Home|
News|
News Stories

Anglers left astonished as carp takes mackerel deadbait

by Aidan Bordiuk |

Published on5th February 2026 at 10.29am

Fishing always has a way of throwing up a surprise or two for anglers, and on a recent pike session, Harrison Hutchings experienced one of angling’s more unusual occurrences.

Harrison and his good friend Josh had decided to head to their local Tri-Lakes Fishery, aiming to tempt a pike with a variety of deadbaits. However, the session proved tougher than anticipated, and try as they might, the pair hadn’t managed a single take all day.

As the light began to fade, Harrison finally got a bite and hooked into a good fish, but it wasn’t the pike they were expecting. Instead, it turned out to be a huge common carp, smashing Harrison’s personal best in the process.

“I had bought a new set of bite alarms recently, and with the weather being atrocious, this was the first session I’d managed to get out with them,” Harrison told us.

“As the day passed, I started to worry that the curse of the new tackle was going to make me blank, but I kept trying, recasting the deadbaits in the hope that something would happen,” he added.

Harrison decided to switch to a half mackerel, chucking it towards a dying lily bed in the hope a big pike was lurking nearby. The newly positioned bait hadn’t been out long before the bobbin pulled tight, and line began stripping from his reel.

“The bite was crazy. The lake had been so quiet, and suddenly a single beep turned into a full meltdown! I rushed to the rod and struck into what I thought was a pike,” he recalled.

“It was pulling hard towards the lilies, and while I could feel it was good fish I didn’t say anything to Josh in case it fell off. Thankfully I managed to steer it away from any danger as it headed out into open water.”

“When it came to the surface, I just remember Josh shouting, ‘It’s huge!’ and with that I just started to shake. I played it a bit longer before Josh shouted again, this time saying, ‘It’s a carp.’”

“When it finally went into the net, we both couldn’t believe what had just happened. Neither of us expected a carp to take a mackerel! It weighed 28lb 8oz, which topped off a truly memorable session as it smashed my PB too.”

HERE ARE SOME GREAT VENUES TO TRY AND CATCH YOURSELF A PIKE...

Harrison with the unexpected PB!

Enjoying this article?

Subscribe to Angling Times for expert fishing tips, tackle reviews, and the latest angling news delivered straight to your door. Whether you're into coarse, carp, or match fishing, we’ve got the stories, advice and inspiration to keep you hooked.

Click here to see our latest subscription offers!

Just so you know, we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website - read why you should trust us