Have Non-Stop Carp Fishing Runs & Bites... Like This! | Underwater Grand Fishing Adventure Episode 4 Iktus Run Review
Episode 4 – part two of the finale of the Underwater Grand Fishing Adventure TV series – saw Ali Hamidi, Bobby Zamora, and Luke Boerrigter return to the stunning Run Lake at the mighty Iktus complex in southern France. It’s safe to say everything went right for the team in this explosive episode! Here’s what they discovered...
A Finale to Remember
How about that for a finale to a truly epic series and learning experience? Those Iktus carp really turned on in a big way, didn’t they? At points, it was total carnage – it felt like we really couldn’t put a foot wrong. That, as you’ve seen, even led to Bobby doing more experimenting! Some of our findings in this episode were truly fascinating.
Fish Traffic Is Everything
This episode kicked off with the team moving their long rods even further into deeper water with a sandier bottom. We knew it was a productive area, as another angler earlier in the week had success there.
From the outset, we observed increased fish traffic in front of the cameras – regular ghosting, light feeding, and all during the daytime. This just goes to show what all anglers know: location is everything.
Visibility Drops When Carp Are Feeding
When carp are heavily feeding on a spot, water clarity plummets. As you’ll have seen, when a group of fish gets their heads down, all that remains is a cloud of silt and particles.
The fish can’t really see what they’re taking, but others are undoubtedly drawn to the activity. Ali’s white hookbait just about stood out in the cloud, and he received a more confident take. One thing to watch for is bait wafting everywhere – as Ali said, it can turn into “fish soup” down there!
Matching the Hatch Really Works
Now onto some technical insight, and there was plenty to take away from this frantic episode. Early on, Ali decided to “match the hatch” with a wafter hookbait that closely resembled the loosefeed boilies on the lakebed.
While it matched the colour, it was heavily boosted with Goo – as he put it, “looks the same, smells different!” In this case, white was right – the fish simply couldn’t resist.
Building a Swim with Consistent Baiting
You’ll often hear anglers talk about “building a swim” with bait, and this episode proves just how effective that approach is. Consistent feeding throughout the week – pellets, boilies, tiger nuts, and more – had the carp fully tuned in to our zone.
Even when we changed spots within the swim, the fish still came quickly to investigate. For those who like pre-baiting, take note – it’s worth it! The old ways are still the best: little and often. The key is often!
Carp Go Mad for Tiger Nuts
How nuts was Bobby’s rig? Not one, but four! And the carp loved it. The Quad Nut Spinner with the Lock Hook and a small piece of cork for balance, is one to try if you’re a fan of tiger nut baits, especially in warmer months. So grab some tigers and Get Flossing!
Pay Attention to Moon Phases
New or full moon = more carp. This is a theory Ali has long believed in, and this trip supported it. The final day fell under an optimum moon phase with peak fishing efficiency – and that’s when we landed the biggest and most fish.
Do yourself a favour: download the Fishing Calendar App, watch the moon phases, and plan your sessions accordingly.
Two Rods on a Spot? Can Be Risky
Feeling confident, Bobby tried fishing two rods on one spot, just feet apart, right in front of the cameras. It’s a common day-ticket tactic, with some even placing three rods in the same area.
But is it wise? As you saw, the disturbance from one fish practically dumped the rigs on top of each other. Who knows what would’ve happened if he hadn’t moved them?
The Wonderful Wand
We’ve said it before, and this episode confirms it again – the Magic Wand is special. Ali found the winning rig, and it could well be the “Greatest Carp Rig Ever”.
This Spinner presentation combines the Wand with our Corefree Leader, Pin Lead Clip System, Dog Bone Ronnie Clips, Dazzler Inturns and Hookbeads, plus the Lock Hook. Paired with the right hookbait, we’ve seen nothing better underwater.
Its only drawback, as Ali discovered, is when fishing over rocks – the hook can fall between them, limiting movement. But on level ground? It hooks almost every time.
With nothing to hide, we did see the Wand get “done” twice on Bobby’s rigs – once a rapid shakeout from a fast ghostie, and once as a fish approached the lead. Even without the Wand, neither would’ve even had a chance of getting hooked. These are the fine margins between success and failure – and the Wand stacks the odds in your favour.
Want More Underwater Fishing Action?
Want to learn more from our underwater carp fishing sessions? Keep an eye on our YouTube channel for the Editor’s Cut of the Underwater Grand Fishing Adventure.
In the meantime, check out the full, unedited Underwater Carp Fishing Live Film, showing what happened after filming stopped – total carp fishing carnage!
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.
