Big Lakes, Record Carp & Huge Challenges | Underwater Grand Fishing Adventure Episode 2 Review
The second episode of the new series the Underwater Grand Fishing Adventure took Ali Hamidi, Bobby Zamora, Luke Boerrigter and Roo Abbott to the mighty Grenville Syndicate in the UK. Faced with an enormous 70-acre lake and 2000 carp to British Record sizes, what did the team discover?
Grenville Lake is often dubbed the ‘lake of dreams’—a title it’s more than earned, especially among the OMC Team. Both Ali and Bobby landed their personal bests in this huge 70-acre pit, and there are plenty of even bigger carp lurking in its depths.
That said, no matter how many carp are present, fishing a lake of this size is never going to be easy. Grenville poses added challenges with its tremendous depths and abundance of weed.
With this episode filmed in mid-May, our game plan was to fish marginal areas and an unfished spot towards the main island—an area no angler had managed to cast to before. As you’ll have seen, though, the fish don’t always stick to our carefully laid plans. Here’s what we learned carp fishing at Grenville Lake…
The Weather Impacts Big Lakes… A Lot
In late spring—and throughout the year—the weather plays a huge role in where the carp will be found. This is particularly true on big waters like Grenville, and it’s exactly what we saw during this shoot.
Our initial spots were along the margins, perfect during warm, sunny spells—exactly when we spotted the most carp. However, once the wind turned and the weather grew overcast, the fish moved with it.
Key takeaway: If you’re carp fishing a big lake like Grenville and the wind changes, get on the end of it. Fish follow fresh winds like a magnet.
Be Prepared to Move
Our plan for this trip was to stay put in an area of the lake we had high hopes for. But carp rarely follow our plans—no matter how good they are.
On big venues like Grenville, the fish are out there showing somewhere—it’s just a matter of locating them. If you can’t spot them breaching the surface, look for signs like coloured water. That was a big giveaway during this session, where large numbers of carp had gathered at the windward end.
Lesson learned: If you’re not confident you’re on the fish, keep moving. Once you find them, a bite might not be far off.
Carp Cause Carnage on the Bottom
On expansive waters like Grenville, carp often move in large, nomadic shoals. While you might only get one or two pass over your spot, when they decide to feed, they do so in numbers.
As Bobby put it, “it soon starts to look like an aquarium.” Carp will smoke up the bottom around your rig, and they can clear you out in no time.
When feeding in groups, carp stir up the lakebed, potentially dragging your rig out of position or displacing surrounding weed. This can quickly turn a clean, polished spot into a murky mess.
When You Think You Should Have Had a Bite…
Taking that underwater carnage into account—if you think you should have had a bite and haven’t, recast.
As Ali found, even with a tried-and-tested rig placed by hand onto a clear spot, things can go wrong. In his case, either fish activity or the undertow caused a clump of weed to mask the hook point.
Despite the bait being visible, the carp couldn’t take it. You wouldn’t normally know this had happened, so trust your instincts—if it feels like it should’ve gone, reel it in and try again.
How Good Is the Hinge?
The Hinge Stiff Rig dominates catch reports at Grenville—and with good reason. From observing carp behaviour and studying the lakebed, it’s clear why.
This rig suspends a pop-up at just the right height from the bottom. Whether you’re using the Chods Away (Long or Short), or Bobby’s shorter crimped version, the Hinge is ultra-effective.
It resets beautifully after being nudged by fish, and its hooking angle reduces rejections dramatically.
Tip: Consider the counterbalance weight and hooklink. For situations where the bait could be wafted about more, a bit more Blend Putty on the Dog Bone Ronnie Clip keeps the rig nailed down. On smooth bottoms, use Kickback Fluorocarbon or Kickback Linkz. Over weedy terrain, switch to Blend Coated Braid or Ammo Braid for best results.
Make Your Hookbait Stand Out!
As we also saw at Chase, a standout hookbait will definitely get you more bites.
At Grenville, Roo tried a 'match-the-hatch' corn hookbait but struggled—even with fish all over the spot. There was no reason for them to choose it over the rest.
In contrast, bright pink, Goo-infused hookbaits on Hinge Rigs got plenty of attention. Even in swims full of bait, fish showed interest or near-takes on these standouts.
Bright, high-attract hookbaits = more takes. Simple as that.
You Never Know What’s in Your Swim
How many times do you think you’ve pulled a rig away from the lake’s biggest carp? Probably more than you realise.
That’s exactly what happened to Bobby—he narrowly missed what may have been the British Record Carp, and had no idea at the time.
Similarly, you don’t always know how close you were to success. Carp can be clumsy. Even if they like what they see, they might miss the bait entirely. Sometimes they’ll just suck the lakebed around it.
Good job we’re not watching through underwater cameras all the time, eh?
The Lock Spinner Rig Is Something Special
To close the show, Ali switched to the OMC favourite—the Lock Spinner Rig—and as usual, it did the business.
Every time we use it, it delivers. Have we found the best carp rig ever?
Not convinced yet? Wait until you see Episodes 3 & 4…
What’s Coming in Episode 3?
Episode 3 (airing 29/04/25) takes Ali and the team to the French holiday venue Iktus. The lake is full of carp of all shapes, colours, and sizes. But with murky, deep water in places, the team is pushed to fish the shallows.
Will the lessons learned work in France?
Tune in at 9pm on ITV4 to find out!
Journalist Chris Haydon joined the OMC Family in the spring of 2024, after six years working for the UK's number 1 fishing publication, the Angling Times. He is a keen Coarse and Carp Fishing All-rounder, fishing in the South West region, including the famous Cotswold Water Park.
