Episode 2 of the Underwater Grand Fishing Adventure Series 4 saw Ali Hamidi and Bobby Zamora return to the famed Grenville Syndicate in Cambridgeshire – home to perhaps the best stock of big carp in the UK, and even a potential British record. No strangers to the venue, the pair had to make a variety of tactical choices to catch these monster carp, which ultimately resulted in Bobby making UK carp fishing history…
WARNING! This article contains major spoilers for the Underwater Grand Fishing Adventure, if you missed it, visit ITVX to watch now!
Big lakes offer a unique and fascinating carp fishing challenge, and Grenville certainly fits that category. Huge casts are often required to reach the fish, substantial beds of bait are needed to stop them moving, and weather conditions play a huge role in influencing their behaviour. These were all lessons learned from the last series of the Grand Fishing Adventure, where the Grenville residents gave both Ali and Bobby the runaround and, despite not landing it, the team witnessed a potential 70lb British record carp on the underwater cameras.
Fast forward to the latest trip and Episode 2 of this year’s series, and these facts about big lakes like Grenville remain exactly the same…
LOCATION IS EVERYTHING
Unlike smaller waters like Millhayes in Episode 1, spending time searching and locating the carp is absolutely essential on a big lake. On venues the size of Grenville, you can be many acres away from the fish, and that situation can remain unchanged for days – or even the entirety of your trip.
Bobby’s success during this session stemmed from a more mobile approach: finding showing fish and positioning rigs on them. The bites came quickly afterwards. If your session is only short, this is 100% the best approach. As we discovered from the live underwater cameras, fish will eventually come to you if you bait and wait, but the wait can sometimes be a long one.
FISH FEED CONFIDENTLY IN SAFE AREAS
Areas of lakes that receive little angling pressure are absolute hotspots for carp if you can get a rig into them. Both Bobby’s giant and Ali’s incredible fully scaled mirror fell to rigs positioned in areas that rarely see anglers’ presentations, and just look at the feeding response captured underwater.
This doesn’t mean fishing in “out of bounds” zones, but perhaps casting to a spot from a different angle, targeting a less pressured area along a treeline, or simply fishing somewhere slightly different from the norm. Don’t ignore the quieter pegs, bays, or areas beyond the average casting range – they often hold the lake’s rarest residents, just as Bobby discovered.
CARP CAN EAT A LOT OF BAIT QUICKLY
Many anglers shy away from introducing large amounts of bait, but in the case of Bobby’s record carp, this made all the difference. A heavy spread of bait got the fish feeding confidently on the spot. There were carp of all sizes gorging on his banquet of iScream, Paella and House Bait, and the bite came only hours after introducing it.
If the lake holds a stock of big carp like Grenville, and the conditions suit it, don’t be afraid to introduce 5kg of bait or more in one go – they will eat it.
THE WAND CONVERSION RATE IS MIND-BLOWING
We say it a lot, but the data simply doesn’t lie: 99% of pickups on the Magic Wand are converted into hooked and landed fish. Although that fully scaled mirror kept us waiting, the first time it took the bait properly, it was nailed.
Even after that incredible underwater weed battle footage, the Wand maintained pressure on the hookhold and, combined with Ali’s weed fishing techniques, the fish was safely extracted. Moving on to Bobby’s giant, and in a swim holding that many carp alongside such a rare monster, the last thing you want is for that fish to eject the rig. But just look at its reaction – with the Wand and Lock Hook Spinner Rig combo, there was absolutely no chance. That's why we call it the GOAT Rig.
YOU COULD BE ONLY INCHES FROM YOUR BEST-EVER CARP… OR YOUR SMALLEST!
If this episode taught us anything, it’s that the size of the carp you catch is influenced partly by skill and partly by luck. Whether you land an enormous specimen like Bobby’s or a mint little common like Ali’s at the end, more often than not these fish are feeding together around your rig – and you’d never know.
So if it does go off with that little ’un, don’t beat yourself up about it. That record-breaker could easily be your very next bite. That’s what keeps us all going, right?
We hope you enjoyed the series, see you on the next adventure...
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.
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The Best Carp Fishing Casting Techniques | Ali Hamidi