St Ives Tackle Team Member Dan lands 70lb carp from Jezero Sumbar
There is an amazing stock of fish in Jezero Sumbar which move in big groups, I was pretty frustrated not to be getting into the groups of fish but decided as I had gone there for a big fish not numbers being away from the groups of fish was my best bet for a lone lump!
It was on the 5th night at about 6:30pm that one of the rods ripped off and I was into what didn’t feel like much of a fish really….. After having 4 fish up to 40lb and feeling their power I thought I had possibly another 40 on.
After about 5 minutes I finally saw the fish for the first time in the light from my head torch and knew instantly it was far bigger than I had originally thought!!!
It proceeded to go on a mission from the first sighting to continue fighting for maybe another 15 minutes striping line from my reel which I couldn’t dare have any tighter.
Finally I had it at the net, I took both my 42 and 50” nets with me but due to the swim I had my 42” fox net in the water with the handle extension attached to get out past the marginal reeds.
The fish barely fit in the net! I looked into the net and there it was, the biggest carp I have ever seen! I tried to lift it out in the net and instantly knew it would not be possible so I had to get my recovery sling under the net in the water and lift it out in that!
Once on the scales it bottomed out my Reuben’s at 68lb!!! I had already set the scales 3lb light to allow for the Nash recovery sling and I couldn’t believe it!
So, back in the lake the recovery sling went for a rest in the water and off I went to get someone with scales that went over 68lb!
On the return with an angler from a couple of swims down we got the fish out and back on the scales…… it was 70lb!!!!!
I went to Croatia hoping for a fish over 60lb and I had done it comfortably with only the 5th fish, I couldn’t believe it!
