At just 22 years of age, Lauren Stanford this year alone has caught what most big carp anglers could only dream of catching in a lifetime - three 70lb-plus carp from two different countries.
Her latest 76lb 4oz giant completed her 2023 hat-trick of seventies and was caught at the IG Carp Lake in Austria. A difficult water to get on, Lauren, who owns and runs Carp Fishing Socials, said she had "never been more excited for a trip in her life", and was rewarded with one of the lake's biggest residents.
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"Arriving at the lake, I knew it wasn't going to be easy, in fact, I'd of been lucky to get myself one bite," she told us.
"The session went way better that I had anticipated, I had caught a few carp and then bent into a fish that I knew was somewhat bigger!"
Lauren played the giant Austrian carp from a boat and struggled to keep calm when she saw the sheer size of it.
"As it surfaced, I couldn't believe what came up and my legs started to tremble - a huge carp," she said.
"When the battle ended, I didn't know how to feel, it was one of the lake's biggest fish known as 'Bullneck'."
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Lauren's two other seventies fell in the same session on a trip to Les Fortinieres in southern France earlier this year, in what she described as the "session of her life."
In just the first 24 hours she landed the queen of the lake known as 'The Heffer' at 79lb, before following it up 12 hours later with a 73lb 12oz fish, finishing the trip with carp of 64lb 2oz, 61lb 12oz, 59lb 4oz and 49lb - a truly ridiculous session by anyone's standards!
"That session blew me away, I knew a personal best could be on the cards but I really couldn't believe what happened."
One thing is for sure, Lauren has certainly put herself down as a contender for this year's 'Carp Angler of the Year' award with her latest catches. Find out how she did it and get her tips for European carp fishing in next week's magazine.
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THREE TACKLE AND BAIT ITEMS THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
For catching big fish consistently Lauren recommends the Korda XT Snag Leader, an out-and-out snag leader monofilament used when targeting big fish in wild environments. Its diameter helps stop it from cutting into snags, and gives it superb abrasion resistance.
"I use this for the majority of my booms and also as a snag leader. The stronger hooklink you have the better, you want to make sure you have the highest possibility of landing every fish you hook," Lauren says.
Pros
- Incredibly strong.
- Superb abrasion resistance.
Cons
- Can be quite obvious.
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
"These Korda Kurv Shank X hooks in a size 2 are my go to for catching big fish in Europe," Lauren says.
A versatile hook that can be used for both pop-up and bottom bait rigs. The aggressive in-turned eye makes this hook turn and grab hold quickly inside the mouth of the carp, without the need for additional kickers or tubing. The points are also needle sharp, despite the X models being thicker wired for increased strength.
They are available in sizes 2-8 in packs on 10.
Pros
- Aggressive pattern.
- Super strong.
Cons
- Point can go over quite easily, worth changing with each fish.
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"The Mainline Fruity Squid Wafters, let’s just say these have been deadly for me," Lauren told us.
Designed to keep your rigs perfectly balanced, once attached to your hair, the hook will help pull these slow sinking baits down into position. The barrel shape makes them slightly different than normal boilies too, add that to a washed-out appearance and you have the perfect bait for bigger and more cautious carp.
Pros
- Washed-out colour.
- Perfectly balanced.
Cons
- Heavy glugging can impact buoyancy.
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