19/05/2026
G.M.A.A Spring Series – Round 3 Match Report
Sunday 17th May – Carp Lake, Burtle
Round 3 of the G.M.A.A Spring Series took place on Sunday 17th May at Carp Lake, Burtle, with 14 anglers in attendance. Following the excellent sport in Round 1, expectations were high for another competitive match with the potential for some impressive weights.
However, the main talking point of the day proved to be the weather. Forecasts of thundery showers materialised, and anglers had to contend with heavy downpours and blustery conditions throughout the match, which made for challenging fishing at times.
With only nine pegs offering a chuck to the island, the draw was always going to be crucial in determining anglers’ fortunes, particularly for those targeting the lake’s larger carp.
The standout performance of the day came from series sponsor Tom Thick of Tom Thick Baits, who drew peg 21. Tom enjoyed an exceptional session, fishing a pellet waggler tight to the island. He made a flying start, landing four carp within the first hour, including a stunning mirror carp weighing 25lb 14oz (weighed and released).
Continuing with the pellet waggler approach, Tom went on to land eight carp in total, including fish of 21lb 12oz, 17lb 6oz, and 13lb 9oz (weighed and released). His final weight of 118lb 10oz secured a convincing victory and also set a new club record for Burtle, with an impressive average fish weight of over 14lb.
Steve Smith, drawn on peg 31, also began on the pellet waggler but found bites hard to come by. A late switch to a slow-sinking bomb proved worthwhile, resulting in two carp for a total of 17lb 8oz, enough to secure second place.
Steve Whatley, fishing from peg 19 (the same peg he won from in the previous match), opted for a similar tactic, targeting the island with a slow-sinking bomb. After catching an early carp, bites proved elusive, and despite losing a couple of fish, Steve managed to land a second carp to finish with 16lb 6oz and take third place.
With limited island access on some pegs, Nick Talbot, drawn on peg 40, focused on the silvers competition using a whip. His mixed net of roach and rudd weighed 6lb 6oz, which was enough to win the silvers section. With John Aldam having managed to tempt one of the lovely bream in the lake which weighed 5lb 8oz.
A notable moment during the match involved Paul Davis on peg 20, who hooked a carp that had become tethered to the island on discarded tackle. Demonstrating great sportsmanship, Paul paused his match, retrieved a boat, and successfully freed the fish before resuming fishing.
For many of the remaining anglers, it proved to be a difficult day, with only a handful managing to land a single fish in the challenging conditions.
Results
1st – T. Thick – 118lb 10oz
2nd – S. Smith – 17lb 8oz
3rd – S. Whatley – 16lb 6oz
Silvers
1st – N. Talbot – 6lb 6oz
The final round of the Spring Series will take place on Sunday 24th May on Front and Back Lakes. Please note that both lakes will be closed to pleasure anglers until 15:30hrs.
