Bream are one of the first fish to feed come the start of spring and Ian Hannaby wasted no time breaking his PB with a fantastic 17lb 7oz fish in a session that also saw him land another two 13lb fish during the same session.
Ian was fishing on a lake that is known to hold a couple of very big fish, and he set about targeting an area he knew the larger fish were known to frequent this time of year. In fact, a friend of Ian's caught the other known big bream from the same swim a week prior, so he knew he was in the right part of the lake.
"I was fishing to a known hotspot in the lake which is a bar in 13ft or water that is surrounded by 20 ft of water at a range of around 70 yards," Ian told us.
"I caught the fish on a standard lead clip rig, using white and pink wafters as a hookbaiton a size 12 hook, and coated braid hooklength to help avoid any nuisance fish taking the bait."
"After setting up in the gale-force conditions, I caught a 12lb carp just 10 minutes after starting. Later, I had another run just before midnight, and after a typical bream fight, I netted a fish that I thought might beat my personal best of 14-10."
It wasn't until he composed himself and began sorting the fish out he realised just what he had caught...
"I thought it probably weighed around 14lbs, but when I brought it to the mat, it felt much heavier. I was gobsmacked when the fox scales read 17lb 7oz. I was absolutely blown away, and it's the most excited I have been on the bank in years," he said.
STAY COMFORTABLE DURING LONGER SESSIONS WITH ONE OF THE BEST FISHING BEDCHAIRS.
This page is a free example of the amazing content Angling Times Members get every single week. Becoming an Angling Times Member gives you access to award-winning magazine content, member rewards, our back issue archives, bonus content and more! Join our fishing community and find out more today!