further 60lb of fish.

This second big bag, also taken on the cockle bank, included carp to 11lb 8oz, tench, bream, hybrids and some excellent roach.

Shaune Marvell couldn't believe his luck when he fished a peg in the Gloucester Park little bay.

He had just made his first cast when his phone rang. While he was answering the call a big carp picked up his float fished sweetcorn and unknown to him was about to drag his rod into the water.

Fortunately his brother managed to get hold of the rod and passed it to Shaune, who eventually landed a new personal best mirror carp of 16lb 8oz!

Raleigh ceiling fixer Terry Waller doesn't fish very often, but he will remember his trip to Gloucester Park earlier this week. His ledgered activate boilie tempted a new personal best carp of 13lb.

The fish came from tench point, and was one of a number of fish landed by Terry and his companions.

The Eastern end of the island produced a cracking 16lb common carp for Brian Peck junior. Brian fished ledgered luncheon meat to hook the fish just a few rod lengths out.

(Right) Mark Acton shows part of his big Gloucester Park haul

(Left) Terry Waller shows his new personal best carp of 13lb

(Right) Stan Howard included this fine net of tench in a 60lb plus mixed haul

Date for Westcliff

Don't forget the Bait and Tackle match tomorrow evening at Westcliff.

Fishing times are from 8pm to 11.30pm, entry fee is £6 plus optional pools of £5. For more details phone the Bait and Tackle Centre on 01702 617764.

Southend duo bag-up with bream

Southend anglers Peter Merchant and Kevin Willis soon got the hang of the Northlands Park bream - landing ten good specimens between them.

The pair fished the caf lake using ledgered luncheon meat to tempt their fish.

Peter took the biggest share landing six bream for a total of 22lb 4oz. His best bream scaled 4lb 4oz. The best of Kevin's four fish scaled 3lb 14oz.

Roofer Dave Paxton proved that every cloud has a silver lining when he was "rained off" a job last week.

Dave had already considered the weather, and had his fishing tackle in his van when he turned up for work - just in case!

As soon as he was told the job was off for the day he made his way to Billericay's Lake Meadows, where he landed two carp totalling over 40lb between them.

Dave arrived at the lake to find it devoid of anglers. Setting up on the point he fished homemade mainline activate boilies in open water.

His first run produced a common of 19lb 6oz, followed an hour later by a personal best mirror carp of 21lb 2oz.

Karl cracks Hadleigh with Morse

Basildon firm Morse Controls were the latest visitors to stage a match at Hockley's day ticket water.

Despite a succession of frosts and a cold easterly wind the fish proved to be very accommodating, with Karl Onwak's impressive 55lb 12oz mixed bag commanding first place.

All of Karl's fish were taken on the pole fished tight to the bottom.

Some way behind in second spot was Phil Stevens who managed a bag of 16lb 12oz. John Saul was third with 13lb 15oz.

Dion looks like a shore thing!

Canvey matchman Dion Macfayden enjoyed a lucrative day when he fished a Sea Anglers Match Federation contest on Eastbourne's beach.

125 anglers fished the East Sussex match which was held on a measure and return basis.

Dion, using a mixture of crab and white rag tempters, claimed sixth place overall to take £100 in prize money.

He wasted little time on arrival and promptly went on to land ten fish - all lings - in the first couple of hours.

However, his luck changed from there on as the final half of the match brought the experienced angler just one fish.

Sea anglers are reminded that this Sunday sees the Essex Beach Open get underway at Shoebury East Beach.

Fishing times for the event, which is being sponsored by Jetty Anglers, are 10am until 2pm.

For more information or to book a peg contact Mick Capp on 01702 353957.

Conditions round-up: Rokers worth the journey

The prevalence of the easterly winds at the moment has curtailed sport, with boats not always to get very far out.

However, when down river there are still good numbers of roker to be had from the Thames area.

Southend boats

Roy Thompson's party on Saturday found some good roker fishing from well down the river with 28 fish up to 12lb landed.

Colin Bond's party also found roker up to about 7lb.

A private boat, the Tobermory had an excellent day with two good size roker. The best fish weighed in at 19lb and another of 16lb 12oz. They were caught by Fred Moule and Mark Skiffins, uptiding and using herring and squid.

Southend pier

The best plaice reported from the pier for a while was landed by Mick Seppel. It was weighed in at my shop at 3lb 8oz on Monday.

The fish, along with two flounders, was taken on the first of the flood on lugworm.

There seems to be more flounders to catch, but still no reports of the first garfish, although with this weather it is hardly surprising!

Southend beaches

A few flounders at night and from the TEAC area during the day, with crab bait proving more successful.

Stanford

Flounders being caught more on crab baits with the chance of the odd eel.

Canvey, Tilbury, Gravesend

Several undersize bass in most places with a few eels. Crab baits are providing most of the action.

North Kent Coast

The best reported sole of 1lb 15oz was landed in Chatham docks last week, with lots more eels turning up.

Sea round-up

Contact Bait and Tackle's Ray Power on 01702 617764

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.