My personal best came from a tree line on a Cheshire Mire after a tremendous amount of effort and thought. It was a common, was absolutely perfect, made me extremely happy and weighed 26lbs. I have landed hundreds of bigger fish including 40s and 50's but that fish remains my best. You may consider stepping away from the idea that size represents the ultimate personal merit.
In reply to Post #1
wow.
wow.
Never had a 20. Gutted when the scales tipped 19lb 12oz once...... 
In reply to Post #3
Had a 32lb common from my local canal and a 27 from a tiny lake in Southampton when I lived there from 2007 to 2014 could walk round the lake in 15minutes it was that small
Had a 32lb common from my local canal and a 27 from a tiny lake in Southampton when I lived there from 2007 to 2014 could walk round the lake in 15minutes it was that small
In reply to Post #1
I totally agree mate, my current pb will be my pb unless something special happens for a long time. It's only 24lb and ounces but it's because earlier in the day I nearly took my eye out with a bungee strap, 5 hours in a&e told don't move your head too much so what did I do?? Went fishing baited up went for dinner(this was at centre parks) came back cast out and it ripped off before I'd even got the bobbin on, slid down the slope to the margins thinking wasn't large up popped this common and it went mental in the shallow water took ages to land on my little 9fter
I totally agree mate, my current pb will be my pb unless something special happens for a long time. It's only 24lb and ounces but it's because earlier in the day I nearly took my eye out with a bungee strap, 5 hours in a&e told don't move your head too much so what did I do?? Went fishing baited up went for dinner(this was at centre parks) came back cast out and it ripped off before I'd even got the bobbin on, slid down the slope to the margins thinking wasn't large up popped this common and it went mental in the shallow water took ages to land on my little 9fter
In reply to Post #1
Thanks for sharing, I will definitely sleep better tonight but I'd just like to point out that your logic is fundamentally flawed.
The fact that it's a “personal best” means that the criteria is unique to the captor and if the size is their preference, then why should that be less or more valid than someone else's “personal best”?
Thanks for sharing, I will definitely sleep better tonight but I'd just like to point out that your logic is fundamentally flawed.
The fact that it's a “personal best” means that the criteria is unique to the captor and if the size is their preference, then why should that be less or more valid than someone else's “personal best”?
In reply to Post #6
Favourite capture acceptable......
Favourite capture acceptable......
Good thread
Here's mine from many, many years ago:
After months of fishing really hard on a really physically demanding and mentally challenging water with an unknown stock and not seeing much of anything, searching high and low for signs of fish and after a night of being eaten alive by red ants, on one of my daily laps around the pit the following morning after ant nightmare, I saw three fish crusing behind a small island. Two of the fish looked like pasties, the biggest one of the lot looked like a good upper 30, possibly a 40 judging by its length, I was too far away to see the depth and width of it.
The wind was blowing a gentle breeze from the north, quickly putting together a mixer rod, I grabbed my pult and fired out a decent bed of mixers. Slowly but surely the fish responded. Like I'm sure most of us do, it all starts going wrong from here on in. Fortunately I kept myself together and cast the perfect cast.
First cast the rig landed textbook with the hookbait gently moving towards the fish at the perfect angle. They'd mopped up all of mixers and the pack were moving in on my rig. The two pasties were making a beeline for my bait with the biggun at the back of them. Just as the smaller ones got to my mixer, I teased it back so they couldn't grab it, just in time for the biggun to hit my bait.
It literally went like a marlin. The fish had to have ripped off 100yds on the first run at least and flat rodded me many times afterwards. After battling for a good half hour, coaxing it away from the island, I got it in the net. It wasn't a 40, or a 30. Although it was long, like crazy long, it had no gut; I'd have said it was a male fish at 19 1/2lb. Even though it wasn't the size that I thought it was going to be, by far it's the best angling I'd ever done. That's my personal best.
Here's mine from many, many years ago:
After months of fishing really hard on a really physically demanding and mentally challenging water with an unknown stock and not seeing much of anything, searching high and low for signs of fish and after a night of being eaten alive by red ants, on one of my daily laps around the pit the following morning after ant nightmare, I saw three fish crusing behind a small island. Two of the fish looked like pasties, the biggest one of the lot looked like a good upper 30, possibly a 40 judging by its length, I was too far away to see the depth and width of it.
The wind was blowing a gentle breeze from the north, quickly putting together a mixer rod, I grabbed my pult and fired out a decent bed of mixers. Slowly but surely the fish responded. Like I'm sure most of us do, it all starts going wrong from here on in. Fortunately I kept myself together and cast the perfect cast.
First cast the rig landed textbook with the hookbait gently moving towards the fish at the perfect angle. They'd mopped up all of mixers and the pack were moving in on my rig. The two pasties were making a beeline for my bait with the biggun at the back of them. Just as the smaller ones got to my mixer, I teased it back so they couldn't grab it, just in time for the biggun to hit my bait.
It literally went like a marlin. The fish had to have ripped off 100yds on the first run at least and flat rodded me many times afterwards. After battling for a good half hour, coaxing it away from the island, I got it in the net. It wasn't a 40, or a 30. Although it was long, like crazy long, it had no gut; I'd have said it was a male fish at 19 1/2lb. Even though it wasn't the size that I thought it was going to be, by far it's the best angling I'd ever done. That's my personal best.
In reply to Post #4
In reply to Post #1
I was having a similar conversation today. My PB is a 37lb mirror, but to be honest I caught her on my 3rd session on the lake, without any real effort and just fishing for bites.
I much preferred the capture of my previous PB, 31lb 2oz, where I had worked for over a year to figure out the lake and start working to the bigger fish.
Obviously a 37 is brilliant, but I almost wish it had taken longer to catch it and had come through a lot of effort
I was having a similar conversation today. My PB is a 37lb mirror, but to be honest I caught her on my 3rd session on the lake, without any real effort and just fishing for bites.
I much preferred the capture of my previous PB, 31lb 2oz, where I had worked for over a year to figure out the lake and start working to the bigger fish.
Obviously a 37 is brilliant, but I almost wish it had taken longer to catch it and had come through a lot of effort
In reply to Post #1
My personal best is a 3lb roach.or a 5lb 11 chub I can never decide lol
My personal best is a 3lb roach.or a 5lb 11 chub I can never decide lol
In reply to Post #11
That's a chunk of a roach mate. Well done 👍
That's a chunk of a roach mate. Well done 👍
My favourite carp ever caught was a 19lb mirror not the biggest I've had by a long way but was always the one that I remember just because I couldn't fish a couple years ago for over a year due to accident and honestly didn't no if I would ever be able to fish again or at least specimen fish and this common was the first fish I had after that long break it meant so much to me and got pretty taken back by it all tbh
Even though I have caught larger fish since, I still class my personal best carp as a 28lb carp from the local river.
I'd spent hours walking between two weirs for weeks, almost every day, looking for feeding spots, watching patrol routes. Fished a 2 and 1/2 hour trip and caught it just as I was starting to pack up.
Since then I have caught a few 30lb carp, but they simply aren't as memorable as that.
I'd spent hours walking between two weirs for weeks, almost every day, looking for feeding spots, watching patrol routes. Fished a 2 and 1/2 hour trip and caught it just as I was starting to pack up.
Since then I have caught a few 30lb carp, but they simply aren't as memorable as that.
In reply to Post #11
3lb roach from a river is a dream of mine, come close a couple of times but not for some time. Hade a 5lb 8oz perch and a 12lb 8oz tench. Have various nfsa specimen medals and was obsessed with bass fishing some time ago with a pb16lb 4oz from a local river which I have also caught seatrout from to 14lb 2oz.
All of the above can be achieved by anyone as unlike carp fishing you are not restricted by memberships and waiting lists.
3lb roach from a river is a dream of mine, come close a couple of times but not for some time. Hade a 5lb 8oz perch and a 12lb 8oz tench. Have various nfsa specimen medals and was obsessed with bass fishing some time ago with a pb16lb 4oz from a local river which I have also caught seatrout from to 14lb 2oz.
All of the above can be achieved by anyone as unlike carp fishing you are not restricted by memberships and waiting lists.