Northlands Park regular Matt Hall has netted a superb 20lb 8oz common carp further underlining his recent dramatic change of fortune at the venue.

Not too common - Christopher Johnson shows off his 20lb common carp at Gloucester Park

Until recently Matt had been struggling to locate the bigger fish at Northlands Park, going more than two years without a twenty pounder to grace his net until his fortunes changed dramatically last month when he brought his barren run to an end with a superb common of 26lb 4oz.

Having broken his duck Matt's latest trip saw him add the 20lb 8oz specimen to his list. The long lean common came from the swim to the left of the wooden platform, picking up a homemade boilie and fighting for twenty minutes before coming to the net.

Although none of the bigger Northlands Park carp made an appearance during the week, at least three other twenty pounders were taken.

The biggest of these fell to Simon Cruickshank who tempted a common of 20lb 8oz from the road lake. Simon took the personal best fish on a halibut pellet presented just a rod length out.

Derek Halliday fished the Northlands Park caf lake to take a mirror of 20lb 4oz from the shallows.

The big fish, Derek's first ever twenty pounder, accepted the sunken crust presented in less than two feet of water.

Martin Green also fished the caf lake where he took a common carp of 20lb. Martin took the fish from alongside the big reed bed after pre-baiting with his own homemade seafood boilies for the previous couple of evenings.

Gloucester Park regular Chris Johnson completed a catch of more than twenty carp with a cracking common of exactly 20lbs when he fished the venue's big bay.

Chris fished Ocean Fresh strawberry fish boilies which produced a regular stream of strong runs.

The majority of his carp weighed between seven and nine pounds, with the twenty pounder falling to a bait presented just a couple of feet out from the near margin.

Published Wednesday June 30, 2004

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