NORTHLANDS Park regular Dagenham Dave' Pitt banked an enormous 25lb 9oz common carp to lead the way during a week that saw at least four fish of the species taken at the Basildon venue.

Pitt, who normally targets the Northlands Park bream, took the fish from the café lake after spotting a number of big fish feeding in the north western corner the previous evening.

Pitt started his session stalking the big carp with freelined baits, but this proved unsuccessful. Moving to the nearest swim he cast a ledgered mini boilie into the feeding area and settled down for a long wait.

At approximately 7pm that evening perseverance was rewarded when the big fish picked up his bait.

With the reel handle spinning backwards, the big carp set off across the lake severely testing the eight pounds line and size 16 hook.

After several long runs Pitt eventually had the fish under control, but then came up with another problem.

The big fish was much too big for his net! Fortunately a nearby carp angler saw that he had a problem and ran around the lake with a more appropriately sized net.

When he asked Pitt if the 25- pounder was a personal best he was amazed to hear that Pitt's previous biggest fish only weighed 10 pounds.

Fourteen year old Daniel Herrera has been making the most of the school summer holidays, landing a cracking 24lb common carp from the Northlands Park café lake.

Herrera took the big fish from the northern end of the lake, tempting it with a Ritchworth tutti fruitti boilie.

It made numerous good runs, taking at least 15 minutes to come to the net.

The carp was Herrera's second decent fish of the day. Just an hour earlier he had netted a common of 13lb 4oz.

The big fish was the Chalvedon School youngster's second 20 pounder from the venue, following a common of 25lb 4oz earlier in the summer.

Birmingham angler Nicholas Kennedy had just a few hours at the Northlands Park road lake, but went away having landed a personal best mirror carp of 21lb 4oz.

Kennedy usually fishes for barbel in the River Severn, but was in Basildon for a few days visiting relatives.

Having left his own tackle at home he was using a set of carp gear borrowed from a neighbour of his relative!

The big carp fell to a halibut pellet fished in the near margins.

Phil Anderson fished the Southern end of the Northlands Park road lake to land a cracking 20lb 8oz common carp on just 6lb line.

Anderson had intended fishing for tench, but changed tactics slightly when he spotted several big fish feeding in the margins.

The carp fell to three hair rigged cockles fished over a handful of loose fed offerings.

Eight-year-old James Rose took a personal best 10lb common carp when he fished the Northlands Park road lake.

The Whitmore Junior School youngsters took the big fish using a ledgered dumbbell halibut pellet bait.

He also landed bream of 3lb and 5lb.

Anthony Smith finished his session at the Northlands Park road lake having taken 42lb of bream and tench.

He fished a quivertip using maggot baits.