27 April, 2023 | Match & Coarse | Angler Blogs | Articles

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Kevin Sanders Banks 3lb Rudd!

The catch report behind Kevin Sanders’ incredible rudd haul which included eight specimens over 2lb to a new personal best of 3lb on the nose!

Kevin says…

“I arrived at a Cambridgeshire pit at first light and headed towards my chosen swim. I have caught very well from this swim in the past and the weather conditions were spot on for this sheltered area of the lake. Warm sunshine was predicted, and I was sure the Rudd would be here to soak up the sun.

I was using method feeders on two rods loaded with Dynamite Baits 2mm Swim Stim F1 pellets and 4mm Source pellets. Hookbait choice was 12mm Hit N Run pop ups in yellow and white. I would feed several 12mm Source boilies over the top of the feeders every cast. This was every 10 to 15 minutes depending on if I had a take or not.

The first bit of action came about an hour into the session. I had a fast take and the fish powered around in front of me for a couple of minutes before a mint looking Tench slid into the net. The bites continued from there and several Bream and Tench fell to the same rod on the yellow pop up.

The next indication on the bobbin and alarm was a very jittery take very indicative of a Rudd. I lifted into the fish, and it gave me a jittery and random fight. As I drew it closer a good Rudd flashed on the surface, and I netted it soon after. I placed the fish in the net whilst I recast the rod and scattered several more boilies over the feeder. Very often another quick bite is on the cards, so I always get the rod back out as soon as possible.

Just a few minutes later and the very same rod was away again! The fish gave me a very similar fight and another Rudd was soon netted. This one looked bigger than the first so I recast the rod and got the scales ready. The smaller fish weighed 2lb 2oz and the bigger fish weighed in at 2lb 5oz. What a great start!

The action was coming consistently over the next few hours with more Bream and smaller Rudd falling to the same rod with the yellow pop up. The white pop up was not getting any action so it was time to swap it for a Yellow one. Literally two minutes after changing to the yellow pop up I had another 2lb plus Rudd in the net! They definitely wanted the yellow pop ups today. For the record it weighed 2lb 5oz.

To cut the story short and another four 2lb plus Rudd later, I had another brace of 2lbers in the net! Both of the fish weighed 2lb 5oz but they looked totally different. One was pale and looked like it was in its Winter colours. The other was a much brighter gold colour and looked more like a summer fish.

 

The day was fading away and it was now late afternoon. The action had slowed a little but another take soon came around. It did not really do much on the way in and I was expecting a Bream to pop up to the surface. However, it was a very nice surprise when a good Rudd was netted after it plodded towards me! It was a deeper bodied fish and at 2lb 10oz it was the biggest Rudd of the day so far.

A fast take came next, and I was expecting another Tench to be the culprit. Again, I was wrong and a gnarly looking Mirror Carp was smashing up the margin under the rod tip! It was an old looking, scared up fish that would have a few stories to tell. After a few quick photos I slipped it back and got the rod back out.

I rarely had time to sit down when I had yet another take. I could tell it was a Rudd by the way it was fighting, and it did feel heavier than most of the others. I netted the fish with no drama and lifted the net slightly, so the fish was on its side. This fish was very deep bodied, and I knew it would be the biggest Rudd of the day. The needle on the scales spun around to exactly 3lb which meant it was not only the biggest Rudd of the day but the biggest I had ever caught! You might think I am exaggerating when I say I have caught hundreds of 2lbers, but I really am not. I have had several close calls over the years, so this fish was extra special to me.

I was absolutely shattered after such a prolific day’s fishing, so I decided to pack up and go home for a much-needed shower. It was one of the best sessions of my life with eight 2lb plus Rudd topped off by a 3lb pb. I’m sure more fish were there to be caught but I could not have topped what I had just caught.”

– Kev